Allen Thurston

Allen Thurston is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Effective Education at Queen's University Belfast's School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at Pontifica Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) and previously held a Distinguished Visiting Professorship at Zhengzhou University (China). His research focuses on cooperative learning, peer tutoring, and literacy improvement for socio-economically disadvantaged students, utilizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs). He leads multiple large-scale RCTs on literacy interventions and collaborates internationally on projects in Colombia, Chile, and Portugal.

Thurston's editorial roles include Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Educational Research Open and editorial board memberships with several leading journals. He has received prestigious awards, including the 2013 AERA Cooperative Learning SIG Award and Fellowship in the Academy of Social Sciences (2023). His work addresses global educational challenges, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education and reduced inequalities.

Thurston has extensive experience in grant reviews for international councils (e.g., ESRC, Canada SSHRC) and serves on advisory panels for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Council for At-Risk Academics. His career includes over 33 years in mountain rescue, completing 450+ missions, reflecting his commitment to community service.