A teaching best practice guide for early career academics in UK law schools grounded in the student voice

Abstract

This paper draws on empirical data exploring undergraduate law students’ experiences of small group teaching in a UK law school. The results and analysis are presented in the form of a best practice guide for early career academics in law. Advice gleaned from the academic literature on effective small group teaching is combined with focus group data to create a guide grounded in the student voice with a focus on recommended approaches for overcoming common challenges. The paper begins by exploring the pedagogical purpose and benefits of small group teaching sessions and the challenges early career academics may encounter due to a growing ‘student-as-consumer’ mindset. The paper goes on to provide advice related to three stages of teaching: preparing to teach, in the classroom, and outside the classroom, including helping students prepare for exams. The guide aims to provide the kind of friendly advice and support that an early career academic might receive from a supportive peer network.