Dr Donald Spaeth
- Senior Lecturer (History)
telephone:
01413303580
email:
Don.Spaeth@glasgow.ac.uk
History, School of Humanities, 2 University Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QH
Research interests
- Social history of religion in 16th and 17th century England
- Material culture of domestic possessions
- Active learning approaches and environments
I am currently working on a book provisionally titled, Parish Stories: The Place of Religion in Elizabethan England.
Research groups
Supervision
I am interested in supervising projects on topics associated with my research and teaching, including
- Any aspect of religion in England from 1550 to 1700, including 'popular religion', the reception of the Reformation, religion and gender, and parish religion.
- Material culture and the meanings of personal goods in early modern England.
- English parishes and their regulation.
- Research relying upon the analysis of historical data.
I am currently co-supervising, or have recently co-supervised, the following research students and projects:
- Mary Jacobs, Independent men: radical manhood during the English Revolution (2018)
- Joseph Saunders, Networks of Print in England c.1623-41 (in progress)
Teaching
My teaching focuses primarily on religion and culture in early modern England:
- Saints and Sinners: Religions of the People in England 1530-1660
- Culture Wars: Reformation and Religion in England (Special Subject)
As a specialist in the application of computers to history, I also teach
- An Introduction to Computing for Historians
I also contribute to the History Level 2 course, History 2A: People, Things, and Ideas: The Making of Modern Societies.
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My teaching emphasises that history is not just about the past, but is constructed in the present. I incorporate active approaches to learning, in which students collaborate in interrogating primary sources, interpretations, data, and online materials, as well as traditional forms of teaching.
In 2018 I was honoured to receive a Student Teaching Award for Best Feedback from the SRC.
Research datasets
Additional information
Current University roles include:
- Chair, VLE Development Board
- Member, Learning, Teaching, and Study Space Workstream, reporting to Learning and Teaching Hub Project Delivery Board
Past roles have included Dean of Learning and Teaching, College of Arts (2014-2017); Senate Assessor on Court (2011-2015); Head of Department of History (2005-2009); Director, LTSN Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology (2000-2002); Director, TLTP Courseware for Historians (2004-2008).