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Overview

Professor Lynn Newton

Professor

MAEd, PhD, FHEA


Affiliations
AffiliationTelephone
Professor in the School of Education+44 (0) 191 33 48379

Biography

After completing a degree in Science and Education at Durham University, Professor Newton began working as a primary school teacher.  Following a fellowship in science education, she worked for Durham Local Education Authority as an Advisory Teacher for Science. She then completed her MA in Education, focussing on science education, at Durham University.

She then moved to Newcastle University, first a Lecturer in Primary Science and Design and Technology, and then a Senior Lecturer and Director of Primary Initial Teacher Training. During that time she became Deputy Head of School and also completed her PhD on a topic that explored her three areas of interest, science, teaching, and psychology of education: Teachers’ Questioning for Understanding in Primary Science: An Approach through Mental Model Theory. She stayed at Newcastle for ten years before moving to Durham University.

At Durham, she was initially Course Leader of for a new specialist degree in science education for primary teachers based at the University’s Stockton Campus. Later she became Programme Director for the Primary PGCE in Durham, then Divisional Director of Initial Teacher Training. She became Professor of Education in 2003. From 2005-2010 she completed her first term as Head of the School of Education. After research leave, she returned to the role of Divisional Director for ITE and led the team to through two OFSTED inspections (2011/ and 2013) where the School was awarded Outstanding. In 2017 she began her second term as Head of the School of Education, which lasted until 2024.

Over the years of her long academic career, Professor Newton has taught on a range of teacher training, pedagogy, science education and psychology of education modules across the School of Education on various undergraduate and higher degree programmes. She has also supervised trainee teachers, masters' dissertation students and doctoral theses students researching a range of topics. She is currently the module leader for the module on Purposeful Productive Thought, a module that began in 2012, which was the basis for a series of conference presentations and resulted in a book,  Making Purposeful Thought Productive (Ulm: ICIE, 2018).

Professor Newton’s research interests range from effective communication in science, strategies that support teaching for understanding in science, enagagement in learning, and creativity in science and across the curriculum. She has researched teaching for understanding across the primary curriculum and the use of analogical reasoning to support the construction of understandings, and most recently teaching for creativity and productive thought. This is the focus of her book, Creativity for a New Curriculum: 5-11 (London: Routledge, 2012).

Her research and scholarship activity has enabled her to write, edit or co-author nearly twenty books on various educational themes. Professor Newton has also written over one hundred academic and professional papers on these areas. A keynote presentation at the 19th Biennial World Conference on Gifted and Talented Education in Prague (2011) led to a research monograph, From Creative Thinking to Productive Thought (Paris: ICIE, 2013) presented a model for incorporating creative thinking into a wider framework of productive thought. Her keynote presentation at the ICIE conference in Krakow resulted in her monograph, Questioning: A Window on Productive Thinking. (Paris: ICIE, 2015). She is also one of the co-authors of the University's 2019 report: Durham Commission on Creativity ad Education, in collaboration with Arts Council England.

Professor Newton is continuing her research into creatitivity, and is involved in several research projects. She is particularly interested in Creativity and STEM. She is currently preparing a chapter entitled: "Creativity is Our Hope" for the Emerald Handbook for Teaching Global Competencies: Practical Applications Inside and Outside the Classroom (ed. Prof. Karen Magro, Winnipeg University). 

Completed Supervisions (since 2008)

The provision of nursery education in England and Wales to 1967 with special reference to North-East England

How do teachers' beliefs affect the implementation of inquiry-based learning in the PGS Curriculum? A case study of two primary schools in Hong Kong.

Can Information in Children’s Drawings Inform Teachers’ Practices? A Study of Singaporean Pre-school Teachers’ “Reading” of 5-6 year olds’ Drawings.

An examination of how the theory-practice relationship of pedagogy courses is conceived and perceived by the participants, and how management of education systems and faculties can enhance the quality of teacher education in Turkey

The Selection of Potential Undergraduate Students who Lack Traditional Qualifications: is a toolkit possible?

A case study on exploring the motivation and engagement of the less academically inclined students in a Specialised School in Singapore

Engaging Children in Question Asking for Problem Finding to Encourage Creative Thinking in Primary School Science Teaching

 

Information for prospective doctoral research student supervisions

Lynn would welcome applications from prospective doctorate students on:* primary and middle school science education;* effective communication in science/ primary schools;* teachers' questioning and explaining in science/ primary schools;* teaching for understanding;  and,* creativity and productive thinking.

Research interests

  • Creativity and Purposeful Productive Thought
  • Creativity and STEM subjects in Education
  • Engagement in Primary/ Middle School Curricula
  • Primary/ Middle School Science Education
  • Questioning and Communicating for Effective Teaching and Learning

Esteem Indicators

  • 2025 - 2028: Limerick University, Eire:
  • 2024: ICIE Annual Conference - Bucharest:
  • 2018: ICIE Annual Conference - Paris:
  • 2017: ICIE Annual Conference - Lisbon:
  • 2016 - 2019: Durham Commission on Creativity and Education:
  • 2016 - 2019: Visiting Professor: Northumbria University:
  • 2015: ICIE Annual Conference - Krakow:
  • 2013: Best Research Paper - San Francisco University Library of the Best Research Papers in each field in the last decade: Paper lodged in the San Francisco University Library of the Best Research Papers in each field in the last decade:

    Newton, L.D. & Newton, D.P. (2009) What teacher see as creative incidents in elementary science lessons, International Journal of Science Education, 32(15), 1989-2005. ISSN 0950-0693 & 1464-5289. DOI: 1080/09500690903233249

  • 2013: International Editorial Review Board: International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity: Professor Lynn Newton is a member of the Gifted and Talented International Editorial Review Board (2009-2013)
  • 2011: Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children:
  • 2011 - 2013: Visiting Professor: Nottingham Trent University: Appointed Visiting Professor at Nottingham Trent University - 3 year appointment (2011-2014)
  • 2009: Ofsted Best Practice Case Study ITE Partnerships: Newton, L.D. & Newton, D.P. (2009) a problem-based learning approach to developing lesson planning skills in primary science, Teacher Development Agency Best Practice Case Studies.
  • 2008: ICIE Annual Conference - Paris:

Publications

Authored book

Book review

Chapter in book

Conference Paper

Edited book

Journal Article

Monograph

Presentation

Report

Supervision students