Effective pedagogy

Explore the principles and practices that make chemistry teaching effective

For successful learning in chemistry, teachers must be equipped with good subject knowledge and purposeful teaching methods. In this course, you will delve into the core principles of effective pedagogy in the chemistry classroom, gaining new insights and skills to refine your practice and improve your learners’ outcomes.

Enrol and register FAQs

This course is now available in the UK, EU and other selected countries. If you’re a teacher in the UK or Ireland, make sure you’ve claimed your fully funded Teach Chemistry membership: benefits include discounts to our professional development courses.

At a glance

  • Format: self-led online learning
  • Cost:  £225 + VAT
  • Total length:  8–12 hours
  • Available in: UK, EU and other selected countries
Practical lesson

Course objectives

The course will help you to develop:

  • an understanding of the impact of cognitive science on teaching and learning
  • knowledge of the teaching approaches often used in the chemistry classroom
  • strategies to help students improve their literacy and numeracy skills in chemistry
  • ways of adapting your teaching to students with a range of learning profiles
  • methods to improve students’ practical skills and competencies.

Course modules

  • Cognitive science

    Explore how cognitive science research findings can be used to enhance learning and inform your teaching strategies.

  • Teaching approaches

    Review and analyse a selection of teaching approaches which are commonly used in the chemistry classroom.

  • Literacy

    Delve into the impact of literacy on chemistry and discover strategies to improve your students’ reading, writing and speaking skills.

  • Numeracy

    Explore key numeracy issues that students face and strategies to improve maths skills in the chemistry classroom.

  • Lesson planning

    Examine the key elements of planning and different approaches to enhance your lessons and plans.

  • Purposeful practical work

    Review how practical tasks fit into the curriculum and how to develop your students’ practical skills and competencies.

  • Adaptive teaching

    Explore the principles and practice of adaptive teaching, ways to extend your own adaptive teaching and the benefits for your students.

  • Checking for understanding

    Delve into the different ways of checking for understanding, including questioning, giving effective feedback and encouraging reflection.

Ready to enrol?

Begin your journey towards strengthened chemistry teaching practices today.

Enrol and register

FAQs

Who is the course for?

This course is suitable for teachers in all career stages. The course is ideally suited if you are new to teaching chemistry, you have recently focused on another subject and would like to boost your knowledge, or you are returning from a teaching break.

Will I receive a certificate?

You will receive a certificate of course completion for your professional development portfolio/record once you have completed all of the modules. To qualify for the certificate, you must complete all required tasks and the end of course reflection.

What if I don’t want to complete all modules?

You can take whichever modules you are interested in, but you will only receive a certificate of course completion once you have completed all of the modules and required tasks.

Which countries is the course available in?

This course is currently available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guernsey, Hong Kong S.A.R. China, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao S.A.R. China, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States.

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Our course authors

A headshot of Jane Essex

Dr Jane Essex

Jane, a former chemistry teacher, is now a university-based educator in Scotland. Her internationally recognised work in inclusive STEM focuses on supporting students with learning difficulties to succeed in science.

A headshot of Peter Unitt

Peter Unitt

Peter has inspired future chemists for over three decades, teaching various specifications and examining GCSE and A-level. He has also held leadership roles and recently completed the Hebridean Way.

A headshot of Matthew Parks

Matthew Parks

Matthew, a chemistry teacher in Northern Ireland, has held leadership positions in various schools. He is a principal examiner, an EiC editorial board member and a teacher developer for the RSC.

A headshot of Andrea Mallaburn

Dr Andrea Mallaburn

After 15 years of teaching chemistry and science, Andrea joined Liverpool John Moores University. She leads the ITE and Absolute Chemistry Research Group, which fosters chemical curiosity and raises aspirations.

A headshot of Naomi Hennah

Dr Naomi Hennah

Naomi has taught chemistry for twenty years and has a PhD in chemistry education. In 2018, she won the RSC education award for promoting language in chemistry practical work.

A headshot of Colin McGill

Dr Colin McGill

Colin is an associate professor in education at Edinburgh Napier University, and is responsible for subject-specific development of the PGDE chemistry students. He also tries to run.

A headshot of Dr Nik Rorke

Dr Nik Rorke

Nik is currently head of chemistry at a school in Devon. She trains teachers to be CPD facilitators, tutors PGCE students, and delivers CPD on assessment, metacognition and chemistry teaching.