Alistair Moore

Profile

Biography

I joined the Department of Education at York in 2013 as a science education researcher and curriculum specialist in the University of York Science Education Group (UYSEG). I have extensive experience in the development of research-informed curricula, assessments, teaching resources and training for the teaching and learning of science in schools.

I regularly collaborate with teachers to undertake research in schools, most recently as a lead researcher for the Practical Assessment in School Science (PASS) research project on the teaching and assessment of practical skills in GCSE science. I believe very strongly in applying the findings of research to transform evidence into teaching practice, and am the lead biologist for the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) project which is developing hundreds of free, research-informed teaching resources for science teachers.

Over recent years I have also worked on projects focussed on effective interdisciplinary teaching at age 16-19, developing scientific literacy at age 13-16, and teaching & learning about genomics in schools. I have been a member of the Curriculum Committee at the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) since 2014, and was one of the lead authors of the RSB’s Evolving 5-19 Biology curriculum policy and framework document published in 2021.

I have collaborated with numerous external stakeholders in school science education to develop research-informed resources for school biology, including STEM Learning, the Association for Science Education (ASE), the Salters’ Institute, Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS), the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), Oxford University Press (OUP) and Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR).

Before joining the University of York I worked at one of the big three awarding organisations in England for 7 years, where I led the development and implementation of A-Level Biology and GCSE Science courses. I studied for a BSc in biology at the University of Durham and a PhD in immunology and biotechnology at the University of Cambridge.

Research

Research group(s)

• University of York Science Education Group (UYSEG)

Research projects

• Practical Assessment in School Science (PASS), funded by Wellcome, the Gatsby Foundation and the Royal Society
• BEST in Action – evaluating the impact of the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) resources in schools, funded by the Department of Education
• Genomics teaching in schools, funded by the Wellcome Genome Campus Public Engagement Team
  

Major research-informed curriculum development projects

• Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST), funded by the Salters’ Institute
• Science Beyond the Boundaries, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation
• Twenty First Century Science, in collaboration with OCR, the Nuffield Foundation and Oxford University Press

External activities

Memberships

• Curriculum Committee, Royal Society of Biology (RSB)
• Biology Education Research Group, RSB
• Research Committee, Association for Science Education (ASE)
• Science Consultative Forum, Cambridge Assessment

Keynote presentations, panels and seminars 

• Keynote speaker: “Mind the GAP! Lessons for science practical work and its assessment” (ASE National Conference, January 2022)
• Panellist: “How does science learning straddle the primary to secondary school transition?” (ASE National Conference, January 2022)
• Guest speaker: “Science practical work in a COVID-19 world: are teacher demonstrations, videos and textbooks effective replacements for hands-on practical activities?” (University of Southampton Education School seminar series, April 2021)
• Featured guest: “View from the Lab podcast: aiming to inform, engage and entertain with the help of thought leaders in science education”, Pearson Edexcel (episode 12, autumn 2021)
• Panellist: “Beyond outreach: building students' understanding of what chemistry can do for them” (Royal Society of Chemistry, November 2020)
• Keynote speaker: “Making evidence-based practice happen in science classrooms” (ASE National Conference, January 2020)
• Presenter: “Invisible minorities: exploring the experiences of LGBT+ people in school STEM education” (LGBT STEMinar, January 2018)

Teacher training sessions presented

• Over 50 sessions on transforming research evidence into classroom practice (including for ASE, STEM Learning, British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) network, Royal Society of Chemistry, Coastal Schools Network, and the Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry, 2016-present)
• Sessions on teaching genomics (ASE conferences, 2016-17)
• Sessions on teaching plant disease (ASE conferences, 2016-17)
• Sessions on effective formative assessment (ASE conferences, 2014-2016

Assessment

• Chief Examiner, question paper author, lead marker, specification writer (GCSE Biology)
• Question paper reviser (GCSE Combined Science)
• Question paper vetter (International O Level Science)
• KS2 Science Test Review Group, Standards and Testing Agency (STA)