José Vasconcelos World Award of Education 1998
Field of Work: Science Education
Date: 19 November 1998
Place of Ceremony: Hunter Building
Host Institution: Victoria University of Wellington
Host Country: Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand, November 1998. The World Cultural Council presented the 1998 José Vasconcelos World Award of Education to Prof. Robert Yager, Professor of Education at the University of Iowa, USA. The Official Award Ceremony took place at the Victoria University of Wellington, which acted as host for 1998
The José Vasconcelos World Award of Education has been established as an acknowledgement to those who have the all important labour of teaching, underlying basis for our present civilization.
The World Cultural Council granted the award to Prof. Yager in recognition for his more than 42 years of valuable and pioneering contributions in the field of Science Education.
His productive efforts in creating, implementing and disseminating educational programs and instructional strategies has sep to increase teachers confidence to teach science, to improve teachers understanding of the nature of science, and to prepare science teachers as leaders who can effect science education reform.
Prof. Yager began his career at the University of Iowa as an Instructor and Acting Head of the Science Education program in 1956. During 42 years he has built one of the largest and most productive centers in the world. Graduates of the Iowa program can be found across the United States and at major teacher education and research institutions around the world. He has also been very active in terms of curriculum reforms in science, literally changing the direction for science teaching and learning at all levels.
One of Prof. Yager’s pioneering achievements, focuses on creating, implementing, and disseminating the Chautauqua Program in Science Education, a very innovative professional development program for in service teachers at K-12 grade levels.
The Chautauqua Program has impacted many leaders, teachers, and students, in Iowa and 16 others states nationwide. Internationally, leaders and teachers from 13 countries have received Chautauqua training and have taken back ideas and strategies to their students. As result. It will rescue the talents of the most creative students who might become scientists or teachers of science if they are motivated to do so. Prof. Yager has been a most prolific scholar with over 500 publications to his credit.
