Pedagogy and Scholarship of Chemistry
We experiment with, evaluate, and research the way people teach and learn Chemistry at the University. Our findings help us teach even better here at Leeds and inform national and international higher education practice through our activities across the following themes.
The Language and Linguistics of Chemistry
Studying Chemistry means we have to use and understand a significant new vocabulary. Many conventions are used to report and describe the Chemistry we do. We collaborate with colleagues who are experts in language and linguistics to answer questions such as:
- How can we be sure the language we use in our teaching is clear and accessible?
- How can we set assessments that are unambiguous and easily understood by all students?
- What makes a good textbook that students find helpful and enjoy reading?
Teaching Chemistry well
Teaching a Chemistry Curriculum brings some Chemistry-specific challenges. We work to develop new approaches to practical teaching in the laboratories and to integrate assessment technologies and tools that work well with our Chemistry contexts. Pedagogies associated with artificial intelligence are an emerging theme.
Inclusive Chemistry Curriculum
We design evidence-based approaches to inclusive curriculum. With funding from the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘Missing Elements’ programme, we use reverse mentoring techniques to better understand the experience of students and postgraduate researchers from minoritised groups. We are also researching why some students report feeling anxious during laboratory teaching sessions.
Partnership in Opportunities & Futures
We employ a partnership approach to design and implement a full programme of skills development opportunities throughout our courses. Student researchers ensure our plans match their needs for all our students’ futures, Undertaking these projects also gives them valuable research and work experience.
Research Group Members
- Richard Ansell – Curriculum Design, Literature Skills, Analytical Chemistry
- Didi Derks
- Jenny Eyley – Surfacing Skills and the Hidden Curriculum
- Keith Livingstone
- Martin McPhillie – Curriculum Design (Medicinal Chemistry)
- Nimesh Mistry – Inquiry- & Lab-based Teaching, Equity & Belonging
- Chris Pask – Small Group & Laboratory Teaching and Student Engagement.
- Marcelo Miranda
- Stephen Gorman – Laboratory Teaching & Industrial Placements
- Paul Taylor (Head of Section) – Decolonisation, Belonging, Partnership and Undergraduate Research
Contact us
If you are interested in collaborating with us or joining our research team, please get in touch with a relevant member of staff.