Lada Smirnova

Lada Smirnova

Profile

I joined the university in 2021. Prior to working at Leeds, I worked as a Director of Studies in a private language centre in Moscow, Senior Academic English Teacher in two universities: Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, and in Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, and as a Deputy Director of MA in Digital Transformation in Education in HSE University, where I developed the MA programme and launched it. 

I have experience in designing modules for a range of BA and MA programmes, where I also have taught Instructional Design units for students of various departments in HSE University. One of my primary research interests is sustainable teacher development in integrating digital technology and well-being. I have published several articles in this area, and a book in collaboration with Peter Lang, an outcome of a 4 year study I conducted with experienced language teachers from two EdTech leading Moscow universities. 

Research interests

My research interests:

  1. AI chatbots influence on student academic writing.
  2. The impacts of AI chatbots on student-teacher relationships in ELT.
  3. Using narrative methodology to explore teacher experience in using technology for EAP.
  4. Sociocultural research for teacher education, training, and development.

Recent Publications

Books

  • Smirnova L. (2021). Exploring perezhivanie: a new tool for teacher development in the digital transformation in education. Peter Lang: Оxford.
  • Smirnova, L. (2019). Integrating technology 
into the university language classroom: a study of complexities and perezhivanie in teachers’ experience. (Unpublished PhD thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education). The University of Manchester.

Edited book

  • Smirnova L. (2022). (Ed.) Using Activity Theory in the Digital Transformation in Education. Uright: Moscow. In Russian.

Book Chapters

  • Smirnova L., Rasskazova T. (2024). The development of a reflective language teacher in Russia: from an apprenticeship to a dialogical partnership. In Cirocki A., Gao A., Wyatt M. (Eds) Developing Reflective ELT Practitioners through Teacher Education: Insights from Asian Contexts. Springer. in press.
  • Smirnova L. (2022). Theorizing the digital change in education. In Smirnova L. (Ed.). Using Activity Theory in the Digital Transformation in Education. Uright: Moscow, pp. 12–32. In Russian.
  • Smirnova L. (2021). Designing individual learning paths in Moodle. In Saphonov A.A., Chastova P.A., Kokaya E.T., Matys O.I. (Eds) Digital education: Methods, Practices, and Tools. A collection of webinars, talks, and research. Uright, Moscow, issue 4, pp. 24–25. In Russian.
  • Smirnova L. (2020). Davydov’s Activity Approach for developing a MA in Digital Transformation in Education. In The School of Davydov: traditions and Innovations. FGBOY VOMGPPU: Moscow. pp. 250-252. In Russian.
  • Smirnova, L. (2016). Language teacher development in integrating technology: mind the gap. 3rd international Conference on ESP/EAP/EMI in the context of Higher Education Internationalization. National University of Science and Technology ‘MISIS’, Russia, November 25, 2016, Proceedings. In Conference proceedings, MISIS. p. 70.

Journal Articles

  • Smirnova L. (2023).Teachers’ motives, agency and Vygotsky’s notion of perezhivanie. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL. 12 (1), 173–189.
  • Smirnova L. (2020). Two forms of perezhivanie that work: integrating technology into a Russian university language classroom. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL. 9 (2), 65–82.
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD in Education, University of Manchester
  • MA in Educational Technology and TESOL, University of Manchester
  • DELTA, University of Cambridge
  • CELTA, University of Cambridge
  • Specialist Diploma in Programming, National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI)

Professional memberships

  • ISCAR
  • BALEAP
  • Mind, Culture and Activity (xMCA) group
  • BAAL

Research groups and institutes

  • Language Centre