Staff profile

Ros joined the School of Education in 1996 having previously taught science/ biology in secondary schools and FE and PGCE students in Bristol. Now a Senior Lecturer her research interests include both the teaching and assessment of Evidence in Science, particularly in its application to fieldwork, along with school curriculum developments such as Working Scientifically see, http://www.dur.ac.uk/rosalyn.roberts/Evidence/cofev.htm for example.
Her current research is into the concepts of evidence and their role in developing understanding in open-ended investigations, argumentation, scientific literacy and social science research. It is relevant to both university and school curricula. Her research impacts on both undergraduate and school practice, science curriculum developments and science assessments.

Ros has, over the years, been Programme Director for our MAEd, taught doctorate and PGCE (secondary) Programmes. Currently she is our Undergraduate Divisional Director. She teaches and supervises on the primary BA(Ed) at Queen's Campus and the Secondary PGCE, focusing on key ideas in biology, scientific evidence and practical work. She supervises students at masters and doctoral level.

“Completed Supervisions (since 2008)”

An Exploration of Cross-cultural Adjustment and Job Satisfaction among Primary School Native-speaking English Teachers in Hong Kong.

Good Foundations:
An Analysis of the Configurations of Factors Affecting Success in Non-Traditional Students on a Foundation Programme

 An Exploratory Study of Pre-service Primary Teachers’
Understanding of Uncertainty in Measurements in Singapore

Impact

The QCA cited our work about the curriculum, teaching and assessing for a Procedural Understanding in Science in their documentation to English and Welsh Awarding Bodies in 2004 to inform their preparations for the new 2006 GCSEs.

Our consultation work for AQA, the largest Awarding Body for Science, informed their curriculum and assessment of GCSE Science How Science Works. The science GCSEs were introduced in 2006 and, in 2012 for instance, there were ~50,000 AQA GCSE science entries. Over the years since the new specification has been examined 200,000+ pupils have been taught and assessed using AQA specifications which included our work for HSW.

The publication (2011). Ideas and Evidence in Science: Lessons from Assessment: An independent report to SCORE informed SCORE’s position about curriculum reform and was sent by SCORE to the NC Review panel, shared with DfE officials and was used at ASE Council in deliberations about NC Review. The research also resulted in an annotated exemplar item bank of questions which was distributed to Awarding Bodies and SCORE encouraged their use with developers and examiners. The report was cited by SCORE in their response to the Education Select Committee inquiry in November 2011.

More recently our work has been influential internationally. Scientific and Engineering Practices in the USA's Framework for K-12 Science Education cite our work as do the PISA 2015 Science Framework, an international assessment due to be taken in more than 70 countries.

Information for prospective doctoral research student supervisions

Ros welcomes supervision enquiries from students with an interest in fieldwork and outdoor learning, ecology, biology, scientific literacy and the public understanding of science, evidence and threshold concepts, scientific enquiry, teaching and understanding scientific evidence, science curriculum analysis, practical work in science and assessment in science.

• Biological investigations in school science
• Fieldwork and outdoor learning in Science Education
• Science subject knowledge in the school and ITT curriculum
• Teaching for the public understanding of science
• Understanding of evidence and quantitative understanding across all subjects

• 2015: Society of Biology: Elected to Fellow
• 2014: Invited participant in seminar at King's College: 'The Impacts of Outdoor Learning'; Field Studies Council/ Institute of Education workshop, 'the place of fieldwork in georgraphy and science qualifications'
• 2014: Society of Biology: Appointed to the Society's Curriculum Committee
• 2014: National Stakeholder Group for EU FP7: Project looking at assessment of inquiry based learning in science, mathematics and technology, called ASSIST-ME
• 2013: Grant reviewer: Economic and Social Research Council
• 2013: Journal Reviewer:
  • editorial board for Journal of Biological Education and Research in Science and Technological Education
• 2012: External Academic expert panel member: For the Periodic Review of the Postgraduate Certificate of Education (Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT), at University Campus Suffolk
• 2011: - present: Member of Biology Education Research Group:
• 2011: Institute of Advanced Study: Futures II series: 'New Storylines for Living with Environmental Change'. Team led by Prof. Sarah Jane Banks & Prof. Phil Naghten. Responsible for arranging two of the five events:
  • Reclaiming our futures: people, science and environmental change, A ‘future worlds café’ for members of the public and university.
  • Whose Nature? A workshop facilitated by Phil Gates and Ros Roberts.
• 2011: Association for Science Education Outdoor Science Working Group: 2011 - present: a specialist in assessment
• 2010: Independent consultant: Commissioned by SCORE to evaluate ‘Assessment of How Science Works.
• 2008: NCCA, Dublin: Consultation with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Dublin.
• 2006: Consultant to AQA: On new Biology A-level curriculum specifications and assessment.
• 2006: British Ecological Society: Ongoing: Member of British Ecological Society, Education, Training and Careers Committee - as specialist in ecology education for schools and ITE programmes.
• 2005: Expert Panel: Invited to be on an Expert Panel “Recognising and promoting good practice in teaching and assessing How Science Works” at a meeting for all Awarding Bodies in the UK held at the NSLC, York.
• 2000: 2008 - 2011: Consultant on British Council DelPHE project: Curriculum Development for effective and relevant Higher Education in Lesotho, with specialism in Education for Sustainable Development across the curriculum
• 2000: 2004 - 2006: Consultant to the Awarding Body, AQA, on new GCSE curriculum specifications and assessment of How Science Works.

Authored book

• The language of measurement: terminology used in school science investigations.
  
  Boohan, R., Campbell, P., Charlesworth, J., Galloway, I., Millar, R., Needham, R., & Roberts, R. (2010). The language of measurement: terminology used in school science investigations. ASE.
• Biological Nomenclature.
  
  Cassidy, M., Lakin, L., Madden, D., Meatyard, B. (ed), Roberts, R., & Tribe, M. (2009). Biological Nomenclature. Institute of Biology.
• Science Investigations 3
  
  Gott, R., Foulds, K., Roberts, R., Jones, M., & Johnson, P. (1999). Science Investigations 3. Collins Educational.
• Science Investigations 2.
  
  Gott, R., Foulds, K., Jones, M., Johnson, P., & Roberts, R. (1998). Science Investigations 2. Collins Educational.
• Science Investigations 1
  
  Gott, R., Foulds, K., Johnson, P., Jones, M., & Roberts, R. (1997). Science Investigations 1. Collins Educational.

Chapter in book

• Exploring ‘The Thinking Behind the Doing’ in an Investigation: Students’ Understanding of Variables
  
  Oshima, R., & Roberts, R. (2017). Exploring ‘The Thinking Behind the Doing’ in an Investigation: Students’ Understanding of Variables. In J. Yeo, T. W. Teo, & K.-S. Tang (Eds.), Science Education Research and Practice in Asia-Pacific and Beyond. (pp. 69-83). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5149-4_5
• Evidence - The Real Issues behind Science 1
  
  Jones, M., & Roberts, R. (2005). Evidence - The Real Issues behind Science 1. In L. Newton (Ed.), Meeting the standards in secondary science : a guide to the ITT NC. (pp. 22-31). Routledge.
• Progression in Science Education
  
  Jones, M., Newton, L., & Roberts, R. (2005). Progression in Science Education. In L. Newton (Ed.), Meeting the standards in secondary science : a guide to the ITT NC. (pp. 143-152). Routledge.
• Living World: An Introduction to some Biological Ideas necessary foro the Understanding of Sc2.
  
  Roberts, R. (2005). Living World: An Introduction to some Biological Ideas necessary foro the Understanding of Sc2. In L. Newton (Ed.), Meeting the Standards in Secondary Science. (pp. 32-48). RoutledgeFalmer.
• Investigations: collecting and using evidence
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2002). Investigations: collecting and using evidence. In D. Sang & V. Wood-Robinson (Eds.), Teaching secondary scientific enquiry. ASE/John Murray.

Conference Paper

• Biology: the ultimate science for teaching an understanding of scientific evidence
  
  Roberts, R. (2018). Biology: the ultimate science for teaching an understanding of scientific evidence. In N. Gericke & M. Grace (Eds.), Challenges in biology education research. (pp. 225-241). University Printing Office.
• Students’ recognition of the role of variables in an investigation
  
  Oshima, R., & Roberts, R. (2014). Students’ recognition of the role of variables in an investigation. In Proceedings of the International Science Education Conference 2014 (pp. 1368-1392). National Institute of Education.
• A Framework for Practical work, Argumentation and Scientific Literacy.
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2010). A Framework for Practical work, Argumentation and Scientific Literacy. In G. Cakmakci & M. Taser (Eds.), Contemporary science education research: scientific literacy and social aspects of science. (pp. 99-104). Pegem Adademi.
• Questioning the Evidence: research to assess an aspect of scientific literacy.
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2007, August). Questioning the Evidence: research to assess an aspect of scientific literacy. Presented at ESERA Conference, Malmo, Sweden.
• Evidence, Investigations and Scientific Literacy: what are the curriculum implications?
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2007, April). Evidence, Investigations and Scientific Literacy: what are the curriculum implications?. Presented at NARST, New Orleans.
• Research into the Concepts of Evidence and their assessment and its impact on 'How Science Works'.
  
  Roberts, R. (2007, January). Research into the Concepts of Evidence and their assessment and its impact on ’How Science Works’. Presented at BERA SIG conference, Birmingham University, England.
• A written test for procedural understanding: a case study into pupils' performance.
  
  Gott, R., & Roberts, R. (2003). A written test for procedural understanding: a case study into pupils’ performance [Conference paper].

Journal Article

• Understanding evidence in scientific disciplines: identifying and mapping ‘the thinking behind the doing’ and its importance in curriculum development
  
  Roberts, R. (2017). Understanding evidence in scientific disciplines: identifying and mapping ‘the thinking behind the doing’ and its importance in curriculum development. Practice and Evidence of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 411-429.
• Understanding the validity of data: a knowledge-based network underlying research expertise in scientific disciplines
  
  Roberts, R. (2016). Understanding the validity of data: a knowledge-based network underlying research expertise in scientific disciplines. Higher Education, 72(5), 651-668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9969-4
• A concept map for understanding ‘working scientifically’
  
  Johnson, P., & Roberts, R. (2016). A concept map for understanding ‘working scientifically’. School Science Review, 97(360), 21-28.
• Understanding the quality of data: a concept map for ‘the thinking behind the doing’ in scientific practice
  
  Roberts, R., & Johnson, P. (2015). Understanding the quality of data: a concept map for ‘the thinking behind the doing’ in scientific practice. Curriculum Journal, 26(3), 345-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2015.1044459
• The practical work challenge: incorporating the explicit teaching of evidence in subject content
  
  Roberts, R., & Reading, C. (2015). The practical work challenge: incorporating the explicit teaching of evidence in subject content. School Science Review, 357, 31-39.
• Scientific Evidence as Content Knowledge: a replication study with English and Turkish pre-service primary teachers
  
  Roberts, R., & Sahin-Pekmez, E. (2012). Scientific Evidence as Content Knowledge: a replication study with English and Turkish pre-service primary teachers. European Journal of Teacher Education, 35(1), 91-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2011.633991
• Outdoor Learning in Lesotho: Partnership Engagement on Appropriate Pedagogy in Education for Sustainable Development with the United Kingdom.
  
  Mokuku, T., & Roberts, R. (2011). Outdoor Learning in Lesotho: Partnership Engagement on Appropriate Pedagogy in Education for Sustainable Development with the United Kingdom. Caribbean Journal of Education., 33(1), 79-102.
• Teaching the ideas about evidence underpinning statistics in science education: uncertainty and reliability.
  
  Oshima, R., Roberts, R., & Ohtaka, I. (2011). Teaching the ideas about evidence underpinning statistics in science education: uncertainty and reliability. Journal of Science Education in Japan, 35(2), 111-118.
• Students' approaches to open-ended science investigation: the importance of substantive and procedural understanding
  
  Roberts, R., Gott, R., & Glaesser, J. (2010). Students’ approaches to open-ended science investigation: the importance of substantive and procedural understanding. Research Papers in Education, 25(4), 377-407. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520902980680
• Questioning the evidence for a claim in a socio-scientific issue: an aspect of scientific literacy
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2010). Questioning the evidence for a claim in a socio-scientific issue: an aspect of scientific literacy. Research in Science and Technological Education, 28(3), 203-226. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2010.506413
• The roles of substantive and procedural understanding in open-ended science investigations: using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to compare two different tasks.
  
  Glaesser, J., Gott, R., Roberts, R., & Cooper, B. (2009). The roles of substantive and procedural understanding in open-ended science investigations: using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to compare two different tasks. Research in Science Education, 39(4), 595-624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-008-9108-7
• How Science Works.
  
  Roberts, R. (2009). How Science Works. Education in Science, 233, 30-31.
• Underlying success in open-ended investigations in science: using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify necessary and sufficient conditions.
  
  Glaesser, J., Gott, R., Roberts, R., & Cooper, B. (2009). Underlying success in open-ended investigations in science: using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify necessary and sufficient conditions. Research in Science and Technological Education, 27(1), 5-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635140802658784
• Can teaching about evidence encourage a creative approach in open-ended investigations?
  
  Roberts, R. (2009). Can teaching about evidence encourage a creative approach in open-ended investigations?. School Science Review, Special Edition 90 (Creativity)(332), 31-38.
• Practical work and the importance of scientific evidence in science curricula.
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2008). Practical work and the importance of scientific evidence in science curricula. Education in Science, 230, 8-9.
• The role of evidence in the new KS4 National Curriculum for England and the AQA specifications
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2006). The role of evidence in the new KS4 National Curriculum for England and the AQA specifications. School Science Review, 87(321), 29-39.
• Assessment of Performance in Practical Science and Pupil Attributes
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2006). Assessment of Performance in Practical Science and Pupil Attributes. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 13(1), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940600563652
• Assessment of Sc1: alternatives to coursework?
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2004). Assessment of Sc1: alternatives to coursework?. School Science Review, 85(313), 103-108.
• A written test for procedural understanding: a way forward for assessment in the UK science curriculum?
  
  Gott, R., & Roberts, R. (2004). A written test for procedural understanding: a way forward for assessment in the UK science curriculum?. Research in Science and Technological Education, 22(1), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/0263514042000187511
• Using different types of practical within a problem-solving model of science
  
  Roberts, R. (2004). Using different types of practical within a problem-solving model of science. School Science Review, 85(312), 113-119.
• Assessment of biology investigations
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2003). Assessment of biology investigations. Journal of Biological Education, 37(3), 114-121.
• Procedural understanding in biology : the 'thinking behind the doing'
  
  Roberts, R. (2001). Procedural understanding in biology : the ’thinking behind the doing’. Journal of Biological Education, 35(3), 113-117.
• Procedural Understanding Biology: How is it characterised in texts
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2000). Procedural Understanding Biology: How is it characterised in texts. School Science Review, 82(298), 83-91.
• Procedural Understanding Biology: Its place in the Biology Curriculum
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (1999). Procedural Understanding Biology: Its place in the Biology Curriculum. School Science Review, 81(294), 19-25.
• Written Tests for Procedural Understanding in Science: Why? And Would They Work?
  
  Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (n.d.). Written Tests for Procedural Understanding in Science: Why? And Would They Work?. Education in Science, 201, 16-18.

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• Fieldwork, evidence and the 14-16 UK science curriculum.
  
  Roberts, R. (2007). Fieldwork, evidence and the 14-16 UK science curriculum.

Report

• Ideas and Evidence in Science: Lessons from Assessment: An independent report to SCORE.
  
  Hunt, A., Campbell, P., Needham, R., Ratcliffe, M., & Roberts, R. (2011). Ideas and Evidence in Science: Lessons from Assessment: An independent report to SCORE.