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  • Dr Christa Norris - ECU's School of Education

    Dr Christa Norris

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Dr Christa Norris

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 2517
Email: c.norris@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
Room: JO8.421  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9396-3604

Christa is a Lecturer in Science Education and Coordinator of the Scholar in Residence (secondary) programs in the School of Education.

Current teaching

  • Secondary Education Science Coordinator & Lecturer
  • Scholar-in-Residence Program Coordinator
  • QTPA Discipline Coordinator (Secondary)

Background

Christa is a member of the University Academic Board and a passionate advocate for high quality teaching and learning in Science Education with extensive experience teaching both nationally and internationally. She currently holds positions in the Secondary Education discipline of Scholar in Residence Coordinator, Science Education Coordinator and QTPA Discipline Coordinator. Christa’s aptitude for continued development and design of secondary internships as innovative scholar in residence programs won her the 2021 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in Programs that Enhance Learning.

Christa’s research focus is in the area for improved 21st Century skills and the development of teaching self-efficacy in both primary and secondary preservice teachers. In collaboration with the School of Science, Christa has been involved in designing content driven units with education discipline pedagogical requirements. These endeavours have led to design-based research focussing on improved specialised ecology and geography teaching self-efficacy in secondary preservice teachers.  Within a research team at ECU further collaborative research has ensued with other Australian and Indonesian tertiary institutions for the development of teaching of specialised primary education units in the areas of STEM and sustainability. Christa’s research is using mixed methodology with strengths in quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis.

Professional associations

  • 2013 - Tournament of Minds Ltd (Board Member) and Tournament of Minds WA Inc (Co Director)
  • 2014 - The Science Teachers' Association of Western Australia Inc (Member)
  • 2015 - Australasian Science Education Research Association (Member).

Research areas and interests

  • Pre-service Teacher Education
  • Science Teaching and Learning
  • Teaching Self-efficacy
  • STEM Teaching and Learning
  • 21st Century skills.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science, Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education.
  • Graduate Diploma of Education, Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2017.
  • Doctorate of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2017.

Research Outputs

2025

Journal Articles

2024

Journal Articles

  • Freed, R., McKinnon, D., Salimpour, S., Fitzgerald, M., Reichart, D., Norris, C. (2024). Self-efficacy changes and gender effects on self-efficacy in a large-scale robotic telescope focused curriculum. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(1), article number 10137. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.010137.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Norris, C., Taylor, T., Lummis, G. (2023). Fostering collaboration and creative thinking through extra-curricular challenges with primary and secondary students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 48(June 2023), Artcile number 101296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101296.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Freed, R., McKinnon, D., Fitzgerald, M., Norris, C. (2022). Development and validation of an astronomy self-efficacy instrument for understanding and doing. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 18(1), Article number 010117. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.010117.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Slater, E., Norris, C., Morris, J. (2021). The validity of the Science Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) for postgraduate, pre-service, primary teachers. Heliyon, 7(9), Article number e07882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07882.

2018

Journal Articles

  • Norris, C., Morris, J., Lummis, G. (2018). Preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach primary science based on ‘science learner’ typology.. International Journal of Science Education, 40(18), 2292-2308. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1528645.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Where are they? An investigation into Performing Arts teachers in leadership positions in secondary schools.

Completed Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The impacts of telescope use and astronomy research programs on United States instructors' and students' astronomy self-efficacy and identity
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