Dr Jane Essex

Senior Lecturer

Education

Personal statement

I am a senior lecturer in chemistry education, with teaching and supervision responsibilities on the PGDE chemistry. I also contribute to the teaching on BA routes and MA programme, as well as supervising research students from BA through to PhD routes. I moved to Strathclyde University from Brunel University London. Prior to that I had been an Initial Teacher Education tutor at Keele University (Staffordshire).

I taught science in schools in various parts of England before moving to Higher Education and retain a keen interest in all aspects of school science.

My major professional and research interests, are inclusive science education, and the preparation of teachers to deliver an inclusive STEM curriculum, along with curriculum design and assessment. My primary focus in on science for learners with intellectual disabilities but my interest extends far more widely into the mechanisms by which some groups are excluded from science.

In addition, I am active in science outreach, for which I have achieved international recognition, and regularly run inclusive and accessible chemistry events at the University of Strathclyde, in conjunction with colleagues from chemistry and chemical engineering. I have worked with a range of visitor centres to develop their STEM outreach programmes, and have regularly collaborated with colleagues at sites of historic and cultural significance.

Prizes and awards

STEM Inspiration Award
Recipient
20/5/2022
Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2022
Recipient
14/2/2022
Winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry: Inclusion and Diversity Award
Recipient
7/5/2019
RSC committee Innovation award
Recipient
30/10/2018
Winner of the Herald Global Game Changers Award
Recipient
12/9/2018
Shortlisted for STEMnet ambassador of the year
Recipient
1/11/2016

More prizes and awards

Qualifications

2001- 2005  Open University  Doctorate in Education, Can mentoring raise attainment in Science?

1997-2000   Open University  Master of Arts (Education)

1985-1986   Univ. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne  Post Graduate Certificate in Education

1982-1985   Univ. of London  Bachelor of Science (Hons), Toxicology and Pharmacology

Publications

Practical approaches to enhancing inclusion in STEM
Essex Jane
Highland Science Teachers CLPL (2023)
Teaching for inclusion
Essex Jane
Professional Studies for Trainee Secondary Teachers Learning Matters (2023) (2023)
The ASE Inclusive Science Group
Essex Jane, Butler Rob
Association for Science Education: National Conference 2023 (2023)
Preparing trainee teachers to negotiate the tension between disciplinary excellence and inclusion
Essex Jane
Science Teacher Education, pp. 7-12 (2022)
How an inclusive approach can enhance science teaching for all
Essex Jane
Primary Science Review Vol 174, pp. 20-23 (2022)
Teacher and youth priorities for education for environmental sustainability : a co-created manifesto
Dunlop Lynda, Rushton Elizabeth A C, Atkinson Lucy, Ayre Jacquie, Bullivant Andrea, Essex Jane, Price Laura, Smith Amanda, Summer Maisy, Stubbs Joshua E, Turkenburg-van Diepen Maria, Wood Lucy
British Educational Research Journal Vol 48, pp. 952-973 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3803

More publications

Research interests

My research interests cluster around science education, specifically the impact of science outreach and inclusive science teaching. Related research areas include the preparation of teachers for inclusive practice.

Professional activities

BGE Science Immersion Week
Organiser
10/2022
Inclusive Education in STEM
Speaker
26/9/2022
Engineering equity in STEM employment’
Recipient
13/7/2022
Engineering equity in STEM employment
Participant
11/7/2022
Mobilising the indigenous technology of making soap to mediate learning of saponification in organic chemistry.
Examiner
30/6/2022
Inclusion, policy and practice: what STEM education reveals
Speaker
31/3/2022

More professional activities

Projects

Rannsachadh Àrainn Eucoir: Am Puffin Bochd (English: Crime Science Investigation: The Poor Puffin)
Ross, Kirsty (Principal Investigator) Birnie, Inge (Co-investigator) Essex, Jane (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2023
Engineering equity in STEM employment
Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator) Hendry, Martyn (Principal Investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator) Ivaturi, Aruna (Principal Investigator) Wang, Yirui (Principal Investigator) McQuilken, Natasha (Principal Investigator)
The project considered how to enhance the sustainability and resilience of the STEM workforce in the twenty-first century. The opportunity to engage in meaningful work enhances individual health and well-being, as well as enhancing social cohesion and economic prosperity. Specifically, the project considered how technical expertise in industry and academia can be shared with people who are hugely under-represented in the STEM workforce despite their evident capabilities and interest in STEM. The scheme builds upon a highly successful STEM for sustainability summer school that ran last summer and will involve researchers who attended last year, along with others who expressed an interest in joining the project, plus pupils from South Ayrshire schools who have ASN. In addition, the scheme involved regional STEM employers, giving them a chance to develop their understanding of the capacities of diverse young people and their potential to contribute positively to their organisations.
01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
Evaluating whether microscale chemistry techniques can enhance the inclusivity of school lab work
Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator)
05-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
Inclusive and Accessible Salters' Institute Chemistry Festival
Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator)
01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
Sustainable impact by design: a pilot study of effective STEM dissemination for hard-to-reach audiences
Gonzalez-Longo, Cristina (Co-investigator) Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator) Hendry, Martyn (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Co-investigator) Giovelli, Noemi (Post Grad Student) Ivaturi, Aruna (Co-investigator) Li, Rui (Co-investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator) Somorin, Tosin (Co-investigator) Yue, Hong (Co-investigator) Egea Alvarez, Agusti (Co-investigator)
STEM Equals + RKES funded project
01-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2023
Using research to enhance inclusive science teaching
Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator)
A 2 hour seminar in whihc reserach evidence was shared and discussed with participating teachers.
12-Jan-2020 - 12-Jan-2020

More projects