Dr Sophie Bessant
Senior Lecturer in Academic Development
My profile
Biography
I have worked in environmental and sustainability roles, as well as 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 now MMU (from October 2022). 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 universities. Environmental 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.