Professor Sarah McGeown
REF Engagement and Impact Lead

- Moray House School of Education and Sport, IECS
- University of Edinburgh
Contact details
- Tel: +44 (0)131 651 6121
- Email: s.mcgeown@ed.ac.uk
- Web: Sarah's website
- Sarah's Twitter profile
Address
- Street
-
Moray House School of Education and Sport, SLH 1.14
- City
- University of Edinburgh (Holyrood Campus)
- Post code
- EH8 8AQ
Qualifications
- MA (Hons) Psychology, University of Aberdeen, 2002
- MRes Psychology, University of Aberdeen, 2003
- PhD Psychology, University of Hull, 2008
- Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, 2010
- Higher Education Academy Teaching Fellow, 2011
Responsibilities & affiliations
Membership of Professional Bodies
British Psychological Society
United Kingdom Literacy Association.
Undergraduate teaching
Education Studies 2 A (MA Primary)
Postgraduate teaching
Psychology of Learning and Teaching (MSc Education: Child and Adolescent Development)
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
No
Current PhD students supervised
- 2021 - : Kawla Alhamad. Thesis title: Augmented Reality Books and Reading Engagement
- 2021 - : Elena Santi. Thesis title: Reading as a Mirror, Window and Sliding Glass Door
- 2023- : Ross Young. Thesis Title: The Writing Lives of Children and Young People
Past PhD students supervised
- 2009-2012: Emma Medford. Thesis title: Exploring children's reading instruction and reading motivation
- 2009-2012: Myfanwy Bugler. Thesis title: Gender differences and age related changes in academic motivation
- 2013 - 2016: Jennifer Salfen. Thesis title: Extracurricular activities and positive youth development in adolescence.
- 2014 - 2017: Matluba Kahn. Thesis title: Environment, Engagement and Education: Investigating the relationship between primary school grounds and children's learning: A case study in Bangladesh (with Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture).
- 2014 - 2018: Xiaoyi Hu. Thesis title: Foreign language learning, anxiety and motivation among primary school aged children.
- 2014 - 2018: Thalia Theodoraki. Thesis title: Executive functions and academic attainment among adolescents (with Department of Psychology).
- 2018 - 2023: Brendan Kwiatkowski. Thesis title: Canadian adolescent males' masculinities and school experiences: A mixed methods approach
- 2019 - 2023: Jill Steel. Thesis title: Children's emotional wellbeing and reading outcomes: Exploring the impact of reading to dogs.
- 2020-2024: Charlotte Webber. Thesis title: The Young People's Reading Project
- 2022- 2024: Maggie Chan. Thesis title: Disability Representation and Picture Books
Research summary
I am Director of the University of Edinburgh Literacy Lab. My research focuses on understanding and improving literacy experiences and outcomes across the lifespan, and enriching lives through literacy. You can learn more about my research here: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/literacylab/
Affiliated research centres
Project activity
My research focus on understanding and supporting children and young people's reading experiences and outcomes. Details of this research can be found here: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/literacylab/
Current project grants
2023-2026: ESRC/Social Graduate School of Social Sciences Collaborative Scheme (PhD studentship), with National Literacy Trust. Title: The Writing Lives of Children and Young People
2023 - 2024: Education Endowment Foundation, with National Literacy Trust. Title: Love to Read: Reception
Past project grants
2022 - 2024: Challenge Investment Fund. Title: Neurodiversity and Narrative Fiction.
2022 - 2024: Leverhulme Trust. Title: Reading and Wellbeing: Developmental and Diverse Perspectives
2021- 2023: Nuffield Foundation. Title: Love to Read: A co-designed intervention to motivate and engage child readers.
2020-2024: ESRC/Social Graduate School of Social Sciences Collaborative Scheme (PhD studentship), with Scottish Book Trust. Title: Tackling the drop-off: Understanding the teenage reading experience.
2019-2022: Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre. Title: Learning about Neurodiversity at School (LEANS).
2019-2021: Carnegie UK Engaging Libraries, with Wellcome and The Wolfson Foundation, with Glasgow Life. Title: Sharing Stories.
2018-19: Challenge Investment Fund. Title: Growing Up A Reader.
2017-18: Scottish Universities Insight Institute: Conversations about language and literacy: Promoting equity and attainment through engagement.
2016-2017: ESRC Impact Acceleration Account: Improving children's reading: Research informing practice, with 6 Scottish local authorities/22 primary schools.