Debbie Myers

B. Sc.(Hons), PGCE Primary, NPQH, MA (Education) (Children's Literature), M.Sc (STEM Education), CSci Teach, PGCAP (Durham), SFHEA.

I am currently employed as an assistant professor, teacher educator, science lead, Year 1 lead and as a lead mentor, delivering primary education programmes at Northumbria University.  I hold Chartered Science Teacher status (CSciTeach), I am accredited as a National Lead Facilitator of primary science CPD by STEM Learning Ltd and I am a Fellow of the Primary Science Teaching Trust College.

I have previously held posts within primary education as a full-time teaching Deputy and as a Headteacher; as an English Consultant, Professional Development Lead at Science Learning Centre North East (Durham University) and as a school-based coach and mentor, supporting the entry of those new to the teaching profession. 

I attended George Stephenson High School, Tynemouth Sixth Form College and  Newcastle University, graduating with an Honours degree in Biosciences and a PGCE in primary education. Following 23 successful years working in primary education I now work in Higher Education, preparing the future generation of inspirational teachers and science leaders.

While working as curriculum development and environmental science/CDT lead in Wimbledon, I was sponsored by the Japanese Shinagawa Shipbuilding Foundation and Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO) to visit Japan, in order to learn about the education system there - especially approaches to STEM. The creative integration of science, early engineering and arts was a key part of my own school's approach to developing STEM. In schools throughout Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kagoshima, I observed the compulsory use of origami in kindergartens, as an approach to teaching spatial geometry, through 3-d model-making.   I learned of Japan's very deep regard for British engineering and their detailed knowledge of the history and work of Swan Hunter's Shipyard in Wallsend, Tyneside - my place of birth. This knowledge was of personal and professional significance because my father had served as a 19 year old Royal Engineer from Wallsend, in the Burma Campaign during World War II. This visit prompted my return to the North East, to take up a role as a Deputy Headteacher in a Wallsend school, where, in collaboration with inspirational colleagues, the focus of my work was to build the social and scientific capital of children - resulting in a Sure Start Award for the Early Years team (2003) and Excellence in Cities awards in 2004, 2005, 2006 (North Tyneside LA). 

In 2007, during Headship I designed a Rolls-Royce Science Prize finalist project: 'The Roman Apothecary Garden and Fairytale Willow Village,' resulting in the construction of multiple outdoor environments in which to situate creative inquiry-based learning. This funded project enabled my staff team to reconnect children with nature in role as agentic artists, authors, scientists, mathematicians, historians, geographers and environmental stewards. In 2007 I was a recipient of the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust's Award: Primary Science Teacher of the Year for creativity in science teaching, presented by Professor Hugh Lawlor, at the University of Liverpool. I am now a fellow of the Primary Science Teaching Trust's Teacher College.  Many of the inspirational PSTT North-East fellows are working in partnership with the science team to develop our students' planning, teaching and assessment skills through taught lectures and mentoring on placement.

During my role as Professional Development Lead, at Science Learning Centre North-East, I audited the professional development needs of primary teachers in the region, and, in collaboration with colleagues in the SLC network, I developed appropriate programmes of professional development, at a time of transition to the current National Curriculum (DfE, 2013).  In 2013 I was invited to join the Royal Society of Chemistry Primary Teacher Advisory Group. I have co-designed science professional development workshops for Teach First trainees and for the Rainham Marks Science Learning Partnership to, enhance the scientific subject knowledge of primary teachers.

I have designed and presented professional development workshops for educators attending the American National Science Teaching Association Conference in Los Angeles, 2017, the UK Association for Science Education and for the Primary Science Teaching Trust's annual conferences. 

During my career in higher education I have worked as a Teaching Fellow, Senior Lecturer and STEM CPD provider at Durham, Canterbury Christ Church and Manchester Metropolitan Universities and as English Lead at Sunderland University.

My areas of research interest include science education, Education for Sustainable Development, including growing gardens for learning, to reconnect children with nature and to develop their understanding of ecosystem complexity and interdependence.

I have developed science education projects, including Leonardo da Vinci's Apprentices and Curiouser and Curiouser SPIES, which was highly commended in the BERA-BCF Routledge Curriculum Journal Prize, 2016, for contributing to a school's curriculum excellence. 

I have designed and delivered science workshops for children at Newcastle Centre for Life Maker Faire, the Durham Science Festival (Spooky Science), the British Science Festival and in schools during National Science Weeks (Future Worlds Storm Survival). 

I have qualifications in Counselling, Philosophy for Children (Sapere) and Creative and Constructive Thinking - Six Thinking Hats (The De Bono Foundation).

Publications

Myers, D. (2022) Leonardo da Vinci's Apprentices or Tinkering Belles and Boys at Ludic Play? In Murcia, K.J., Campbell, C., Joubert, M. M. and Wilson, S. (Eds.) Children's Creative Inquiry in STEM. Cham, Switzerland.

Myers, D. (2021) New Eden: Mediating pre-service teachers’ conceptualisations of Education for Sustainable Development,  Chapter 7, In White, P.J, Raphael, J., & van Cuylenburg, K.(eds.)  Science and Drama: Contemporary and creative approaches to teaching and learning. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

Myers, D (2021) Behaviour for Learning or Behaviour Management? In Gillespie, A. Early Careers in Education: Perspectives for Student Teachers and NQT's. Emerald Publishing Limited. Pp 93 - 100.

Myers D. (2019) Re-Coupling Nature and Culture: How Can Primary Teacher Educators Enable Pre-service Teachers and Their Pupils to Breathe Life Back into Humanity’s Tin Forests? In: Leal Filho W., Consorte McCrea A. (eds) Sustainability and the Humanities. Cham: Springer. Awarded a prize as one of three best papers.

Myers, D. (2015) ‘Enacting Darby’s Notion of Engaging Science Pedagogy.’ Science Teacher Education. July. Association of Science Education.

Myers, D. (2014) In Waugh, D., Allott, K., and Jolliffe, W. (2014) Primary English for Trainee Teachers. Chapter Seven 'Fiction'. London: Sage. (First, second editions, 2014, 2017);  Chapter 8 'Fiction' (Third edition, 2019).

Primary science education research project:

Curiouser and Curiouser: Supporting Pupils' Independent Enquiries in Science (SPIES) 2013 - 2016 Principal investigator and CPD lead: researching the value of using science inquiry as a way of knowing to develop the scientific capital of primary pupils living in an area of social and economic disadvantage.

This project was ‘highly commended’ in the BERA-BCF Curriculum Journal Prize 2016 by the British Curriculum Forum and selected for the final Cambridge Primary Review Trust Conference: Primary Education: What is and What Might Be (2016).

The science education strand of this project received small grant funding awarded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust (Primary Science Teaching Trust).

Project dissemination:

Myers, D. (2016) Take Three Eggs: Recipe Science or Working Scientifically? Primary teachers’ shifting perceptions of the value of using science inquiry as a way of knowing. British Educational Research Association (BERA) University of Leeds.

Myers, D. and McGrory, M. (2016) 'Curiouser and Curiouser'. Primary Science Education Conference (PSEC1). Primary Science Teaching Trust. International Conference Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Myers, D., McGrory, M. and Westgate, C. (2016) 'Curiouser and Curiouser', Primary Science. 142 March/April. Association of Science Education.

Myers, D. and McGrory, M. (2016) Curiouser and Curiouser' Association of Science Education Annual Conference. University of Birmingham.

Project web-page: https://pstt.org.uk/what-we-do/primary-science-teacher-college/projects/supporting-independent-enquiry

Project

Myers, D. (2017) Mighty Micro-organisms - Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde? Human survival in an ancient kingdom. Facilitating primary teachers’ participation in action research to develop creative pedagogies. Supported by a Microbiology Society Microbiology in Schools Funding Award 2016 (MSF16/17).

Conferences: Presentation of papers:

Myers, D. (2019) 'The Space Between Trees', British Education Research Association (BERA), University of Manchester.

Myers, D. (2019) Recoupling Nature and Culture. European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, Palazza dei Congressi, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy. Poster presentation SIG Strand 9 Nature, Ecology and Environment.

Myers, D. (2019) Leonardo da Vinci's Apprentices or tinkering belles and boys at ludic play? Reflective Seminar: Playing to teach and learn. Primary Science Education Conference (PSEC 2). Primary Science Teaching Trust. Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Myers, D., McGrory, M. and Westgate, C. (2018) We the Curious! Developing an enquiry-led curriculum to operationalise pupil voice in an area of significant social and economic disadvantage. British Educational Research Association (BERA). University of Northumbria. 

Myers, D. (2017) Future Worlds Storm Survival for STEM Clubs, South East STEM Conference, Ashford, Kent.

Myers, D. (2017) ‘Letters to Darwin,’ A case-study to critically evaluate how primary pupils' perceptions of plant and animal adaptive traits were mediated by a programme of teaching interventions. British Educational Research Association (BERA). University of Sussex. 

Myers, D. (2017) 'Future Worlds - Storm Survival', ASE South East Regional Conference. University of Surrey.

Myers, D. (2017) 'Future Worlds - Storm Survival': Facilitating Pupils’ Epistemic Curiosity and Creativity. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Myers, D. (2016) ‘Take Three Eggs: Recipe Science or Working Scientifically? Primary teachers' shifting perceptions of the value of using science inquiry as a way of knowing’. British Educational Research Association (BERA). University of Leeds.

Myers, D. (2016) Evidence-informed practice - the rewards and the challenges. Panel Discussion: Primary Science Education Conference (PSEC 1). Primary Science Teaching Trust. International Conference Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Myers, D. (2016) 'Peer Review in Initial Teacher Education' (2016) Association of Science Education. University of Birmingham.

Myers, D. (2015) 'Enabling Effective Transfers and Transitions from Primary to Secondary School' (2015) The Reflective Practitioner Conference. Durham University.

Myers, D. (2015) 'Exploring professional identity through metaphor and role-play.' (2015) The Reflective Practitioner Conference. Durham University. 

Myers, D. (2014)  'Preparing for Your NQT Year: A Game of Snakes and Ladders?' Teaching and Learning Conference. Durham University.

Myers, D. ( 2014) Supporting Pupils' Independent Enquiry Studies' (SPIES). Poster Presentation. 4th Annual Science Conference. Primary Science Teaching Trust. At-Bristol Science Learning Centre, Bristol University.