Michael R. Matthews

Michael Robert Matthews (born 1948) is an honorary associate professor in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales.

For nearly fifty years he has taught, researched and published on the utilisation of HPS in illuminating theoretical, curricular and pedagogical problems in science education.

Whilst on staff at UNSW he was awarded a PhD degree (1980) with a thesis critical of Paul Hirst’s epistemology.

[2] He also completed a MA degree (1985) from Sydney University in history and philosophy of science with a thesis on Galilean physics.

During his tenure he served as Chair of the House Committee and wrote the local history book[3] From 1992 to 1993 he was foundation professor of science education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

: 1980, The Marxist Theory of Schooling: A Study in Epistemology and Education, Brighton, Harvester Press.

: 2000, Time for Science Education: How Teaching the History and Philosophy of Pendulum Motion Can Contribute to Science Literacy, Plenum Press, New York[8] ______________(2008), Greek Translation, Epicentre Press, Thessaloniki Matthews, M.R.

ISBN 978-0-415-51933-5[9] ______________ (2017) Chinese translation, Foreign Languages, Technical and Research Press, Beijing.

): 1991, History, Philosophy and Science Teaching: Selected Readings, Teachers' College Press, New York.

): 1998, Constructivism in Science Education: A Philosophical Examination, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

): 2014, International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (three volumes), Springer, Dordrectht.

ISBN 978-3-030-16672-4[21] Matthews has authored over 50 book and handbook chapters, and encyclopedia entries.

In 2011 the Division of the Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (DLMPS) of the IUHPS joined with the DHST to create a joint Teaching Commission, of which Matthews was the founding president.

[24] In 2015 the International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Group initiated a ‘Distinguished Achievement Award’ Matthews was honoured to be its first recipient.

[25] In 2019 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales (FRSN) for contributions to international HPS&ST research.