Dr Martin Braund
Profile
Biography
I am currently an Honorary Fellow in the department having retired from my post as Senior Lecturer in September 2009. I am working on various research projects focused mainly on the evaluation of professional development of teachers. I joined the department in April 2001 having spent the previous seven years teaching science and environmental biology to intending primary teachers at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds. Before that I was an advisory teacher for science and assessment, a research fellow at the University of Leeds and a Head of Science at a comprehensive school in North Yorkshire.
After graduating in Zoology and Geology from Exeter University I taught science in secondary schools in Cardiff, York and Boroughbridge for 18 years. In 1989-1991 I completed a Masters in Science Education whilst working as a Research Fellow for the Assessment of Performance Unit in Science at the University of Leeds. In May 2010, I successfully completed a PhD at the University of York.
I also work in Cape Town, South Africa where I am Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. My work in South Africa involves research on argumentation in classrooms, teacher development and mentoring and capacity building for research at the university.
As Adjunct Professor in Cape Town and in my capacity as Editor of the Association for Science Education's journal 'Science Teacher Education' I am interested in the development of academic writing, particularly from new researchers and writers.
Research
Overview
My research interests are in learning in primary and secondary science, biology education, museums and informal learning, teacher education and professional development of teachers, discussions and critical thinking/argumentation in science.
My recent work and publications are linked to talk and discussions in primary school science (DiPS), evaluation of a programme to improve teacher effectiveness in classrooms (TEEP), evaluation of CPD provided by the National Network of Science Learning Centres and the development of critical thinking and argumentation in secondary schools in South Africa.
Research group(s)
Supervision
I have supervised PhD projects in ‘creativity in teaching’, ‘language in science education’, ‘informal learning’ and on ‘transitions from primary to secondary school’.
Publications
Selected publications
Braund, M. (2010). Curriculum Development in the United Kingdom: Themes, Trends, and Tensions. In, Kirylo, J.D., & Nauman, A. K. (2010) (Eds.) Curriculum Development: Perspectives from Around the World. Pp. 346-359. Association for Childhood Education International: Olney, MD.
Braund, M. (2009). Talk in primary science: a method to promote productive and contextualized group discourse, Education 3-13(37), 385-399.
Braund, M. (2008). Starting Science …Again? London: Sage Publications
Scholtz, Z., Braund, M., Hodges, M., Koopman, R., & Lubben, F. (2008). South African teachers’ ability to argue: the emergence of inclusive argumentation, International Journal of Educational Development, 28(1), 21-34.
Braund, M. (2007) ‘Bridging work’ and its role in improving progression and continuity: an example from science education, British Educational Research Journal , 33(6), 905-926.
Braund , M., Lubben, F., Scholtz, Z., Sadeck, M., & Hodges, M. (2007). Comparing the effect of scientific and socio-scientific argumentation tasks: lessons from South Africa, School Science Review, 88(324), 67-76.
Braund, M., & Reiss, M. (2006). Towards a more authentic science curriculum: the contribution of out-of-school learning, International Journal of Science Education , 28(12), 1373–1388.
Braund, M., & Reiss, M. (2006). Validity and worth in the science curriculum: learning school science outside the laboratory, The Curriculum Journal, 17(3), 313-228.
Braund, M., & Driver, M. (2005). Pupils’ perceptions of practical science in primary and secondary school: implications for improving progression and continuity of learning. Educational Research, 47(1), 77-91.
Braund, M., & Hames, V. (2005). Improving progression and continuity from Primary to Secondary Science: Pupils’ Reactions to Bridging Work, International Journal of Science Education, 27(7), 781-801
Braund, M., & Driver, M. (2005). Pupils' attitudes to practical science around the KS2/3 transition, Education 3-13, 33(2), 20-26.
Braund, M and Reiss, M. (Eds.) (2004) Learning Science Outside the Classroom. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Braund, M. (2004) The nature of learning outside the classroom. In M. Braund and M. Reiss (Eds) Learning science outside the classroom . (pp. 1-12) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Reiss, M., & Braund, M. (2004). Practicalities and safety issues. In M. Braund and M. Reiss (eds.) Learning science outside the classroom . (pp. 13-18) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Braund, M. (2004) Learning from freshwater habitats. In M. Braund and M. Reiss (eds.) Learning science outside the classroom . (pp. 35-54) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Braund, M. (2004) Learning at museums and science centres. In M. Braund and M. Reiss (eds.) Learning science outside the classroom . (pp. 113-128) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Reiss, M. and Braund, M. (2004) Managing learning outside the classroom. In M. Braund and M. Reiss (eds.) Learning science outside the classroom . (pp. 225-234) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Braund, M. (2001) Primary Plants: A handbook for teaching plant science in the primary school . Birmingham: Questions Publishing Company.
External activities
Memberships
I carry out reviews of proposals for the Wellcome Trust and the ESRC. I have reviewed PhD proposals and examined theses from overseas Universities mainly in South Africa, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
I am a member of the Institute of Biology (MiBiol) and hold Chartered Biologist Status (CBiol). I am a member of the Association for Science Education (ASE), The association of Tutors of Science Education (ATSE), the Australasian Science Education Research Association ( ASERA) and the South African Association for Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (SA ARMSTE).
As well as time-to-time international consultancies, I am Adjunct Professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa where I carry out research with my colleague Fred Lubben on critical thinking and argumentation and support development of the university’s research capacity and profile.
Editorial duties
I referee papers regularly as a member of editorial boards of the International Journal of Science Education (IJSE) and the African Journal of Research in Mathematics Science and Technology Education (AJRMSTE.) More occasionally I review papers for the Journal of Biological Education, School Science Review, International Journal of Educational Development and the South African Journal of Education in Science and Technology.Invited talks and conferences
I regularly contribute to international conferences and research workshops in Southern Africa, Australasia and in many countries of Europe.