Member Profile

Cheryl Jakab

Primary Affiliation:: University of Melbourne (Education, Primary/Grade School, Australia)

Education (Expert)
With a Masters degree in science and BEd teaching qualification I have forty years experience working in science teacher education and development of curriculum materials, mainly related to primary (elementary) level. In 2013 I completed my PhD exploring what young children can do and know in science taking a social/technical realist view of learning. I am interested in the role that knowledge access plays on developmental thinking. My research showed that, in 2010, from about 8 years old children living in Victoria, Australia have everyday knowledge of atoms and molecules. Using a molecule building game, the children in my study raised scientifically appropriate questions, used the three modes of representation in chemistry - macro-level, sub-micro and chemical symbols - in thinking about physical changes.

Jakab, C.. (2013). Small talk: Children’s everyday ‘molecule’ ideas. in Research in Science Education. (43#4,1307-1325. doi: 10.1007/s11165-012-9305-2).
Jakab, C.. (2013). Molecules as tools: Discourse, artefacts and children's meaning-making about particles of matter.. Melbourne: The University of Melbourne.
Jakab, C.. (2013). Talk about small: Conversations with young children at play with molecule simulations : ). in C. Redman (Ed.),Successful Science Education Practices: Exploring What, Why and How they Worked. NOVA Press.

Australian Association for Research in Education Doctoral Thesis Award (12/2014)
AARE Ray Debus award for Best Doctoral Thesis in the past year. Selected from those submitted by universities across Australia for the award in the past 12 months.
Melbourne Graduate School of Education Most Meritorius PhD Thesis (03/2014)

Casual Lecturer Master Education methods (08/2012 – Current) The University of melbourne
Director/ Partner (01/1988 – Current) Jakab Creative
PhD candidate (03/2008 – 08/2013) The University of Melbourne