Pedagogy and Scholarship of Chemistry
We experiment with, evaluate and research the way people teach and learn Chemistry at University and describe their courses to future Chemists. Our findings help us teach even better here at Leeds and to 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. There are also lots of conventions used in reporting and describing 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.
Partnership in Opportunities & Futures
We are employing 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.
Outreach
We experiment with ways to engage primary and secondary learners with Science and in particular Chemistry, aiming to include students from all backgrounds and protected characteristics in our subject. Leeds students participate in this theme through the Chemistry into Schools module.
Research Group Members
- Richard Ansell – Curriculum Deisgn, Literature Skills, Analytical Chemistry
- Didi Derks
- Jenny Eyley – Surfacing Skills and the Hidden Curriculum
- Robert Laverick – Scholarship of Active Learning and Outreach
- 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
- 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.