- Research Staff
I am an Assistant Research Professor specialising in Computing Education at the University of Cambridge, part of the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre, and a Postdoctoral By-Fellow at Churchill College.
I am working with Prof. Sue Sentance on a five-year, longitudinal, mixed methods educational research study investigating the long-term impact of physical computing on primary school pupils' attitudes and beliefs. This includes their technological self-efficacy, digital creativity and socio-technological agency. We will also be investigating gender differences in how young people engage with physical computing, and the role of parents and teachers in developing young people's technological self-efficacy, digital creativity, and digital capital. The project is supported by the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, the BBC, and Nominet.
My wider research interests include sociological theories of learning, constructionism, widening participation in STEM education, inquiry-based learning, and assessment.
Biography
Prior to joining the University of Cambridge in 2024, I held several postdoctoral positions in science and physics education. I was a postdoctoral researcher in physics education at Imperial College London, in science education at King's College London (in the School of Education, Communication and Society), and in physics education (also) at the University of Cambridge. Across these roles I have researched education at the primary, secondary, and higher education levels.
In 2024 I was awarded Advance HE Fellowship for my teaching achievements in my previous role at Imperial College London. There, I led several staff-student partnerships investigating aspects of physics education such as assessment and the transition to university. I also taught and assessed modules that focused on learning, teaching and outreach, both in formal and informal settings.
My undergraduate (Imperial College London), master's (King's College London), and doctoral backgrounds have all been in theoretical physics. I was awarded my PhD in theoretical cosmology from Queen Mary University of London in 2019. Alongside my PhD I worked part-time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich as an Observatory Explainer and then as an STFC Astronomer. As part of my role I delivered school sessions to primary and secondary school pupils and presented Planetarium shows to schools and the public. During my PhD I also took part in various outreach activities, including highlights such as Soapbox Science and Pint of Science.
For five years I was a volunteer tutor with the Access Project, providing GCSE physics tuition to students from under-resourced backgrounds.
Teaching
Part II Physics Education.
Publications
Journal articles
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Durk, J., and Authors. In preparation.
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Durk, J., and Author. Submitted to anonymous.
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Sentance, S., and Durk, J. (2026). `Let's learn together!': developing PCK for physical computing in primary schools. Accepted for publication in ITiCSE 2026: Proceedings of the 31st ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education.
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Fox, M. F. J., Kandiko Howson, C., Durk, J., Richards, M., Smith, A., and Tymms, V. (2025). Widening participation in Physics by widening choices: is a STEM-only choice of subjects at A level associated with an increased level of academic success on an undergraduate Physics degree? European Journal of Physics. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6404/ae0217
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Durk, J., & Sentance, S. (2025). A positive and inclusive classroom experience: primary school teachers’ perspectives of physical computing. IDC '25: Proceedings of the 24th Interaction Design and Children, 1146 - 1150. Doi: 10.1145/3713043.3731552
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Durk, J., Smith, A., Rahman, N., & Christie, R. (2024). Exam Experiences, Motivational Beliefs, and Belonging in First-Year University Physics Students: Insights from the Covid-19 Pandemic. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 12, 1-19. Doi: 10.20343/teachlearninqu.12.30
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Durk, J., Smith, A., Aydın, B., Julia, A., & Rabey, I. (2024). Using expectancy-value theory to understand the teaching motivations of women physics lecturers. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(1), 010157. Doi: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.010157
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Moore, A. M., Fairhurst, P., Bennett, J. M., Harrison, C., Correia, C. F., & Durk, J. (2023). Assessment and practical science: identifying generalizable characteristics of written assessments that reward and incentivise effective practices in practical science lessons. International Journal of Science Education, 46(7), 643-669. Doi: 10.1080/09500693.2023.2253366
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Durk, J., Davies, A., Hughes, R., & Jardine-Wright, L. (2020). Impact of an active learning physics workshop on secondary school students’ self-efficacy and ability. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(2), 020126. Doi: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020126
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Durk, J., & Clifton, T. (2019). Discrete cosmological models in the Brans–Dicke theory of gravity. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 36(18), 185011. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6382/ab329e
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Bentivegna, E., Clifton, T., Durk, J., Korzyński, M., & Rosquist, K. (2018). Black-hole lattices as cosmological models. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 35(17), 175004. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6382/aac846
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Durk, J., & Clifton, T. (2017). A quasi-static approach to structure formation in black hole universes. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2017(10), 012. Doi: 10.1088/1475-7516/2017/10/012
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Bibi, R., Clifton, T., & Durk, J. (2017). Cosmological solutions with charged black holes. General Relativity and Gravitation, 49, 1-14. Doi: 10.1007/s10714-017-2261-4
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Durk, J., & Clifton, T. (2017). Exact initial data for black hole universes with a cosmological constant. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 34(6), 065009. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6382/aa6064
Book chapters
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Howson, C. B. K., Smith, A., Durk, J., Fox, M. F., Tymms, V., & Richards, M. Strengthening learning communities: Belonging in a UK physics department. In Academic Belonging in Higher Education (pp. 80-94). Routledge. Doi: 10.4324/9781003443735-8
