Jenny Carey's work focuses on literacy, early years pedagogy, teacher development, and professional learning. Across teaching, research, programme leadership, and knowledge exchange, she is committed to supporting the development of critically informed, reflexive practitioners and to strengthening educational practice through research-informed and practice-oriented approaches.

At the University of Strathclyde, Jenny teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including the BA in Primary Education, BACP, PGDE Primary, and Master's-level provision. Her teaching encourages students and practitioners to engage critically with educational theory, research, and policy while developing responsive pedagogical approaches that support diverse learners and communities.

For the past 18 years, Jenny has led the University's Early Years Pedagogue (EYP) Master's programme, securing sustained Scottish Government investment to support workforce development across the Early Learning and Childcare sector. Through this work, she has played a significant role in creating opportunities for practitioners to engage in Master's-level study and professional enquiry. Alongside programme leadership, she has led evaluation and knowledge exchange activities examining the impact of professional learning on practitioner knowledge, leadership, confidence, and pedagogical practice.

A central strand of Jenny's work is literacy education. Her interests include literacy as a social practice, responsive literacy pedagogies, teacher identity, and professional agency. She leads undergraduate literacy provision and has developed collaborative partnerships with schools, local authorities, and national organisations to support literacy learning, professional enquiry, and curriculum innovation. Her contributions have informed national discussions relating to literacy education through involvement with the Literacy and English Curriculum Review Group, the Scottish Council of Deans of Education Literacy Network, Scottish Book Trust initiatives, and Scottish Government consultations.

Jenny is currently undertaking doctoral research entitled How Preservice, Pre-Probationary and Probationary Teachers Author Professional Identity, Agency and Responsive Literacy Pedagogies in Scotland. Her research explores how beginning teachers develop professional identities, exercise agency, and construct pedagogical understandings within contemporary educational contexts. This work informs her teaching, scholarship, and knowledge exchange activities while contributing to wider debates in teacher education, literacy, and professional learning.

She is actively engaged in collaborative research and knowledge exchange projects focused on literacy pedagogy, writing development, practitioner enquiry, and professional learning. Through sustained partnerships with schools, local authorities, professional organisations, and policymakers, Jenny contributes to educational improvement and workforce development across the early years and school sectors. She is also developing international collaborations in the field of literacy teacher identity and professional learning.

In addition to her academic work, Jenny serves as an Early Years Scotland Book Reviewer and contributes regularly to professional learning events, curriculum development initiatives, and knowledge exchange activity at local, regional, and national levels.

Prior to joining the University of Strathclyde, Jenny taught in both England and Scotland, where she held leadership responsibilities in literacy, learning and teaching, and early years education. These experiences continue to inform her commitment to connecting research, policy, and practice in ways that support meaningful educational change.