Dr Margaret Leighton
Dr Margaret Leighton is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics and Finance at St Andrews. She joined the department as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in 2015, after completing a PhD and an MSc in Economics from the Toulouse School of Economics in France. She holds a BA in Economics, with minor in Environmental Studies, from Mount Allison University in Canada.
Dr Leighton is an applied microeconomist with a particular interest in education economics, as well as labour economics and development economics.
At the School of Economics and Finance, Dr Leighton has taught EC1002 Introductory Microeconomics, EC4425 Impact Evaluation in Econometrics, EC4419 Development Economics, EC4403 Health and Education Economics and EC4510 Economic Policy. She has also developed and lead an interdisciplinary MSc in International Development Practice, which has been offered through the Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Studies since 2018. As part of that course, she has taught on GD5201 International Development Studies and GD5202 Working in International Development.
Contact information
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: +44 (0)1334 462442
- Twitter: @maleighton
Research links
Publications and Working Papers
- “Fostering Early Childhood Development in Low-Resource Communities: Evidence from a Group-Based Parenting Intervention in Tanzania” (with A. Martine & J. Massaga), University of St Andrews School of Economics and Finance Discussion Paper 2204 (April 2022).
- “Mother Tongue Reading Materials as a Bridge to Literacy,” University of St Andrews School of Economics and Finance Discussion Paper 2101 (June 2021).
- “Labor Market Returns to College Major Specificity” (with J.D. Speer), European Economic Review 108:103489 (September 2020).
- “Unpaid Work and Access to Science Professions” (with A.M.V. Fournier, A.J. Holford, and A.L. Bond), PLoS ONE 14(6):e0217032 (June 2019).
- “Social Promotion in Primary School: Effects on Grade Progression” (with P. Souza and S. Straub), Brazilian Review of Econometrics 39(1):1-33 (June 2019).