Daniel Edwards
Montello Primary School, TAS
Tommeginni Country
Teaching Fellow
Transitioning from a general classroom teacher to become a STEM Specialist Teacher, Daniel has led a transformation in science and STEM education for students at Montello Primary School in Burnie. In a low socio-economic area with high unemployment, Daniel’s passion has helped to generate a cultural shift in Montello’s student engagement and achievement.
As their first STEM specialist teacher, Daniel helped develop the schools’ Makerspace room to provide new opportunities for students to engage in STEM activities. He has since coached teams from the school to the finals of prestigious state, national, and international STEM challenges, including the top three Tasmanian teams in the Australian Tech Girls Competition and another as Asia-Pacific winner of the Micro: Bit Do Your: Bit competition.
These successes have generated widespread acclaim and driven new interest in STEM learning throughout Montello Primary School and in the community. With Daniel’s leadership, the school has received awards for greatest participation and overall commitment to the TSTS STEM Challenge and the Tasmanian Science Talent Search competitions.
An outstanding feature of Daniel’s impact is his collaboration and sharing of knowledge with other schools. He has hosted STEM Expos, volunteered as a judge for the National STEM Video Game Challenge and international MakeX Spark robotics competition, and presented on best practices in STEM education at state and national conferences. Daniel’s impact in education has been recognised by the 2021 Tasmanian STEM Primary Teacher of the Year Award and selection as the 2022 Tasmanian Finalist for the BHP Science and Engineering Teacher Awards.