Professor Jan van Driel

A former chemistry teacher, Professor van Driel has a PhD in chemical education from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He was a teacher trainer and educational consultant at Delft University of Technology, before joining Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching in 1995. He went on to become the Professor of Science Education in 2006 and Director of ICLON, Leiden University, before moving to Australia in 2016 to become the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s inaugural Professor of Science Education.

A world leading scholar, Professor van Driel’s work is influential in informing the professional development of science teachers and he has done extensive research in the domains of teaching, teaching education and higher education. He is co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Science Education and was Vice-President of the Netherlands Educational Research Association from 2001-2009. Until recently Professor van Driel was chair of the Interuniversity Centre for Teacher Education and secretary of the board of the Technasium Foundation (Netherlands).