Rachel Masika

Dr Rachel Masika is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Learning and Teaching.  Since joining the University of Brighton in 2009, she has researched institutional, national and international higher education issues in relation to the following projects:  

• ESRC/Newton funded Southern African Rurality in Higher Education (SARiHE)
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School initiated study into the Impact of a Novel Approach to Teaching General Practice
• UKCISA funded First Year International Students’ Experiences of Starting their Degrees in UK Universities
• HEFCE funded Understanding the Demand for and Characteristics of Professional Doctorate Programmes in English HEIs
• HEA funded Defining and Supporting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Sector-wide Study
• HEA funded What Works? Student Retention and Success
• British Academy funded Collaborative Learning Circles: Developing Female Academics as Researchers and Supervisors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities
• HEA funded Social Justice and Critical Professionalism
• British Council managed/DFID funded Connections for Sustainable Change

She draws on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives of, and approaches to, understanding student engagement and success, widening participation, teaching excellence and research capacity building. Her research interests include: enhancing student learning, outcomes and the quality of teaching; higher education pedagogic research, policy and impact; equity in higher education and; gender.  Current research includes higher education student transitions in South Africa and institutional curriculum development process evaluation in the UK.  

Rachel co-chairs the university’s annual pedagogic research conference and co-edits the conference publication, Research Matters.  She also co-convenes the Higher Education Pedagogies and Policy Research and Enterprise group and is member of two research ethics committees.

Higher education pedagogies and policy

Equity and inclusivity in higher education

Widening participation in higher education

Higher education students' transitions and experience

Higher education student learning and teaching

Higher education pedagogic research development