Personal statement

Chris Collier lectures in the School of Education principally on the Education Studies programme. He is module leader for two second year undergraduate modules: Environment and Education; and Understanding Classrooms. He teaches on the final year Teaching and Professionalism module and is also a tutor for a number of final year dissertation students, as well as an Academic Advisor.

He is a founder member of the Centre for Research in Scientific and Technological Learning and Education (CRiSTLE) and is involved in the centre's research activity. His research focuses on science and environmental education with specific interests in assessment of science in primary schools, the role of assessment in transition and, creativity in science education.

Before joining the University, Chris taught in a primary school on the Isle of Wight for seven years, including acting as assistant headteacher and as science subject leader. Prior to this, he worked as an environmental geologist both as a consultant and a protection officer.

Academic qualifications

  • BA (Jt Hons) Geology and Biology - University of Keele
  • PGCE - University College Chichester
  • MSc Hydrogeology - University College London.

Professional membership

  • Centre for Research in Scientific and Technological  Learning and Education (CRiSTLE).

Teaching specialisms

  • Science teaching and learning
  • Professionalism in education
  • Environment and Sustainability. 

Current scholarship

Chris's current research interests include teacher assessment of science in primary schools and the role of assessment in transition which was supported by a six year project funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust. Other recent research interests include a project funded by AstraZeneca Teaching Trust into science teaching and learning in early years settings. Also he has been involved with projects into the use of dataloggers to support pupil data interpretation skills and assessment of science enquiry skills using electronic devices. He has been part of a team writing a general initial teaching education text on science teaching of 3-7 year-olds as well as a similar book aimed at teachers of 5-11 year-olds. He has completed consultancy work on creative learning environments in education.

Other external roles

  • Providing primary and early years science consultancy
  • Funded by Primary Science Teaching Trust to research assessment of science in primary schools and transition from primary to secondary education. Funded by AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust to develop a project with primary and secondary schools to enhance and develop data interpretation skills through eco-monitoring. Other projects funded by AstraZeneca Teaching Trust include assessing science and technology skills using the e-scape system
  • Governor for a teaching federation in Somerset
  • Funded to complete a literature survey of learning environments in education by Teaching and Learning Scotland
  • Completion of an evaluation of the Active Learning in Primary Science project, a joint collaboration between Bristol Local Authority and Science Learning Centre South-west.

Recent professional updating

  • ASE Annual Conference University of Leeds 2005
  • ESTA Annual Conference University of Bristol 2006
  • ASE Annual Conference University of Liverpool 2008
  • ASE Annual Conference University of Reading 2011
  • ICASE Conference: Innovation in Science and Technology Education, University of Tartu, Estonia 2010
  • International Society of Educational Research (ISER) World Conference, Kapadoyka, Turkey 2014.

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce