Prof Brian Lewthwaite ~ Adjunct Professor

Brian Lewthwaite is an Adjunct Professor in Education at JCU, University of British Columbia and University of Manitoba and currently the Co-ordinator of the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program (YNTEP) in the Yukon Territory of northern Canada. His educational career started as a mathematics, chemistry and biology teacher in northern Canada, followed by twelve years of science and mathematics teaching and administration in New Zealand. He started his work in teacher education in 1993 as a Senior Lecturer and adminstrator at Palmerston North College of Education followed by Massey University College of Education. From 2002-2012 he worked as an Associate Professor and, subsequently, Professor at the University of Manitoba where he also served as the Co-Director for the University of Manitoba's Centre for Research, Youth, Science Teaching and Learning. From 2012-2017 he was an Associate Professor and, subsequently, Professor at James Cook University.

Brian's primary research focus has been in the area of science education with specific focus on pre-service and in-service teacher development. More broadly, of particular concern for Brian has been the attention given to ensuring the educational experience provided for Indigenous students across their colonized countries is located consistent with local community and self-determining priorities for education, rather than being mandated by nationalistic imperialistic goals.

He has written in excess of 120 refereed scholarly papers, 15 book chapters, three books, secured as lead investigator, with collaborators, in excess of $9,000,000 in research funding (over $25, 000,000 with other lead investgators) and continues to consistently work in collaboration with educational invested scholars and teachers in supporting changes in practice to support teacher change and student learning.

Interests

Professional

• Curriculum Design and Development in Science Education
• Community-based curriculum development in Indigenous communities

Research

• Learning Environment Research: ScEdD was in Learning Environment Research focusing on school wide attention to science as a curriculum area and the teaching practice of science.
• Indigenous Education: Early experiences as a young scientist and science educator challenged my view of 'science' and the possibility of teachers of science being political agents for challenge and change. Master of Education focused on understanding influences on culturally relevant science education delivery in northern Canadian, Alaskan, New Zealand and Australian contexts. There are few teachers that see that they have potential to lead change. I am committed through research to support Indigenous communities in their move towards locally defined priorities.
• Community-Based Education: The work in Indigenous settings focuses on determining community-based aspirations for education, especially in terms of classroom-based practice. This focus is now extended to current ARC-funded research in northern Australia to augment similar ongoing activity in NZ and Canada.
• Science Education: My professional origins are in science education. I continue to carry out research on teacher development, both in in-service and pre-service education. Much of the science work involves the Science Curriculum Implementation Questionnaire whcih was developed in my doctoral study. To date the SCIQ has assisted hundreds of schools, school divisions, states and provinces and nations in their school science evaluations. More information on the SCIQ is available through: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~lewthwai/usingSCIQ.html

Teaching

• Science Education
• Curriculum Design, Development. Implementation and Evaluation
• Professional Practices in Teacher Education
• Indigenous Education

Experience

• 2017 to present - Co-ordinator, Yukon College (Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada)
• 2013 to 2017 - Professor, James Cook University (Australia)
• 2012 to 2013 - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Australia)
• 2009 to 2012 - Professor, University of Manitoba (Canada)
• 2001 to 2009 - Associate Professor, University of Manitoba (Canada)
• 1996 to 2001 - Senior Lecturer, Massey University (New Zealand)
• 1993 to 1996 - Senior Lecturer, Palmerston North College of Education (New Zealand)

Research Disciplines

• Curriculum and pedagogy (3901)
• Specialist studies in education (3904)
• Education systems (3903)

Awards

• 2013 - James Cook University Inclusive Teaching Award
• 2011 to 2012 - Manitoba Education Research Network Award
• 2010 - University Teaching Award
• 2009 - RH Award for Outstanding Performance in Service, Scholarship & Teaching
• 2005 - American Education Research Association for Best Paper in Learning Environment Research
• 2004 - University Teaching Award

Fellowships

• 2017 - Adjunct Professor - James Cook University
• 2012 - Senior Scholar - University of Manitoba
• 2017 - Visiting Professor - University of British Columbia
• 2016 - Visiting Fellow- Hope University
• 2008 - Visiting Scholar- Charles Darwin University
• 2005 - Visiting Scholar-Massey University

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• D'Aietti K, Lewthwaite B and Chigeza P (2021) Negotiating the pedagogical requirements of both explicit instruction and culturally responsive pedagogy in Far North Queensland: teaching explicitly, responding responsively. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50 (2). pp. 312-319
• Mills R, Tomas L, Whiteford C and Lewthwaite B (2020) Developing middle school students' interest in learning science and geology through slowmation. Research in Science Education, 50 (4). pp. 1501-1520
• Mills R, Tomas L and Lewthwaite B (2019) The impact of student-constructed animation on middle school students' learning about plate tectonics. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 28 (2). pp. 165-177
• Welters R, Lewthwaite B, Thomas J and Wilson K (2019) Re-engaged students’ perceptions of mainstream and flexible learning environments: a ‘semi-quantitative’ approach. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23 (12). pp. 1315-1331
• Lewthwaite B and Connell M (2018) The role of teacher education in decolonizing education in Canada's north: a Yukon teacher education case study. Education in the North, 25 (1-2). pp. 6-22
• Llewellyn L, Boon H and Lewthwaite B (2018) Effective behaviour management strategies for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: a literature review. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (1).
• Lewthwaite B, Boon H, Webber T, Laffin G and Diocese of Townsville Catholic Education (2017) Quality teaching practices as reported by Aboriginal parents, students and their teachers: comparisons and contrasts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42 (12). pp. 80-97
• Lewthwaite B, Wilson K, Wallace V, McGinty S and Swain L (2017) Challenging normative assumptions regarding disengaged youth: a phenomenological perspective. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 30 (4). pp. 388-405
• Mills R, Tomas L and Lewthwaite B (2017) Junior secondary school students' conceptions about plate tectonics. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 26 (4). pp. 297-310
• Te Riele K, Wilson K, Wallace V, McGinty S and Lewthwaite B (2017) Outcomes from Flexible Learning Options for disenfranchised youth: what counts? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 12 (2). pp. 117-130
• Boon H and Lewthwaite B (2016) Teacher ethics: the link between quality teaching and multi-ethnic and multiracial education. Athens Journal of Education, 3 (4). pp. 331-344

Book Chapters

• Lewthwaite B, Tippett C and Milford T (2019) Science education in the Yukon: signalling a time of change for Canada. In: Science Education in Canada: consistencies, commonalities, and distinctions. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 245-264

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 111+ research outputs authored by Prof Brian Lewthwaite from 1998 onwards.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Completed

• An exploration of tertiary education and community experiences for persons living in Australian rural areas (2022, PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• ?We let `em go!? Transition from remote community to boarding school: The Lockhart River experience (2021, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Creating place-based learning experiences as a curriculum enactment approach: a case study of selected business studies teachers' practices in Papua New Guinea (2020, PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• The new English language curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: intentions and tensions in curriculum design and enactment (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• More than the power of two: leading school improvement in Indigenous education (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Making Australia's east-side neighbours visible: an investigation into the use of transformative educational strategies as a means of developing knowledge of Australia's east-side neighbours through French (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Neoliberal performance and resistance in Australia's flexible learning sector (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.