Justin McGirr is a Teacher Associate at the Centre for Teaching Excellence. He also works as a GTCS‑registered teacher of Business Education in a secondary school in north‑east Scotland. Justin completed a BA (Hons) in Management at Abertay University before undertaking a PGDE at the University of Glasgow, where he later returned to complete a Master of Education in Professional Practice and Decision Making.

He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Dundee, completing a Professional Doctorate in Education with a focus on professional learning during Scotland’s Teacher Induction Scheme. His research interests include early‑career teacher development, professional learning cultures, and the structures and systems that support teacher growth.

Before moving into secondary teaching, Justin worked in enterprise education and start‑up support across further and higher education. He has taught business and administration subjects as a lecturer in the further education sector and has worked at international summer schools based at Yale University and the University of Cambridge, delivering accelerated programmes in business and entrepreneurship. Justin has also served as a Partner Tutor at the University of Dundee, supporting aspects of the Master of Education programme.

Justin’s research pathway began with his Master’s studies, where he explored the use and accessibility of technology in education, assessing related teacher professional learning needs. His doctoral research extends this focus by investigating teacher professional learning during induction, with particular attention to the lived experiences that shape provisionally registered teacher's development. He is also interested in teacher professional enquiry as a tool for professional development and school improvement, alongside wider interests in career‑long professional learning and leadership development.