Professor Judith Bennett

Profile

Biography

I am now an emeritus professor in the Department of Education, having retired in 2023. Before retiring, I held the role of Salters’ Professor of Science Education and leader of the University of York Science Education Group (UYSEG) for nine years. Prior to this, I was Head of the Department of Education for eight years.

My connections with the University go back to the late 1970s as I studied Chemistry-with- Education and took my Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PCCE) at York.  I then spent eight years as a secondary science teacher, mainly in London.  During this period, I studied part-time for an MA and then a PhD, at King’s College in London, researching gender issues in science education.

My research interests lie in the areas of attitudes and engagement in science and in exploring the impact of new approaches to science teaching on young people’s learning and engagement in science. Projects I have been involved in include:

• Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST), a six-year project funded by the Salters' Institute, developing and evaluating the impact of evidence-informed curriculum materials for pupils aged 11-16
• Science Beyond the Boundaries, a four-year project funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, developing and evaluating the impact of interdisciplinary resources for students aged 16-18
• Practical Assessment in School Science (PASS), a three-year project funded by Wellcome, the Royal Society and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, looking at effective ways of assessing practical skills for students age 14-16
• I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Science Education