Paula Jean Miles

Paula Jean Miles is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews. She leads national initiatives like the QAA's Enhancement Topic for student learning experience improvement and sits on key university committees including the Student Experience Strategic Management Group and former Mental Health Task Force.

Her research focuses on educational psychology, investigating teaching methodologies, student/staff wellbeing, academic integrity, and pandemic impacts. Notable projects include studies on physics education gender gaps, teacher agency during crises, and interdisciplinary approaches in primary schools.

Awards include the 2019 UK Higher Education Psychology Teacher of the Year runner-up and the 2018 McCall MacBain Teaching Excellence Award. She supervises PhD research on higher education teaching philosophies and has mentored previous students exploring physics identity and teacher behavior interventions.

Miles coordinates international educational research through roles like External Examiner at the University of Essex and collaborates on initiatives like decolonizing curricula during pandemics. Her work addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education and mental health.