Partnerships in practice: student-staff synergy in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow

This case study reports on three student-staff partnerships which aimed to improve lab skills and interest in chemistry, develop self-efficacy and interpersonal skills, and build community in an undergraduate chemistry programme. Each partnership is described from conception, through implementation to evaluation, and the value of input from student partners, who had previously taken the courses, is discussed. In addition, student and staff partners reflect on their experiences. Despite the three projects spanning very different teaching activities, common themes on the benefits and challenges of such partnerships emerged. In particular, novel, unexpected and successful routes to engage with the voice of the student partners and main student cohort, combined with increased student satisfaction and engagement, validated the success of the partnerships and led to permanent changes in the curriculum.