Robert Wood (psychologist and writer)
Encyclopedia
Robert Wood is a British psychologist and writer.
in September 1959 where he studied Mathematics and Statistics. On graduating, he commenced training to be an actuary
and worked for short spells as a supply teacher, and as a statistician with Tate & Lyle. In the autumn of 1964 he secured a post at the National Foundation for Educational Research
where he conducted the first study of a new area called item banking, resulting in his first book Item Banking. He then went to study at the University of Chicago
, having received a Fellowship, and was awarded a Ph.D in 1971.
Returning to the UK in July 1971 he took up the position of Director of Research in the University of London
School Examinations Department where, among other things, he organised the 1979 conference Rehabilitating psychometrics for the Social Science Research Council
. In 1980 he was seconded to direct the Evaluation of Testing in Schools Project at the Institute of Education, also in the University of London. The following year he moved to Jamaica
where he served as Professor of Educational Measurement in the University of the West Indies
. In early 1984 he took up a Fellowship at Flinders University
in Australia and later in the year was appointed Director of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research but declined to take up post citing personal reasons.
Having become an Associate of the British Psychological Society
during the 1970s, he was in a position to start a new career in England as a business psychologist. In 1985 he helped to establish a consultancy called Psychometric Research & Development Ltd with an office in St Albans. He was made a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1986 and for the academic year 1987-88 he was Visiting Professor at the London Institute. In 1990 he joined Pearn Kandola Occupational Psychologists in Oxford. From 1998 to 2005 he was a Special Professor in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham
. In 1998 the same university conferred on him the degree of DLitt in recognition of over 120 published books, monographs and articles. A partner at Pearn Kandola from 1993 onwards, he decided, in March 2000, to work as a freelance and to take up other writing. A memoir Mackem Mayhem appeared in 2004 followed, in 2005, 2006 and 2007, by the three novels comprising the Moving Deckchairs trilogy. Eight of his short stories have received commendations in various competitions. These days he concentrates on writing walking books. The first appeared in 2009, the second in 2010 and the third and fourth in 2011.
Biography
He was born March 10, 1941 in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, of an English father and a Welsh mother, and raised in Sunderland. After a grammar school education he went up to the University of NottinghamUniversity of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
in September 1959 where he studied Mathematics and Statistics. On graduating, he commenced training to be an actuary
Actuary
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
and worked for short spells as a supply teacher, and as a statistician with Tate & Lyle. In the autumn of 1964 he secured a post at the National Foundation for Educational Research
National Foundation for Educational Research
The National Foundation for Educational Research was founded in 1946 as a centre for educational research and development in England and Wales. NFER's head office is located at 'The Mere' in Slough, Berkshire, England...
where he conducted the first study of a new area called item banking, resulting in his first book Item Banking. He then went to study at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, having received a Fellowship, and was awarded a Ph.D in 1971.
Returning to the UK in July 1971 he took up the position of Director of Research in the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
School Examinations Department where, among other things, he organised the 1979 conference Rehabilitating psychometrics for the Social Science Research Council
Social Science Research Council
The Social Science Research Council is a U.S.-based independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines...
. In 1980 he was seconded to direct the Evaluation of Testing in Schools Project at the Institute of Education, also in the University of London. The following year he moved to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
where he served as Professor of Educational Measurement in the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
. In early 1984 he took up a Fellowship at Flinders University
Flinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
in Australia and later in the year was appointed Director of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research but declined to take up post citing personal reasons.
Having become an Associate of the British Psychological Society
British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. The BPS is also a Registered Charity and, along with advantages, this also imposes certain constraints on what the society can and cannot do...
during the 1970s, he was in a position to start a new career in England as a business psychologist. In 1985 he helped to establish a consultancy called Psychometric Research & Development Ltd with an office in St Albans. He was made a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1986 and for the academic year 1987-88 he was Visiting Professor at the London Institute. In 1990 he joined Pearn Kandola Occupational Psychologists in Oxford. From 1998 to 2005 he was a Special Professor in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. In 1998 the same university conferred on him the degree of DLitt in recognition of over 120 published books, monographs and articles. A partner at Pearn Kandola from 1993 onwards, he decided, in March 2000, to work as a freelance and to take up other writing. A memoir Mackem Mayhem appeared in 2004 followed, in 2005, 2006 and 2007, by the three novels comprising the Moving Deckchairs trilogy. Eight of his short stories have received commendations in various competitions. These days he concentrates on writing walking books. The first appeared in 2009, the second in 2010 and the third and fourth in 2011.
Selected works
- Wood, Robert (with L S Skurnik); Item Banking; Windsor: NFER-Nelson, 1969 (Paperback, ISBN 978-0901225108) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/090122510X
- Wood, Robert; Measurement and Assessment in Education and Psychology: Collected Papers 1967-87; Lewes: Falmer Press, 1987 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1850001621) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1850001626
- Wood, Robert; Assessment and Testing: A Survey of Research, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993 (Paperback, ISBN 978-0521449977) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0521449979
- Wood, Robert (with T Payne); Competency-based Recruitment and Selection, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1998 (Paperback, ISBN 978-0471974734) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0471974730
- Wood, Robert (with H Tolley); Test Your Emotional Intelligence, London: Kogan Page Ltd, 2003 (Paperback, ISBN 978-0749437329) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0749437324
- Wood, Robert; Mackem Mayhem; Leicester: Matador, 2004 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1904744603)http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1904744605
- Wood, Robert; Pushing Envelopes, Leicester: Matador, 2005 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1905237029) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1905237022
- Wood, Robert; Chekyll and Ide, Leicester: Matador, 2006 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1905886203) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1905886209
- Wood, Robert; Ten a Penny, Leicester: Matador, 2007 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1906221287) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1906221286
- Wood, Robert; Walks into History: Hampshire, Newbury: Countryside Books, 2009 (Paperback, ISBN 978-1846741395)http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1846741394
- Wood, Robert; A Boot Up the Berkshire Downs, Wellington, Somerset: PIXZ Books, 2010 (Hardback, ISBN 978-1906887711)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boot-Up-Berkshire-Downs/dp/1906887713/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313785978&sr=1-1
- Wood, Robert; A Boot Up the North Hampshire Downs, Wellington, Somerset: PIXZ Books, 2011 (Hardback, ISBN 978-0857109245)https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wood+north+hampshire+downs&x=13&y=21
- Wood, Robert; A Boot Up the Chilterns, Wellington, Somerset: PIXZ Books, 2011 (Hardback, ISBN 978-0857100467)https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wood+boot+chilterns&x=17&y=17
- Wood, Robert (with H Tolley); How to Succeed at an Assessment Centre 3rd Edn, Kogan Page, London, 2011 (Paperback, ISBN 978-0749402291) https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Succeed-Assessment-Centre-Presentations/dp/B005C1D9PU/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313785572&sr=1-7