He is developing and studying the impacts of new pedagogical approaches to ensure justice within the academic community. He says, “As an educator, I want to make sure that all students get equal opportunities to succeed in science.”
Jacky works on chemistry education research (CER), which is the study of teaching and learning in chemistry, investigated through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. He focuses on developing ways to evaluate how students construct scientific arguments based on three dimensions: (1) reasoning (2) nature of evidence, and (3) comparisons. He hopes to use his findings to support educators with evidence of the most effective ways to support and assess students as they develop their argumentation skills. In doing so, students will gain the skills they need to make decisions using scientific evidence in their careers and everyday lives.
Science courses are increasingly asking students to communicate their thoughts in the form of long essays and lab reports, among others. However, as universities diversify, educators may soon be teaching classes in which the majority of students do not consider English as their native language. For this reason, Jacky is currently developing a research instrument that investigates the impact of language proficiency on students’ chemistry arguments. The results could ultimately help educators and researchers develop equitable ways of assessing students. Next year, Jacky plans to analyze the results and use the findings to provide guidance in education for students facing challenges based on their communication skills, ethnicity and more, particularly for students who are now learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jacky is also dedicated to education outside his research. He has organized workshops focused on improving equity, diversity and inclusion in science, is a member of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education’s new Task Force on EDI, and leads initiatives as President of the Chemistry & Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Students’ Association. He has also been recognized for his commitment and efforts through many awards and honourable mentions, including the Science Student Association’s Best Teaching Assistant Award for the 2019–2020 academic year and the Best Presentation Award at the Ottawa-Carleton Chemistry Institute Day two years in a row.
Jacky is immensely thankful to the members of the Flynn Research Group for their support, warmth and friendship. Additionally, Jacky considers his supervisor Alison Flynn to be one of the most incredible leaders and people he has met, from whom he has learned a great deal, beyond just research skills.
