Leslie's research in religious education has been shaped by creative links with practical and empirical theology and with the individual differences approach to psychology. Leslie J Francis' current research initiatives include:
- assessing the antecedents, consequences and correlates of individual differences in attitudes towards religion during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, within Christian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish traditions
- assessing the role of personality in religious development and expression, drawing on personality theories proposed by Eysenck, Cattell, and Jung, as well as the Big Five Factor model
- assessing work-related psychological health and professional burnout among religious educators
- assessing learning styles in religious and theological education
- assessing the distinctiveness of church schools and faith-based schools within both the state-maintained and independent sectors of education
- monitoring changes within the Christian churches across a variety of denominations.
