In recent years, our team has been committed to consolidating the conscious practice of positive leadership in teaching and adopting it as a distinguishing feature. This experience is helping us in our commitment to teaching innovation through various projects of the Innova-Docencia program at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and is materializing in the implementation of different active methodologies in the subjects of the Analytical Chemistry area of the Pharmacy Degree. This work is being carried out with the firm conviction that these initiatives enhance the teaching-learning process and improve the experience of students and teachers.

Analytical Chemistry is a relevant and complex area in the Pharmacy Degree studies. At the Faculty of Pharmacy of UCM, the subject is divided into two compulsory courses, each worth 6 ECTS. Analytical Chemistry I is a course in the second semester of the first year, focusing on the study of different chemical equilibria and the classical analysis methods derived from their application. Analytical Chemistry II covers the contents of instrumental analysis, based on the study of the main spectroscopic, chromatographic, and electroanalytical techniques. This course is taught in the first semester of the second year. Based on our experience and other experiences published in the bibliography, it can be said that Analytical Chemistry is generally a difficult subject for students, which leads to their lack of interest and even a considerable rate of failures and dropouts. Therefore, it is necessary to implement teaching strategies that encourage student motivation and translate into greater achievement of learning objectives in this subject.

In this regard, in the last two academic years, a combined activity of simulation and project-based learning has been systematized for the Analytical Chemistry II course, whose main objective is to connect students with the subject, familiarize them with the format of scientific texts, and develop oral and written communication skills. Through positive leadership, this activity is also proving to be a good tool to encourage student participation in the Undergraduate Student Research Congress-UCM. In the current academic year 2024-2025, this development of active methodologies is continuing, focusing on hybrid learning environments.

This work describes the implementation of a Hybrid Learning Environment in the Analytical Chemistry I and II courses, where lectures are complemented with work in an Expanded Classroom, in a methodology that is active, inductive, and collaborative, and consists of different aspects. The activities of the Expanded Classroom are proposed as voluntary tasks and constitute teaching resources that students use on demand. Developing the work from the perspective of positive leadership, which involves, among other factors, focusing on positive meaning and positive communication, is key to promoting student adherence to the proposed work methodology and creating a learning community culture that benefits the entire group.

Keywords: Positive Leadership, Hybrid Learning Environment, Expanded Classroom, Analytical Chemistry.