Year of graduation: 2017
Supervisors: Prof Suzanne Graham & Mrs Barbara King
Research focus: My EdD thesis explored the place of culture in Modern Languages education in England, and whether a taught intervention, following a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach and presenting content through the lens of French culture, could increase learners’ intercultural understanding.
Reasons for choosing to do the EdD degree at the University of Reading: I chose the EdD route to fit around my commitments at the time. (I was still teaching full time and my son was very young) I was also interested in the value of action research and in exploring approaches that enable teacher agency over curriculum design and content. I chose to study for my EdD at the University of Reading because of the reputation of its staff and their research expertise related to language education, and I also valued the structure of the course – which was tailored to the needs of working students while still enabling us to engage with academic work and to collaborate with peers.
Career since graduation: I am Assistant Professor in Education and Digital Lead for the Initial Teacher Education Directorate at the University of Nottingham, supporting and developing the next generation of teachers and educators locally and internationally. I also lead the Schools and Society programme on the PGCE course, which focuses on professional values and skills in teaching.