Jonathan William Firth

Dr. Jonathan William Firth is a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde. His work focuses on applying cognitive psychology principles to education, particularly in areas like metacognition, memory, and teaching strategies. He leads the BA Joint Honours Education Studies program and has over 15 years of experience in secondary school teaching and adult education. Firth is actively involved in course design, teacher training, and educational research, including systematic reviews on learning strategies such as interleaving.

Education Background:

• Doctoral Thesis: 'Memory and metacognition in classroom learning: the role of item order in learning with particular reference to the interleaving effect' (2021)

Research Interests:

• Psychology of memory and metacognition in learning
• Higher-order skills and assessment methods
• Teacher professional learning and evidence-based practice
• Design of educational interventions for critical thinking

Professional Activities & Projects:

• Principal Investigator for 'An investigation into the factors in teacher burnout' (2022)
• Co-investigator in multiple Columba 1400 leadership academy evaluation projects (2022-2024)
• Speaker at events like 'Metacognitive illusions' (2024) and 'A Cognitive Science Approach to Creativity' (2024)

Science Communication:

Co-leads the Strathclyde Institute of Education blog and writes a weekly newsletter on memory and metacognition for educators.