Sara Tolbert
{{Short description|New Zealand professor of science and environmental education}}
{{For|the American chemist|Sarah Tolbert}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2024}}
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| thesis1_title = Teaching the content in context: Preparing “highly qualified” and “high quality” teachers for instruction in underserved secondary science classrooms
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| thesis1_year = 2011
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Sara Tolbert is an American–New Zealand academic, and is a Professor of Science and Environmental Education at the University of Canterbury, specialising in research to facilitate environmental education, including citizen science and science education pedagogy.
Academic career
Tolbert taught science and English as a second language in the USA, Mexico, Guatemala and New Zealand, before moving into academia.{{Cite web |last=University of Canterbury |title=Academic profile: Professor Sara Tolbert |url=https://profiles.canterbury.ac.nz/Sara-Tolbert |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=profiles.canterbury.ac.nz}}{{Cite web |title=Sara Tolbert |url=https://naeducation.org/awardee/sara-tolbert/ |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=National Academy of Education |language=en-US}} Tolbert has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, a master's degree from the University of Georgia, and a PhD in science education from the University of California Santa Cruz. Her thesis was titled Teaching the content in context: Preparing “highly qualified” and “high quality” teachers for instruction in underserved secondary science classrooms.{{Cite thesis|title=Teaching the content in context: Preparing "highly qualified" and "high quality" teachers for instruction in underserved secondary science classrooms|last=Tolbert|first=Sara E.|type=PhD thesis|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/887709379|date=2011|id={{ProQuest|887709379}} |via=ProQuest }} She worked as an assistant and then associate professor at the University of Arizona, receiving a National Academy of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2015.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-04 |title=Sara Tolbert |url=https://theconversation.com/profiles/sara-tolbert-1152716 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}} Tolbert's postdoctoral research was focused on facilitating social justice education for minoritized students and teachers.
Tolbert joined the faculty of the University of Canterbury, rising to full professor in 2024.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-01 |title=UC appoints 14 new professors {{!}} University of Canterbury |url=https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-events/news/uc-appoints-14-new-professors- |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=www.canterbury.ac.nz |language=en}} She is Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Education. Tolbert was part of a research team that won the 2022 Advancing Sustainability Knowledge Award at Canterbury, recognising work "in developing an innovative course helping trainee teachers create and contribute knowledge for a better society".{{Cite web |date=2023-10-11 |title=Sustainability Awards {{!}} University of Canterbury |url=https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/life/sustainability/sustainability-awards |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=www.canterbury.ac.nz |language=en}} Her research covers topics such as citizen science, destreaming in mathematics education, and science education pedagogy. With Professor Diane Mollenkopf, Tolbert is co-leader of the Ōtautahi Food Justice Research Collaborative, and with Professor Ben Kennedy she co-directs Canterbury's Learning for Earth Futures research cluster.
Selected works
{{scholia}}
- {{Cite Q|Q125184573}}
- {{Cite Q|Q125184575}}
- {{Cite Q|Q126909059}}
- {{Cite Q|Q126909060}}
- {{Cite Q|Q125184572}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QynjZzjk5xA STEM Education as a Social Movement, Plenary talk by Sara Tolbert] at EpiSTEME, August 2022, via YouTube
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Category:New Zealand academics
Category:New Zealand women academics
Category:Academic staff of the University of Canterbury
Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni
Category:University of Georgia alumni
Category:University of California, Santa Cruz alumni
Category:University of Arizona faculty
Category:New Zealand educational theorists