Educator to Receive CD October 15, 2018

Educator, 92-year-old Dr. Joyce Louise Glasgow, will be recognised for her contribution to science education in Jamaica and internationally, during the 2018 National Honours and Awards ceremony at King’s House on Monday, October 15.  She will receive the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD) for her outstanding contribution to Education and Human Resource Development locally and internationally.

This distinguished Jamaican tells JIS News that she is humbled by this recognition, but is pleased that she is being recognised for her contribution to the sciences and environmental education.

A trained teacher, Dr. Glasgow earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Botany from the London University College of the West Indies (now the University of the West Indies, Mona) in 1964 and a Diploma in Education in 1967.  

Dr. Glasgow also has a Master of Arts (MA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Science Education from the UWI and Post-doctoral Fellowship in Science Education from the London University Chelsea College of Science and Mathematics.

She taught biology, chemistry and general science at York Castle High in St. Ann; Westwood High in Trelawny and her alma mater, St. Andrew High School. 

However, her focus was on environmental education in the schools she taught.  Dr. Glasgow says her interest in environmental education was influenced by the then principal of St. Andrew High School, and her mother, who taught her the art of conservation when she used water that washed the dishes to water plants.   “At St. Andrew High, I remembered our principal taking us on walks along the Palisadoes Road, and we would go into the swamps and take measurements and interact with the environment, so my interest was piqued then,” she says.

She has held the positions of Senior Lecturer in Science Education and Deputy Dean of the School of Education Faculty at the University of the West Indies (UWI).   As a lecturer, she was responsible for the organisation and supervision of science and science education in teachers’ colleges, with regard to teaching methodology, staff development, examination setting and marking techniques, and curriculum development for assessment of student teachers being prepared for primary and secondary schools in Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas. She also supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of science education.         

Dr. Glasgow has worked extensively in the development of environmental education (EE) in Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas and the region. She has contributed significantly to the Caribbean Conservation Association, serving as the resource person for regional workshops; to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), as environmental education specialist; and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NCRA), Jamaica, as organiser and presenter for EE workshops and seminars.

Her expertise was also extended to UNESCO/NRCA. This involved spearheading a pilot project for the introduction of four EE curricula into Jamaican primary schools.  A published author, Dr. Glasgow discloses that she has worked extensively with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and has co-authored CXC Biology texts. She was also instrumental in developing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC)/CXC Biology syllabus when it was offered as a separate examination subject in science.

The biology text she co-authored is one of the most highly regarded by teachers and students preparing for CXC/CSEC Biology and is used not only in the Caribbean but in several African countries.

She also served the CXC as the resource person for item writing, school-based assessment and syllabus review in biology as requested, and was appointed the first Chief Examiner in that subject.

Through the Government of Jamaica/World Bank Project on the Reform of Secondary Education, she trained writers for distance education materials, and was an advisor/reviewer of science industrial materials for lower secondary school. She also spearheaded the revision of the primary curriculum in Anguilla to include EE and prepare teachers to implement it.

Dr. Glasgow, who retired in 1994, now lives in Runaway Bay, St. Ann. She was a member of the St. Ann Environmental Protection Association (Northern Jamaica Conservation Association) and served on its Board for many years, volunteering her expertise for projects the Association undertakes.       

Being the top specialist on environmental education in Jamaica, she continues to generously give expert advice.          

Dr. Glasgow, who is the mother of four children, worships at the St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Rio Bueno, Trelawny, where she is the organist.