Research output per year
Research output per year
Prof, Professor
Teaching and Leadership
I have had the privilege of holding an extensive range of highly successful teaching and leadership roles within secondary schools and universities across five decades, demonstrating sustained excellence and success, innovation, and a deep commitment to education.
School Leadership: My early career as a secondary school teacher spanned 13 years in diverse educational settings. During this time, I progressed to become a Gatsby Fellow, head of department, and senior manager. In these roles, I worked on national initiatives whilst implementing whole-school initiatives, including the development of robust systems for monitoring, assessment, and recording.
Higher Education Leadership: I have held numerous leadership roles and have led on an extensive list of projects in higher education since 2000. For 17 years I developed and led numerous high quality, innovative, sector leading initial teacher education (ITE) initiatives. Since 2017 I have successfully led School (SEED), Faculty (Humanities) and University teaching and learning developments including:
Currently, as Professor of Education and Associate Dean, I lead the Faculty of Humanities’ portfolio development as part of the strategic ‘Size and Shape’ project. This involves:
Executive oversight responsibilities have included:
Policy and Governance: My contributions extend to national and regional education policy, including:
Research and Scholarship
My research and scholarship operates at the nexus of policy, practice, and politics, with a strong focus on critical themes such as assessment (AfL), boys ‘underachievement’ (gender studies), creativity, ‘Design, Design and Technology education, Design Thinking, Higher Education Policy, Initial Teacher Education, Learning Design, Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning, ‘Research Informed Teaching’, Teacher professionalism, Teacher Excellence, etc
Publications and Media: Over my career, I have published extensively, including:
Editorial and Peer Review:
PhD Supervision and Examination
I have supervised and examined PhD students in diverse fields from arts to STEM education and have served as an external examiner for PhDs in the UK (e.g. Manchester, Cambridge) and internationally (e.g. Sweden, Australia). I have also been an external examiner for Masters and PGCE programmes at a wide range of high-quality universities including Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, Glasgow, King’s College London, etc.
Limited Supervision Opportunities: While my supervision availability is currently limited, I welcome enquiries from students whose research aligns with my areas of interest and expertise.
My research focuses on the intersection of policy, practice, and politics in education, with a particular emphasis on teaching and learning, teacher education, and the evolving role of teachers. I investigate the nature of teacher development, the professionalism of trainee teachers, and the constraints and potential of creativity and decision-making in educational contexts. Drawing on disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, and emotion theory, my work explores how these factors shape educational experiences and outcomes. Methodologically, I employ diverse approaches, including case studies, Q methodology, ethnography, surveys, and action research, underpinned by theoretical frameworks such as activity theory, grounded theory, and critical theory. My research also informs my perspectives on ‘teaching excellence’, learning design, and the development of innovative, research-driven pedagogical practices. By bridging theory and practice, my work aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how education can be enhanced within complex, diverse, and dynamic ecosystems.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Research output: Book/Report › Book
Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
Spendlove, D. (Recipient), 11 May 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Spendlove, D. (Recipient), 8 Mar 2013
Prize: National/international honour
Spendlove, D. (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
Spendlove, D. (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
Spendlove, D. (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
Spendlove, D. (Secondee)
Activity: External visiting positions or secondments › Visiting an external academic institution › Research
Spendlove, D. (Invited member)
Activity: Membership › Membership of committee › Research
12/10/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
10/04/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
28/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
13/01/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment