I am currently undertaking a part-time PhD looking at the impact of professional learning on physics teachers, with a particular interest in how it impacts retention.
My first degree is in Astrophysics and my career began in physics and space-related outreach with a focus on school and university partnerships. I've spent a number of years working with primary and secondary school teachers to support their development of physics and space-related knowledge and skills through various professional learning opportunities.
In recent years I have become more focussed on understanding the impact of formal and informal education projects which work with young people and teachers. Alongside my studies I run an impact and evaluation consultancy which works with many different organisations such as universities, education charities, science centres and museums and professional bodies.
I completed an MRes in Educational Research at Stirling in 2020 before beginning my PhD studies in 2021.
Article
'Remembering Empire': supporting take-up of French through history and culture
Barclay F & Thomas L (2025) 'Remembering Empire': supporting take-up of French through history and culture. Scottish Languages Review, issue 38 (Spring 2025). https://scilt.org.uk/Article/tabid/1092/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16390/Research-working-paper-Remembering-Empire-supporting-take-up-of-French-through-history-and-culture.aspx
Consultancy Report
Language Horizons Year 2 Evaluation Report.
Thomas L & Rushton E (2020) Language Horizons Year 2 Evaluation Report.. Language Horizons Project. Stirling. http://mflmentoring.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Final-report-LHY2-DEC2020.pdf
Consultancy Report
Final Evaluation Report: Physics Mentoring Project
Thomas L & Rushton E (2020) Final Evaluation Report: Physics Mentoring Project. Physics Mentoring Project. Wales. https://physicsmentoring.co.uk/final-evaluation-report/
Article
Transforming education with the Timepix detector - Ten years of CERN@school
Parker B, Thomas L, Rushton E & Hatfield P (2019) Transforming education with the Timepix detector - Ten years of CERN@school. Radiation Measurements, 127, Art. No.: 106090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2019.03.008
Article
IRIS opens pupils' eyes to real space research
Hatfield P, Furnell W, Shenoy A, Fox E, Parker B, Thomas L & Rushton EAC (2019) IRIS opens pupils' eyes to real space research. Astronomy & Geophysics, 60 (1), pp. 1.22-1.24. https://doi.org/10.1093/astrogeo/atz046
Article
The LUCID-Timepix spacecraft payload and the CERN@school educational programme
Hatfield P, Furnell W, Shenoy A, Fox E, Parker R & Thomas L (2018) The LUCID-Timepix spacecraft payload and the CERN@school educational programme. Journal of Instrumentation, 13, pp. C10004-C10004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/13/10/c10004