Ellen Watson

Background

About Ellen Watson

It is the role of education to develop learners able to evaluate evidence (opinions, facts, ideas, etc.) and make informed decisions about the world based on their justification of knowledge. As a passionate educator and educational researcher, I work to assist those involved in education to think about how this belief may manifest in their educational efforts. Students can learn when they are presented with the tools to do so; I strongly believe that our classrooms (both secondary and higher education) need to become more student-centered. Learners should be given autonomy and control of their learning, particularly in the post-secondary context. As Abigail Adams said,"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." Educators should not merely accept the system simply because it is (Dewey, 1895). In my work, as a teacher and educational researcher, I strive to see education differently. It may be the introduction of a new teaching strategy, or it may be moving to a technology integrative way of learning; education can be changed in even the smallest of steps. However, education cannot change without teachers. As John Dewey said and echoed by Paulo Freire, the teacher is to be the instigator of change in our school systems (we are not cogs in a machine). Finally, my research interests include science education, epistemic beliefs, teacher responses to questions (phenomenological approach), metacognition and epistemic cognition, and teacher concerns.