Blair Matthews

Blair Matthews is an Associate Lecturer in TESOL and International Education at the International Education & Lifelong Learning Institute, University of St Andrews, where they are also affiliated with the Centre for Higher Education Research. They teach and supervise across the MSc TESOL, MSc International Education, and DProf TESOL programmes, and convene key modules including English for Academic Purposes and the CSC doctoral induction. Actively involved in research and academic service, Blair contributes to university and institute ethics committees and holds external roles such as ESPSIG Coordinator at IATEFL and Dissertation Supervisor at Edinburgh University.

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Stirling (awarded 2018)
• Master of Arts, University of Manchester (awarded 2011)

Their research centers on student and teacher agency in language and international education, with a strong focus on technology’s role in shaping human and pedagogical agency. Key interests include TESOL, English for Academic and Specific Purposes, social theory, and the ethical implications of AI in education. Their work engages with digital learning environments, narrative methodologies, and learning technologies, often exploring how identity and autonomy are negotiated in contemporary educational contexts.

Recent publications show a clear trend toward the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital tools, and language pedagogy. Articles examine authenticity in digital lifeworlds, ethical challenges of generative AI, and the use of location-based games in language learning. These works reflect a broader scholarly engagement with responsible technology, human agency, and innovative teaching methods in higher education.

Blair Matthews is an active contributor to professional communities, serving in roles such as committee member of the TEFL Workers Union and the Language in the Human-Machine Era Education Working Group. They also participate in conferences, peer review, and public lectures, including recent invited talks on machine intelligence and education.

They supervise doctoral and master’s students in intercultural education and learning technology and have experience as an external examiner. Their teaching spans pre-sessional and in-sessional EAP, doctoral writing workshops, intercultural communication, and undergraduate courses like Language and the Mind. They are currently accepting postgraduate research students.

Blair is convenor of the International Education Institute ethics committee and a member of the University of St Andrews Teaching and Research Ethics Committee (UTREC), indicating leadership in ethical oversight within academic research and teaching.