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Dr Ruth Aman Dr Ruth Aman
Email Dr Ruth Aman Senior Lecturer (Education) in Education
Ruth has taught English in secondary schools in England and in the USA for over ten years. She has also taught English to further education students and undergraduate students in the USA. Ruth has taught in teacher education at Columbia university and now at Brunel university. Socratic seminar, dialogic learning, post-16 education. Secondary English PGCE.
Dr Andrew Green Dr Andrew Green
Email Dr Andrew Green Senior Lecturer in Education
Andrew Green taught English in a variety of schools in Oxfordshire and London before becoming Head of English at Ewell Castle School, Surrey. He now leads the BA Education at Brunel University London. His research interests include literary education, the teaching of English post-16 and issues surrounding the transition between the study of English post-16 and at university. Career History Presentations Green, A. (2015) Approaches to Developing critical reading. School of Advanced Study, University of London. Green, A. (2014) School Direct: Ideology and Impact. The Battle for Teacher Education: an international conference. University of Bergen, Norway. Green, A. (2012) Enhancing the Quality of Independent Study in Higher Education. Learning in Higher Education Symposium. University of Akureyri, Iceland. Green, A. (2012) Reimagining Poetry. Creative Approaches to Poetry Teaching. Brunel University. Green, A. (2011) The Use of Audience Response Systems in the English Classroom. NATE Conference. British Library. Green, A. (2011) Elements of Gothic: Wuthering Heights and Macbeth. Sutton Grammar School. Green, A. (2011) The Poetry of Philip Larkin. Dulwich College. Green, A. (2011) The Edmonds Lecture: English Pastoral and modern verse. Wellington College. Green, A. (2010) Wuthering Heights. Slough Grammar School Green, A. (2010) From Sixth Form to University: Supporting transition into Higher Education. 11th Symposium on Learning & Teaching. Brunel University. Green, A. (2010) Students’ experience of Creative Writing at A level. NATE Conference. Leicester. Green, A. (2009) The Poetry of William Blake. Slough Grammar School Green, A. (2008) Gothic Literature. Wellington College. Green, A. (2008) The Problems of Independent Study. Launch event of Pedagogy. Higher Education Academy English Subject Centre. Green, A. (2008) Creative Writing and A level English Literature. Creative Writing and How to Teach It. Brunel University. Green, A. (2007) The Poetry of William Blake. Wellington College. Green, A. (2007) Use of Directed Activities Related to Texts in higher education. Renewals Conference. Royal Holloway University of London. Green, A. (2006) Developing undergraduate reading skills. Languages, Linguistics and area Studies Conference. London. Green, A. (2005) Managing change between school and university. Higher Education Academy National Subject Centre Conference. Nottingham. Book reviews Starting an English Literature Degree 'This unusual, detailed, and thought-provoking book will help students of English Literature come to grips with their studies and take a share of responsibility for their own learning. It thus has the potential to make a major impact on the way English is studied.' - Professor Ben Knights, Director, English Subject Centre 'I liked this book a lot - It covered a vast amount, ranging from applications and interviews, Preparatory exercises, through its materials that will prove useful when a student starts their course. Great sections on suggestions for group activities that instructors may find useful.' - Matthew Woodcock, University of East Anglia. Becoming a Reflective English Teacher This timely and valuable textbook will be of enormous help to students and trainee teachers on a variety of courses and routes into the English teaching professio0n. Its crucial emphasis on the importance of theory and reflection as well as on practice represents a considered and powerful riposte to prevailing reductive approaches to English teaching in our schools. I will certainly be recommending it to my students. (Dr Andrey Rosowsky, Director of Initial Teacher Education, University of Sheffield) Research group(s) Pedagogy and Professional Education (PAPE) Module Leader on BA Education for ED1065 Module Leader on BA Education for ED2350 Module Leader on BA Education for ED2606 Module Leader on BA Education for ED3705
Dr Deborah Jones Dr Deborah Jones
Email Dr Deborah Jones Reader in Education
Deborah is Reader in Education in the School of Sport and Education at Brunel University. Having gained a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Wales, she went on to complete a PGCE in Urban studies at the college of St Mark & St John, Plymouth. Subsequently she undertook several roles within schools (both teaching and management) and was part of an EAL team. She fuelled her interest in the teaching and learning of literacy by undertaking an MA in Linguistics in Education. She then joined the Inspectorate and Advisory service for a London borough where she headed up the national LINC (Language in the National Curriculum) project. Following this she coordinated National Curriculum assessment for a Local Authority, developing policy and leading INSET for teachers and headteachers. During this time she undertook consultancy for several universities and became an assessor for the NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). Throughout her time at Brunel University she has undertaken a range of management and leadership roles including Equality Champion for the University and Director of Teaching and Learning within the Department. She has run the Doctor of Education programme and also established the BA programme in Hong Kong for teachers. Her doctorate focussed on gender in relation to the perceptions and experiences of male students within the early years of schooling. Subsequently research has explored the lived experiences of both female and male teachers and headteachers in the primary sector. She has a keen interest in oracy in education and was co-investigator on the ‘Enhancing Mathematical Learning through Talk’ project which explored subject knowledge and teaching expertise of KS1 teachers, through the collaborative study of spoken language and talk-in-interaction. More recently she has undertaken United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) funded research into the nature of interaction between teachers and children in KS2 and the development of high quality dialogue within feedback exchanges. Deborah is European Editor for the international journal Early Child Development and Care and has served on the National Primary Commitee for the National Association of Teachers of English (NATE). As a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), British Educational Research Association (BERA) and NAEYCTE she has given multiple research presentations in the UK and abroad. Subsequent work has taken a phenomenological approach and explored the lived experiences of male and female head teachers. This research explores issues connected with men in a variety of care and educational roles with respect to young children. Her book ‘Men in the Lives of Young Children’ published by Routledge, contextualised this work, drawing upon her network of international contributors. Her current research focus is on the narratives of British Asian headteachers. Additionally, Deborah has undertaken research and evaluation for both charities and industry which have investigated the interface between policy and practice. Among these have been 2 national British Telecom schools literacy projects. The first focussed on ‘Reading Volunteers’ and explored the quality and level of interaction of BT volunteers with teachers, headteachers, children and the wider school community. The second, ‘Partners in Communication’ was an innovative quality development scheme which aimed to enable both primary and secondary schools to improve their approach to communication in relation to pupils, staff, governors, parents and external bodies. These projects have provided innovative national models of support and practice. Deborah is European Editor for the Journal Early Child Development and Care and is a regular reviewer for a variety of academic journals. She currently has 8 PhD students at various stages of their work and has examined doctoral work externally at a number of universities. She has a consistent track record of presenting her work at international conferences including the American Education research Association (AERA), the British Education Research Association (BERA), the the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) and INET. Research group(s) Pedagogy and Professional Education (PAPE) Deborah has taken a feminist poststructuralist approach to research and enquiry. She is concerned with ways of exploring the production of professional teacher identities both at the initial stage of formation, and also in relation to primary headship. Key areas of research have involved the perceptions and experiences of male teachers in the early years of schooling and the perceptions of female teachers who have worked with men in this context. Deborah’s career trajectory spans from the teaching of children to the teaching of adults but her philosophy of teaching & learning has remained the same. She is committed to a social constructivist approach where both children and adults are enabled to become independent in educational contexts, to become reflective on what and how they understand and where ultimately, they become empowered as learners. She has a keen interest in the teaching of literacy- specifically oracy and metacognition, exploring this in her books ‘Unlocking Speaking and Listening’ and ‘Metacognitive Approaches to Developing Oracy’. Additionally she has been Chief External Examiner at several universities with special reference to English. Deborah has a wide experience of teaching, management and leadership both at course team level and across the School of Sport and Education. She has been programme leader for the BA (QTS), the BEd in Hong Kong and currently leads the Doctor of Education programme within the School of Education at Brunel. She has been Director of Teaching and Learning for the School and led the PGCE Primary Course through several successful Ofsted inspections. Deborah has undertaken several roles within the institution through membership of the University Teaching and Learning Committee, Disciplinary Board and Senate. She was part of the University’s strategic plan Development Group and ran consultation workshops in relation to this. In addition she led a university wide working group auditing provision for CPD culminating in a new vision for its development. As Equality and Diversity Champion for the University she undertook a wide range of duties promoting equality within and beyond Brunel’s rich and diverse community.
Dr Paula Zwozdiak-Myers Dr Paula Zwozdiak-Myers
Email Dr Paula Zwozdiak-Myers Reader in Education
Paula is a Reader in Education and Director of Postgraduate Researchers (PGR) within the Department of Education at Brunel University London. Previous roles include Director of the Doctor of Education (EdD) programme, Course Director for Secondary Initial Teacher Education (UG and PGCE), Programme lead for an MA in Teaching programme designed for early career professionals, Specialist pathway lead in Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion for the MA in Education programme and Senior Tutor. She has been an active member of the National Advisory Group for Initial Teacher Training [ITT], convened by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), formerly the Teacher Training and Development Agency [TDA] for England and now the Department for Education (DfE), and Chair of the London South East 1 regional network for ITT providers. These forums provide a platform for all providers of ITT, offering diverse routes into teaching, to work with government agencies in shaping the direction of future educational policy and practice. Paula was a member of the Steering and Strategic Management Groups for the Thames Valley Schools Partnership (TVSP), an organisation that evolved through the collaborative work and shared vision between Buckinghamshire County Council and Brunel University, to secure the license awarded by the NCTL to deliver Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the National Professional Qualification of Headship [NPQH]. She has chaired the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers’ (UCET) CPD committee and was a member of the Secondary Education committee. These forums were pivotal in bringing benefit to the university by ensuring ITE and Masters’ provision were informed by national priorities, research-led teaching and policy reform. Paula has supported five other HEIs through her quality assurance roles as: (i) Chief External Examiner for the Teach First primary and secondary ITE programmes [Institute of Education, University College London]; (ii) External Examiner for the Postgraduate Professional Development Programme [Manchester Metropolitan University]; and (iii) Moderator on a University of Surrey validated PhD programme at St Mary’s University.She has supported two other HEI’s (Oxford Brookes and University of Bath) as external examiner for their Professional Doctorate programmes. As a thesis supervisor for PhD/EdD doctoral researchers she has 9 successful completions; has externally examined 9 theses for other HEIs and 5 as an internal examiner for Brunel University. In brief, Paula is an experienced teacher, teacher educator, course director, programme leader, curriculum designer, researcher, internal and external examiner and writer of educational materials. Her eclectic research interests span UG through PGR provision as reflected in the range of projects undertaken and subsequent publications. Paula’s main research interest is to create Learning Pathways, which capture Reflective Practice for Professional Development in student, early career and experienced teachers within her innovative framework designed to structure evidence informed practice. Other research interests include: Models of effective Partnership working in ITE; Mentor training, support and accreditation; Removing barriers to achievement; Interpersonal relationships and Communication skills; Management and Leadership skills; Continuing Professional Development; Links between ICT Advanced Skills Teachers’ [AST] and ITE as well as harnessing the use of new technologies and resources to scaffold and accelerate learning. Ethics in relation to educational research is also an area of great personal interest particularly within the context of close-to-practice research. Conference/keynote presentations include the following: 2024 – ‘An ethical framework to capture the processes of moral reasoning’, Global Lives Research Centre: Brunel University London – 4th July 2023 - Zwozdiak-Myers, P. & Buresova, P. ‘Thriving together: nurturing supportive and effective supervisory relationships’, University of Northampton Graduate School, 9th June: Northampton. 2022 - Zwozdiak-Myers, P., Ineson, G., Ramkalawan, T. & Buresova, P. ‘Doctoral Researchers’ Perceptions of Supervisory Relationships on their Mental Health and Well-being’, United Kingdom Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) 3rd International Conference on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Postgraduate Researchers – 3rd/4th November, Jury’s Inn: Brighton. 2022 - Zwozdiak-Myers, P. & Ineson, G. ‘The impact of mature researchers’ lived experiences on progress and development during, and beyond the global pandemic’ Researcher Education and Development Scholarship (REDS) 8th International Conference online event – 12th October. 2020 – Reflective Practice for Professional Development in Teacher Education – Universidado do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Campus V, Brazil - 2018 – Becoming an Extended Professional through Reflective Practice, Chartered College of Teachers: Rathfern Research Network Hub, 15 November, Rathfern Primary School, Catford, London. 2018 – Chair and Welcome Address for ‘Raising Standards and Attainment Through Evidence Informed Teaching’, Inside Government Interactive Forums and Conferences, 12 June, Hatton Garden Venues, London. 2018 Cultivating Positive Habits of Mind TEACH Brunel: Learning and Teaching Symposium, 18 April, Eastern Gateway, Brunel University London. 2017 Writing, using and evaluating lesson plans, UCET Annual Conference, Stratford upon Avon, 7-9 November. 2017 Reflective Practice for Professional Development, Keynote speaker at Professional Coordinating Mentors Conference based on the National CPD Standards, 5th July at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and, 6th July at Brunel University London. 2015 Viewing Reflective Practice through a Multi-dimensional lens, Keynote speaker at the Annual Education Conference based on the Respect for All Framework, 15th May, Paradise Bay Hotel: Melliela, Malta: Ministry of Education. 2012 Situating the capacity to ‘Maximise the learning potential of all students’ within a multidimensional framework of reflective practice, 2nd Biennial Conference of the World Federation of Teacher Education [WFATE], Educating all the Worlds Children: Challenges and Strategies for Teacher Development, Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, 7-9 November. 2012 Reflective Practice for Professional Development in Teacher Education: capturing evidence-informed practice, 37th Annual Conference of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe [ATEE], Teacher Education Policies and Professionalisation, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey, 25-29 August. 2010 Reflective Practice for Professional Development in Teacher Education, UCET Annual Conference, Hinckley Island, Leicestershire, 11-13 November. 2010 Effective Partnership Working, Professional Coordinating Mentor [PCM] Annual Conference, June 23, South West London Education Consortium [SWELTEC], London: Kingston University. 2010 Reflective Practice for Professional Development: a framework for structuring evidence informed practice, 16th International Reflective Practice Conference, June 23-25, Putteridge Bury, University of Bedfordshire. 2009 Reflective Practice for professional development: a framework to guide student teachers within the context of action research, May 27-29, Besancon, France: AIESEP 2009 Reflective Practice for Professional Development: questioning personal theories and beliefs, 10th Annual Learning and Teaching Symposium, April 23-24, Learning and Teaching Development Unit, Uxbridge: Brunel University. 2007 Every Child Matters, Occasional conference for Multi professionals working with children and young people, May 1, Bedford: University of Bedfordshire. Paula has steered a large-scale research study across five counties in England to investigate how continuity and progression from primary to secondary school is facilitated, and contributed toward the publication of research outcomes to national and European audiences. She has worked with colleagues from 7 other HEIs to investigate the knowledge, skills and understanding of trainees, mentors and tutors in relation to Lesson planning. The second edition of her book entitled The Teacher’s Reflective Practice Handbook: Becoming an extended professional through enacting evidence-informed practice consolidates much of the work generated from her own PhD research. More recent research initiatives have focused on the experiences of doctoral researchers across five specific domains: personal goals and expectations; course tutors and supervisory teams; professional development; research culture; health and wellbeing