Professor Michael Reiss

  • Qualifications and position:
    • MA, PhD, PGCE, MBA, FSB, FRSA
    • Assistant Director of Research, Consultancy and Knowledge Transfer
    • Professor of Science Education
  • Faculty:
    • Faculty of Culture and Pedagogy
  • Department:
    • Department of Geography, Enterprise, Mathematics and Science
  • Summary:
    • My research, teaching and consultancy are in science education, bioethics and sex education. After a PhD and post-doctoral work in animal behaviour and evolutionary biology at the University of Cambridge, I trained to be a teacher and taught in schools before starting an academic career in education.
  • Teaching:
    • I teach on the MA in Science Education and in the Doctoral School (EdD and PhD).
  • Research Projects:
  • Postgraduate Research:
    • My main areas for doctoral supervision are science education, sex education and bioethics.
      My current doctoral students are:
      • Dee Cavender (USA, 2009-present)
      • Catherine Lee (England, 2009-present)
      • Tamjid Mujtaba (England, 2009-present)
      • Wilton Lodge (England/Jamaica, 2009-present)
      • Anna Nicolaou (Cyprus, 2008-present)
      • Jen Jamieson (England, 2008-present)
      • Colin Rawlins (England, 2008-present)
      • Perle Brewster (England/Trinidad, 2006-present)
      • Ruth Amos (England, 2006-present)
      • Juliette Fritsch (England, 2005-present)
      • Amanda McCrory (England, 2005-present)
      • Jaya Naugah (Mauritius, 2003-present)
  • Professional Activities:
    • I am Chief Executive of Science Learning Centre London, Vice President of the British Science Association, Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of York, Docent at the University of Helsinki, Director of the Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology Project, a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and editor of the journal Sex Education.
  • Conferences/presentations:
    • • Dealing with Controversial Issues in Science Education: Can we? Should we? (British Science Association, 2009)
      • Post-16 Participation in Physics: A survey to explore the factors that influence it (European Science Education Research Association, 2009)
      • How Can Science Teachers Take Account of Creationism? (American Educational Research Association, 2009)
      • Learning Science Outside the Classroom (Science Museum, 2009)
      • Balance Not Needed? Science journalism and the reporting of creationism (World Conference of Science Journalists, 2009)
      • Practical Work Without a Lab: Using local resources (Association for Science Education, 2009)
  • Personal Country Knowledge:
    • • Egypt – Science education and environmental education
      • Iceland – Science education
      • Japan – Science education and sex education
  • Languages Spoken:
    • French (basic)
      German (basic)
Professor Michael Reiss

Contact details

Contact details

  • Name: Alison Ma'ayan, PA
  • Email:
  • Email:

  • Address:
  • Institute of Education
    University of London
    20 Bedford Way
    London WC1H 0AL

  • Office Location:
  • Room 536
    20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AL

Publications

  • Reiss, M. (in press) Assessing Ethics in Secondary Science. London: Nuffield Foundation.
  • Reiss, M.J. (in press) 'Ethical reasoning and action in STSE education' In A. Jones and M. de Vries (eds), In International Handbook on Research and Development Technology Education. Rotterdam: Sense.
  • Collins, C., Reiss, M. and Stobart, G. (in press) 'What happens when high-stakes testing stops? Teachers' perceptions of the impact of compulsory national testing in science of 11 year olds in England and its abolition in Wales', Assessment in Education
  • Reiss, M.J. (in press) 'Imagining the world: the significance of religious worldviews for science education', Science and Education
  • Reiss, M.J. (2008) 'The use of ethical frameworks by students following a new science course for 16-18 year-olds', Science and Education 17, 889-902.
  • Reiss, M.J. (2008) 'Should science educators deal with the science/religion issue?', Studies in Science Education 44, 157-186.
  • Reiss, M.J. (2007) 'What should be the aim(s) of school science education?' In D. Corrigan, J. Dillon, and R. Gunstone (eds), The Re-emergence of Values in Science Education. Rotterdam: Sense, pp13-28.
  • Reiss, M., Boulter, C. and Tunnicliffe, S.D. (2007) 'Seeing the natural world: a tension between pupils' diverse conceptions as revealed by their visual representations and monolithic science lessons', Visual Communication 6, 99-114.
  • Jones, L. and Reiss, M.J. (eds) (2007) Teaching about Scientific Origins: Taking Account of Creationism. New York: Peter Lang.
  • Braund, M. and Reiss, M. (2006) 'Towards a more authentic science curriculum: the contribution of out-of-school learning', International Journal of Science Education 28, 1373-1388.
  • All publications