Gwyneth Dow (1920 – 1996) was an Australian educator, notable for her contributions to the
Australian education system.
Early life
Dow was born Gwyneth Maude Terry in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. She took her BA and a Diploma Education (
DipEd) in 1957, completing a Master in Education in 1961 and a Doctor's in Education in 1984.
Career
Dow worked as a personnel officer during World War II, and became one of the first industrial welfare officers employed in Melbourne industry.
Dow's academic career started as a lecturer in the education faculty at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
in 1958.
She was a proponent of change in both the school curriculum and
teacher education
Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their t ...
. A book based on her Master's thesis was published in 1964 and she wrote numerous papers on
educational theory
Education sciences or education theory (traditionally often called ''pedagogy'') seek to describe, understand, and prescribe education policy and practice. Education sciences include many topics, such as pedagogy, andragogy, curriculum, learning, ...
and
pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...
.
Dow founded the Victorian Curriculum Advisory board and served on it from 1966 to 1970. One of her accomplishments was to introduce postgraduate
Diploma of Education
The Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a postgraduate qualification offered in many Commonwealth countries including Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Overview
The diploma can build on the g ...
courses into the Australia's educational system, and to launch a course B that she had designed. This course placed students in schools 3 days a week, and was a noted concept at the time for giving teachers real experience through
work placement.
Dow was an active unionist, a member of the Victorian Teachers' Union. As part of this, she pushed for achieving permanent status for married teachers who were working in schools.
Personal life
She was briefly married to journalist
Rohan Rivett, before marrying
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
academic Hume Dow in 1947.
In retirement she continued to work on interests including Tasmanian and family history, including a biography of her great-great grandfather,
Samuel Terry. She continued to publish books, in some cases collaborating with her husband.
[Flechs, Juliet "40 Years, 40 Women" University of Melbourne Library, 2015]
References
Further reading
Records of Gwynneth Dow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dow, Gwyneth
20th-century Australian educators
Australian women academics
University of Melbourne faculty
1996 deaths
1920 births
20th-century women educators
20th-century Australian women