Anne Forbes

Dr Anne Forbes is a Senior Lecturer in STEM Education who specialises in Science and Design Technology in Early Childhood and Primary school settings. She is currently teaching in a range of units in pre-service teacher education and also conducts accredited in-service teacher professional learning to enthuse, inform and inspire learning and teaching through science education.

Anne’s primary area of research is in ways to advance the teaching and learning of science education in schools, particularly the development of communities of science practice.  Her PhD investigated participants’ views of their participation in a program named MyScience, which has directly resulted in five peer-reviewed publications in quality research journals.

Anne is also interested in researching gender effects in STEM education, and participation effects in ‘maker spaces’.  These projects have come about through collaborations with other Macquarie University staff and are anticipated to produce findings that will add to the research literature in these fields.

Current Projects

MyScience: In 2006 Anne co-developed the underpinning Educational Model for MyScience www.myscience.com.au, an award-winning program that aims to stimulate interest and enhance the capacity of primary science teachers and their students in conducting authentic scientific investigations- and has been implementing the program since that time. Preliminary research http://www.myscience.com.au/research/ into the program indicates benefits across the educational spectrum: for primary students and their teachers, secondary students and their science teachers and pre-service primary and secondary science teachers, where learning occurs because of participation in a community of science practice.

Anne is currently seeking partnership support for an ARC Linkage application to continue and widen participation in the program for primary and secondary schools in NSW.

Makerspaces: Students’ and teachers’ design thinking is being researched in a collaborative project between Department of Education primary schools, Makers Empire and Macquarie University. This research will look at the effects of participation in makerpsaces and the role that technology plays in facilitating learning. A focus will be on creative and critical thinking capabilities, design thinking skills and the ability to shift between concrete and abstract representations.

Anne supervises Higher Degree Research students whose projects lie within her areas of research specialisation. 

Teaching and scholarship 

Anne teaches in the Early Childhood and Primary education programs, and contributes to units relating to Science and Design Technology education. She currently convenes ECH430, and participates in ECH232, ECH234, EDTE252 and EDTE455

Anne uses a learner-centred approach in her teaching to design and deliver resources and ideas, which means identifying key elements of ‘what needs to be known or understood’ and presenting them in ways that allow learners to ‘join the dots’.  She believes in, and practices the art of teaching, as being about creating inviting spaces into which learners will step and engage with presented ideas.   

Teaching awards

2003      BHP Billiton: National BHP Billiton Award for Primary Science Teaching

2000      Streamwatch, NSW: Outstanding Streamwatch Educator award for K-12 teaching

Professional / Research-related/ Community roles

Anne is currently a reviewer for the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education journal.

She contributes to Educational Research in NSW through her position as Vice President on the NSW Institute for Educational Research committee.

Anne regularly presents professional development workshops about science and design technology education.

Anne was awarded the following in recognition of her contributions to a variety of Professional Teaching Associations:

2015      Professional Teachers’ Council of NSW: Exceptional Service Award 

2010      Science Teachers' Association of NSW: Distinguished Service Award

2006      Professional Teachers’ Council of NSW: Outstanding Professional Service Award