Professor Lesley Batty

Professor Lesley Batty

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor in Ecological Education

Contact details

Address
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Room 405
Geography Building
Aston Webb
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Lesley Batty is a Professor in Ecological Education and brings her passion and expertise in the field to all aspects of her work. She has a particular interest in providing inclusive environments for learning and in working closely with employers to provide skills-led education. She is Head of Wellbeing and the Head of Employability and Placements for the School.

She has a particular interest in the ecology of industrial pollution and has spent a lot of time working in and around old metal and coal mines. Lesley is also highly active outside Birmingham and has published several textbooks, as well as running the British Ecological Special Interest Group in Teaching and Learning.

Qualifications

PhD University of Sheffield

MRes Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Reading

BSc (Hons) Natural Environmental Science, University of Reading

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, University of Birmingham

Teaching

I am a teaching focussed member of staff with a commitment to providing innovative research-led teaching.  I have been responsible for the development of innovative educational methods through the use of Enquiry Based Learning, embedding careers within the curriculum, using social media and both formative and summative assessment. I have significant engagement and impact through my work with the British Ecological Society and Pearson, contributing to national debates and policy development within the educational system. 

Postgraduate supervision

Lesley Batty has a particular interest in the ecology of industrial pollution and has spent a lot of time working in and around old metal and coal mines. She is also highly active outside Birmingham and has published several textbooks, acts as associate editor for the Journal of Geochemical Exploration and is a key member of the British Ecological Society.

Dr Batty is happy to receive applications for PhD study within the areas of 'ecology of industrial pollution' and 'mining pollution' from self-funded students

Doctoral research

PhD title
Metal removal processes in wetlands receiving acid mine drainage

Other activities

  • GEES Head of Wellbeing
  • GEES Head of Employability and Placements
  • Senior Fellow of the HEA
  • Hefi Scholar
  • Lead Secretary of the British Ecological Society Special Interest Group in Teaching and  Learning

Publications

Recent publications

Book

France, D, Batty, L & Swanton, D (eds) 2025, Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Elgar Guides to Teaching, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035322398

Article

Batty, LC, Lindstrom, N, Edwards, MJ, Khan, A & Wayman, J 2026, 'EDI barriers to university-level student participation in work based learning in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences: the UK employer’s perspective', Journal of Geography in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2026.2627604

Swanton, D, Batty, L & France, D 2026, 'Manifesto for fieldwork', Journal of Geography in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2026.2642827

Hurrell, ER, Hutchinson, SM, Yorke, L, Batty, LC, Bunting, MJ, Swanton, D, McDougall, DA & Parsons, DR 2025, 'The role of virtual field trips in Geography higher education: A perspective paper', Area. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.70011

Kamal, AKI, Batty, LC & Bartlett, R 2023, 'Optimisation of seed germination and seedling emergence of sesbania cannabina (retz.) Poir.', Bangladesh Journal of Botany, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 1015-1023. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v52i4.70588

Seniyat, LA, Batty, L & Renshaw, JC 2022, 'Presence of Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Chromium, Copper and Lead in Two selected Brownfield Sites in United Kingdom', Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, vol. 25, no. 12, pp. 2013-2019. https://doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v25i12.3

Batty, L & Reilly, K 2022, 'Understanding barriers to participation within undergraduate STEM laboratories: towards development of an inclusive curriculum', Journal of biological education. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2021.2012227

Thornhill, I, Friberg, N, Batty, L, Thamia, V & Ledger, ME 2021, 'Leaf breakdown rates as a functional indicator were influenced by an invasive non-native invertebrate in urban ponds', Ecological Indicators, vol. 124, 107360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107360

Cooke, J, Araya, Y, Bacon, KL, Bagniewska, JM, Batty, LC, Bishop, TR, Burns, M, Charalambous, M, Daversa, DR, Dougherty, LR, Dyson, M, Fisher, AM, Forman, D, Garcia, C, Harney, E, Hesselberg, T, John, EA, Knell, RJ, Maseyk, K, Mauchline, AL, Peacock, J, Pernetta, AP, Pritchard, J, Sutherland, WJ, Thomas, RL, Tigar, B, Wheeler, P, White, RL, Worsfold, NT & Lewis, Z 2021, 'Teaching and learning in ecology: a horizon scan of emerging challenges and solutions', Oikos, vol. 130, no. 1, pp. 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.07847

Chapter

France, D, Batty, L & Swanton, D 2025, Conclusions and recommendations for teaching fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. in D France, L Batty & D Swanton (eds), Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Elgar Guides to Teaching, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 362-374. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035322398.00068

Batty, L, Chan, K & France, D 2025, Enhancing and transforming fieldwork using digital tools. in D France, L Batty & D Swanton (eds), Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Elgar Guides to Teaching, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 172-191. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035322398.00037

Batty, LC & Southworth, J 2025, Inclusive or non-exclusive fieldwork: Negotiating the challenges of making fieldwork accessible for all. in D Hammett & N Holmes (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Field Research. 1st edn, Routledge Handbooks, Taylor and Francis, pp. 55-65. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003404903-10

France, D, Batty, L & Swanton, D 2025, Introduction to Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. in D France, L Batty & D Swanton (eds), Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Elgar Guides to Teaching, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035322398.00008

Comment/debate

Woodley, E, Barr, S, Batty, L, Bickerstaff, K, Darvill, C, Ferdous, R, Holmes, N, Jon, I, Lynch, K, Martin, J, Marvell, A, McDougall, D, Pitt, H, Singleton, A, Souch, C & Yorke, L 2024, 'The future of geography field course pedagogy in UK higher education', Geo: Geography and Environment, vol. 11, no. 2, e00158. https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.158

Review article

Downey, H, Amano, T, Cadotte, M, Cook, CN, Cooke, SJ, Haddaway, NR, Jones, JPG, Littlewood, N, Walsh, JC, Abrahams, MI, Adum, G, Akasaka, M, Alves, JA, Antwis, RE, Arellano, EC, Axmacher, J, Barclay, H, Batty, L, Benítez-López, A, Bennett, JR, Berg, MJ, Bertolino, S, Biggs, D, Bolam, FC, Bray, T, Brook, BW, Bull, JW, Burivalova, Z, Cabeza, M, Chauvenet, ALM, Christie, AP, Cole, L, Cotton, AJ, Cotton, S, Cousins, SAO, Craven, D, Cresswell, W, Cusack, JJ, Dalrymple, SE, Davies, ZG, Diaz, A, Dodd, JA, Felton, A, Fleishman, E, Gardner, CJ, Garside, R, Ghoddousi, A, Gilroy, JJ, Gill, DA, Gill, JA, Glew, L, Grainger, MJ, Grass, AA, Greshon, S, Gundry, J, Hart, T, Hopkins, CR, Howe, C, Johnson, A, Jones, KW, Jordan, NR, Kadoya, T, Kerhoas, D, Koricheva, J, Lee, TM, Lengyel, S, Livingstone, SW, Lyons, A, McCabe, G, Millett, J, Strevens, CM, Moolna, A, Mossman, HL, Mukherjee, N, Muñoz-Sáez, A, Negrões, N, Norfolk, O, Osawa, T, Papworth, S, Park, KJ, Pellet, J, Phillott, AD, Plotnik, JM, Priatna, D, Ramos, AG, Randall, N, Richards, RM, Ritchie, EG, Roberts, DL, Rocha, R, Rodríguez, JP, Sanderson, R, Sasaki, T, Savilaakso, S, Sayer, C, Sekercioglu, C, Senzaki, M, Smith, G, Smith, RJ, Soga, M, Soulsbury, CD, Steer, MD, Stewart, G, Strange, EF, Suggitt, AJ, Thompson, RRJ, Thompson, S, Thornhill, I, Trevelyan, RJ, Usieta, HO, Venter, O, Webber, AD, White, RL, Whittingham, MJ, Wilby, A, Yarnell, RW, Zamora-Gutierrez, V & Sutherland, WJ 2021, 'Training future generations to deliver evidence-based conservation and ecosystem management', Ecological Solutions and Evidence, vol. 2, no. 1, e12032. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12032

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