Professor Jonathan Osborne

Professor Jonathan Osborne has started his new position at Stanford University as the inaugural holder of the California Science Professorship in the School of Education. Jonathan is still employed by King’s to work on the ESRC-funded science careers and aspirations project which will run until December 2013.

My major research interests are various. I have done a significant body of work in young (age 5-11) children's understanding of science for the SPACE project and my PhD. I am interested in work that develops students' understanding of the nature of science and have been looking at how more work can be done on incorporating the ideas, evidence and argument in science through a major ESRC project. We have also been exploring what scientists and science educators should be taught about the nature of science and the problems that teachers face, through an ESRC teaching and learning programme grant. We received another Nuffield grant to develop teaching materials and a video to disseminate this work further.
See the 'ideas, evidence and argument in science education' (IDEAS) project.
 
Through the work for the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS), I am also interested in developing the ideas that emerged in Beyond 2000 of teaching science as a set of explanatory stories and how argument and discussion can be promoted and developed in science centres.

Jan 2008 - Dec 2010
ESRC (£480,000)
‘Talking to Learn, Learning to Talk in Secondary Science’
Principal Investigator:  Professor Jonathan Osborne
 
Co-Director:  Dr Shirley Simon, Institute of Education
Researchers:  Christina Howell-Richardson (based at King’s)
                           Katherine Richardson (based at the Institute)
               
This research will be examining whether the teaching of ideas, evidence and argumentation can be embedded in the everyday practice of 4 school science departments.  In addition, it will look at the effects on student achievement, engagement with school science and their understanding of the nature of science.
 
For more information please download the abstract at the bottom of this page.
 
Jan 2009-Dec 2013
ESRC (£780,000)
‘Science Careers and Aspirations: Age 10-14’
 
Principal Investigator:  Professor Jonathan Osborne
Co-Director:                Dr Louse Archer
Researcher:  To be appointed.
 
This research is a longitudinal study which will track 3000 students from age 10-14 looking at the influences that shape their sense of identity and career aspirations.  In addition, it will develop materials that will help students to explore both careers in science and careers from science.
 
For more information please download the abstract at the bottom of this page.

You can see a selected list of my publications here. At the bottom of the page, you can also download a copy of my NARST presidential speech (2007) and my inaugural lecture (2004).