Advocating Science for All: An Interview with Peter J. Fensham

After providing some glimpses of his private life, Peter Fensham, a leading figure of the prestigious Faculty of Education, Monash University (and now emeritus professor at Queensland University, Brisbane, Australia), gives some suggestions about the conditions that help students to learn meaningfully. He began his career in the field of physical chemistry and then became an international authority in science education. His dedication to students and commitment to teaching a learner-centered science is palpable in many of his comments. This interview touches on many of the themes he addressed in numerous studies and research: the curriculum, the qualities of the expert teacher, and the decline of standards in schools. Although he is a supporter of a constructivist approach to teaching chemistry, he criticizes the extreme views of constructivism and explains the origin of his inner strength that made him a champion of “science for all”.