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Professor John Pegg

John Pegg

Professor of Education and Foundation Director of the SiMERR National Research Centre, Faculty of The Professions, School of Education

Qualifications

BSc, MMath (N'cle(NSW)), PhD (NE), DipEd (N'cle(NSW))

Contact

Email:
Room: E7 SiMERR
Phone: 02 6773 5070 (or +61 2 6773 5070 overseas)

Link to further information about Professor Pegg's:

Professional journey

John Pegg was appointed to the University of New England (UNE) in 1979 as a Lecturer in Mathematics Education with the task of preparing secondary mathematics teachers as well as lecturing in the Department of Mathematics. In the 1988 Discipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science, his program in preparing secondary mathematics teachers as part of a Diploma in Education received the highest rank across Australia. During the nine years prior to his appointment at UNE he was a secondary mathematics teacher and senior secondary physics teacher in Maitland, NSW. Also during this time he completed a full research Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Newcastle. In 1987 he was awarded a PhD in Education at the University of New England.

In 1996, he was made the foundation director of the Centre for Cognition Research in Learning and Teaching (CRiLT) at UNE. Based on the Centre’s achievements and many successes CRiLT was awarded a rare Commendation award in the AUQA national university audit in 2003. Supported by a $5 million Federal Establishment grant, CRiLT was restructured and expanded to become the SiMERR National Research Centre in July 2004 with its base at UNE linked with teams of academics in every state and territory. His role was to oversee and initiate research programs and professional learning initiatives in Australia that addressed important educational issues: (i) of specific concern to education in rural and regional Australia, and (ii) of national concern to education across Australia but ensuring rural and regional voices were represented.

Research interests

John Pegg’s work is far ranging, and he is known internationally and nationally for his contribution to theory-based cognition research. His research interests focus on two main areas: (i) the development of learners’ understanding, and (ii) teacher professional growth. He is recognized as a world authority on the SOLO Model of cognitive development. He has successfully supervised 35 PhDs and numerous research masters and bachelor honours students during his career. His publication list is extensive with five co-authored books, nearly two hundred refereed papers and book chapters, and numerous extensive reports to federal, state and overseas education jurisdictions.

In the past ten years he has been team leader for a number of large-scale national and state-wide research projects. His work in this area includes research projects totalling in excess of $23 million, and over 60 Keynote and Major addresses to national and international research forums, and national and state teacher and research conferences.

He continues to foster strong links with schools, professional teaching associations, and educational authorities in Australia and overseas, being used as a consultant in a range of activities, such as improving teaching practices in schools, professional learning for teachers, project evaluation and syllabus development.

Research themes

John Pegg’s research activity can be considered under several broad themes:

  • Cognitive development and education innovation linked to the SOLO Model of cognitive growth
  • Second Chance programs for school students and adults in numeracy (mathematics) and literacy (QuickSmart/ SCALE)
  • Developmental-based assessment and diagnostic testing
  • Curriculum review and syllabus development
  • Teacher professional learning
  • Professional teaching standards
  • Enhancement and evaluation of school, school department and teacher practice

Impact of research

The research and professional learning projects in which John Pegg has been involved have produced the following impacts.

  • SiMERR National Australian Summits and the creation of ISFIRE (International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education) resulted in groups from around Australia and over 30 countries working on and sharing advances in rural education initiatives;
  • The Validation of the Teacher Professional Teaching Standards of NSW project resulted in NSW State Government legislation passed in 2006 instituting professional teaching standards across NSW for all primary and secondary teachers;
  • The SiMERR National Survey of Rural Schools project resulted in a three-volume report presented to the Federal Government containing comprehensive data sets leading to extensive recommendations and actions to address inequity in rural students’ learning outcomes;
  • An Australian Research Council Discovery grant (2003-2005) resulted in a state-based diagnostic science test referred to as ESSA (Essential Secondary Science Assessment) for Year 8 students in NSW offered for the first time in 2005. Each year over 60,000 students undertake the test, and parents, teachers and schools receive extensive feedback and advice;
  • The Maths? Why Not? Project resulted in an extensive report to the Federal Government containing extensive data from students and teachers that led to detailed recommendations to the Federal and State/Territory Governments on ways to encourage more senior secondary students to undertake high-level mathematics courses;
  • A large Australian Research Council Linkage grant (referred to as ÆSOP an Exceptional Schooling Outcomes Project) that focused on the identification of the characteristics of outstanding faculty departments in secondary schools achieving outstanding educational student learning outcomes across the student ability spectrum resulted in the production of a series of seven books, and has been the basis of numerous professional learning programs throughout Australia;
  • The QuickSmart Intervention program in Schools resulted in evidence collected from many thousands of students that middle-school students at or below national benchmarks in literacy and numeracy can be supported to become active and confident learners in class. In 2011 600 schools and more than 10,000 students are involved in the program;
  • The projects conducted by SiMERR Australia (in excess of 150 since 2004) resulted in rural concerns and issues in education have a stronger National profile with higher media visibility especially via radio and press;
  • Financial and in-kind support to the national professional teaching associations of Mathematics, Science and ICT resulted in more targeted professional support available for teachers in rural locations across Australia;
  • An Australian Research Council Discovery grant (2003-2005) on the longitudinal effects of QuickSmart reported the benefits of the program were maintained and in most instances there was strong longitudinal gains showing above state-average improvement;
  • A Federal Government grant to review QuickSmart data for 2001-2008 resulted in findings of average growth of students in the program was computed to be of the order of three years using effect-size statistics;
  • The Partnership in Learning ICT (PICTL) project resulted in a three-volume report providing extensive evidence from across Australia with recommendations concerning the use of stakeholder partnerships in embedding ICT in education for schools and tertiary institutions;
  • A National Summer School Program designed for Australia’s most experienced mathematics and science teachers resulted in 400 teachers from across Australia experiencing a ten-day residential experience learning from national and international researchers and practitioners;
  • The National Validation of Professional Standards project completed in late 2010 resulted in a common empirically validated developmental framework relevant to teachers in each state and territory. All state and territory leaders agreed to this framework in February 2011.

Awards and positions

In 1998, John Pegg was awarded the inaugural Distinguished Service Award by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. In 2004 he was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s 2003 University of New England Researcher of the Year Award. In 2009, along with four colleagues, he was awarded the Inaugural Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Team Research Award for his role in co-developing the programmatic research program linked with QuickSmart. In 2010 the Australian Council of Educational Leaders (NSW) awarded him the William Walker Award for Outstanding Educational Leadership.

He has been the university advisor to NSW State syllabus committees since the mid 1980s. He was the founding editor of the Australian Senior Mathematics Journal from 1987-1992. He was a member of the three-person writing team that developed the Years 9 and 10 syllabus for NSW implemented in 1997. He has been the President of the New England Mathematical Association since 1998. In September 2011 he accepted a Ministerial Appointment to the NSW Board of Studies.