Researcher Summary
My main research interest is the application of educational psychology to teaching and learning in university settings. I examine the interplay between instructors, students, the curriculum and the setting (both physical and mental) in which the teaching and learning is taking place. I am interested in instructors' pedagogical thinking and expectations, and the enactment of those in terms of course goals, curriculum structure, teaching techniques, assessment tasks and (non)-verbal behaviours. I am also interested in adaptations and optimisations of generic good teaching practice strategies to a given classroom situation to fit the local sociodynamics. As an academic developer, I work closely with other academic staff to support their teaching practices, curriculum and assessment development, and discipline-based higher education research efforts.
I have been involved in numerous physics and astronomy education research projects in the past. These days, the discipline I work most closely with in terms of this research is hazard and disaster management. I am interested in the psychology of geohazard education and communication, in particular science communication from geohazard scientists to various stakeholder audiences.
