A guide to pedagogical research for scientists from a biological sciences background

Abstract

How we teach science and engage with the public, particularly in fast moving subjects such as microbiology, are constantly being reflected upon, improved and innovated. This has led to a significant increase of pedagogy publications by microbiology educators in higher education that have had a positive impact on teaching quality, student retention, progression and course satisfaction as well as how science is communicated with the public. In this paper we describe the different types of pedagogical manuscripts that biological scientists could write and the benefits that derive from doing so. We provide a glossary of terms often seen in educational literature. Project design and qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are discussed, highlighting ethical and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) considerations. Suggestions are made regarding how to network with colleagues who are also keen on writing pedagogical papers as well as examples of good practice. Lastly, a handy how-to-start guide aims to help with first steps. We hope that this paper will be a useful survival manual for colleagues who wish to engage in exciting pedagogical research in the field of microbiology and the broader biological sciences.

Microbes and us: microbiology literacy in Greece

“…The qualitative research orientation was chosen, as it is well suited to developing phenomenologically valid understandings that are grounded on the experiences of our research participants. Consequently, data were analyzed at first qualitatively using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006 ; Lacey and Efthimiou 2022 ). The analysis involved the following steps (Fig.…”

Pedagogy collection: a new innovative teaching and outreach toolkit launched by Access Microbiology

“…Moreover, having such a solid educational database will hopefully attract more microbiologists to the field of pedagogical research and writing, especially those on a Teaching and Scholarship job track. The Microbiology Society is very keen on supporting such efforts, having waived publication fees for pedagogy and outreach submissions in Access Microbiology , while a very handy step-by-step guide for budding pedagogy-friendly microbiologists was published in 2022 by Lacey and Efthimiou [ 6 ].…”