Professor Joan Bliss

Visiting fellow at Sussex University
Email: joan.bliss@btinternet.com
Telephone and fax number:
+44 (0)1273 483557
Address for correspondence:
Bramber Barn, South Farm Close,
Rodmell, East Sussex, BN7 3HW

Research Interests

I studied and worked with Jean Piaget, the epistemologist, in Geneva for 10 years (1961-1971). My main research concerns fundamentals of human thinking and reasoning. It studies how thinking and reasoning develop in young people in science, mathematics, and ICT. Later research has covered teaching strategies and scaffolding in these areas. more..

Research Projects

On the substantive front, I have developed and researched a theory about the basic structure and origins of an important part of everyday reasoning, namely, force and motion. Among my funded projects I led a major national funded research programme on computational tools to help young people reasoning about models of the real world; and a research project to develop a taxonomy of primary teachers' strategies to help pupils learn mathematics, science and design and technology. more..

Overseas Work

I have been invited to work in many different countries. I collaborated with colleagues in Sri Lanka over a five-year period. I gave courses in the United States, Brazil and some other Far Eastern countries. In Europe, I have worked in France, Greece, Spain, Sweden among others. Some areas covered were: cognitive development, particularly Piaget's work, theory and research on commonsense thinking, science and mathematics education, research methods in qualitative research. more..

Writing

My books range from subjects such as learning sites: social and technological resources for learning to how to check-up on children's mathematics learning or how to tackle a new analytic approach to qualitative data. I collaborated with Jean Piaget in the writing in French of three books on research in cause and effect and contributed chapters to two others on Memory and Mental Imagery. Follow link to see some examples of these and of many of my articles. more..

Biography & Degrees

After ten years in Geneva, I returned to the UK at the end of 1971 to work at Chelsea College, London University. In 1985 I moved to King's College, London University. Then in 1996 I went to the Sussex University as a Professor of Education and Director of the School of Education. For further details follow link. more..