Professor Carol Davenport

Professor

School: Architecture and Built Environment

Carol is a Professor of STEM Engagement, and Director of NUSTEM at Northumbria University.

Carol began working in education at Barnsley College as a Physics lecturer, and later taught at a large North East school. Moving into teacher education, she worked within the network of Science Learning Centres for over five years, and with the Institute of Physics as a Physics Network Coordinator for the Stimulating Physics Network.

Carol is an experienced curriculum designer and textbook author. She is also a governor at a local school and college.

Carol's research interests include career aspirations in young children, and diversity in STEM.

Campus Address

Ellison Building, EB305

Email Carol

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

My research interests are focused on diversity in STEM. With the NUSTEM team I research the attitudinal and behavioural changes required to increase the diversity and number of young people choosing STEM careers. I am interested in the factors which influence very young children's career choices, and how teachers and famillies can support these early choices.

I also work with organisations to help them develop impactful ways to support diversity in STEM, especially through the use of Theory of Change processes.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
It’s In Our Hands: Facilitating agency, personal connections and collective cohesion in climate education through board game play, Padwick, A., Hocking, E., Shimwell, J., Davenport, C., Bourne, J., Ransome, K., Baxter, C., Ramsay, A., Blazey, E. 1 Jun 2026, In: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Let's do Engineering: Engineers and Creative Practitioners Experiences of Co-creating Activities and Resources for 3-7 Year-Olds, and Teacher Evaluation of Resource Effectiveness, Bridle, H., Donnelly, R., Padwick, A., Rajendra, T., Shimwell, J., Davenport, C. 1 Feb 2026, In: Early Child Development and Care
STEM person of the week: a classroom intervention to support students’ perceptions of, and skills shared with, STEM professionals, Portas, A., Padwick, A., Davenport, C. 23 Sep 2026, In: Frontiers in Education
A serious game for a serious subject: climate change, Davenport, C. 2 Sep 2025
Correction: Let’s Do Engineering: Engineers and Creative Practitioners Experiences of Co-creating Activities and Resources for 3–7 Year-Olds, and Teacher Evaluation of Resource Effectiveness (Early Childhood Education Journal, (2025), 10.1007/s10643-025-01858-2), Bridle, H., Donnelly, R., Padwick, A., Rajendran, G., Shimwell, J., Davenport, C. 15 Sep 2025, In: Early Childhood Education Journal
Correction: Making their minds up: flux and stability in young children’s career aspirations in North East England, Davenport, C., Padwick, A. 17 Sep 2025, In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Effective Evaluation and Unintended Consequences of STEM Interventions: A Case Study from North East England, Emembolu, I., Davenport, C., Padwick, A., East, H., Shimwell, J., Strachan, R. 22 Apr 2025, 2025 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Piscataway, US, IEEE
Making their minds up: flux and stability in young children’s career aspirations in North East England: flux and stability in young children’s career aspirations in North East England, Davenport, C., Padwick, A. Dec 2025, In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Sustainability Education for Young Children: Introductory Life Cycle Assessment, Willis, B., Padwick, A., Portas, A., Shimwell, J., Horan, M., Davenport, C., Beattie, N. 2 Nov 2025, 2025 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Piscataway, US, IEEE
“We would just assume the wolf would be a boy…”: critical engagement with children’s literature by Early Years Educators, Davenport, C., Heslop, K., Padwick, A., Shimwell, J. 2 Oct 2025, In: International Journal of Early Years Education

PGR Supervision

Emmy Amers-Dodd ??Kindness over likeness: exploring role models using a child-centred approach. A study in England and Wales. Start Date: 01/10/2023
Emmy Amers-Dodd An exploration of STEM role models from both facilitator and participant perspectives: A study in England and Wales Start Date: 01/10/2023 End Date: 17/10/2025

Qualifications