USA
A panel of international experts in science education will share perspective on modalities for teacher education, the burdens and benefits of these modalities, and current issues and future directions for teacher education in their respective nations. A discussant will synthesize ideas and facilitate a discussion with the audience.
Saouma BouJaoude (PhD, University of Cincinnati) is Professor of Education, Director of the Center of Teaching and Learning, and Past Director of the Science and Math Education Center at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. BouJaoude has published widely on science education and teacher education, supported by funding from the USA, European Union, and several Arab nations. He has served as the International Coordinator and member of the Executive Board of NARST. Presently, he serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and member of the Executive Committee of the Supreme Education Council of the State of Qatar.
Christine McDonald (PhD, Queensland University of Technology) is a Lecturer in Science Education at Griffith University, Mt. Gravatt, Australia. Her work has been published in leading international journals and books, including Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST) and Second International Handbook of Science Education. Currently, she is examining nature of science representations in science textbooks, and co-editing the volume, Nature of Science Representations in Science Textbooks: A Global Perspective. Dr. McDonald sits on the editorial boards of JRST and Science Education International, and is the Australia/Asia Pacific Representative for the International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE).
Umesh Ramnarain (PhD, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban) is a Professor of Science Education at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. His research focuses on inquiry-based teaching, with a particular focus on its uptake in South Africa, where the unequal funding policies of the previous Apartheid education system have resulted in complex and diverse learning contexts in terms of physical resources, educational and cultural backgrounds of learners and teachers, and school ethos. His research has appeared in top-tier journals, such as International Journal of Science Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Journal of Curriculum Studies. He also serves as Associate Editor of Education as Change.
Christiane S. Reiners (PhD, University of Cologne) is Professor of Chemistry and Chemistry Education, and Head of the Institute of Chemistry Education at the University of Cologne, Germany. Her research is focused on the role of history and philosophy of science in promoting understandings of nature of science, and the education and professional development of preservice and inservice chemistry teachers. Dr. Reiners serves as the National Representative of the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education. She is recipient of several prestigious awards, including the German Chemical Society Johann-Friedrich-Gmelin-Award of the Division of Chemical Education, and the University of Cologne Albertus-Magnus-Teaching Award (2009, 2014).
Dana L. Zeidler (PhD, Syracuse University) is a Professor and Coordinator of Science Education at the University of South Florida–Tampa. His research program incorporates aspects of argumentation and discourse, moral reasoning and character formation, epistemology and nature of science into a theoretical framework using socioscientific issues as a means to facilitate scientific literacy. His work is internationally recognized and cited widely both within and external to the community of science education. Dr. Zeidler is a Past President of NARST: A Worldwide Organization for Improving Science Teaching and Learning through Research, and the current Co-Editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.