Quintin I. Cutts

Quintin I. Cutts is a Professor in the School of Computing Science within the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He serves as a leading researcher in computing education with extensive contributions to programming pedagogy, educational frameworks development, and assessment methodologies across multiple educational levels from primary school through undergraduate programs.

His research interests focus on computing education, particularly the development of educational frameworks like the ABC Framework for orienting learners in programming classes, spatial skills development in computational thinking, code comprehension strategies, and early-years computing education. His work bridges cognitive psychology with practical educational interventions, examining how spatial reasoning, argumentative reasoning, and physical activities impact programming learning outcomes.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on developing structured educational approaches for novice programmers, with particular attention to how spatial skills correlate with computational thinking development, how to design effective early programming experiences, and how to address participation inequalities in computer science education. His work increasingly focuses on practical frameworks that can be implemented in real classroom settings across different educational stages.

Cutts has established significant collaborative networks through organizing UKICER (United Kingdom and Ireland Computing Education Research) conferences and participating in international computing education research communities. His mentoring approach is evident through frequent co-authorship with junior researchers including Jack Parkinson, Maria Kallia, and Joseph Maguire, who have become established researchers in the computing education field themselves. He has contributed to building research infrastructure through initiatives like Works-in-Progress workshops that support emerging scholars.