David Crighton
Senior Lecturer in Post-Compulsory Education and Training
Dr David Crighton worked in a number of formal and informal educational settings before joining Wrexham University.
His previous experiences include working as a tutor on the government funded Playing for Success scheme based at Leeds United and Headingley Stadium.
Following this he worked for the BBC, as Education Project Manager, on the award winning All Together Now and First Click projects. Combining community media training with the production of broadcast content.
Since then he has taught on several education and media production courses, in the FE/HE sector, ranging from Level 2 through to Level 7.
Research Interests
My research explores the experiences of educators across further and higher education, with a particular focus on the values, pressures, and structures that shape professional life. With a background in community education and media, and experience teaching in both FE and HE contexts, I bring a cross-sector perspective to understanding how policy, institutional culture, and leadership affect not just teaching and learning—but the wellbeing and professional identities of those who deliver it.
A central theme in my work is fairness—specifically, how we create working conditions in education that are equitable and professionally sustainable. I am particularly interested in how systemic forces, such as neoliberal policy, performance cultures, and shifting student expectations, impact educators’ ability to teach, grow, and develop.
My research often focuses on educators’ voices and experiences, with the aim of highlighting the need for structural reform and greater support for the profession. I work with qualitative, interpretive approaches to explore the everyday realities of academic and teaching staff, with a focus on fostering inclusive, critical, and creative pedagogic practices.
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD candidates whose interests align with these broad areas, particularly those seeking to explore the experiences of educators or critically engage with questions of fairness, policy, and pedagogy in post-compulsory education.
Broad Areas of Interest:
- Educational leadership and institutional culture: How leadership shapes educator experience, working climate, and values alignment
- Professional identity and educator voice: How teachers and lecturers manage conflicting demands and sustain a sense of purpose
- Fairness and working conditions in education: Structural barriers to equity, workload, and professional development
- Class, access, and inclusion in post-compulsory education: How background and identity affect engagement and progression
- Critical and inclusive pedagogy: Supporting creative, dialogic, and socially engaged teaching practices
- Education policy and governance: Understanding the effects of marketisation, metrics, and regulation on practice
At its core, my research is about making space for educators to be heard, ensuring that their insight, agency, and wellbeing are central to how we shape the future of education.
Research Projects
| Title | Role | Description | From/To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Intrapreneurship in a Market Driven Landscape | Principal Investigator | This project explores academic intrapreneurship in England’s higher education sector, expanding prior research conducted in Scotland and Wales. It investigates how institutional structures influence academics expected to act as intrapreneurs—those driving innovation amid market pressures. Using semi-structured interviews with English academics, the study compares experiences across the UK, examining how different governance models impact professional identity, innovation, and academic autonomy. Grounded in critical theory and interpretivist methodology, the research aims to inform policy and institutional practice, offering recommendations to support sustainable innovation and balance between financial pressures and pedagogical integrity in higher education. | 01/05/2025 - 30/04/2026 |
Publications
| Year | Publication | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Navigating Intrapreneurship in Academia, AMPS Education: Exploring Academia. David Crighton; Will Shepherd |
Conference Publication |
| 2024 | Creating reluctant academic intrapreneurs? A literature review, Transformative Enterprise Research Group [DOI] David Crighton; William Shepherd |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
| 2023 | Surviving in the Toxic University, Biennial Conference, Education and Ethics, University of Warsaw. David Crighton |
Conference Publication |
| 2023 | Lobbying our capabilities, SEPD Research Conference, University of Huddersfield. David Crighton |
Conference Publication |
| 2023 | Academic sheep dipping and other quandries, WISERD Annual Conference 2023, Bangor University. David Crighton |
Conference Publication |
| 2023 | Lifelong Learning- From Evidence to Action: Being an Evidence-Informed Practitioner', AnManCon. David Crighton;Kelly Smith |
Conference Publication |
| 2023 | Welcome to Warsaw, Working Class Academic Conference - Website. David Crighton |
Other Publication |
| 2023 | Working in the neoliberal university, Collaborative Research Network - Wales. David Crighton |
Other Publication |
| 2019 | Augmented Reality, Prism: Casting new light on education. David Crighton;William Shepperd;Lee Fishwick;Sean Starkie |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| Glyndwr University | Senior Lecturer | 2021 |
| Blackburn College | Lecturer | 2018 - 2021 |
| Bradford College, England | Lecturer | 2010 - 2018 |
Education
| Institution | Qualification | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| University of Huddersfield | Doctorate in Education | 2016 - 2023 |
| Teesside University | MA in Education | 2013 - 2014 |
| Leeds Beckett University | Post Graduate Diploma in Education and Training | 2011 - 2012 |
| Leeds Trinity University | Media with Management | 2001 - 2004 |
Programs/ Modules Coordinated
| Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Teaching and Training | EDS422 |