New Perspectives in Science Education

Jan-Eric Mattsson is senior lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Stockholm.

Jan-Eric has a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Stockholm University in 1976. He worked as counselor at schools and hospitals, youth leader trainer and municipality administrator and continued academic studies simultaneously. He has a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, biology, mathematics (1983) and higher education qualification in biology and chemistry (1985) from University of Stockholm and Degree of Master of Education for the Upper Secondary School from Uppsala University (2001). He also has a degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science in 1994 (taxonomy of lichens) from Lund University and qualification required for appointment as a docent (2000) from Uppsala University.

Jan-Eric worked as researcher at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University 1994–1999 and has been guest professor at Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Austria (1997). His lichenological research includes field trips mainly to Arctic areas in Alaska (1987), Siberia (1994) and Canada (1999) but also to South Africa, Venezuela (1996) and Australia (2006). The research has included visits to herbaria in different parts of the world and presentations at international botanical, mycological and lichenological congresses and symposia. He is published more than one hundred times with about 50 papers in peer reviewed international scientific journals.

Jan-Eric was teaching at Uppsala and Örebro Universities and at Westerlundska gymnasiet in Enköping from 2000 to 2002 when he got his present position as senior lecturer at Södertörn University. Here he was member of the Board for the Faculty of Education 2004–2009 and from 2014 the Board for Syllabi of Courses in Education.

Jan-Eric has earlier been teaching at higher levels but has during the last years mainly been teaching science and technology but also education in teacher training programs for preschool and primary school teachers. In this context he also makes most of the present research which may be regarded as focused on new perspectives of science education. He is also involved in establishing a creative group of science and technology educators at the university.

Jan-Eric has also participated in other meetings of science education organisations like ESERA and IOSTE with different presentations and workshops with focus on education design, assessment, and development.

Area/s of Expertise: Systematic Botany, Lichenology, Teaching Evolution, Pedagogic Design, Combination of Practical and Theoretical Courses, Education on All Levels, Quality Development of Courses, Teaching and Assessment.