Kath Crawford MBE

Holding a particular interest in professional learning and its evaluation, I bring a wealth of knowledge around the design of experiential professional learning that impacts positively on educational practice, along with associated evaluation systems and methodologies. I strongly believe that meaningful evaluation is a powerful tool not only to measure what has gone before but also to inform future activity, ensuring relevance and validity.

Over the past 20 years, I have been involved in designing, developing and delivering programmes of career-long continuing professional learning for teachers of the sciences and technicians across Scotland, ranging from The Scottish Universities Science School for student teachers to Leadership Courses for new and aspiring Heads of Science Faculty. I was awarded an MBE for services to education in 2015.

Since 2012, I held the role of Head of Primary at SSERC.  During that time, I played a key part in developing and implementing the SSERC Primary Cluster Programme in Science and Technology, a systematic programme of professional learning aimed at raising the level of confidence and expertise of all primary teachers within a given sector, via a mentoring approach.  The Programme, which was supported by the Scottish Government, STEM Learning and the Primary Science Teaching Trust, evaluated very highly in terms of its effectiveness both in its aims of raising teachers’ levels of confidence and expertise and also in raising pupil achievement.  (https://www.sserc.org.uk/professional-learning/evaluations/).

My role in SSERC included developing, writing and reviewing funding proposals, as well as negotiating with a variety of high profile funders.  

Prior to joining SSERC, I lectured in Biology and Chemistry at an FE College and taught Biology at secondary level.  I was a member of setting and marking teams for National Qualifications in Biotechnology, and development teams for Biology and wider Science Curricula and wrote material for national courses .

Recent peer-reviewed publications include:

• K Andrews, PC Beaumont, E Bissett and K Crawford, (2018), The Scottish Universities Science School, Science Teacher Education, 83, 7-15.
• K Andrews, PC Beaumont, E Bissett and K Crawford, (2019), Student and Probationer Teachers, Science Teacher Education, 85, 28-32.
• K Crawford, K Lowden, S Hall, E Mitchell, T McErlean, H Sherrard and L Daley (2020), The SSERC Primary Cluster Programme in Science and Technology – Impact on Teaching and Learning. Journal of Emergent Science, 18 Special PSEC Issue, 13-18.

Recent Conference presentations:

• K Andrews, PC Beaumont, E Bissett and K Crawford, The Scottish Universities Science School (SUSS), Scottish Learning Festival, SEC Hydro Glasgow, 25-26^th September 2019.
• K Andrews, PC Beaumont, E Bissett and K Crawford, Student and Probationer Teachers, ASE Futures Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, July 4-5^th 2019.
• Crawford, K., Connor, N., Hall, S. and Lowden, K. (2019), The SSERC Primary Cluster Programme in Science and Technology: Impact on teaching and learning. Seminar at the Primary Science Education Conference, Edinburgh, 6-8 June 2019.