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

My research concerns the nature of human thinking and reasoning and how these develop in children and young people, and can later be enhanced through teaching. Much of it concerns the special kinds of thinking and reasoning needed to understand science, mathematics and ICT, for example identifying variables and their relationships. I consistently focus on matters of general cognitive importance, not on how to learn this or that topic a little better. Thus I have investigated the nature of explanation, the problems of modeling physical reality, and the formation of abstract concepts and schemes.

Such a purely cognitive focus can become somewhat desiccated. As a balance, in other parts of my work I take more account of human feelings and relationships. For example, I have done research into people's own perceptions of their needs in critical situations such as illness or their perceptions of significant moments in learning at University. More recently I focused on teachers' strategies to help children to learn in science, mathematics and design and technology.