Tara Goddard

I am a Senior Teaching Fellow in Marketing and Director of Undergraduate Marketing Courses. In addition to teaching I am engaged in curriculum development. I also regularly represent the Marketing subject area at University Open Days.

Before joining the staff at Portsmouth I studied and tutored at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where I completed my PhD on the theme of social media engagement.

I also taught at the University of the West Indies in Barbados, during which time my analysis of student feedback on the university’s marketing program was published in The Caribbean Teacher Scholar.

In addition to my higher education experience in the UK, I have a variety of business experience gained in the Caribbean.

I am passionate about teaching. I use blended learning methods to develop my students’ skills for success. My teaching is grounded in business experience, utilising my professional skills in teaching and assessment plus my track record of marketing consultancy to product- and service-based organisations. My methods have been described by students as “excellent and exciting.” 

For the academic year 2017/18, I won the Faculty of Business and Law’s ‘Best Newcomer’ award for my enthusiasm, links to certifications in the Digital Marketing module, the use of our Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) room, and the applied and highly relevant material delivered in my modules.

When I am not teaching or studying, I take a keen interest in music: in particular, developing my singing skills.

I joined the University as a Teaching Fellow in Digital Marketing in 2016, becoming Senior Teaching Fellow in 2018 and Director of Undergraduate Marketing Courses in 2019.

Before coming to Portsmouth, I was a doctoral researcher and tutor at the University of Strathclyde, completing my PhD (‘An investigation of antecedents to social media engagement behaviour’) in 2019. I had previously gained a Master’s in international marketing and the Postgraduate Certificate, Research Methodology in Business and Management at Strathclyde.

I gained my first degree in accounting, and the Postgraduate Diploma in University Teaching and Learning, at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus in Barbados. This was where I began my higher education teaching career as a part-time lecturer and teaching assistant from 2009 to 2013. One project I especially enjoyed during this time was guiding my students in their design of a marketing campaign for the Barbados Heart & Stroke Foundation for the purpose of entering a contest to win the opportunity to implement their proposals.

In Barbados I also gained marketing experience in business in the banking sector, in agencies and in event management. I also worked in administration at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology.

I am interested in the relationship between marketing and society, especially customer engagement, social media engagement behaviours and the role of personality. I am working on a number of projects in connection with these areas.

At the 47th Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy in 2018 at the University of Strathclyde, I gave a presentation with colleagues on ‘Exploring the Antecedents to the Online Customer Engagement Behaviours; Sharing, Learning & Endorsing’.

I coordinate the Digital Marketing and Creative Communications modules and I teach on the Marketing Principles and Practice module. I have taught a number of marketing subjects at Level 5 during my time at the University.

I always make my classes very hands-on sessions so that my students are able to apply their learning.