Dr Melissa Scalabrin

Profile

I joined University of Leeds in September 2021, after holding positions at University of Salford, Liverpool Hope University, University of Liverpool, and International House London. Across these positions, I taught English for Academic Purposes (EAP), Qualitative Research Methods & Ethics, Academic Skills, Theories of Education & Curriculum, Educational Policy, and Concepts & Theories of Motivation to students around the following disciplines: Education Studies, Teacher Education (PGCE), Social Policy, Sociology and Law. My role at University of Salford also saw me providing coordination and development to their optional language modules.

In 2019 and 2020, I was a successful recipient of Erasmus+, which allowed me to spend time at Universitat Politècnica de València and the European Academy of Innovation in Timisoara. I collaborated with the Internationalisation Office to support social science academics in embedding international values into their curriculum. This initiative responded to the growing imperative to cultivate inclusive learning environments and prepare graduates for a globally interconnected society.

Since 2023, I have been responsible for the recruitment, training, and professional development of Module Assistants within the School of Law. I place strong emphasis on the multifaceted role of a tutor and teaching approaches that are tailored to the distinct needs of students in Law and Criminology.

I am currently involved in the School of Law’s Skills and Capability Strategy 2023-2030 through leading the design of the School’s plan for embedding and surfacing six key areas of skills development. This plan ensures students are supported in understanding, reflecting upon, and articulating the wide range of transferable skills and capabilities gained at school, programme, and module level.

Responsibilities

• Module Assistant Mentor
• Royal Literary Fellow Co-ordinator

Research interests

My primary research interest centres on teaching pedagogy, with a particular focus on the link between formative assessment and student attainment. I am also drawn to student-centred approaches such as constructivism and inquiry-based learning, and their measurable impact on student engagement and academic success.

Student motivation is a further research interest of mine. I am particularly concerned with understanding how motivation influences student engagement, self-efficacy, task values, and identity.

My doctoral study (with a specific focus on educational psychology and second language acquisition in higher education) shed light on the decline in language degree enrollments in the UK, in contrast with the growing interest in optional language modules. My study explored the initial motivations of English monolingual students who enrolled in such a module as part of their undergraduate degree programme. Using Self-Determination Theory and a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach, it identified initial motivations such as the rejection of English as lingua franca. The findings paved the way for the development of a tool-kit that now provides tutors with an understanding of these students' initial motivations and offers guidance on how to support and sustain this motivation.

Qualifications

• (PGCAP) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice
• (EdD) Doctor of Education
• (MA) Master of Arts: Education Studies
• (CELTA) Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages
• (BA) Combined Honours: Education Studies and Fine Art

Professional memberships

• (FHEA) Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

I currently teach on the following modules and supervise undergraduate dissertations on topics including Legal Education, Family Law and Gender & the Law.

Undergraduate:

• (LLB) Dissertation
• (LLB) Researching Law
• (LLB) Legal Skills
• (LLB) PRIME
• (LLB) Foundations of Law
• (BA) Criminology & Criminal Justice Dissertation

Postgraduate:

• Legal Research Skills

Alongside teaching and supervision responsibilities, I am an Academic Personal Tutor for several undergraduate/postgraduate students.