Dr Patrick Thomson
Teaching Fellow
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Personal statement
Personal statement
I'm currently the head of First Year in the school of Pure & Applied Chemistry. I run the first year teaching laboratory and the chemistry summer school, and I lecture on introductory organic chemistry for first year students. Additionally, I provide staff professional development on several well-established educational enhancements, such as Peer Instruction.
I am interested in chemical education, and laboratory education specifically. Within this area I conduct research on guided inquiry, a framework for building from a novice to expert lab scientist.
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Area of Expertise
- Guided Inquiry
- Chemical Education
- Laboratory Education
- Peer Instruction
- Pre-Labs
- Blended Learning
Prize And Awards
- Best poster prize at chemistry education conference
- Recipient
- 22/8/2022
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Recipient
- 12/8/2019
- Best poster prize at chemistry conference
- Recipient
- 21/8/2018
Qualifications
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
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Publications
- Non-formal chemistry learning : a scoping review
- Scott Fraser, Thomson Patrick, D'Alton Megan
- Chemistry Teacher International (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2025-0020
- Responses of teachers in Scotland to the reintroduction of the practical project in the advanced higher chemistry curriculum
- Traynor Erin, Scott Fraser J, Thomson Patrick I T
- Chemistry Teacher International Vol 7, pp. 183-193 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2024-0073
- Integrated instructions and solvent polarity indicators : reducing the complexity of first-time distillation
- Thomson Patrick I T, Cleary Deborah
- Journal of Chemical Education Vol 101, pp. 4321-4326 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00466
- A snapshot of UK pre-lab practices
- Arenas Benjamin E, Haddow Mairi, Kirkham Anna, Navarro Reguero Cristina, Thomson Patrick
- Variety in Chemistry Education/Physics Higher Education Conference 2024 (2024)
- ChemQuest - the education for sustainable development game
- Gibson Lorraine, Sprick Reiner Sebastian, Thomson Patrick, Stevens David
- Variety in Chemistry Education Physics Higher Education Conference (2024)
- Introducing graduate employability skills to year 1 chemistry students : reflecting upon impact
- Gibson van Mil Lorraine, De Pascale Egizia, Thomson Patrick I T, Walker Sarah, Scott Fraser J
- Journal of Chemical Education Vol 101, pp. 3003-3012 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01287
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Teaching
I am interested in chemical education, and laboratory education specifically. Within this area I conduct research on guided inquiry, a framework for building from a novice to expert lab scientist.
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Professional Activities
- Journal of Chemical Education (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 22/9/2024
- The undergraduate lab practical transformation
- Interviewee
- 9/9/2024
- The WELLChem project: mental health, anxiety, and the chemistry laboratory
- Speaker
- 29/8/2024
- Cogent Education (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 23/8/2024
- Journal of Chemical Education (Journal)
- Peer reviewer
- 21/3/2024
- Colin McGill
- Host
- 11/1/2024
Projects
- Technicians' CLPL
- Cleary, Deborah Mary (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator)
- Scotland-wide technicians' practical CLPL day, part-funded by an externally awarded RSC empowerment grant and an additional £500 grant from the RSC's Education Community (Scotland) Interest Group
- 06-Jan-2024 - 06-Jan-2024
- 24th West of Scotland Meeting for Teachers of Chemistry
- Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator) Wark, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator)
- Hosted conference, funded with £1200 from the Royal Society of Chemistry
- 11-Jan-2024 - 11-Jan-2024
- Student Mental Health and Anxiety as a Hidden Disability in UK Chemistry Labs
- Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Co-investigator) Willison, Debra (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2025
- Chemistry Teacher & Technician Networking Meeting
- Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Wark, Alastair (Principal Investigator)
- Hosting an event organised by Education Scotland, and supported with ~£350 of their funding. Included Advanced Higher practical training.
- 15-Jan-2023 - 15-Jan-2023
- North Lanarkshire Technicians' CLPL
- Cleary, Deborah Mary (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator) Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator)
- North Lanarkshire Technicians' practical CLPL day, part-funded by an externally awarded RSC empowerment grant
- 02-Jan-2023 - 02-Jan-2023
- 23rd West of Scotland Meeting for Teachers of Chemistry
- Thomson, Patrick (Principal Investigator) Wark, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Scott, Fraser (Principal Investigator)
- Hosted conference, funded with £1000 from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- 12-Jan-2023 - 12-Jan-2023
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Contact
Dr
Patrick
Thomson
Teaching Fellow
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Email: patrick.thomson@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2347