Teaching
I am a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Wolverhampton. Current taught courses are indexed below.
Modules
- Research Design and Practice
- MRes Project
- Sustainable Development and International Relations
- The Rise of Asia
Pedagogical philosophy
Over more than twenty years of teaching across a wide range of
contexts, from early years education to adult learning, I have
developed an approach grounded in the view that learning is a
complex and often unpredictable process.
Teaching content alone cannot guarantee learning outcomes.
Instead, I see the role of the teacher as creating the conditions
in which learning is most likely to occur.
I view teaching primarily as a process of modelling behaviour
rather than transmitting information. This includes
intellectual practices such as analysis and communication, but
also attitudes toward learning itself: curiosity, openness,
humour, persistence, and sustained effort.
The classroom environment is shaped heavily by the behaviour of
the teacher. I aim to create a setting that is both intellectually
challenging and relaxed, where students feel comfortable
questioning ideas, experimenting, and making mistakes.
Learning is most effective when material is appropriately
demanding: difficult enough to require genuine effort while
remaining achievable with persistent effort from the student and some guidance and support from the teacher.