
Dr David Roxburgh
Principal Teaching Fellow
Education
Area of Expertise
David has a proven track record of leadership and management within the Strathclyde Institute of Education (SIoE) and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, reflecting his ability to drive strategic initiatives and deliver impactful outcomes. His key roles include:
- Depute Head, SIoE (2024–2027, initial term): Overseeing innovation and strategic development within the Institute.
- Year 4 Co-ordinator for STEM Combined Degrees (2022–2024): Managing interdisciplinary programmes, including:
- BSc (Hons) Physics with Teaching
- BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Teaching
- BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Teaching
- BSc (Hons) Biology with Teaching
- MChem with Teaching
(Including international variants supporting students from Oman.)
- Joint Course Leader for MSc Education Studies (January cohort, 2022–2023): Successfully managing a cohort of 160 international students, fostering academic excellence and an enriched learning experience.
- Director of Global Engagement, SIoE (2020–2024): Leading internationalisation strategies, developing global partnerships, and enhancing the Institute’s global reputation.
- Co-ordinator for International Exchange Programmes, SIoE (2020–2024): Supporting outgoing and incoming mobility programmes to enhance students' comparative education experiences.
- Faculty Co-ordinator for Student Mobility (China and South Korea) (2017–2023): Strengthening cross-cultural exchange initiatives and expanding collaborative opportunities.
- Depute Director, Strathclyde China Institute (HaSS/SBS Faculties, 2014–2017): Driving international student recruitment and fostering research and knowledge exchange partnerships with leading Chinese institutions.
David is highly skilled in developing and operationalising innovative models of collaboration and welcomes partnership opportunities aligned with his areas of expertise.
Prize And Awards
- Recognition as a Goodwill Ambassador for Nanjing Normal University
- Recipient
- 9/11/2022
- Nomination for Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards 2022 (Students' Association)
- Recipient
- 19/5/2022
- Award of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Recipient
- 8/3/2021
- Winner in the category of 'Effective and Sustained Contribution to Outstanding Student Experience' in the area of student mobility
- Recipient
- 14/7/2020
- Nomination in Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Teaching Excellence Awards 2019
- Recipient
- 19/6/2019
- Recipient of Strathclyde Values Medal: Beijing Institute of Technology (Zhuhai) Summer School
- Recipient
- 2019
Publications
- Empowering future teachers leveraging local language pedagogies in Initial Teacher Education (Mandarin case study)
- Roxburgh David
- Symposium on Intercultural Pedagogy for Education (2025)
- Developing a rationale for teaching local languages to young language learners : a case study of teaching and learning Chinese language and culture in a Scottish primary school
- Roxburgh David
- Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching The Case of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (2024) (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66241-6_7
- Addressing current challenges in primary language learning : unlocking the potential of 'local languages’ in initial teacher education programmes
- Roxburgh David
- BERA annual conference 2024 (2024)
- The transformative power of local language encounters : implications for teacher education
- Pedley Malika, Roxburgh David, Anderson Lorna, McPake Joanna
- Researching Educational Practices, Teacher Education and Professional Development for Early Language Learning Examples from Europe (2024) (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003289043-3
- Insiders, outsiders and inbetweeners : the experiences of exchange teachers promoting Chinese language and culture in Scottish schools
- Roxburgh David
- Scottish Languages Review Vol Spring 2024, pp. 9-18 (2024)
- CISS 2012- 2022 : continuing the Journey
- Roxburgh David
- Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools Conference: 10 years: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Glasgow (2022)
Research Interests
David's academic and scholarly interests focus on pedagogies and curricula across Higher Education (HE) and Initial Teacher Education (ITE), including:
- Pedagogies for teaching Chinese language and culture (CLC).
- Innovations in third language (L3) acquisition and the promotion of local languages.
- STEM-based learning and teaching approaches, particularly within teacher education.
- Study abroad pedagogies and the experiences of university students, including those training as teachers.
- Comparative education systems and curricula, with cross-cultural insights.
These themes inform his work in Primary Education, ITE, and HE, with local, national, and international reach and impact. David collaborates closely with colleagues in the SIoE, international partners, and other outward-facing institutes at Strathclyde, including SCILT (Scotland's National Centre for Languages) and CISS (Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools). He is currently the editor of the Scottish Languages Review, further advancing research and practice in language education.
Sample Doctoral Supervisions
- PhD: Exploring Relational Dynamics Between Course Tutors and Chinese Students in UK TESOL Programmes (First Supervisor)
- PhD: Exploring the Complexity of Motivation: An Investigation of the Factors Influencing British Learners’ Motivation to Affect Mandarin Gains (First Supervisor)
- PhD: Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Improving Students’ Academic Achievement Among Schools in Rural Western China: A Mixed-Method Study (Second Supervisor)
- Ed.D: An Investigation into the Value and Role of Critical Thinking for Visual Arts Education in China (Second Supervisor)
Sample Master’s Supervisions
MPhil:
- Research and Implementation of Robust Multicultural Ethics Training Programs for Improving Well-Being in Chinese ESL Training Schools (First Supervisor)
M.Ed.
- The Use of Gamification to Enhance Learning Within Science
- STEM Within the Secondary Classroom Environment
- Exploration of the Use of Project-Based Learning to Increase Engagement of Socially Disadvantaged Young People in STEM
MSc
- Constructivist Approaches to Second Language (English) Learning in China
- Pakistani Students’ Experiences of Higher Education: A Strathclyde Case Study
- Culture Shock in South Asian Students Studying in UK HE Institutions
- A Comparative Study of English Curriculum Standards in Secondary Schools in China and Japan
- An Exploration of Educational Technology Practices in Ondo State, Nigeria
- A Study of the Challenges Faced by Chinese Undergraduate Students Learning to Write in English as a Second Language
- Research on Intercultural Adaptation of Chinese Visiting Students in the UK
- A Comparative Study of Students’ Self-Regulation Strategies in Learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
- A Comparative Study of the Practices and Professional Development Needs of Chinese STEM Middle School Teachers
- A Comparative Study of the Challenges Faced by Heritage and Non-Heritage Learners of Mandarin Chinese
Professional Activities
- British Association of Applied Linguistics: 'Asian Languages' Special Interest Group (External organisation)
- Member
- 22/11/2024
- External course on Virtual Exchange/ Collaborative Online Learning run by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU)
- Participant
- 1/8/2024
- British Association for Applied Linguistics (External organisation)
- Member
- 5/2024
- 'Policy perspectives on Inclusive Education'
- Speaker
- 11/4/2024
- British Council Project: Policy perspectives on inclusive education in Scotland and China
- Speaker
- 11/4/2024
- British Council China (External organisation)
- Advisor
- 3/4/2024
Projects
- US-UK Fulbright Global Challenges Teaching Award grant (2024- 2026) with a focus on Climate Change
- Roxburgh, David (Co-investigator)
- Member of collaborative project teamimplementing the funded US-UK Fulbright Global Challenges Teaching Award grant (2024- 2026) to support Virtual Exchange/ Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and the international dual delivery/ redevelopment of module on climate change. This Fulbright project is a collaboration with Brandeis University, MA, United States.
- 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2025
- Delivery of online programme for Nanjing Normal University 'Reflecting on Education Practices in International Contexts'
- Roxburgh, David (Principal Investigator)
- £5,429 awarded for contract. Online sessions attended by around 65 students and lecturers from School of Education Science, Nanjing Normal University.
- 08-Jan-2024 - 05-Jan-2024
- 'Exploring Global Culture': Short programme for visiting group of High School students from Ulsan High School, South Korea
- Roxburgh, David (Principal Investigator)
- £7,800 paid by Kamri Organisation (44 students/ accompanying teachers attending)
- 19-Jan-2024 - 20-Jan-2024
- Created and assisted negotiations for new study abroad agreement with Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary
- Roxburgh, David (Academic)
- 31-Jan-2024
- Going Global Partnership: Co-developing transnational, innovative and culturally-sensitive approaches for quality and equitable inclusive education
- Roxburgh, David (Principal Investigator) Wang, Yuchen (Co-investigator)
- 08-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2026
- Symposium: Inclusion & Innovation: Preparing and Sustaining Effective and Competent Teachers for Inclusive Education
- Roxburgh, David (Principal Investigator)
- 15 academics from BNU in attendance -£4, 500 generated
- 07-Jan-2023 - 10-Jan-2023
Contact
Dr
David
Roxburgh
Principal Teaching Fellow
Education
Email: david.roxburgh@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 8186