My Role
Senior Lecturer (Education Focus) in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience here at the University of St. Andrews.
I currently teach, as well as being Module Controller, for PN1901, PN2901, PN3031/PN5231(Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology), and am Programme Director for our Lifelong Learning modules. As well as teaching the Masters level SS5104 Quantitative Methods for Social Scientists (32 PhD and Masters students) I have twenty-four Masters students that attend my module PN5231, 5 undergraduate project students and three Master’s project students. My M.Sc. by Research student successfully completed Dec., 2019.
Recent and current Administrative and Teaching duties:
Scottish Universities Participant Pool website (2020-2026) – I set this up in collaboration with the British Psychological Society and Universities across Scotland during the COVID period to allow a diverse population of participants and experimenters to run their studies.
Graduating Class Yearbook coordinator (2020- 2025)
Enhancement Theme team member(2017-2020)
Senate Efficiency Review member (2016/17)
External Relations Officer (2017-)
Evening Degree Controller (2014-)
M.Sc. Conversion Course Controller (2013)
Advisor of Studies, Science (2011 – current)
Second Year Course Controller (2011-2019)
Deputy Director of Teaching (2004 – 2006)
First Year Course Controller (2004-2011)
Long standing School and University Commitments
Member of the University Interview Panel for Admissions to Gateway and FE/HE pathway students (2020- current)
School WebCT Advisor (2002 – 2009)
Reading Party Organiser (1999, 2001, 2004-2010, 2012-2026)
School visits co-ordination and Visiting Day presentations (2001 – current)
School Mentoring Scheme Founder and Co-ordinator (1999 – 2009; 2017-2019)
Staff Council (1992-current)
Staff-Student Consultative Committee (1993 -current)
Learning and Teaching Support Network contact (1992-2003) and then Higher Education Academy Liaison (2003-2018)
Outreach, Public Engagement and Widening Participation activities
Science Fiction: Make Believe Essay Competition in association with the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2015- current)
Psychology “Space” School Organiser (2008 – 2017)
British Science Week Open Day Organiser (St. Andrews), 2000 – 2017
Sutton Trust Summer School Organiser (2002 – current)
LiftOff2Success Residential School (St. Andrews), (2011- current)
REACH, ARC & First Chances contributor (2012 – current)
“Love and Affection” Edinburgh Fringe, Bright Club (2015)
“The Science of Attraction” Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh (2014)
Public Lecture Series Organiser:
Professor Sophie Scott (UCL) “The Science of Laughter” Buchanan Lecture Theatre (2016)
Dr Ben Sessa “Psychedelics in the treatment of Mental Illness” Byre Theatre (2016)
Professor Richard Wiseman (University of Hertfordshire) “Mind Magic” Younger Hall (2015)
Professor Richard Dawkins and Ms. Lala Ward “The Ancestor’s Tale”, Younger Hall (2015)
Grants/Awards:
Gardner, P.L. and Harris, C. (2024) Educating Greta: Embedding SD into Psychology Teaching. £483 Internship from StARIS.
Donaldson, DI., Murdoch, L. and Gardner, P.L. (2021-22) Audio feedback on student assessments £500 internship from Enhancement Theme Funding
Smith, A., Chappel, P. and Gardner, P.L. (2021-22) A review of Extension Request Policies in Scottish HE £500 internship from Enhancement Theme Funding
Gardner, P.L. and Rodriguez, A.R.F. (2020-2021) Note-taking strategies in the blended environment in Brazil . Laidlaw Scholarship.
Gardner P.L. and Nguyen, I. (2020-2021) Note-taking strategies in the blended environment £400 for student internship from School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Gardner P.L. (2018) Development of an Evaluation Toolkit £1731 from St Andrews Teaching Development/Enhancement Theme Fund
Gardner P.L. (2017-2018) An Evaluation of the Readiness for Learning approach in Clackmannanshire schools. £30000 from Clackmannanshire Council, Raising Attainment Funding (Scottish Government)
Gardner P.L. (2017) An Evaluation of the Neurosequential Model of Education in Clackmannanshire schools. £8000 from Clackmannanshire Council Raising Attainment Funding (Scottish Government)
Doherty, G., Ellis, M. & Gardner P.L. (2017) The Big Brain Box Project £3,500 Institutional Strategic Science Funding (Wellcome)
Gardner P.L. and Miles, P.J. (2015) Feedback, Grades, or Feedback plus Grades influences on subsequent performance £531 from St Andrews Teaching Development Fund
Gardner P.L. (2015) Digital note-taking versus Longhand note-taking on assessment performance £531 from St Andrews Teaching Development Fund
Gardner, P.L. (2012) National Science Festival. £500. British Science Association
Gardner, P.L. (2012) National Science and Engineering Week. £300. University of St Andrews
Gardner, P.L. et al., (2010) £21,485. A consortium bid with Dundee Science Centre,Adam Smith College, Carnegie College, GeoHeritage Fife, and awarded by Fife Council. A further £10K was attracted by Fife Council from from the Scottish Government Science Engagement Grant scheme and another £7K from Community Grants. This funded the Fife Science Festival 2010-2011.
Gardner, P.L., et al.,. (2009) £11,700. SusTrans (Scotland)
Gardner, P.L. (2009) Darwin 200 Roadshow. £8000, Scottish Government, Science Engagement Grant.
Gardner, P.L. et al., (2009) £1000, School Liaison, University of St. Andrews. To support Darwin Roadshow.
Gardner, P.L. et al., (2009) £2000, School of Psychology, University of St. Andrews. To support Darwin Roadshow.
ESRC Grant (2009-2011) for £1,343,164.53 to develop an “Advanced Quantitative Methods Network” in Scotland
Principal Investigator: Professor Susan McVie University of Edinburgh.
Co-investgators: Professor L. Paterson, Dr A. Thompson, Dr C. Iannelli , Dr A. Glendinning,
Prof. V. Gayle, Mr P. Gardner, Dr M. Shephard, Dr S. Tagg , Dr R Raeside, Professor G. Pryce, Dr G. Hay, Dr A. Geddes.
Gardner, P.L. (2009) Fife Science Festival £370. British Science Association.
Gardner, P.L. (2008) Darwin Day. £280. British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Pre-2005 I have a range of small grants from the University’s Strategic Enhancement of Learning Fund (SELF) and the Funding Initiatives in Learning Teaching and Assessment (FILTA) covering ‘Communication Skills for Medical Students’, ‘Psychology Mentoring Scheme’, ‘Critical Reasoning’, ‘Personal Development Planning’, ‘Peer Assessment’, ‘Professional Skills for Psychology Students’.
External Contribution:
External Examiner for M.Sc. Psychology (Conversion), Durham University (2026 – )
External Reviewer for proposed M.Sc. Psychology (Conversion), Durham University (2025)
External Examiner, University of the Highlands and Islands (2022- 2026)
External Examiner, Glasgow University, Continuing Education degree programme (2015 – 2019)
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Trauma Informed Practice Training Needs Assessment Final report and supporting action plan Trauma Informed Practice Training Needs Assessment with RocketScienceLab (2018)
Fife Science Festival (2009) St. Andrews Co-ordinator
Transitions Access Project (2008 – 2018) Scottish Wider Access Partnership
BPS Undergraduate Conference (Scotland, 2006 and 2021) – Organiser.
ELT Orientation Week Guest Speaker (2002 – 2014)
The School to University Transition in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Sept. 2004
Esteem Measures:
Keynote speaker: British Psychological Society Postgraduate Conference 2025
Laidlaw Scholars programme guest speaker (2022- current)
Invited speaker at the Public Engagement with Research Conference, University of St. Andrews (2018 and 2019)
Invited speaker at the British Psychological Society Flagship Christmas Lectures (Watford
Colosseum, (2011)
Invitation to speak at the British Psychological Society Flagship Christmas Lectures (Kensington,
2010)
Invited speaker at the British Psychological Society Flagship Edinburgh Lectures (Dynamic Earth,
2009)
Certificate of Recognition (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) The European DANA Alliance for the Brain
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2009- )
Award for Outstanding Conference Presentations, Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2004) presented by Professor Richard Gregory, FRS.
Chairperson of British Science Association, St. Andrews Branch (2004 – 2015).
Regular reviewer of books and book proposals for Pearson’s Publishing, Wiley Publishing, and
Sage Publishing (2000 – current).
Community and Collegiality
“Hurdling for Beginners” – introductory talk for all Gateway/Pathway students entering the University (2025)
A birthday email to every Psychology and Neuroscience undergraduate (September 2020 – current)
Halloween Flashmob in St. Mary’s Quad (2022, 2023, 2024)
P(icnic) in the Park (2021-Current) – a welcome event for all undergraduates on the Sunday preceding 1st week of Semester 1
Supporting students in their applications to the BPS Scotland Undergraduate conference (2019- current)
Introduction to Assessment and Feedback (Science) for postgraduate students who wish to teach (2016-2019)
Transitions Access Project (2008 – 2018) Scottish Wider Access Partnership
ELT Orientation Week Guest Speaker (2002 – 2014)
50 Years of Psychology in St. Andrews Reunion Event (2019)
The Open Association (2016) – The psychology of everyday life (5 lecture course)
Fife Science Festival (2009) St. Andrews Co-ordinator
The Open Association (2007) – The psychology of everyday life (One-day workshop)
The Open Association (2006) – The psychology of everyday life (One-day workshop)
School of Psychology Reunion (2005)
Other Conference Presentations:
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2012). Lecture
1: There is more to seeing than meets the eye.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2011). Lecture
1: Love and Attraction. Lecture 2: To see or not to see, that is perception.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2010).
Lecture 1: Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?. Lecture 2: To see or
not to see; that is perception.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2009).
Lecture 1: Attractiveness. Lecture 2: To see or not to see, that is perception.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2008).
Lecture 1: Attractiveness. Lecture 2: To see or not to see, that is perception.
Research Futures Conference (St. Andrews, 2007): Public understanding of science.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2007).
Lecture 1: Love and Attraction. Lecture 2: Perception: there is more to seeing
than meets the eye.
Association of Psychology Teachers in Ireland (2006).
Lecture 1: Memory. Lecture 2: Cognition: Are parrots as clever as A level students.