Peter lectures at the University of Queensland in critical thinking and is the founding director of the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project.

He is former Head of Experimental Sciences at the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology, a state high school catering for gifted students and offering the International Baccalaureate program. He is an advisor to the International Baccalaureate Organisation on the development of the new Nature of Science subject, and has advised on the structure of all the new science syllabus materials, and on Physics in particular.  He is also a Theory of Knowledge examiner. 

Peter has served as the chair of the Philosophy and Reason panel for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), in which capacity he helped moderate all work in senior philosophy throughout Queensland high schools.  He is currently on the Philososphy and Reason Syllabus Review Committee.  Peter is also the Chief Examiner for External Physics in Queensland.

Peter has appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Company’s Radio Nation program on ‘The Philosopher’s Zone’ and on ‘Ockham’s Razor’ speaking about teaching philosophy and critical thinking.  He won the Australian Skeptics prize for critical thinking in 2008 for his work on developing educational resources in critical thinking and has created and maintained the website www.pactiss.org to resource teachers of philosophy and critical thinking.  His work on The Conversation website can be accessed here.

 

Featured projects Duration
Integrating Digital Argument Mapping into Contemporary Pedagogies
The University of Queensland
20172019
Exploring Problem Based Learning in Schools
ARC Linkage Project
20212023
Enhancing Online Assessment Through a Critical Thinking Focus
The University of Queensland
20222023