Heather McClean, MA, SFHEA, Cambridge DELTA

Profile

Heather McClean is a member of the Education and Recognition team within the Queen Mary Academy which provides strategic, developmental, practical, project and consultancy support for the development and enhancement of learning and teaching across QMUL. 

Heather has an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL and is a qualified English language teacher.  She has over 25 years’ experience of teaching Academic English and English language to students from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, both in the UK and overseas.  Throughout her career, she has provided training, development, and mentorship for her own teaching teams, and has also led institution-wide enhancement programmes and bespoke development programmes for external partners.  

Heather has been working in Higher Education for over eight years, most recently at University for the Creative Arts in Surrey, where she introduced a series of staff development workshops on teaching students from diverse backgrounds.  She was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2020.  She is currently an External Examiner for a number of UK HEIs, including Royal Holloway University of London, Bangor University, and the University of Exeter.

Research

Research Interests:

Heather’s research interests include: inclusive pedagogy, internationalisation, language assessment, transcultural communication and academic integrity. 

Publications

Books

Yu, C. and McClean, H. (2022) ‘International Student Success in the UK: scaffolding curriculum strategies and cultural intelligence.’ Chapter in: International Environments and Practices of Higher Education. Bingley: Emerald Publishing.

Liu, D., Yu, C. and McClean, H. (2022) ‘Best University Lecturers in the Eyes of International Students.’   Submitted for peer review. 

Liu, D., Yu, C. and McClean, H. (2022) ‘Positive Psychology in International Student Development’ Submitted for peer review. 

Conference Papers

‘Turn and Face the Strange: From EAP Tutor to Intercultural Trainer.’ Presenting at BALEAP Annual Conference: EAP Under Deconstruction, University of Warwick, 20/04/23

‘A Multifaceted Approach to De-Colonising the Curriculum.’ Presented at IATEFL English for Specific Academic Purposes Special Interest Group Event, 10/12/2022.

‘Teaching them to think: Scaffolding language and developing reflective thought.’ Poster Presentation at InForm Conference: Enhancing Inclusivity in International Foundation Programmes, University of Reading, 30/07/22

‘Teaching them to think: Scaffolding language and developing reflective thought.’ Presented at 55th IATEFL Annual Conference & Exhibition, 18/05/2022

‘Developing Reflective Thought through Scaffolding Language.’  Reflect and review: the cumulative nature of learning and teaching. Presented at University of St. Andrews EAP Conference, 26/02/2022

‘Finding your voice: a multifaceted approach to originality and similarity in student writing.’ Presented at BALEAP PIM: Ownership in EAP: Integrity, argumentation and authorial voice, University of York, 19/11/2021

‘Teaching Them to Think: Scaffolding Language to Develop Reflective Thought.’ Art in Language Education: Research, Creativity and Practice in the Multilingual World.  Presented at University of Glasgow, 13/11/20