Dr. HildaRuth Beaumont

Dr HildaRuth Beaumont has worked in education for some 50 years and for most of that time was known as David Barlex becoming an acknowledged expert and leader in design & technology education, curriculum design and curriculum materials development. As David, he directed the Nuffield Design and Technology Projects and was a senior lecturer at Brunel University. In 2002 he won the DATA Outstanding Contribution to Design & Technology Education award. His most recent publication as David was with Frank Banks Teaching STEM in secondary school. This was very well received with a second edition being published in 2020. Since 2021 David is much, much happier and at ease if dressed and presenting as female. Hence, she is now living full time as HildaRuth Beaumont and continuing with both academic writing and consultancy under that name. Hilda’s research activity stems from the conviction that there should be a dynamic and synergic relationship between curriculum development and academic research. Her research interests included pedagogy that develops design ability and creativity, young peoples’ perceptions of technology and the professional development of teachers. She is currently an Honorary Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Education, University College, London.

Dr. Frank Banks

Dr. Frank Banks is the current Emeritus Professor of Teacher Education at the Open University. He was also Director of International Development in Teacher Education, a Teacher Educator of teachers in design and technology, english and science. He worked on the English in Action In Bangladesh and TESS-India. Before all of that he was a teacher in different secondary comprehensive schools in England and Wales, teaching engineering, science, math, and technology. He has authored or edited 14 books/handbooks for teachers along with over one hundred academic papers. Dr. Banks was a consultant for the professional development of teachers in Egypt, South Africa, and Argentina working with their government agencies along with UNESCO and the World Bank. His research interests include teacher professional development and the teaching of teachers in the subject areas of Science and Technology Education, the links between school science and school technology and lastly, convening the ‘DEPTH’ technology teacher international education research group.