Michaela Schriek

Background

Michaela is an experienced Leadership and Management lecturer, approved by the ILM, and a qualified QCF and VRQ assessor. She currently serves as Programme Manager for the CertHE in Leadership and Management—an innovative qualification, dual-certified by both ILM and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD)—as well as the BA in Applied Leadership and Management.

With over 20 years of teaching experience across college and university environments, Michaela brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and a deep commitment to education. She is dedicated to expanding access to education, particularly through outreach initiative that brings learning into communities. Michaela is particularly passionate about supporting mature students, combining academic excellence with a strong focus on pastoral care to ensure all learners are empowered to reach their full potential.

Specialist Subjects

Continuous Professional Development
Professional Practice
Academic and Research Skills
Management Communication
Motivation
Conflict Management
Enterprise and Intrapreneurship
Problem solving and Decision making

Professional and/or Research Experience

Michaela is an experienced researcher in the field of positive psychology, with a particular interest in how it shapes the experiences of mature students in and of higher education. Her research explores the role of positive learning environments in promoting academic engagement and success, and enhancing student wellbeing.

She investigates how elements such as humour, emotional support, and playfulness contribute to more effective learning outcomes for adult learners. Michaela's work integrates theory and practice, offering valuable insights into how higher education institutions can better support non-traditional students through fun, engaging, and stress-reducing approaches to teaching.

Qualifications

MSc Leadership and Management
ILM Level 7 Diploma in Leadership and Management
Internal Verifier Qualification Level 4
Assessor Qualification Level 4
ILM Level 5 Certificate in Management
BA (Hons) in Enterprise

Languages Spoken

English, Croatian, Serbian

Professional Membership or Roles

Senior Fellow of the HEA; SFHEA

Learning Enhancement and Advancement Programme (LEAP) Fellow

Fellow of the Institute of Leadership; FIoL

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; FRSA

Academic Teaching

Link to Orcid Profile

ORCID Research profile

Professional Publications

Schriek, M. (2024). The effects of humour on mature students’ experience of/in higher education. The European Journal of Humour Research, 12(4), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr.2024.12.4.951
Maund, A., Schriek, M., Tinkler, P., (2017) Certificate in Higher Education Skills for the Workplace Student Yearbook, Sage