J. Steve Oliver, PhD Associate Professor Science Education University of Georgia

Steve Oliver has been a member of the science education profession since 1977. After graduating from North Carolina State University with degrees in Wildlife Biology and Science Education in that year, he became a physical science and biology teacher in the Caldwell, County, North Carolina school district. Later, he also taught in the Raleigh-Wake County (North Carolina) school district. After completing a master's degree from North Carolina State University in 1983, he continued his graduate studies at the University of Georgia and completed a Ph D in science education in 1986. At that time, he moved to Kansas State University as an assistant professor. In 1990, Dr. Oliver returned to the University of Georgia as a faculty member in science education and is currently an associate professor.

Dr. Oliver's research initially focused on student attitudes toward science.  During the past several years, this focus has come to include the role that the inclusion of history and philosophy of science into the science curriculum has on student affect relative to science.  In addition, he is involved in activities related to secondary science teacher education.  He has served on the editorial boards of five journals in science education as well as holding a variety of positions in professional organizations.  Dr. Oliver has been a principal investigator on grants from the Eisenhower Fund, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Oliver recently completed his study leave as a member of a science research team that focuses in the Neurospora crassa Genome.

Selected Professional Publications and Other Activities

Simpson, R. D., Koballa, T. R., Oliver, J. S. and Crawley, F. E. (1994). Affective dimensions in science education, in Gabel, D. (Ed.) Handbook on Science Eduction Research. New York: Macmillan & Co.

Butts, D. P., Jackson, D. F., Oliver, J. S., Butts, D. P., Bellamy, M. L., & Frame, K. (1997). An evaluation study of the teaching of hands-on investigative biology in high schools "On a Shoestring", Education, 118(1), 133-144.

McGinnis, J. R. & Oliver, J. S. (1998). Teaching about sound: A select historical examination of research. Science and Education, 7, 381-401.

Oliver, J. S. and Nichols, B. K. (1998). What is the purpose of biology in education? School Science and Mathematics, 98(5), 268 - 271.

Kelkar, H. S. Griffith, J., Case, M. E., Covert, S., Hall, R. D., Keith, C., Oliver, J. S., Orbach, M. J., Sachs, M. S., Wagner, J., Weise, M. J., Wunderlich, J. and J. Arnold. (2001). The Neurospora crassa Genome: Cosmid Libraries Sorted by Chromosome, Genetics, 157(3), 979-990.

Oliver, J. S. and Nichols, B. K. (2001). Intellectual Independence as a Persistent Theme in the Literature of Science Education: 1900-1950. School Science and Mathematics (invited article celebrating the centennial of the School Science and Mathematics Association), 1(100).

Simpson, R. D., Koballa, T. R., Oliver, J. S. and Crawley, F. E. (1994) Affective dimensions in science education, in Gabel, D. (Ed.) Handbook on Science Education Research. New York: Macmillan & Co.

Spellman, J. E. and Oliver, J. S. (2002). The nature and history of science in 9th grade physical science. In Rubba, P. A., Rye, J. A., DiBiase, W. J., and Crawford, B. A. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 2002 Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science, ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED 465 602.

Wallace, C. S. and Oliver, J. S. (2003). Journaling during a school-based secondary methods course: Exploring a route to teaching reflection. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 14(3), 161-176.

Department Editor, School Science and Mathematics Journal, "Early Days" monthly feature, October, 1988 - present.

"Study in a Second Discipine" Fellow, 1999-2000, University of Georgia, (in this fellowship I spent the year as a research scientist in genetics).