My research examines the relationship between professional learning and education policy. Primarily, I investigate the role and impact of accountability arrangements on educators’ professional development, employing innovative mixed methods approaches and critical theoretical perspectives.  

I have published in various leading international Q1-ranked journals, including Journal of Education Policy, Comparative Education, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, British Journal of Educational Studies, Professional Development in Education, British Journal of Sociology of Education and Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability.  My methodology article, ‘Inductive/Deductive Hybrid Thematic Analysis in Mixed Methods Research’, has been cited more than 500 times and is currently the most cited article published in the high impact Journal of Mixed Methods Research in the last 3 years.

I currently work in the Centre for Teaching Excellence, which is a major new Scottish Government funded initiative, as a member of the Research and Evaluation team. This work includes surveying the nation’s teachers on their professional learning needs.

I am a Fellow in the Centre for Transformative Change in Schools (CenTCS), an international research centre housed at the University of Glasgow, with a core focus on educators' professional learning.

I am a Member of the Editorial Board for Critical Studies in Education (ranked in the top 3 journals for sociology of education internationally) and have served as a reviewer for other similarly prominent journals such as Teaching and Teacher Education, European Journal of Teacher Education, Journal of Adult & Continuing Education and International Journal of Social Research Methodology.

I was University of Glasgow lead for SCDE Scottish Attainment Challenge, a Scottish Government funded project, developing teacher professional learning to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap. Similarly, I was a Member of Measuring Quality in ITE, a Scottish Government endorsed cross-university project focused on improving the professional learning of new teachers. In the same vein, I was co-organiser of the Scottish Self-Evaluation Framework for Initial Teacher Education Symposium in 2019 and am a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) Initial Teacher Education Accreditation Panel Member. (2021-Present). I was a National Convenor: British Educational Research Association ‘Educational Leadership’ Special Interest Group (2018-2020), with a particular interest in how leaders can support teachers' development. I convened a ‘5 Nations’ (UK and Ireland) Educational Leadership event at the University of Newcastle, focused on the concept of ‘Leadership as Practice’ in (2019).

At Glasgow, I have previously served as Director of Undergraduate and Initial Teacher Education (being awarded a letter of commendation from the Vice-Chancellor for leadership in this role), as well as Programme Leader for MSc (Online) Education. I am currently Programme Leader for the EdD (Doctorate in Education). Before joining the University of Glasgow, I worked in Initial Teacher Education in various roles in England. I also taught English and Philosophy in secondary schools for 11 years, holding a range of leadership responsibilities.

• Educators’ Professional Learning

• Role and Impact of Accountability in Education

• Mixed Methods Research

• Education Policy

• Critical Sociology of Education

• Theoretical Contribution of Michel de Certeau

List by: Type | Date

University of Glasgow lead for SCDE Scottish Attainment Challenge, a Scottish Government funded research project, focused on developing teacher professional learning to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap in Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing. 

• Boyle, Chantelle
  How is Moral Education implemented in Scottish non-denominational primary schools?
• Kurbaniyazov, Israil
  MOOCs as an Environment for the Development of In-Service Teachers' Self-Regulated Learning Skills: A Case from Central Asia

Recently Completed Doctorates:

Teachers’ Perspectives on Students' Mathematical Proficiency: PhD awarded, 2021.

Teachers’ Perspectives on Lesson Study as a Development Strategy. PhD awarded, 2022.

E-Learning in Saudi Arabia: An Analysis of Academic Perspectives. PhD awarded, 2023.

Student Perceptions of eAssessment: Process rather than Product. PhD awarded, 2023.

Current Supervision:

Teachers' Perspectives on Moral Education in the Scottish Primary Context. Viva Pending.

MOOCs as an Environment for the Professional Development of In-Service Teachers' Self-Regulated Learning Skills: A Case from Central Asia. Year 1.

To what extent does academic leadership perceive it can effectively facilitate the transformation of Saudi higher education institutions into entrepreneurial universities within the context of Vision 2030? Year 1. 

Dr Proudfoot is Programme Leader for MSc (Online) Education and Programme Leader for EdD (Doctorate in Education). 

Prizes, awards & distinctions

• 2021: Vice-Chancellor's Letter of Commendation for leadership as Director of Undergraduate and Initial Teacher Education (University of Glasgow)

Editorial boards

• 2021: Critical Studies in Education

Professional & learned societies

• 2015: Member, British Educational Research Association
• 2018: Member, General Teaching Council for Scotland
• 2020 - 2024: Member, Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change
• 2024: Fellow, Centre for Transformative Change in Schools (CenTCS)

Selected international presentations

• 2024: Invited Presentation: Exploring Inductive/Deductive Hybrid Thematic Analysis in Integrative Mixed Methods Research. Mixed Methods International Research Association Webinar Series ()
• 2015: Invited Workshop: ERASMUS+ project on teacher appraisal, entailing delivery of workshops to a group of European school inspectors from Spain, Portugal, Romania, Lithuania and Cyprus. ()

Supplementary

• National Advisory Roles Co-organiser of the ‘Self Evaluation Framework for ITE, 2019' - in partnership with other ITE institutions and Education Scotland. GTCS ITE Accreditation Panel Member – the Scottish national review body for new and reaccredited ITE programmes. Conference Organisation Convened a ‘5 Nations’ (UK and Ireland) Educational Leadership’ event at the University of Newcastle, focused on the concept of ‘Leadership as Practice’. (2019) National Convenor for the British Educational Research Association ‘Educational Leadership’ Special Interest Group (standard 3 year term, 2018-2020). External Examiner External Examiner for MEd Educational Studies, Queen’s University Belfast 2020-2025 External Examiner for MSc Educational Leadership, Queen’s University Belfast 2020-2025