The University of Western Australia
W/Prof Grady Venville
Winthrop Professor
Contact details
| Address | Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia (M428) 35 Stirling Highway CRAWLEY WA 6009 Australia |
|---|---|
| Phone | 6488 3811 |
| grady.venville@uwa.edu.au |
Biography
Grady Venville was appointed as the inaugural Professor of Science Education at the University of Western Australia in January, 2007. She is known internationally for her research in science education, particularly in the fields of curriculum integration and students’ cognitive understanding of complex scientific ideas such as genetics. She has published more than 40 papers in scholarly journals and is the co-author of the highly regarded “Let’s Think!” a cognitive acceleration program for Year 1 students in the United Kingdom. She also is the co-editor of the widely used textbook for secondary science teachers, “The Art of Teaching Science” and recently published a new textbook for primary teachers titled “The Art of Teaching Primary Science”. Grady is passionate about the teaching and learning of science and believes that inspiring and motivating students in their science learning is as equally important as helping them to develop appropriate cognitive understandings.
Major research interests
- Conceptual understanding/conceptual change
- Curriculum integration
- Genetics education
- Science education
Qualifications
BSc DipEd W.Aust. PGradScEd PhD Curtin
Publications
Books
Dawson, V. & Venville, G. (Eds.). (2007). The art of teaching primary science. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.). (2004). The art of teaching science. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Adey, P., Robertson, A., & Venville, G. (2001). Let’s think! A cognitive acceleration programme for 5 and 6 year old children. Windsor, UK: NFER-Nelson.
Book chapters
Venville, G. (2008). Effective biology analogies. In A. Harrison & R. Coll (Eds.), Using analogies in middle and secondary science classrooms (pp. 82-126). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Venville, G. (2008). Knowledge acquisition as conceptual change: The case of a theory of biology. In O. N. Saracho & B. Spodek (Eds.), Mathematics, science and technology in early childhood education. Series titled: Contemporary perspectives in early childhood education (pp. 41-63). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Dawson, V. M. & Venville, G. J. (2007). A guide to science curriculum documents. In V. Dawson & G. Venville (Eds.), The art of teaching primary science (pp. 62-84). Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Wallace, J., Venville, G., & Rennie, L. (2005). Integrating the curriculum: Theoretical trends and practical possibilities. In D. Prendergast & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (pp. 149-163). Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Refereed journal articles
Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (in press). High school students’ informal reasoning and argumentation about biotechnology: An indicator of scientific literacy? International Journal of Science Education, accepted February 18th, 2008.
Venville, G., Sheffield, R., Rennie, L., & Wallace, J. (2008). The writing on the classroom wall: The effect of school context on learning in integrated, community-based science projects.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(8).
Venville, G. & Donovan, J. (2007). Developing Year 2 students’ theory of biology with concepts of the gene and DNA. International Journal of Science Education, 29(9), 1111-1131.
Dawson, V. & Venville, G. (2006). An overview and comparison of Australian state and territory K-10 science curriculum documents. Teaching Science, 52(2), 17-23.
Venville, G., & Donovan, J. (2005). Searching for clarity to teach the complexity of the gene concept. Teaching Science, 51(3), 20-24.
Venville, G., Gribble, S. J., & Donovan, J. (2005). An exploration of young children’s understandings of genetics concepts from ontological and epistemological perspectives. Science Education, 89(4), 614-633.
Dawson, V. & Venville, G. (Eds.). (2007). The art of teaching primary science. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.). (2004). The art of teaching science. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Adey, P., Robertson, A., & Venville, G. (2001). Let’s think! A cognitive acceleration programme for 5 and 6 year old children. Windsor, UK: NFER-Nelson.
Book chapters
Venville, G. (2008). Effective biology analogies. In A. Harrison & R. Coll (Eds.), Using analogies in middle and secondary science classrooms (pp. 82-126). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Venville, G. (2008). Knowledge acquisition as conceptual change: The case of a theory of biology. In O. N. Saracho & B. Spodek (Eds.), Mathematics, science and technology in early childhood education. Series titled: Contemporary perspectives in early childhood education (pp. 41-63). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Dawson, V. M. & Venville, G. J. (2007). A guide to science curriculum documents. In V. Dawson & G. Venville (Eds.), The art of teaching primary science (pp. 62-84). Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Wallace, J., Venville, G., & Rennie, L. (2005). Integrating the curriculum: Theoretical trends and practical possibilities. In D. Prendergast & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (pp. 149-163). Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
Refereed journal articles
Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (in press). High school students’ informal reasoning and argumentation about biotechnology: An indicator of scientific literacy? International Journal of Science Education, accepted February 18th, 2008.
Venville, G., Sheffield, R., Rennie, L., & Wallace, J. (2008). The writing on the classroom wall: The effect of school context on learning in integrated, community-based science projects.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(8).
Venville, G. & Donovan, J. (2007). Developing Year 2 students’ theory of biology with concepts of the gene and DNA. International Journal of Science Education, 29(9), 1111-1131.
Dawson, V. & Venville, G. (2006). An overview and comparison of Australian state and territory K-10 science curriculum documents. Teaching Science, 52(2), 17-23.
Venville, G., & Donovan, J. (2005). Searching for clarity to teach the complexity of the gene concept. Teaching Science, 51(3), 20-24.
Venville, G., Gribble, S. J., & Donovan, J. (2005). An exploration of young children’s understandings of genetics concepts from ontological and epistemological perspectives. Science Education, 89(4), 614-633.
Funding received
2008: “A Pilot Mentoring Program for Beginner Teachers of Mathematics and Science.” A development grant awarded by the WA Department of Industry and Research (with Mr Roger Dickinson) (Total AU$1,300,000)
2004 – 2006: “Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts.” A nationally competitive ‘Discovery’ research grant awarded by the Australian Research Council (with Professors Wallace, Rennie and Malone), Project ID – DP0451818 (Total AU$210 000)
2003 – 2005: “Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change.” A nationally competitive ‘Discovery’ research grant awarded by the Australian Research Council, Project ID – DP0344754 (Total AU$126 000)
2008: “Genetics Education in the 21st Century” An Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project funded by the Department for Education, Science and Training (with ECU’s School of Education, 8 schools and 2 other industry partners). (Total AU$57,750)
2005 - 2006: “Sustainable Living in the Joondalup Region.” An Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project funded by the Department for Education, Science and Training (with ECUs School of Natural Science, Mater Dei College, Belridge Senior High School, Kinross College, City of Joondalup and the Water Corporation of Western Australia). (Total AU$95,676)
2004 – 2006: “Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts.” A nationally competitive ‘Discovery’ research grant awarded by the Australian Research Council (with Professors Wallace, Rennie and Malone), Project ID – DP0451818 (Total AU$210 000)
2003 – 2005: “Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change.” A nationally competitive ‘Discovery’ research grant awarded by the Australian Research Council, Project ID – DP0344754 (Total AU$126 000)
2008: “Genetics Education in the 21st Century” An Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project funded by the Department for Education, Science and Training (with ECU’s School of Education, 8 schools and 2 other industry partners). (Total AU$57,750)
2005 - 2006: “Sustainable Living in the Joondalup Region.” An Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project funded by the Department for Education, Science and Training (with ECUs School of Natural Science, Mater Dei College, Belridge Senior High School, Kinross College, City of Joondalup and the Water Corporation of Western Australia). (Total AU$95,676)
Languages
English fluent; Japanese basic
Previous positions
2007 – current: Professor of Science Education, Graduate School of Education, Faculty of Life and Physical Science, University of Western Australia, Australia
June 2004 - December 2006: Associate Professor of Science and Technology Education, Edith Cowan University , School of Education, Perth, Australia.
January 2002 – June 2004: Lecturer in Science Education, Masters Course Coordinator, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
January 2001 – December 2001: Lecturer in Science Education, Edith Cowan University, School of Education, Perth, Australia
September 2000 – December 2000: Science Teacher, Presbyterian Ladies College, Perth, Australia
January 1999 – July 2000: Research Associate, King’s College, University of London, School of Education, London, United Kingdom
1985 - 1998: Various teaching and research positions in Australia and Japan
June 2004 - December 2006: Associate Professor of Science and Technology Education, Edith Cowan University , School of Education, Perth, Australia.
January 2002 – June 2004: Lecturer in Science Education, Masters Course Coordinator, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
January 2001 – December 2001: Lecturer in Science Education, Edith Cowan University, School of Education, Perth, Australia
September 2000 – December 2000: Science Teacher, Presbyterian Ladies College, Perth, Australia
January 1999 – July 2000: Research Associate, King’s College, University of London, School of Education, London, United Kingdom
1985 - 1998: Various teaching and research positions in Australia and Japan
Teaching
I teach pre-service secondary science education students about science curriculum in the post-graduate diploma of education as well as a Masters level unit on contemporary issues in science education.
Research profile
