How education research shaped my career
In this fourth instalment of the series focused on the Scholarship taking place in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences we catch up with Ushna Zaineb.
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In the final year of her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, Ushna conducted an education-focused research project. Her project, supervised by Jayne Dennis investigated students' perceptions of teaching strategies in higher education in terms of how often students wanted to experience each strategy. These strategies included using mind maps, asking students what they already know about a topic, and staff saying aloud their thoughts while they solve a problem.
Since graduating in July 2021, Ushna went on to complete her teacher training at the world leading Institute of Education and she is now a science teacher in a secondary school. She’s particularly passionate about encouraging more young people, especially girls and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue STEM subjects.
How did you decide to become a teacher?
Before becoming a teacher, I explored different career paths, including healthcare and pharmacology, but I realised that education was where I felt most fulfilled. As I carried out my project in SBBS, I became increasingly interested in educational research and understanding how students learn. Looking back, I can see that this project marked the beginning of my journey into teaching.
What was the most challenging part of your project?
Completing the project during the COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly the biggest challenge. We went from being on campus every day to suddenly working entirely from home, and all meetings with my supervisor became virtual. Although everything had moved online, Jayne was always incredibly supportive and somehow managed to make virtual supervision feel just as encouraging as meeting in person. Learning to perform the statistical analysis was another steep learning curve, but it gave me valuable research skills that I still appreciate today.
I also have a very different perspective on that experience: I was diagnosed with ADHD several years after completing my dissertation and this helped me understand why I found aspects of independent research, organisation and maintaining focus so challenging. My diagnosis has given me a much better understanding of how I learn, and I now have strategies and support that enable me to work much more effectively.
Has the project informed how you teach students yourself?
Looking back, I can honestly say this project played a huge role in shaping the teacher I have become. It didn't just introduce me to the theory of how students learn; it changed the way I think about teaching and learning. Five years later, I find myself answering many of the same questions I explored in my dissertation, but this time from the front of a classroom.
Since completing my teacher training in 2024, I've naturally embedded many of the ideas from my research into my teaching. I regularly use retrieval activities, checklists, modelling my thinking aloud and asking students to reflect on what they already know. At the end of every topic, my students also create mind maps to connect the concepts they've learned and see the bigger picture, rather than viewing each lesson in isolation. Mind maps have become one of my favourite ways to encourage students to reflect on their learning.
Perhaps the biggest thing I've carried forward is a research mindset. I'm constantly reflecting on what works, adapting my teaching and thinking about how I can improve students' learning. Since being diagnosed with ADHD during my teacher training, I've also become increasingly interested in neurodiversity. Understanding my own learning profile has made me a more reflective and inclusive teacher, and it's strengthened my interest in how evidence-based teaching can better support neurodivergent learners.
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Would you like to continue with education research?
Definitely. My dissertation sparked my interest in education research, and becoming a teacher has only strengthened that curiosity. More recently, my ADHD diagnosis has given me a new perspective on learning and inclusion, and I'd love to explore how evidence-based teaching can better support neuro distinct learners. I hope to continue combining research with classroom practice throughout my career.
What advice would you give someone considering education research?
Choose a topic that genuinely interests you. You'll spend months immersed in it, so passion for your subject makes all the difference. Education research has the potential to make a real difference to teaching and learning, and it's incredibly rewarding to know that your work could influence how students are taught and supported in the future. You never know where your research might lead. I certainly didn't expect mine to shape my career, but looking back, it became the foundation for everything that followed.