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Research

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Ms Deborah Myers

Teaching Fellow in the School of Education

(email at deborah.myers@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

B.Sc(Hons) PGCE M.A. Education M.Sc. (STEM) NPQH C Sci Teach

Current Role

  • Professional Development Leader in Primary Sciences, Science Learning Centre, North East
  • Teaching Fellow, Primary Sciences, School of Education, Durham University.
  • Chartered Science Teacher

Professional Membership

  • Fellow of the AstraZeneca Primary Science Teaching College
  • Member of the Association of Science Education

Research Interests

  • 'If You Go Down to the Woods Today: Developing trainee teachers' subject matter knowledge and pedagogies in habitat mapping to facilitate the development of KS2 pupils' scientific literacy.
  • I wonder... Evaluating the rold of child-led independent enquiry projects in facilitating children's engagement in primary science.
  • Evaluating the factors informing pre-service teachers' constructions of professional identities as science teachers during their courses of initial teacher education.
  • Exploring the role of professional identity in enabling pre-service teachers' to develop pupils' skills in scientific enquiry.
  • Exploring the role of Children's Literature as bibliotherapy in response to childhool trauma, building on former work undertaken as a literacy consultant with responsibility for safeguarding children.
  • Establishing the role of partnerships with museums, galleries and informal learning providers in the creative development of creative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in primary science.

Debbie's current roles build upon her former posts as a primary teaching Head, Deputy Head, Literacy Consultant and Senior Lecturing role in Higher Education.

As a Teaching Fellow she is a module leader for the Year 3 Science for Primary Teaching Specialism, a dissertation supervisor and delivers practical science workshops to primary PGCE students. As a Professional Development Leader for Science Learning Centre North East she currently manager the primary science CPD programme including the design, development and delivery of CPD courses in partnership with cultural venues around the North East. She underakes bespoke work in schools throughout the North East, providing advice to science subject leaders, primary clusters and whole school staff on the nature of science enquiry, the development of outdoor learning opportunities, areas of science specific subject knowledge, planning for progression in science enquiry and cross-curricular learning preparation for Osted and school self-evaluation. She also participates in science outreach activities with colleagues from Durham University via the North East Science Alliance.

Senior Lecturer in Primary Science Education, Manchester Metropolitan University

She was module leader for the Early Years and Primary PGCE Core Units and, as the module leader for Year 3 Student Enquiry, she developed a unit of outdoor teaching and learning entitled: 'If You Go Down to the Woods Today...'focusing upon the use of habitat mapping techniques to develop children's scientific literacy. During this time she also developed courses of CPD for primary teachers including 'Go Wild in Nature,' 'Go Seeds Go,' 'The Science of Survival,' delivered at Science Learning Centre NW and the Association of Science Education. In 2010/2011 Debbie was nominated for a teaching award by MMU students.

During this time she was also involved in a collaborative venture between SLC North West, MMU, Great Fridays and Adobe at the request of the DCSF, resulting in the co-creation of Scimorph, a 3-d learning companion, who journeys through a series of vitual worlds guided by children as they undertake a number of scientific enquiries and learn abuot forces and micro-organisms.

Head of La Sagesse Junior School Newcastle upon Tyne

Quality Assurance, Self-Evaluation and School Development Planning in partnership with Governors and Leadership Group; Pupil Progress Tracking; Safeguarding Officer; Behaviour Management; Year 5/6 class teachers; Science Manager.

During her Headship she led a team of teachers and museum learning officers into the finals of the Rolls-Royce Science Project 2007-08 with a project to construct a Roman Apothecary Garden and Fairytale Willow Village to create mutiple outdoor learning contexts in which to develop children's scientific enquiry process skills.

In 2007 she received the AstraZeneca Primary Science Teaching Award for her creative approaches to science teaching and she is a fellow of the AstraZeneca Primary Science College and a member of the Association of Science Education.

Deputy Headteacher, Richardson Dees Primary School, Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne

Quality Assurance, Self-evaluation and school development planning as part of the Leadership Group in partnership with Governors; Safeguarding and Behaviour Management; Literacy Manager; Full-time KS 2 Class teacher/Deputy Headteacher.

Early Year Team: Sure Start Award (2003) Innovative and Imaginative Practice - Role play supported writing

BT Award for Speaking and Listening/Developing Communication Skills (2005)

Excellence in Cities Award (2004-2006) Significantly raising children's attainment in literacy and numeracy.

Seconded to North Tyneside LEA as part-time Literacy Consultant to cascade innovative literacy practice to schools within the LEA.

Initiating Workforce Reform Consultation (2005)

Education Business Partnership Bid - 2 day placement of 3 teaching staff at Archive Department, Discovery Museum, 2006.

Nominated for North Tyneside 'Boss of the Year 2005/06' by colleagues, after a period of Acting Headship.

Publications

Journal papers: professional

  • Myers, D. (2012). Roma Invicta. Primary Science Review 122.