Dr Jeremy Moulton
Reader

Profile

Biography

Jeremy Moulton is a Reader in Politics and International Relations and Director of the School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of York.

Jeremy’s work centres on how politics is taught and learned, and what changes when students help shape the answer. A leading voice in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Politics and International Relations, he has published on assessment optionality, employability, staff-student partnership and climate change education in journals including PS: Political Science & Politics, the Journal of Political Science Education, Politics, and the Journal of Environmental Education. His findings feed straight back into practice: he introduced assessment choice to York’s Politics degrees, launched the Department’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), and has led work on widening participation and closing awarding gaps. In 2026, he was awarded the Political Studies Association’s Vicky Randall Prize for “outstanding professional contributions to advancing teaching and learning in political studies”.

Beyond York, Jeremy co-founded the ASPIRE Network, the UK community for education-focused academics in Politics and International Relations, and is an editor and frequent contributor to the Active Learning in Political Science Blog, which won the 2024 APSA-PSA International Partnerships Award. Jeremy was made a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2023.

Jeremy also writes on European and UK climate politics and on political myth. This disciplinary work has been published in a range of peer-reviewed journals, including International Organization, Environmental Politics, and the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, as well as in a number of edited collections.

Teaching

Undergraduate

Introduction to Democratic Politics - POL00002C
What is Politics - POL00008C
The European Union: Politics & Policies - POL00032I
Green Politics - POL00010H

Postgraduate

European Public Policy - POL00060M
Governing for the Environment - POL00067M

Other teaching

Pedagogy projects

Jeremy has undertaken a number of funded learning and teaching projects which have shaped delivery at the University of York (together totalling over £20,000 in funding). These projects include:

‘Returning to Learning at York’ with Dr Peg Murray-Evans

January-June 2020

A project designed to better understand and address the needs of students returning to their final year of UGT at York after undertaking a Year-In-Industry or a Study Abroad year. A series of focus groups with such students was undertaken to understand the concerns, challenges and questions these students had when returning to York. A video resource was subsequently created to send to ‘returning learners’ in order to allay any concerns and answer questions ahead of their return.

‘Decolonising and diversifying the curriculum in environment and energy politics and policy’ with Dr Simona Davidescu

November 2021-June 2022

This project was created in order to provide a student-centred approach to decolonising and diversifying the curriculum of two related Stage 3 modules in our Department - Green Politics and Global Sustainability and Energy Policy.

‘Working-Class and First-Generation Students Access to Politics’ with Dr Matt Barlow

March 2022-July 2022

This project was also carried out over three focus groups. These groups brought together self-identified working class and first-generation undergraduate students in the Department to learn about their experiences that led them to studying Politics at York, the challenges they faced along the way to HE, and what made pursuing undergraduate education possible. The findings of this project have impacted on our Departmental practices and activities in the annual Admissions cycle and on widening participation practices.

‘Student-Led Teaching Innovation’

April 2022-July 2022

Carried out three focus groups with undergraduate students in the Department of Politics, this project focused on attaining a student-led understanding of teaching innovation. This research was carried out as the Department prepared for M&S. The conclusions of the project were shared at the Teaching Committee and the Board of Studies – enabling them to have substantial impact on the practices of others.

‘Monitoring politics achievement gaps: Exploratory project’, with Dr Dan Keith and Dr Elisabeth Schweiger

December 2022-July 2023

In response to the University of York’s commitment to ‘eradicate achievement gaps’ by 2030 in the A University for Public Good strategy document, this project began the multi-year process of exploring and understanding the achievement gaps that exist within the Department and the cross Faculty- and University-processes that can be employed to address these gaps. The project has resulted in a literature review on awarding gaps and the foundation of a Faculty pilot-study in the Department of Politics and International Relations to tackle those awarding gaps.

‘Degrowth and creative writing workshop’

October 2022

This grant funded an innovative workshop bringing together an expert on the economics of degrowth (Prof. Giorgos Kallis) and four creative writers (Rishi Dastidar, Dr Rebecca Tamás, Dr Rachael Allen, Dr Noreen Masud) to discuss the possibilities of communicating controversial or niche political concepts through creative writing. The event was attended by students from the Department of Politics and International Relations and was a key driver of teaching practice development.

‘Politics Massive Open Online Course’

November 2023-present

Funding secured to develop the Department of Politics and International Relations’ first Massive Open Online Course [MOOC], assessing the crisis of political power in the 21st century. The course is scheduled to launch on Future Learn in July 2024.

‘Assessment optionality: Establishing a subject-specific case’

February 2024-present

This project responds to the University of York's strategic vision to provide an education that empowers by engaging with a subject that empowers student choice in their learning process - assessment optionality. Bringing students into the research process as co-creators and co-deliverers of the research process and results, this project will explore and define the subject-specific case for assessment optionality on Politics and International Relations (PIR) undergraduate degrees.

Research

Overview

Jeremy’s research can be split into two streams.

The first is on climate action and wider environmental politics, primarily in the European Union and China. This work has touched on multi-level governance, renewables policy, urban studies, and the study of political myth.

The second is on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Jeremy is interested in pedagogical innovation in political science, as well as work on widening participation and the identification and combating of awarding gaps in Higher Education. Discover more about Jeremy's work on pedagogy.

See the full list of Jeremy’s publications.

Publications

Selected publications

Moulton, J.F.G. 2024. Developing a Critical Understanding of Environmental Activism through Active Learning. PS: Political Science & Politics [accepted, forthcoming].
Moulton, J.F.G. 2024. Using creative writing in the political science classroom. Political Science Educator, 27 (2), pp. 28-31.
Moulton, J.F.G., 2023. Myth of the near future? Assessing the European Green Deal’s potential to become a political myth for the European Union. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, pp.1-14.
Moulton, J.F.G., 2023. What is The Employability Value of a Degree in Politics and International Relations?. Journal of Political Science Education, pp.1-17.
Moulton, J.F.G. 2023. Consistently inconsistent? Assessing UK climate action in the age of Brexit. In M. Beech and S. Lee (Eds.), Conservative Governments in the Age of Brexit. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 195-210.
Moulton, J.F.G. & C. Burns. 2023. The climate crisis: A creeping catastrophe for the EU. In M. Rhinard, N. Nugent, & W.E. Patterson (Eds.), Crises and Challenges for the European Union. London: Bloomsbury, pp. 184-198.
Moulton, J.F.G., W. Osthorst, P. Deutz, J. Jonas, R.K.W. Wurzel. 2021. Overcoming structural disadvantage with local green economies? The case of two maritime cities. In J.M. Fairbrass and N. Vasilakos (Eds.), Emerging Governance of a Green Economy: Cases of European Implementation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 90-106.
Moulton, J.F.G. 2020. Lessons from climate action in the UK: The limitations of state leadership. In R.K.W. Wurzel, M.S. Andersen, & P. Tobin (Eds.), Climate Governance across the Globe. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 182-199.
Wurzel, R.K.W., J.F.G. Moulton, W. Osthorst, L. Mederake, P. Deutz & A.E.G. Jonas. 2020. Climate pioneership and leadership in structurally disadvantaged maritime port cities. In R.K.W. Wurzel, D. Liefferink, & D. Torney (Eds.), Pioneers, Leaders and Followers in Multilevel and Polycentric Climate Governance. London: Routledge, pp. 146-166.
Silverwood, J. & J.F.G. Moulton. 2019. A tale of two debt crises: The IMF and the unsustainable development of Ghana. In S. Paladini & S. George (Eds.), Sustainable Economy and Emerging Markets. Abingdon: Routledge: pp. 81-94.
Wurzel, R. K. W., J.F.G. Moulton, W. Osthorst, L. Mederake, P. Deutz & A.E.G. Jonas. 2019. Climate pioneership and leadership in structurally disadvantaged maritime port cities. Environmental Politics, 28 (1), pp. 146-166, DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2019.1522039.
Moulton, J.F.G. & J. Silverwood. 2018. On the agenda? The multiple streams of Brexit-era UK climate policy. Marmara Journal of European Studies, 26 (1), pp. 75-100.

Recent selected blog posts:

Moulton, J. F. G. 2024. Pondering the future of political science education. Active Learning in Political Science.
Moulton, J. F. G. 2023. (Not) teaching employability: One case for inactive learning? Active Learning in Political Science.
Moulton, J.F.G. 2023. Did Conservatives turn over a new leaf with “Green Day”? Brexit & Environment.
Moulton, J. F. G. 2023. Little by little: Challenging awarding gaps in UK higher education. Active Learning in Political Science.
Moulton, J. F. G. 2023. Writing the future? Creative writing in the classroom. Active Learning in Political Science.

Full publications list