Teaching interests
Dr Kirkwood teaches on the following courses:
- Postgraduate diploma in secondary education (PGDE Secondary)
- Chartered Teacher programme.
The focus of her teaching is on the principles and context of secondary education, and the development of pupils’ thinking and understanding.
Research interests
Dr Kirkwood’s principal research interest is in the development of classroom methods for enhancing students’ thinking, understanding and metacognition.
She has also researched recently:
- the links between assessment practices and lifelong learning in Higher Education
- teacher research and inquiry, and communities of teachers as learners
Consultancy
Dr Kirkwood is a consultant to Tapestry, Glasgow City Council and schools on the development of pupils’ thinking.
Recent publications
- Kirkwood, M. (2007) The role of sustainable assessment in teachers’ continuing professional development in Boud, D. and Falchikov, N., (eds.) Rethinking Assessment for Future Learning. Routledge.
- Kirkwood, M., Christie, D. (2006) "Teacher research and continuing professional development in the context of the chartered teacher programme" British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 54.4.
- CHRISTIE, D., Kirkwood, M. (2006) "The new standards framework for Scottish teachers: facilitating or constraining reflective practice?" Reflective Practice, Vol. 7 (2) Special Issue.
- Kirkwood, M. (2005) Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn: An Introduction to Thinking Skills from Nursery to Secondary Paisley: Hodder Gibson.
- Livingston, K., Soden R., Kirkwood, M. (2004) Post 16 Pedagogy and Thinking Skills: An Evaluation. Learning & Skills Research Centre, London.
- Campbell , A. , Boulter C., Freedman, E., Kirkwood, M. (2003) Issues and Principles in Educational Research for Teachers. London: BERA.
- Kirkwood , M. (2003) Classroom Management in the Secondary School in Bryce, T.G.K. and Humes, W.M. Scottish Education 2nd edition Post-Devolution Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 448-457.
- Kirkwood , M., McKay, E. (2003) Evaluation of Learning to Think and Thinking to Learn: A Pilot Study of an Option Module for the Scottish Chartered Teacher Programme, University of Strathclyde. pp.112.
- Kirkwood , M. et al (2002) Assessment of Aerobic Endurance: A comparison between CD-ROM and laboratory-based instruction. British Journal of Educational Technology Vol. 33 (2) 159-172.
- Kirkwood , M. (2002) Educational Research in Scotland: Policy Context and Key Issues. Research Intelligence: Apr 2002 No. 79 33-40.
- Kirkwood , M. (2002) Promoting Creative and Evidence Informed Practice in Student Teachers. Institute of Learning and Teaching Annual Conference, Edinburgh, Jun.
- Kirkwood, M., Christie, D. eds. (2002) Educational Research Policy in Scotland: Report on SERA Seminar at Stirling Management Centre, April 2002. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. pp.42.
- Kirkwood , M. (2001) The Contribution of Curriculum Development to Teachers’ Professional Development. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision Vol. 17 (1) 5- 28.
- Kirkwood, M. (2001) A Framework for Infusing Learning to Learn, Thinking and Problem Solving into Content Instruction. Research in Education No. 69.
- Kirkwood , M. ed. (2001) The Role and Status of Educational Research in Scotland: Report on SERA Seminar at Stirling Management Centre, June 2001. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. pp.34.
- Kirkwood , M. (2000) Infusing higher-order thinking and learning to learn into content instruction: a case study of secondary computing studies in Scotland Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 32 No. 4 509–535.
- Kirkwood , M. (2000) Designing and evaluating a powerful online environment to support teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. ECER, Edinburgh, Sep (published on Educationline and in BEI).
Recent grant income
An evaluation of thinking skills and pedagogy post-16 for the Research Centre of the Learning & Skills Development Agency in London, during 2002-2003 of £51,720. The investigating team were Dr Kay Livingston (lead investigator), Dr Rebecca Soden, and myself.
Recent conference presentations
- Internal:
- A presentation on sustainable assessment, to new staff in the Faculty (Sep 2005), community education staff in the Department (Jun 2005), and the Learning Enhancement Network (Apr 2005), and a lunchtime seminar on researching one’s own practice on sustainable assessment (Feb 2005).
- Presentation and workshop at a one-day seminar on sustainable assessment with Professor Boud (Sep 2004).
- Faculty research seminar on a community of inquiry approach to teachers’ CPD (Mar 2004).
- A lunchtime seminar as convenor of a discussion on student-centred learning – its definition, ways of fostering it, a strategic approach within the Faculty (Mar 2004).
- External:
- Joint presenter as part of a Harvard University Graduate School of Education presentation on visible thinking at the 13th International Conference on Thinking, Norköpping, Sweden, June 2007.
- Lecture presentation to Faculty on developing students’ thinking, at Paris V University, Sorbonne, June 2006.
- An invitation to participate at a practitioner conference on Visible Thinking organized by the Project Zero research team at Harvard Graduate School of Education, May 2006.
- For Tapestry, interactive lecture presentations on developing understanding (Sep 2005), fostering good thinking and effective learning strategies (Oct 2004), and an interactive workshop on the same theme at a one-day conference (May 2004).
- Scottish Civic Forum Education Committee, a presentation on the SERA Educational Research Policy Network (Oct 2003).
Conference papers:
- BAUMFIELD, V., Kirkwood, M. (2005) Fostering communities of teachers as learners, ECER 2005, Dublin, Sep.
- KIRKWOOD, M. (2004) Creating a community of teachers as learners to develop an inquiry approach to CPD on teaching thinking. ESRC Seminar Creating Learning Communities: Learner’s Perspectives, Newcastle, Nov.
- KIRKWOOD, M. (2004) Fostering an inquiry approach to teachers’ professional development on teaching thinking skills. SERA annual conference, Nov., Aberdeen University, Nov.
- KIRKWOOD, M., Christie, D. eds. (2002) Educational Research Policy in Scotland: Report on SERA Seminar at Stirling Management Centre, April 2002. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. pp.42.
- KIRKWOOD, M. (2002) Promoting Creative and Evidence Informed Practice in Student Teachers. Institute of Learning and Teaching Annual Conference, Edinburgh, Jun.
- KIRKWOOD, M. ed. (2001) The Role and Status of Educational Research in Scotland: Report on SERA Seminar at Stirling Management Centre, June 2001. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. pp.34.
- KIRKWOOD, M. (2001) Creating a Thinking Curriculum: a case study of an elective course for secondary student teachers BERA Conference, Leeds, Sep (also at the SERA Conference, Dundee, Sep.)
- KIRKWOOD, M. (2001) Developing a thinking curriculum for student teachers. ECER, Lille, France, Sep.
Membership of professional bodies
- Dr Kirkwood is a member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and the Higher Education Academy.
University responsibilities
- Dr Kirkwood is the departmental Learning and Teaching Coordinator and convenor of the departmental Learning & Teaching Committee and Scholarly Community.
- She is a member of the Departmental Executive and the Faculty Academic Committee.
- She was formerly associate director of the Professional Development Unit.
External responsibilities
Dr Kirkwood will in the near future begin her appointment as a Visiting Scholar to the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
She is a former Secretary General of the European Educational Research Association and Past-President of the Scottish Educational Research Association.
She was until recently a Co-convenor of the Pedagogy and Didactics Network of the European Educational Research Association and Co-convenor of the policy network of the Scottish Educational Research Association.
She regularly reviews articles for a range of research journals including the European Educational Research Journal, British Educational Research Journal, Scottish Educational Review, Education in the North, Journal of Curriculum Studies, European Journal of Teacher Education, and Studies in Continuing Education.
Current external examining duties are:
- Examiner to a MPhil thesis at University of Nottingham.
