Staff

Prof Steve Higgins

Contact (email at s.e.higgins@durham.ac.uk)

Steve Higgins is Professor of Education at Durham University.

Steve joined the School in September 2006 from Newcastle University, where he was the founding Director of the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching. Before working in higher education he taught in primary schools in the North East where his interest in children’s thinking and learning developed.

His research interests lie mainly within the areas of effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) in schools, understanding how children's thinking and reasoning develops, and how teachers can be supported in developing teaching and learning in their classrooms. He has a particular interest in the educational philosophy of Pragmatism and the work of John Dewey and C.S. Peirce.

His teaching areas include primary mathematics, ICT and supporting effective professional development of teachers, particularly using approaches which focus on the development of children's thinking, reasoning and understanding. He supervises doctoral students in these fields. Steve teaches across a number of undergraduate and post-graduate programmes including PGCE, Masters and taught doctorate programmes.

Steve was a member of the Design Council's Expert Panel for Schools Renaissance. He was selected by the British Education Research Association to write a review about the impact of ICT on learning and teaching for their series of Professional User Reviews.
He has advised the Department for Education and Skills on the impact of thinking skills approaches in schools and compiled a database of thinking skills resources which is published on the Standards Site. Steve was editor of the journal Evaluation and Research in Education 2000-2002

Research Groups

• Psychological Perspectives and Issues in Education
• Technology-Enhanced Learning

Publications

Books: authored

• Wall, K., Higgins, S. & Packard, E. 2007. Talking about Learning: Using templates to find out pupils’ views. Devon: Southgate Publishers. (Additional information)
• Moseley, D., Baumfield, V., Elliott, J., Gregson, M., Higgins, S., Miller, J. & Newton, D.P. 2005. Frameworks for thinking: a handbook for teaching and learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Higgins, S. 2001. Thinking Through Primary Teaching. Cambridge: Chris Kington Publishing.

Books: sections

• Higgins, S. 2008. Mathematical learning and the use of information and communications technology in the early years. In Teaching and Learning Early Number. Thompson, I. (Ed) Maidenhead: Open University Press. 214-221.
• Higgins, S. 2003. Parlez-vous mathematics? In Enhancing Primary Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Thompson, I. Buckingham: Open University Press.
• Higgins, S. & Moseley, D. 2002. Raising Achievement in Literacy through ICT. In Teaching Primary Literacy with ICT. Monteith, M. Buckingham: Open University Press. 30-45. (Additional information)

Journal papers: academic

• Baumfield, V.M., Hall, E., Higgins, S. & Wall, K. 2009. Catalytic tools: understanding the interaction of enquiry and feedback in teachers' learning. European Journal of Teacher Education 32(4): 423-435. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Wall, K., Higgins, S., Glasner, E., Mahmout, U. & Gormally, J. 2009. Teacher enquiry as a tool for professional development: investigating pupils' effective talk while learning. Australian Education REsearch Journal 36(2): 93-118. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Barmby, P., Harries, T., Higgins, S. & Suggate, J. 2009. The array representation and primary children's understanding and reasoning in multiplication. Educational Studies in Mathematics 70(3): 217-241. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Woolner, P., Hall, E., Higgins, S., McCaughey, C. & Wall, K. 2007. A sound foundation? What we know about the impact of environments on learning and the implications for Building Schools for the Future. Oxford Review of Education 33(1): 47-70. (Additional information)
• Smith, F., Hardman, F. & Higgins, S. 2007. Gender inequality in the primary classroom: will interactive whiteboards help? Gender and Education 19(4): 455-469. (Additional information)
• Higgins, S., Beauchamp, G. & Miller, D. 2007. Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards. Learning, Media and Technology 32(3): 213-225. (Additional information)
• Wall, K., Higgins, S., Miller, J. & Packard, N. 2006. Developing Digital Portfolios: investigating how digital portfolios can facilitate pupil talk about learning. Technology, Pedagogy and Education 15(3): 261-273. (Additional information)
• Wall, K. & Higgins, S. 2006. Facilitating metacognitive talk: a research and learning tool. International Journal of Research & Method in Education 29(1): 39-53. (Additional information)
• Hall, E., Leat, D., Wall, K., Higgins, S. & Edwards, G. 2006. Learning to Learn: Teacher Research in the Zone of Proximal Development. Teacher Development 10(2): 140-166. (Additional information)
• Smith, H. & Higgins, S. 2006. Opening classroom interaction: the importance of feedback. Cambridge Journal of Education 36(4): 485-502. (Additional information)
• Smith, F., Hardman, F. & Higgins, S. 2006. The impact of interactive whiteboards on teacher-pupil interaction in the national literacy and numeracy strategies. British Educational Research Journal 32(3): 443-457. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Higgins, S., Wall, K. & Smith, H. 2005. 'The visual helps me understand the complicated things': pupil views of teaching and learning with interactive whiteboards. British Journal of Educational Technology 36(5): 851-867. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Smith, H.J., Higgins, S., Wall, K. & Miller, J. 2005. Interactive Whiteboards: boon or bandwagon? A critical review of the literature. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 21(2): 91-101. (Additional information)
• Hall, E., Wall, K., Higgins, S., Stephens, L., Pooley, I. & Welham, J. 2005. Learning to Learn with Parents: lessons from two research projects. Improving Schools 8(2): 179-191. (Additional information)
• Hall, I. & Higgins, S. 2005. Primary school students' perceptions of interactive whiteboards. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 21(2): 102-117. (Additional information)
• Moseley, D., Elliott, J., Gregson, M. & Higgins, S. 2005. Thinking Skills Frameworks for Use in Education and Training. British Educational Research Journal 31(3): 367-390. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Leat, D. & Higgins, S. 2002. The role of powerful pedagogical strategies in curriculum development. The Curriculum Journal 13(1): 71-85.
• Higgins, S. & Moseley, D. 2001. Teachers' thinking about information and communications technology and learning: beliefs and outcomes. Teacher Development 5(2): 191-210. (Additional information) (View publication online)

Monographs

• Higgins, S. 2003. Does ICT Improve Learning and Teaching in Schools?. Nottingham: British Educational Research Association. (Additional information)

Reports: official

• Higgins, S., Wiggins, A. & Searle, J. (2008). Bridge Model Evaluation Final Report for the National College for School Leadership. CEM Centre/School of Education. Durham, University of Durham.
• Higgins, S., Baumfield, V., Hall, E., Moseley, D., Wall, K. & Woolner, P. (2008). Learning to Learn Phase 3 evaluation: Final report. London,
• Robinson, C., Sebba, J., Mackrill, D. & Higgins, S. (2008). Personalising learning: the learner perspective and their influence on demand Final report. Coventry, (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Higgins, S., Sebba, J., roninson, C. & Mackrill, D. (2008). Personalising learning: the learner perspective and their influence on demand Review report. Coventry, (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Higgins, S., Baumfield, V. & Hall, E. (2007). Learning skills and the development of learning capabilities. Technical Report. London, University of London.
• Higgins, S., Hall, E., Baumfield, V. & Moseley, D. (2005). A meta-analysis of the impact of the implementation of thinking skills approaches on pupils. EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education. London, University of London. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Higgins, S., Falzon, C., Hall, I., Moseley, D., Smith, F., Smith, H. & Wall, K. (2005). Embedding ICT in The Literacy and Numeracy Strategies: Final Report. Centre for Learning and Teaching, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. Newcastle, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. (Additional information) (View publication online)
• Woolner, P., Hall, E., Wall, K., Higgins, S., Blake, A. & McCaughey, C. (2005). School building programmes: Motivations, consequences and implications. Reading: CfBT,
• Higgins, S., Hall, E., Wall, K., Woolner, P. & McCaughey, C. (2005). The Impact of School Environments: A literature review. London,
• Higgins, S., Baumfield, V., Lin, M., Moseley, D., Butterworth, M., Downey, G., Gregson, M., Oberski, I., Rockett, M. & Thacker, D. (2004). Thinking skills approaches to effective teaching and learning: what is the evidence for impact on learners? London, Institute of Education.
• Moseley, D., Baumfield, V., Lin, M., Higgins, S., Miller, J., Newton, D., Robson, S., Elliott, J. & Gregson, M. (2003). Thinking Skill Frameworks for post-16 Learners: an Evaluation. London,
• Mercer, N., Wegerif, R., Dawes, L., Sams, C. & Higgins, S. (2002). Language, Thinking and ICT in the primary curriculum: Final project report to the Nuffield Foundation. Milton Keynes, Open University.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Education: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.
• General policy: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.
• Subject specialists: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.

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