Jennifer Mansfield

Jennifer Mansfield is a science teacher educator in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. Jennifer's passion for science and science education has seen her work as a scientist and secondary school science teacher before transitioning into pre-service teacher education. Her research interests include the development of teachers' professional knowledge of practice and the development of teachers understanding and attitudes about science education, in particular science as a human endeavour and the nature of science.

Current reserach projects

Pedagogical equilibrium (PE) as a lens for teacher knowledge development: This research aims to explore the usefulness of PE for capturing and framing the development of teachers’ professional knowledge of practice.

Comparing the nature of education and biomedical students’ views about the nature of science (NOS). This cross-faculty project involves working with Students as research Partners (SaRP) as a way of developing graduate attributes and employability skills.

Enhancing the quality of practical work in schools to support student learning: Encouraging pre-service teacher critical thinking about the selection, planning and implementation of practical work in secondary science classrooms. I am interested in extending this research to include in-service teachers.

Primary Teachers’ Perceptions and Current Understanding of STEM Education: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Please feel free to contact me for further information about these research projects.

 Other research interests:

• Primary and secondary science education
• Biology education
• Science as a human endeavour and the nature of science
• Teacher professional knowledge development
• Promoting scientific literacy in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors

External profiles:

Research Gate

Google Scholar

Science teacher learning and professional knowledge development, the use of practical work in science, nature of science and science as a human endeavour, teacher professional learning and knowledge development, self-study, biology education, primary science learning and teaching