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Biography/Background
Francis finished a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Central Luzon State University in the Philippines in 1993. For about a year since he got his full license as a civil engineer, he worked simultaneously as a private engineer for small residential buildings, and as a design consultant for a municipality in Nueva Ecija, a province in the Philippines. Having a bit of inkling towards teaching, he accepted a teaching job at the university he graduated from. He taught a range of mathematics subjects and physics to university students from 1994 to 1999. He also became a science teacher trainer of his region from 1997 to 1999. He received a scholarship to finish a Master's Degree in Educational Studies (with focus on physics) at the University of Adelaide in 2000. In 2002, he was offered a job in North Carolina, USA, through the Visiting International Faculty Program, to teach mathematics and science to middle and high school students. Having received another scholarship, he came back to Adelaide in February 2006 to finish his PhD.
Education
- 1988 to 1993: Central Luzon State University (Philippines) - Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
- 1995 to 1996: Central Luzon Polytechnic College (Philippines) - MAT Physics (units)
- 2000 to 2001: The University of Adelaide (Australia) - Master of Educational Studies (physics)
- 2006 to Present: The University of Adelaide (Australia) - PhD (candidate)
Work
- 1993 to 1994: Civil Engineer/Design Consultant for small buildings, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
- 1994 to 1999: University Instructor (for math and physics) and tennis coach - Central Luzon State University, Philippines
- 1997 to 1999: Teacher-trainer for the Regional Science Teaching Centre (RSTC), Region 3, Philippines
- 2002 to 2005: Math and science teacher (also a member of North Carolina Association of Educators or NCAE) - Gaston County Schools, North Carolina, USA
- 2006 to present: Casual Statistics Lecturer - Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology, Adelaide, South Australia
Professional Interests
- Educational Science/Physics research
- Computing and digital imaging
- Aviation
Thesis Topic
Topic Title
Students' Uptake of Physics: a study of South Australian and Filipino students
Project summary
The declining interest and participation of students in physics is becoming a major concern in many countries. Australia, in particular, is experiencing this declining trend in physics participation. The Philippines, however, experiences the opposite. The proposed study will explore further into this issue by determining and comparing the factors that motivate students to choose to study physics. It will also examine how these factors affect the students' motivation to study physics. Results should provide both educationalists and policy makers a significant amount of useful information and a deeper understanding of students' declining interest in physics.
Supervisors
- Dr. Sivakumar Alagumalai [School of Education, University of Adelaide]
- Dr. Chris Dawson [School of Education, University of Adelaide]
- Dr. I Gusti Darmawan [School of Education, University of Adelaide]
Publications
- DECS-commissioned report on Assessment with Dr. Siva Alagumalai - 2006
- A chapter in a research monograph (Celebrating Excellence in Scholarship) - Promoting Science Education for All - with Assoc. Prof. Chris Dawson and Dr Siva Alagumalai
Links and Resources
- Online Libraries
