University educator honoured for contribution to science education
Release Date 11 November 2011
A long-serving member of the University of Reading's Institute of Education is being honoured for his contribution to science education.
Dr John Oversby is to be presented with the 2011 Education Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, for contributions to chemical education, at the society's awards ceremony in Birmingham on Friday 11 November.
Dr Oversby has spent his career advancing the profession of teaching through collaborative research with teachers, including international research, and has taught in schools across the UK and in Africa.
He is a keen proponent of helping teachers to conduct their own educational research to aid their own professional development. His citation mentions particularly the PALAVA Teacher Researcher group, which he has convened for over 14 years, which helps teachers volunteer for science education research.
The work of the group, including looking at how children learn about science most effectively, has led to significant changes in the learning of sciences in schools.
"If teaching is a profession it is not just about what we do in the classroom but being part of building up the discourse," Dr Oversby said.
"I have always been interested in people learning about my discipline and being excited by it, whether or not they are going to become scientists."
Professor Andy Goodwyn, Head of the Institute of Education, congratulated Dr Oversby on his achievement.
"I'm delighted that John has been recognised for a lifetime educating children and teachers, particularly in the sciences," he said.
"His work with the Institute of Education is indicative of the University of Reading's leading role in teacher training and educational research in the UK. I and my colleagues have been lucky to work alongside him for many years and he continues to make an outstanding contribution to education through his many roles."
Dr Oversby, 66, was a full-time member of staff at the University of Reading's Institute of Education from 1992 until his official retirement last year, although he continues as a part-time member of staff. He is a visiting researcher at Brunel University and has given evidence to the House of Commons education select committee.
He is now co-ordinating the Comenius Life Long Learning Network on Climate Change Education, an international venture joint funded between the European Union and Reading's Institute of Education. Dr Oversby hopes that the scheme will form a key part of the Institute's research agenda when it moves to its new £30million home at the University's London Road campus in January.
He also works as an 'embedded researcher' helping to train colleagues on the job at Prospect School, a secondary school in Tilehurst, Reading.
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For more information, or to organise an interview, contact Pete Castle, University of Reading press officer, on 0118 378 7391 or p.castle@reading.ac.uk.
Notes for editors:
The Institute of Education at the University of Reading is one of the leading providers of teacher training in the UK. Every year, nearly 1,000 students graduate as newly qualified teachers, and hundreds more qualify at Masters degree and PhD level. The University has partnership arrangements with more than 300 schools, which employ the majority of our national graduates.
Graduates from the Institute have an excellent chance of gaining employment, with 96% of our graduates finding a teaching job last year.