Associate Professor Ken Purnell, PhD
Do you wish to help people learn?
What makes someone a 'good' teacher?
Education students commencing their studies often give quite fascinating responses to this question. Often a recipe list of characteristics is provided. A story then unfolds that if someone has, or develops, most of these ingredients, in the right mix, then they can be a 'good' teacher. Is that true?
As a parent teaching your child, as a young person teaching another young person, as a teacher teaching grade 4, as a coach coaching their netball team, as a business person stimulating the thinking of staff, or as a university professor teaching postgraduate students, what makes you a 'good' teacher? Sometimes you may be very successful at teaching (leading the learning of other people and/or yourself), sometimes you may not. So while humans are natural born teachers, to be a professional teacher with significant expertise requires considerable knowledge and skill in key areas such as teaching (especially pedagogy), assessment and curriculum (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Learning through purposeful design
Learning experiences to assist the brain to learn (form new neurological pathways) as well as unlearn (prune some pathways). Learning experiences that involve cognitions, behaviour and emotions are most brain-compatible. Key elements of learning design are pedagogy (the science and art of teaching), assessment and curriculum (and other inputs such as resources).
Professional teachers usually have substantive professional knowledge and practice that draws upon quality contemporary research as well as relevant policy and learning priorities. Teacher behaviours in learning environments are critical.
What teachers KNOW and DO is the biggest single variable in learning (Invarson, 1998; Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005; DEST, 2005). Student interest can be as important as their capabilities (Athanasou, 2008). Having hard goals has the greatest impact on learning as they focus attention, and increase persistence at a task. Research has also shown that do-your-best goals are little better than having no goals at all (Sadler, 2009).
- Important things that teachers do to lead learning is get learners to PAY ATTENTION to what matters and ignore what doesn't, and to get learners to LOOK FOR DIFFERENCE.
The most effective instructional strategies that bring about the greatest learning gains are in order
- Identifying similarities and differences (a student who say scored 60 out of 100 will score about 84 when this strategy is used effectively)
- Summarizing and note taking
- Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
- Homework and practice
- Non-linguistic representations (My PhD from UNSW is in this area of Cognitive Science on the use of illustrations and text)
- Cooperative learning
- Setting objectives and providing feedback
- Generating and testing hypotheses
- Questions, cues, and advance organizers (a student who say scored 60 out of 100 will score about 72 when this strategy is used effectively)
(See Marzano, Gaddy & Dean, What really works in classroom instruction).
Ken's background in education
Dip.Teach, B.Ed. (Distinction) (Sydney), M.A. (Hons) (Western Michigan), Ph.D. (UNSW)
CQUniversity Australia (1991 to present. Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) 2003 - 2007, Head of School of Education & Innovation 2000 - 2006
Professional associations and professional appointments
- Queensland Studies Authority P-12 Curriculum Committee from 2005 to present
- Queensland Studies Authority State Review Panel for Economics from 1997 to present
- Geographical Education editor 2001 to present
- Member North Keppel Island Environmental Education Centre Council representing CQUnivesity 1998 to present
- Expert consultant for Queensland Studies Authority senior assessment 1995 to present
- Priority Country Area Program (PCAP) Preservice Teacher Education Forum member 2002 to present
- International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education (IRGEE) reviewer from 2005 to present
- Australian Journal of Environmental Education (AJE) reviewer from 2005 to present
- International Journal of Instruction from 2010 to present
- Chair of the Taranganba State School Council (approximately 800 students) 2000 - 2007
- Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Panel for Program Approval 2006 -2008
- Male Teacher Strategy Reference Group of Education Queensland, Brisbane 2002-2005
- Education and Training Reforms for the Future (ETRF) Management Group, Rockhampton, representing CQUniversity 2003 - 2005
- CQ A New Millennium Steering Committee - representing CQUniversity on this industry and local government body 2003 - 2006
- Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) representing CQUniversity 2004 - 2005
- Member of the Board, Quensland Board of Senior Secondary School Studies (QBSSSS) - now QSA. Appointed by the Minister of Education to represent Queensland universities 1992-1995
- Member of the Queensland Board of Senior Secondary School Studies Moderation Committee 1992 to 1995
CQUniversity
• Chair Faculty Education Committee (FEC) for the Faulty of Arts, Humanities and Education (2003 to 2007)
• Chair, Faculty Assessment Committee (2003 to 2007)
• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education Executive Group (2000 to 2007)
• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education Research Committee (2006 to 2007)
• BLM Governance Committee (2000 to 2007)
• BLM Management Committee (2000 to 2007)
• Associate Deans Learning & Teaching committee (2003 to 2007)
• Heads of Schools (2000 to 2006)
• Program Review Group (PRG) (2003 to 2007)
• Education Committee of Academic Board (ECAB) (2003 to 2007)
• Academic Board (elected member) (2003 to 2008)
• Chair, CQUniversity Learning and Teaching Research Grants Committee (2004 to 2006)
• Chair, Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Awards Selection Committee (2004 to 2006)
• Chair, CQU HREC (Human Research Ethics Committee – Chair 2001 to 2007 and a member since 1997)
• Chair, Criteria for Supporting Students Working Party (2005)
• Student Learning Journey Committee (2005 to 2006)
• CQUniversity Assessment Working Party (2006)
• CQUniversity Program and Course Approval Policy Working Party (2006)
Business background involved seven family companies including Purnell Motors in Sydney. Ken's father, Norm (b.1905 d.1984), founded that company in 1953.
Last updated July 2011