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Overview

In higher education research there is a long tradition of academics from a range of disciplines engaging in pedagogical research and supporting the improvement of educational practice. Typically, such individuals have to self-train in pedagogical research practices using methods which are more closely aligned to social science research. There are a range of difficulties that emerge especially for individuals whose primary research background is in the ‘hard sciences’. These tensions and issues are neither discussed nor subjected to critical review with a view to enhancing pedagogical research in general.

This event will foreground the issues of moving from a research background and teaching focus in the ‘hard sciences’ (an intentionally provocative term) towards the softer sciences underpinning education research. Contributions are invited from colleagues who have undertaken such a journey or supporting those who are. We are particularly interested in collective contributions that explore experiences which have been jointly undertaken.

Schedule

Speaker bios

Martyn Kingsbury is Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship (CHERS) at Imperial College London. He studied for his PhD in pharmacology at the University of Bath before gaining a prestigious JSPS Fellowship from the Royal Society which took him to Japan for two years.  He returned to the UK in 1993 and started working at Imperial, initially conducting biomedical research at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, before moving to the Centre for Education Development, where he provided training and support for researchers.  He studied part-time for an MA in Education at The University of Bath and, in 2019, became the inaugural director of CHERS.  Martyn’s research interests include authenticity, self-efficacy, attribution and agency, particularly in liminal contexts and in relation to wellbeing and belonging.

John Canning is a Senior Lecturer at Kingston University's Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC). He joined LTEC in October 2023 and leads the Kingston Academic Practice Standards (KAPS) framework, supporting colleagues in achieving AdvanceHE Fellowships.  John studied Geography ay Aberystwyth University followed by a masters and PhD in Human Geography at the University of Bristol. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, he has previously worked UK Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies based at the University of Southampton and the University of Brighton. His research interests include student voice, quality regimes, and disciplinary identity, with publications in international journals such as Studies in Higher Education and Teaching in Higher Education. He is a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE and a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association.

Francesca Arrigoni is an Associate Professor in Physiology and Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacy at Kingston. Her pioneering transdisciplinary teaching seamlessly integrates art and science, breaking traditional boundaries to enhance public understanding and revolutionise teaching practices in higher education. Her innovative approach not only informs and engages diverse audiences but also fosters creative and critical thinking. Her innovative approaches in nursing education earned her the Teaching Innovation of the Year award in 2023, presented by the Student Nursing Times.

Jayne Dennis is a Reader in Biomedical Education at Queen Mary University of London.  She is Director of Scholarship in the School of Biological & Behavioural Sciences and a Queen Mary Academy Fellow with a project identifying best practice in enabling scholarship.  Her current research focuses on the role of metacognition in both teaching and learning in higher education.  Jayne has won awards at QMUL for excellence in teaching delivery, enhancing the student voice, developing graduate attributes and she led the Biomed Programme Teaching Group to a team award for enhancing their student-centred curriculum.  She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and previously completed an MA in educational psychology at UCL’s Institute of Education and her PhD in the molecular classification of cancer at the University of Glasgow.

Richard Davies is programme leader for the MA in Education at the University of Hertfordshire. He is a co-convenor of the Academic Practice Network at SRHE and an Executive Officer of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. He begin academic life as a physicist before turning to educational research. He continues to explore the interface between the two, primarily through his research interests including a range of philosophical issues related to higher education.