Miss Leigh Bjorkvoll

Miss Leigh Bjorkvoll
Miss Leigh Bjorkvoll
Miss Leigh Bjorkvoll

Director of Education UG (School of Education)

Senior Lecturer

About
Email Address
l.bjorkvoll@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone Number
+44 (0)1224 274838
Office Address

MacRobert Building, King's College, Aberdeen. AB24 5UA

School/Department
School of Education

Biography

Science Education

Leigh's background in Biology and interest in supporting the learning of science led to her becoming a teacher and subsequently, a teacher educator.  Currently, as a science teacher educator working across Primary and Secondary Initial Teacher Education programmes, Leigh focuses on supporting student teachers in developing key skills, knowledge, and dispositions for the effective teaching of science through innovative approaches.  These approaches seek to address the challenges of both the teaching of, and learning of, science, making science education more accessible and inclusive for all learners, and ultimately, supporting the development of children and young adults in becoming scientifically literate citizens.  Leigh is an enthusiastic biologist and educator who seeks to improve science education for all.  

Other areas of expertise in education are: effective pedagogies; assessment of learning (formative and summative); outdoor learning, and mentoring.  

Leadership

Leigh is currently the Director of Education (UG) in the School of Education.  Leigh has particular interests in the quality of the student experience and how the contemporary education of students can continue to be developed, ensuring relevance and adding value to both the academic and professional student learning journey. 

Essential for a positive student experience is programme design. Leigh has been heavily involved in the leadership of Initial Teacher Education programmes since joining the University and successfully led two consecutive GTCS accreditation events- 2013 for the combined PGDE Primary and Secondary programmes; and the new PGDE S programme was accredited in April 2019 and achieved a commendation for the conceptual design and theoretical underpinning of the programme.

Employment:

2007- present: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, School Of Education, University of Aberdeen

2002- 2007: Biology teacher, Aberdeenshire Council 

Memberships and Affiliations

Internal Memberships

Member of School of Education Executive| August 2020-present.

Member of University Education Committee (UEC)| May 2021- present

Joint Chair of School of Education, School Education Committee (SEC)| August 2020- present.

School of Education representative on the University Blended Learning Implementation Task & Finish Group (BLITFG)| May 2020-May 2021.

 

Leadership responsibilities

Director of Education (UG)| School of Education| August 2020- present.

School Experience Coordinator| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Secondary) Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education (DLITE)| January 2019- June 2021.

Programme Director| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Secondary) August 2018-July 2020.

Programme Director| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Primary and Secondary and DLITE Primary)| June 2016-June 2017 

Programme Director| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Primary and Secondary)| January 2011-March 2014

Depute Programme Director| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Primary and Secondary)| School Experience| October 2009- January 2011

Co-ordinator School Experience| Professional Graduate Diploma Education (Primary and Secondary)| August 2008- October 2009. 

Subject selector for PGDE Biology| 2007- present.

External Memberships

Currently:

- External Examiner for Strathclyde University, PGDE STEM.

- External Examiner for Strathclyde University, BSc Hons Education and Curricular Studies with Teaching Qualification

 

Teaching

Programmes

  • Postgraduate, 1 year, August start
    • Subject selector (Biology)
    • Curricular tutor (Biology and Science)
    • Professional Studies tutor
    • School Experience visiting tutor
  • Postgraduate, 2 semester, August start
    • Science tutor
  • Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
    • ED101E Teaching Primary Science Through Fiction (Course Co-ordinator)
    • ED301P Teaching Science in the Primary Classroom (Course Co-ordinator)