Dr Sophie Bessant

My profile

Biography

I have worked in educational and academic development roles in higher education since 2011, including eight years at Keele University in Staffordshire, followed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, King’s College London (KCL) and Manchester Metropolitan University since October 2022. My primary responsibility at Man Met is as Programme Lead for the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCert LTHE), the teaching qualification undertaken by new academic and other teaching staff at the university. I have a PhD in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Research outputs

Selected Publications:

Bessant, S. and Robinson, Z. (2019) Rating and rewarding Higher Education for Sustainable Development research within the marketised higher education context: experiences from English universitiesEnvironmental Education Research. 25: 4 (pg. 548 – 565).

Potter, J. and Bessant, S. (2018) Collating evidence and writing reflectively about your practice. Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) Special Issue: Doing a Good Job Well - Being Recognised as an Experienced, Professional Teacher in HE. Available at: https://www.seda.ac.uk/specials

Bessant, S. (2017) Exploring the interface of marketisation and education for sustainable development in English higher education. PhD Thesis. Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.

Bessant, S. (2015) The marketisation of English Higher Education and the sustainability agenda: contradictions, synergies and the future of Education for Sustainable Development. In: Education for Sustainable Development: Towards the Sustainable University. Plymouth University Pedagogic Research Institute and Observatory (PedRIO) Occasional Paper Number 9.

Bessant, S., Robinson, Z. P. and Ormerod, R. M. (2015) Neoliberalism, new public management and the sustainable development agenda of higher education: history, contradictions and synergies. Environmental Education Research. 21: 3 (pg. 417 - 432)

Bessant, S., Bailey, P., Robinson, Z., Tomkinson, C.B., Tomkinson and Ormerod, R.M. (2013) Problem-Based Learning: A Case Study of Sustainability Education. Higher Education Academy.