Teaming up with Oxford University to Improve Students Critical Thinking

Crompton House Chemistry Teacher, Dr Pannell, Teams up with Oxford University to Improve Students Critical Thinking

Dr Sarah Pannell has been working with the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford to identify areas in the science curriculum where ideas about health claims can be introduced.

Dr Pannell has been working with Oxford University for four years to develop resources and support teachers in the delivery of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) key concepts.

As part of her research she has presented at the Association for Science Education National conference in Liverpool earlier this year. There she discussed how it is vital to introduce critical thinking skills to students, particularly when they are bombarded with spurious health claims by the media. An excellent example of this is the lucozade advertising campaign that claimed it hydrated better than water. A claim that was later withdrawn! Dr Pannell’s research has recently been published in a branch of the British Medical Journal. She looks forward to continuing her research at Crompton House and working with the students to develop their critical thinking skills.