Professor Deborah Robinson

Head Of School

Strathclyde Institute of Education

Personal statement

I am the Head of the Strathclyde Institute of Education, and proud to be so. I took my post at Strathclyde in January 2025. I have had a long career in education. It began as a primary teacher working for the Inner London Education Authority. I have also worked in the City of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire as a class teacher, Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO), and Deputy Headteacher. In my career as a teacher, my subject specialisms were literacy and art and I taught children from P2 to P7. I have also worked in Higher Education at Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Derby, teaching on UG and PG programmes in teacher education and education studies. I have been a course leader for postgraduate programmes, and the head of the Institute of Education (more latterly the Centre for Research and Innovation in Education). Immediately prior to joining Strathclyde, I was a research professor with a cross university research role, leading the academic theme Public Services. I have a long lasting interest in inclusive education, and my publications and research interests reflect this. One of my most recent publications (Robinson, 2024), critiques teacher education policy in England with a particular focus on the inclusion of children with disabilities and learning difficulties, and proposes principles for teacher education curriculum design which are based on my empirical research. Recent commissioned research has included studies for the Department for Education (England) focussed on parental experiences of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system, and statutory assessment; for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Ireland) focussed on the implementation and impact of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), ; for the National Council of Education (Ireland) focussed on services users' perceptions of frontline services.

Publications

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Publications

Effective teacher education for inclusion : Critical perspectives on the role of Higher Education: Robinson Deborah; (2024)
Children and practitioners as truth seekers and truth tellers : innovative, counter-hegemonic approaches to evaluating national inclusion policies: Robinson Deborah, Codina Geraldene; Education Sciences Vol 14 (2024); https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040414
Teachers’ continuing professional development : action research for inclusion and special educational needs and disability: Codina Geraldene, Robinson Deborah; Education Sciences Vol 14 (2024); https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020140
Engaging practitioners as co-researchers in national policy evaluations as resistance to patriarchal constructions of expertise : the case of the end of year three evaluation of the access and inclusion model: Sheridan Denise, Robinson Deborah, Codina Geraldene, Gowers Sofia J, O’Sullivan Lisha, Ring Emer; Frontiers in Education Vol 7 (2022); https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1035177
Supported internships as a vehicle for social inclusion: Hanson Jill, Robinson Deborah, Codina Geraldene; British Journal of Learning Disability Vol 49, pp. 433-444 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12428
Effective inclusive teacher education for special educational needs and disabilities : Some more thoughts on the way forward: Robinson Deborah; Teaching and Teacher Education Vol 61, pp. 164-178 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.09.007

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Research

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Professional Activities

Book talk: Neurotribes - Perspectives from Education: Speaker; 18/12/2025
University Of Strathclyde (Organisational unit): Member; 9/4/2025

More professional activities

Projects

Lesson study for collective efficacy in inclusive practice: Robinson, Deborah (Principal Investigator); This study is live and explores the following research question: How can lesson study support the development of individual and collective self-efficacy for inclusive practice for ASN in Scotland’s schools? The project will be delivered in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Local Authority, involving one primary and one secondary school. This partnership is already in agreed, with active support from the Director of the West Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC), Mark Ratter. The intervention will use the lesson study approach—a collaborative, school-based model of professional learning—to support teachers in developing confidence and competence in inclusive practices. The aim is to directly improve learning environments and outcomes for neurodiverse students by empowering teachers through reflective, evidence-informed development embedded in their daily context. A new conceptual framework “collective self-efficacy” will be part of the study’s contribution. It is an opportunity for Professor Robinson’s expertise in inclusive teacher education to benefit schools in Scotland. Teacher development for additional support needs (ASN) is crucial in Scotland due to increasing demand for inclusive education, as highlighted by policies like the Getting it Right for Every Child framework (Scottish Government, 2004) and the Additional Support for Learning Act (Scottish Government, 2004). The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges for ASN students, making targeted teacher training essential to address achievement gaps and support diverse learners effectively (Scottish Government, 2020). With teacher shortages and burnout concerns, investing in professional development for ASN is vital to ensure teachers are equipped to provide high-quality, inclusive education for all students (Scottish Government, 2021). As the largest provider of teacher education in Scotland, the Institute of Education must deploy its expertise in ways that solve real world problems.; 23-Jan-2026 - 31-Jan-2026
Developing teaching professionals’ knowledge and skills in AI technologies for inclusive and equitable education: Wang, Yuchen (Principal Investigator) Abel, Andrew (Co-investigator) Jia, Laibing (Co-investigator) Noor Ul Ain, N (Researcher) Mevawalla, Zinnia (Co-investigator) Catlin, Jane (Co-investigator) Devasya, Ashwitha (Researcher) Tripathy, Aditi (Researcher) Nikou, Stavros (Co-investigator) Roxburgh, David (Co-investigator) Robinson, Deborah (Co-investigator); This project is to co-design a professional learning programme on AI and inclusive education with teachers and student teachers, funded by EPSRC (£9,961).; 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
Smart Game Neurodiversity Assessment for Education: Pilot Implementation Study: Dobrushina, Olga (Principal Investigator) Delafield-Butt, Jonathan (Co-investigator) Robinson, Deborah (Co-investigator); The human population is neurodiverse, with about 15% of individuals reaching the threshold for ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other diagnoses, and many more presenting with neurodivergent traits. This diversity in perception, attention, and communication styles necessitates flexible educational approaches. When neurodiverse needs remain unrecognised and unaddressed, they can escalate into difficult-to-manage crises of academic performance, school attendance and mental health.

This project introduces an AI-based technology to identify and meet neurodivergent support needs early, delivered through a child-friendly, smart and fun iPad game. The AI algorithms use motor pattern analysis to detect early indicators of neurodivergent development. They have been developed and tested in 2000 children using gold-standard procedures to provide a user-friendly, scalable, and validated technology, but this approach has not yet been tested in real-world settings.

This project will evaluate the feasibility of smart game neurodiversity assessment in UK educational settings, focusing on children aged 2 to 6. By enabling objective assessment in nurseries and schools, the tool aims to support earlier access to tailored educational interventions for the best lifelong outcomes.; 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026