Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM)

The Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM) brings together a group of researchers who are interested in exploring formal and informal practices of teaching, learning and engagement in diverse contexts of STEM education.

We have a strong tradition of collaborating with young people, teachers, educators in out-of-school settings, and policy makers, both nationally and internationally. Our research draws from social science, psychological and critical perspectives to advance theory and make sense of data collected with a range of different empirical methods.

Our work is closely aligned with the cross-school themes ‘Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment’, ‘Professionalism and Workplace Practice’ and ‘Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice’ and organised around three programmes of research and knowledge exchange:

Learning: knowledge, beliefs and values
Social justice: inclusion, difference and equity
Professional practice and policy: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.

Members

Chris Abbott

Emeritus Reader in Assistive Technologies

Jill Adler

Visiting Professor of Mathematics Education

Katherine Aston

Lecturer in Chemistry Education

Jonathan Berliner

PhD candidate

Laura Brassington

Visiting Lecturer

Richard Brock

Lecturer in Science Education

Margaret Brown

Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education

Jeremy Burke

Visiting Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education

Ye (Catherine) Cao

PhD candidate

Liam Cini O'Dwyer

PhD Candidate

Diana Coben

Professor of Adult Numeracy

Meggie Copsey-Blake

Research Associate

Margaret Cox

Emeritus Professor of Information Technology in Education

Anna Danielsson

Visiting Professor in Science Education

Dave Dennis

PhD candidate

Jessie Durk

Research Associate

Poppy Ellis Logan

PhD candidate

Mengqi Fang

PhD Candidate

Carla Finesilver

Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education and Inclusion

Arthur Galamba

Lecturer in Science Education

Melissa Glackin

Senior Lecturer in Science Education

Kate Greer

Research Associate

Alex Hadwen-Bennett

Teaching Fellow in Computer Science Education

Jessica Hamer

Research Associate

Christine Harrison

Professor in Science Education

Lulu Healy

Professor of Mathematics Education

Shirin Hine

PhD candidate

Francis Jones

MA Student in STEM Education

Peter Kemp

Lecturer in Computing Education

Heather King

Professor in Science Education

Jayne Kranat

Senior Lecturer

Peter Kutnick

Professor of Psychology of Education

Zsuzsa Lugosi

PhD Candidate

Alex Manning

Lecturer in Science Education

Liviu Matei

Professor of Higher Education and Public Policy

Amy O'Brien

Teaching Fellow in Mathematics Education

Christopher Olley

Visiting Lecturer

Alexander Palmer

PhD Candidate

Sophie Perry

PhD candidate

Chris Reid

PhD Candidate

Gabriella Rundblad

Professor of Language & Cognition

Elizabeth Rushton

Former Lecturer in Geography Education

Sandra Takei

Lecturer in Education

Mary Webb

Reader in IT in Education

Lucy Wood

PhD candidate

3D learning in a rich cooperative haptic environment

The overall aim of the project is to design, develop and evaluate a 3D virtual learning environment incorporating a haptic interface.

Child working at a computer with a pen and notepad

COM n PLAY Science

Learning science the fun and creative way: coding, making and play as vehicles for informal science learning in the 21st century.

Future Inventors

Future Inventors supports the development of a new lab space in the Museum Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia aimed at facilitating learner engagement with STEM.

Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science

The SAILS project aimed to help prepare teachers to teach science through an inquiry approach and be more confident and competent in their assessments.

Subject choice, attainment and representation in Computing (SCARI computing)

This project aims to explore the predictors of computing uptake and performance in English schools, by using a range of case studies and national datasets.

Teacher standing at the front of a class

Sustaining teacher quality and retention post-pandemic

This project examines the impact of the substantial changes and sustained disruption caused by Covid-19 to the development of secondary school teachers.

Understanding environmental education in secondary schools

This project explored the impact of the curriculum changes on the current state of environmental education provision across secondary schools in England.

Redefinition /redirection and incremental change: A systematic review of innovation in teacher education research
Ellis, V., Correia, C., Turvey, K., Childs, A., Andon, N., Harrison, C., Jones, J. & Hayati, N., Jan 2023, In: TEACHING AND TEACHER EDUCATION. 121, 103918. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103918
Is There a Limit to Resemblances?: Teaching About Science and Pseudoscience From a Family Resemblance Perspective
Park, W. & Brock, R., 11 Oct 2022, In: Science and Education. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Distinguishing Nature of Science Beliefs, Knowledge and Understandings: Towards Clarity and Coherence in Educational Goals Related to the Nature of Science
Brock, R. & Park, W., 18 Aug 2022, In: Science and Education. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-022-00368-6
Critiquing Teacher Well-Being Policy in England: Developing a Values-Based Approach to Promote Trainee Teachers’ Well-Being
Helen Damon, Manning, A. & Towers, E., 7 Aug 2022, The Palgrave Handbook of Teacher Education Research. . Menter, I. (ed.). Palgrave Macmillan, p. 1-19 Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
A Justification of Legitimate Teleological Explanations in Physics Education: An Argument from Necessary Constraints
Brock, R. & Kampourakis, K., 5 Jul 2022, In: Science and Education. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-022-00358-8
The Primary Science Capital Teaching Approach - Building science engagement for social justice.
Nag Chowdhuri, M., King, H. & Archer, L., 1 Jun 2022, In: Journal of Emergent Science. 23, p. 35 - 38 5 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Beyond categories: Dynamic qualitative analysis of visuospatial representation in arithmetic
Finesilver, C., Jun 2022, In: Educational Studies in Mathematics,. 110, 2, p. 271-290 20 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10123-3
Education for Environmental Sustainability and the Emotions: Implications for Educational Practice
Dunlop, L. & Rushton, E. A. C., 1 Apr 2022, In: Sustainability (Switzerland). 14, 8, 4441. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084441
Sickle Cell Trait and Kidney Disease in People of African Ancestry With HIV
GEN-AFRICA study group, Hung, R. K. Y., Binns-Roemer, E., Booth, J. W., Hilton, R., Fox, J., Burns, F., Harber, M., Ustianowski, A., Hamzah, L., Burns, J. E., Clarke, A., Price, D. A., Kegg, S., Onyango, D., Santana-Suarez, B., Campbell, L., Bramham, K., Sharpe, C. C., Sabin, C. A., & 31 othersWinkler, C. A., Post, F. A., Booth, J., Waters, A., Hand, J., Clarke, C., Murphy, S., Murphy, M., Campbell, M., Richardson, C., Knott, A., Weir, G., Cleig, R., Soviarova, H., Barbour, L., Adams, T., Kennard, V., Trevitt, V., Jones, R., Levy, J., Schoolmeester, A., Duro, S., Rabuya, M., Jordan, D., Solano, T., Post, F. A., Poulton, M., Flaherty, J., Patel, B., Manning, A. & Popoola, J., 1 Mar 2022, In: Kidney International Reports. 7, 3, p. 465-473 9 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2021.12.007
ERME column
Baccaglini-Frank, A., Finesilver, C. & Tabach, M., 25 Feb 2022, European Mathematical Society Magazine, 123, p. 45-51. Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.4171/MAG-74

View all publications

A man taking a photo of science apparatus at an event

CRESTEM seminar series

The CRESTEM seminar series allows speakers to explore and explain their areas of STEM research.

Learn more about the CRESTEM seminar series

Writing Group for Academic Publishing

This group, chaired by Professor Pat Mahony, meets monthly (on the first Wednesday of each month, 12.30-1.30pm) to support ECS staff and PhD students in getting their work published. Each month, one member circulates their draft of an article or book chapter and the rest of the group provide feedback in a constructive and supportive way. We aim to help the author to improve their paper in preparation for submission as well as support broader learning on the process of academic publishing. If you would like to join, please contact Dr Clare Coultas: clare.coultas@kcl.ac.uk.

CRESTEM Keynote Lecture 2022: Aestheticising Mathematics Education Research

Dr Nathalie Sinclair discussed the historical, colonial roots of the dismissal of aesthetics in current mathematics education research, as well as examples of what an aestheticising of mathematics education might look like, drawing on her own research with digital technologies.

Watch the CRESTEM 2022 Keynote lecture

CRESTEM keynote 2021: Science education – past and future directions

Professor Jonathan Osborne gives his personal view on the achievements of research in science education in the past 40 years.

Watch the CRESTEM keynote lecture 2021

The Centre provides three scholarships for students:

The STEM Education teacher scholarship provides funds for our MA in STEM Education. The Rosalind Driver Scholarship Fund and the Bernard Dawson Scholarship Fund provide fees and stipends for PhD study in the area of science education.

You can find out more information on each of the scholarships here.