Professor Paul Black OBE
We are sorry to announce that Professor Paul Black OBE has passed away. The following obituary is courtesy of his family
Our wise and caring father, Paul Black, was an internationally renowned educational researcher and one of the UK’s most influential voices in science education and assessment. He pioneered Assessment for Learning, co-authoring the influential ‘Inside the Black Box’ series of publications which are widely used in schools today.
Paul was born in Colombia of English parents and brought up in Rhyl, North Wales. After studying Physics at Manchester, Paul was a Ph.D. Student and Researcher at the Cavendish Laboratory in Free School Lane for six years. At Trinty Hall he supervised a promising undergraduate named David Thouless. He lived at St. Bonaventure’s, a Franciscan/lay community on Trumpington Street, in the building which is now the Hotel du Vin.
Paul moved to Birmingham University in 1956 and married Mary (neé Weston) a year later. As a lecturer in physics, he became increasingly fascinated by how teachers teach and students learn. In 1974 he was appointed to a personal chair in Physics (Science Education) recognising inter alia his leading role in creating the Nuffield ‘A’ level Physics course. In 1976 he moved to London as Head of the Department of Science Education at Chelsea College. In 1985 following the merger with King’s College he became Head of Educational Studies. Following his formal retirement in 1995, Paul continued working on several national and international educational research projects, serving as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University.
Paul, jointly with Jon Ogborn, was awarded the Lawrence Bragg Medal for Physics Education in 1981. He chaired the government’s Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1987–1988) and was Deputy Chair of the National Curriculum Council from 1989 to 1991. He was appointed OBE for services to education in 1983. He received the “Distinguished Contributions to Science Education Through Research” award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, US in 2004.
Between 1953 and 2018 Paul published over 230 peer-reviewed research papers, over 120 booklets, book chapters and books and over 500 articles and letters. In 2024 his colleagues published a ‘Festschrift’ entitled “Educational Assessment: The Influence of Paul Black on Research, Pedagogy and Practice”. This volume celebrates his intellect, his ability to build consensus and his deep commitment to education which all underpinned the lasting impact of his many achievements.
Paul was a committed Catholic, President of the Union Catholic Students while at Cambridge, chair of the Laity Commission and served as Chair of School Governors in Catholic schools in both Birmingham and London. In 1974 he was appointed a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Paul VI.
In 2016 Paul returned to Cambridge, living with Mary near Girton and taking frequent walks in the college grounds there. They celebrated their 68th Wedding Anniversary together before Mary died last year. Paul is survived by his five children, fourteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.