Kara Makara Fuller

Dr. Kara Makara Fuller is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow, specialising in understanding how social interactions in educational settings influence student motivation and learning. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from James Madison University, a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the same institution. She is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) with the British Psychological Society.

• Serves as joint director of the University of Glasgow Education Assessment Network
• Teaches on the MSc in Psychological Studies and leads the Human Development course for the online MSc Psychology programme
• Deputy lead of the People, Place, and Social Change research group

Her research focuses on four interconnected strands: academic help-seeking behaviors, assessment and feedback practices, achievement goals, and interpersonal connections in education. She has conducted studies across diverse age groups (from young children to postgraduate students) and international contexts (e.g., Wales, China, Greece, South Korea). Recent projects include the Camau i'r Dyfodol initiative exploring learning progression in the Welsh curriculum, and studies on help-seeking and assessment dynamics.

Key publications include work on social goals in Asian educational contexts, longitudinal studies on high school peer dynamics, and cross-cultural comparisons of learning strategies. Awards include her CPsychol status and recognition for contributions to educational psychology research.

Active in doctoral supervision, she advises researchers on topics ranging from AR in Saudi education to Chinese postgraduate transitions. She has led over £1.5M in grants, including major projects on curriculum reform in Wales and international student experiences. Her teaching and service roles span ethics review, senate membership, and editorial board positions for journals like Curriculum Journal and Journal of Learning & Individual Differences.

Professional memberships include APA, BPS, and AERA, with extensive grant and journal reviewing experience.