Professor Carol Davenport

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.

• 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

• 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

• Physics PhD June 30 1995
• Fellow Institute of Physics (IOP) 2017
• Member Association of Science Education (ASE) 2014