DATE: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:38:15 +1100
SUBJECT: Three APAI scholarships - ARC Linkage - "Measuring the effectiveness of specialist science enrichment programs"



Some PhD scholarships with a slightly different theme.  Please forward  
to anyone you think may be interested...


Dear Colleagues

We are seeking three highly motivated PhD students to work within a  
project funded by the Australian Research Council, the Graham (Polly)  
Farmer Foundation and the Gravity Discovery Centre. The title of the  
project is “Measuring the Effectiveness of Specialist Science  
Enrichment Programs”.

Please forward the attachment with details of 3 Three APAI  
scholarships to potentially interested people. Brief description below.
Closing date is 15th December.

“Candidates
Candidates could be experienced science teachers with appropriate  
qualifications, recent Bachelor of Science or Engineering graduates  
with an interest in education, or graduates of double degrees that  
combine science with arts or social sciences. All should have a  
serious interest in astronomy and physics and in working with school  
students. Candidates will be expected to develop education programmes,  
work closely with school classes and then evaluate student responses.  
The PhD students will be expected to focus their research on one of  
three types of educational programs all delivered through the Gravity  
Discovery Centre as follows:

a)    Specialised Enrichment: Innovative high quality programs already  
developed by the Gravity Discovery Centre and comparable to many  
enrichment programs offered by diverse facilities across Australia.  
These activities include both pre-visit and post-visit classroom  
activities and international links.
b)    Motivating through Research: Students will use the Zadko  
telescope and interact with research students. This aspect of the  
program will enable students to discover new astronomical objects and  
to provide improved data for known objects (asteroids, near Earth  
objects, gamma ray bursts and supernovae).
c)    Learning through Narrative: Students will use the Cosmology  
Gallery facilities. Here we will focus on the story of the universe  
and compare cultural creation stories at the Gravity Discovery Centre  
with the scientific story. This unique facility is specifically  
designed for multi-cultural approaches to learning.

We particularly welcome applications from people with special interest  
in working with Indigenous students, with specialised knowledge of  
astronomy and teaching through a narrative approach.”


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A/Professor M G Zadnik
Dept of Imaging and Applied Physics
Curtin University
GPO Box U 1987
Perth, 6845
Western Australia

Tel:        + 61 8 9266 2326
Fax         +61 8 9266 2377
Office      Building 301.113

email       m.zadnik@curtin.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
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