News archive 2004

King’s Educationalists win top international awards

05 Apr 2004, PR 19/04

Academics from the King’s College London Department of Education & Professional Studies have won awards from the American National Association for Research for Science Teaching (NARST).

The presentations were made at the NARST annual conference on Saturday 3 April in Vancouver.

Professor Paul Black, Emeritus Professor of Science Education, was awarded the prestigious ‘Distinguished Contribution to Science Education Award’ in recognition of “an individual who, through research over an extended period of time, has made outstanding and continuing contributions, provided notable leadership, and made a substantial impact in the area of science education”.

Exceptionally this award was also won previously by another King’s professor, Ros Driver, in 1997. She succeeded Professor Black as Professor of Science Education in 1995.

Paul Black said, on receiving the award:
‘This honour is recognition not only of my efforts to improve the quality of the student experience but all those who have worked with me.’

King’s academics also won a second NARST award: for an article published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (a leading journal in the field) which was judged to be the most significant for that year. It was awarded to a team led by Jonathan Osborne, Professor of Science Education.

Jonathan Osborne said:
‘I am delighted to be the first person in the UK ever to receive this award.’

This award was given for the paper:

Osborne, J F, Ratcliffe, M, Collins, S, Millar, R, & Duschl, R (2003) What ‘ideas-about-science’ should be taught in school science? A Delphi Study of the ‘Expert’ Community. (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(7), 692-720)

Notes to editors

Professor Paul Black
Professor Paul Black, Emeritus Professor of Science Education at King’s College London, was Chairman of the Government’s Task Group on Assessment and Testing, which devised the reporting structure for the national curriculum of England and Wales. He has also advised the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the US National Academy of Sciences, on curriculum and assessment reform. During a long and distinguished career in education he has published more than 400 articles, books and papers on science education and curriculum and assessment reform and is the author of Testing: Friend or Foe? The Theory and Practice of Assessment and Testing.

Professor Jonathan Osborne
Professor Osborne’s research interests include physics education; primary science; children’s conceptual development; information technology in education; and the nature of science.

King’s College London
King’s is one of the oldest and largest colleges of the University of London with 13,800 undergraduate students and some 5,300 postgraduates in ten schools of study. The College had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level. King’s is in the top group of five universities for research earnings with income from grants and contracts of more than £93 million (2002-2003) and has an annual turnover of £320 million. King’s is a member of the Russell Group, a coalition of the UK’s major research-based universities.

The Department of Education & Professional Studies
The Department of Education & Professional Studies provides world class research and teaching. On all the courses, from undergraduate to doctoral levels, students are able to contribute to and participate in a richly diverse research culture built on the internationally recognised scholarship of the staff.

The National Association for Research in Science Teaching
The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) is a world-wide organisation of professionals committed to the improvement of science teaching and learning through research. Since its inception in 1928, NARST has promoted research in science education and the communication of knowledge generated by the research. The ultimate goal of NARST is to help all learners achieve science literacy.
www.educ.sfu.ca/narstsite/

Further information
Melanie Gardner, Senior Public Relations Officer, King’s College London. Tel: 020-7848 3073 or email: melanie.gardner@kcl.ac.uk

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