Anton E. Lawson

Dr. Anton Lawson’s career in science education began in the late 1960s in California where he taught middle school science and mathematics for three years before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma and moving to Purdue University in 1973. Lawson continued his research career at the University of California Berkeley in 1974, and then moved to Arizona State University in 1977, where he currently conducts research and teaches courses in biology, in biology teaching methods, and in research methods. Lawson has directed over 100 workshops for teachers, mostly on inquiry teaching methods, and has published over 200 articles and over 20 books including Science Teaching and the Development of Thinking (Wadsworth: Belmont, CA, 1995), Biology: A Critical Thinking Approach, (Addison Wesley: Menlo Park, CA, 1994), and The Neurological Basis of Learning, Development and Discovery, (Kluwer: Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2003). Lawson’s most recent book is an introductory biology text called Biology: An Inquiry Approach, (Kendall/Hunt; Dubuque, IA, 2004). Lawson is perhaps best known for his research articles in science education, which have three times been judged to be the most significant articles of the year by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). He has also received NARST’s career award for Distinguished Contributions to Science Education Research as well as the Outstanding Science Educator of the Year Award by the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science.