Please report any queries concerning the funding data grouped in the sections named "Externally Awarded" or "Internally Disbursed" (shown on the profile page) to
your Research Finance Administrator. Your can find your Research Finance Administrator at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/research/rs-contacts.php by entering your department
Please report any queries concerning the student data shown on the profile page to:
Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
› More search options
Dr Amanda Mccrory
837
UCL/IOE
20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H0AL
Tel: 02076126645
Appointment
- Lecturer in Early Years and Primary Education
- IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment
- UCL Institute of Education
Biography
I am an academic, lecturer and researcher of ethics in science education. I have been a science educator for over twenty years, initially working and leading science and maths in schools in the UK before moving to Higher Education at UCL IOE, initially in the Department of Learning and Leadership before moving to Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment where I now reside as lecturer in science education and lead of the Science Special Interest Research group. In schools, I held a number of roles in both the classroom and as a leader, including deputy headship and LEA lead for science and maths. I have been invited to lecture at a number of universities, for example, Imperial College London and The University of Malta. My expertise has been recognised as an External Examiner for a number of universities both domestic and international. I am also a peer reviewer for a number of internationally recognised research journals as well as for CPA.
I was the co-editor for the Journal Of Emergent Science (ASE) for four years, where I led the peer-review process as well as supported both national and international early career researchers (as well as more experienced researchers) to publish their research, my impact was considerable and enabling. I was also a member of the ASE Board during this time. I have replicated this impact at UCL IOE as a research mentor for my doctoral students and peers, with my mentees being successful in submitting proposals to International Educational Conferences such as BERA, ECER and ESERA and academic journals such as BERJ and the IJSE. Currently I am involved with a number of research groups and a PI or Co-I of a number of active research projects. Equality, diversity and inclusion is a lens which informs all that I do and thus I am a member of the CPA inclusion team as well as UCL wide institutional citizenship groups. Being part of the UCL IOE Ethics reviewers team and various working groups, has offered me many opportunities to deepen my own understanding of research ethics and play an important role in the research culture of IOE. Recently, I also co-chaired a faculty wide review of the mental health and wellbeing support available for staff and students at IOE, an important step towards normalising the mental health needs of staff and students alike.
Research Groups
- AI Centre
- Archaeology-Heritage-Art
- Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education
- Centre for Holocaust Education
- Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education
- Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (HHCP)
- Subject Specialism Research Group (SSRG)
- UCL Knowledge Lab
- UCL Research Computing
See More
See LessResearch Themes
See More See LessResearch Summary
In the main, I am a qualitative researcher whose publications and standing in the field have been built around a) ethics and socio-scientific issues in science education, b) primary science pedagogy and teacher education and c) intersectionality/equality, diversity and inclusion in science education. I am interested in how teachers and parents/guardians can support children in their understanding of topical, yet relevant, socio-scientific issues and how educators can promote ethical and scientific thinking both in formal and informal learning environments. I have a growing publication list which reflects this with my most recent co-authored book, ‘The Place of Ethics in Science Education’, demonstrating a significant contribution to the field of ethics and science education.
I first became interested in these areas of science education when teaching in schools. Reflection on classroom practice repeatedly showed me that young children are interested in authentic, but some would argue, controversial aspects of science and the world in which we live. I quickly realised this was an under researched area in science education. The dominance of focus on secondary science teaching was clear, as was (and still is to some extend) the underestimation of what young children think and how they learn in science education. Driven also by my own perception that it is our responsibility as science educators to ensure that the children we serve become scientifically literate, my research focus continued via a Ph.D and now the research projects that I lead and am part of. Currently, I am working on a number of projects with industry and schools focusing on ethical and scientific reasoning, developing frameworks which effectively promote these skills in children but also the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers. I am also the lead for the Science Special Interest Group, which includes over 250 members. We meet regularly to discuss research and I arrange seminars by eminent academics in the field such as Professors Jim Al-Khalili, Dana Zeidler, Troy Sadler and Sibel Erduran. It is also a space where I mentor and support doctoral researchers and ECRs. It’s exciting work!
Teaching Summary
Since joining the IOE, my teaching and leadership have been extensive. I have lectured, designed and developed subject materials, supporting students and schools focussing on numerous areas of science and mathematics education as well as primary education relating to pedagogy, teaching, learning and assessment via a number of ITE programmes: EYITT, Schools’ Direct Primary, Teach First Primary, Primary PGCE, Secondary Science PGCE, Secondary Science Teach First, Secondary Science PGCE. I have also led a number of modules across multiple postgraduate programmes. I was the Primary PGCE programme lead for 3 years and the School-Direct PGCE Top-Up Programme lead for 2 years, responsible for curriculum, teaching and learning as well as academic assessment for students. My extensive experience and expertise has been recognised by the HEA, being awarded a Senior Fellowship in 2019 and I now assess the HEA for UCL Arena. I have also been a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers since 2017 and an active member of the Association of Science Education since 2005. My research and teaching profile has afforded me extensive opportunities to present my research via both national and international peer-reviewed conferences, invited talks and keynotes.
I am also a lecturer and supervisor for the MA in Science Education, MA in Education, MA in Early Years and Primary Education, and have been a doctoral supervisor for the past 7 years, supporting research students is one of the many highlights of my role with research being at the centre of my teaching. Institutional Citizenship is incredibly important to me which has been a focus for me since joining IOE in 2014. I am a Dignity Advisor, Wellbeing Champion and Mental Health First Aider, roles which are both faculty and UCL wide. I am also a member of the College of Reviewers in CPA and enjoy being a research mentor. The interface of teaching and research underpins all that I do. One such example of my sustained impact as a research mentor can be seen in the successful acceptance of and subsequence presentation of research with my doctoral student Sheldon Phillips for the BNU international conference in education, China. This research also demonstrates my sustained commitment to student voice and advocacy, along with various initiates that I have led to enhance this, including being involved with UCL Changemakers over a number of years.
