Staff Profiles


Dr Roger Wood

Ph.D., B.Ed. (Hons.), C.Biol., F.R.S.B., F.L.S., F.R.A.S., F.Z.S., F.R.S.S.A., F.H.E.A., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.A, F.C.C.T.

Senior Lecturer in Education (Primary Science, Nature Conservation, Outdoor and Inquiry-Based Learning)

School of Education

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Phone number:

Email: dwood@brookes.ac.uk

Location: Harcourt Hill Campus

Prior to his move to the Oxford Brookes University in October 2018, Dr. Roger Wood was a Senior Lecturer in Primary Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University and a Research Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, having previously been a primary school teacher and headteacher for 23 years.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roger_Wood2

 

Prior to his doctoral research at the University of Birmingham, Dr. Wood held various teaching posts, was Head of Science Department at two schools, and enjoyed 13 years of senior leadership roles (including a Deputy Headship and two Headships) within independent and maintained schools.

Dr. Wood is a Chartered Biologist. In recognition of his work in science education and conservation, Roger has been elected to current and prior Fellowships with the Royal Society of Biology,, the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the Linnean Society of London, the Zoological Society of London, the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Anthropological Institute.

Dr. Wood gas previously been a member of the Council of the Zoological Society of London and a Board Member (and Acting Vice-Chairman) with the chimpanzee conservation charity, the Jane Goodall Institute UK.

Dr. Wood is an External Examiner of Primary PGCE programmes at a number of universities.

 

CURRENT RESEARCH

Enhancing Children’s Engagement with Science Education and Outdoor Learning (including Nature, Conservation and Sustainability

  • The influence of Inquiry-Based Learning approaches upon children’s engagement with Science
  • Enhancing trainee ITE teachers’ confidence and enthusiasm for Science Education through inquiry-based learning approaches
  • Enhancing children’s engagement with nature and conservation through Inquiry-Based Learning and informal education (including outdoor learning).
  • Creative approaches to Outdoor Education and Learning – the impact of teacher characteristics and professional confidence upon approaches within outdoor education (including Forest and Beach School); creative and playful approaches to learning, engagement and understanding; individuals’ perceived benefits of outdoor adventures.

Philosophical approaches to enhancing confidence-informed social motivation within human knowledge and endeavour: this research is developing extensions to philosophical hermeneutics (Gadamer) and hermeneutic phenomenology (Heidegger) through the novel theory of the Philosophy of Confidence-Informed Social Motivation (PCISM).

The impact of student-perceived teacher-student relationship quality upon students’ engagement with learning.

The DISNEY Approach to Engaging Science

Primate Conservation and Education (in collaboration with colleagues in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University and BirdLife Madagascar).

Corfu wildlife conservation and outdoor education programme development (the influence of places upon Gerald Durrell’s passion for enhancing others’ understanding of and engagement with active conservation; the importance of mentors in engaging children with conservation, science and the climate crisis; the impact of autonomy and freedom upon children’s informal learning and conservation activities).