Exploring female PE teachers’ experiences of teaching boys in secondary school PE
We are currently looking for female PE teachers in UK secondary schools who teach boys in PE to take part in a one-hour online interview. I would be very grateful if you could forward the attached participant information sheet and poster to any eligible teachers within your PE department. The interview will take place online […]
Careers Education in England: Understanding the updated statutory guidance
Join Nicola Hall, Director of Education at The Careers & Enterprise Company, for a national broadcast to follow the release of the updated statutory guidance for careers guidance and access for education and training providers in England. This webinar will provide a high-level overview of the guidance and explore the key developments that will shape […]
Calling early career teachers, senior leaders and mentors!
At the University of Sussex, we are inviting early career teachers (ECTs), and those who support ECTs, to collaborate with us on the co-development of a new intervention aimed at supporting those experiencing work-related stress. We’re seeking those who can share their insights and expertise to help shape an approach that genuinely reflects the needs […]
The relationship between teacher self-efficacy and perceived stress: The moderating role of context and experience
Study title: The relationship between teacher self-efficacy and perceived stress: The moderating role of context and experience. You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before deciding, it is essential to understand why the research is being conducted and what it entails. Please take time to read the following information carefully. Please […]
From the editor
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy), the Open University, UK Over the last three decades, creativity and creative pedagogy have sustained numerous pendulum swings in policy and practice contexts. However, since the publication of UNESCO’s report Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education (ICFE, 2021), I think it is possible to discern […]
Reclaiming purpose: Disciplinary expertise and creative pedagogy as drivers of sustainable teaching
CLARE O’SULLIVAN FCCT, THE PTI, UK Introduction Imagine a Year 8 history class staging a courtroom trial to determine the fate of Anne Boleyn. Students interrogate sources, weigh evidence and argue passionately for opposing verdicts. Engagement is immediate and sustained – not because the activity is a novelty, but because it is rooted in a teacher’s […]
Professional development for creative pedagogies: The Art of Learning as a model for practice and pedagogical renewal
MARIE OTHILIE HUNDEVADT, INLAND COUNTY COUNCIL, NORWAY LAMIS SABRA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATION, UK SZILVIA NÉMETH, T-TUDOK CENTRE FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH INC, HUNGARY This case study will highlight the content, design, implementation and structure of the professional development (PD) of teachers in the context of the flagship ‘Art of Learning’ programme, which was […]
Making it count: Legitimising outdoor learning through school systems and supporting structures
JEN AGER, UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA, UK DR DAVE HARVEY, BANGOR UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction and context Outdoor learning (OL) offers well-documented benefits for motivation, wellbeing and holistic development (Waite et al., 2016). Although national initiatives such as the National Education Nature Park highlight growing commitment, OL remains inconsistently embedded in English schools. The National Curriculum review (DfE, 2025) […]
Rewilding the curriculum: Narrative pedagogy and the English canon as catalysts for creative ecological thinking
ROSS BUCKINGHAM, HEAD OF ENGLISH, SHREWSBURY HOUSE SCHOOL, UK Abstract The imperative to address the climate emergency demands that education shifts beyond factual transmission and towards innovative and imaginative pedagogy. This research presents evidence that demonstrates how narrative pedagogy, anchored in children’s literature and the wider English canon, can cultivate ecological consciousness, creative thinking and ethical […]
From talk to text: A creative pedagogical approach for building scientific literacy in the secondary classroom
ANKITA SENGUPTA, TEACHING AND LEARNING LEAD (RESEARCH) AND TEACHER OF CHEMISTRY, ALLEYN’S SCHOOL, UK Introduction Developing scientific literacy is central to enabling students to articulate conceptual understanding, construct extended explanations and perform effectively in assessments (EEF, 2019). However, the density of disciplinary vocabulary can present challenges for younger secondary students, particularly lower prior attainers (LPA). Within […]
Historic Landscapes: Using landscapes as a disciplinary bridge
DAN PROCTER, HISTORY SUBJECT DEVELOPMENT LEAD, TEACH FIRST, UK STEFAN CARRON, GEOGRAPHY SUBJECT DEVELOPMENT LEAD, TEACH FIRST, UK Landscapes constantly evolve. At times and in places, this evolution is creeping, barely noticeable, a distant memory, whereas in other circumstances, landscapes are shaped by powerful physical and human processes that alter how that place is experienced and imagined, […]
Using a ‘learner–practitioner lens’ to overcome barriers in subject-specific CPD
BETHANY HOWES, SUBJECT DEVELOPMENT LEAD (SCIENCE), TEACH FIRST, UK Introduction Research consistently shows that effective teaching depends not only on strong subject knowledge but also on the ability to represent and communicate that knowledge in ways that make it learnable for pupils – what Lee Shulman (1986) defines as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Consequently, developing teachers’ […]
The place and value of informal learning pedagogy in music education
DR ANNA MARIGUDDI, DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY AND CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY, UK Informal learning pedagogy in school music education is at risk of losing its place within the classroom – but why does that matter? Within this perspective piece, I will explore the underpinning literature surrounding the phenomenon of informal learning pedagogy […]
Using coaching dialogue to support student resilience: A classroom case study
HELEN RIDDLE, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE, UK During a low-stakes assessment, one of my Year 10 history students, Lottie (not her real name), became visibly overwhelmed and was unable to begin. Faced with an extended question, she froze, struggling to identify how to start and needing significant teacher support. While her subject […]
From prefects to partners: Unlocking pupil voice and agency
JAMES LEIGH, HOUSEMASTER AND TEACHER OF HISTORY, CANFORD SCHOOL, UK Introduction In recent decades, the landscape of pedagogy has shifted significantly, with greater emphasis placed on developing learners who are autonomous, resilient and equipped with the skills with which to navigate an increasingly complex world. Within this context, pupil autonomy and agency have become central themes […]
Playful maths, serious gains: Widening participation and boosting engagement through peer scaffolding in secondary classrooms
DR VICKY YIRAN ZHAO, TEACHER OF MATHS, TRUMPINGTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE (PART OF UNITED LEARNING, UK); AFFILIATE RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK Introduction Play, defined by Burghardt (2006), is partially functional but not purposeless, spontaneous yet modified from more serious behaviours, repeated without compulsion, and carried out in psychologically and physically safe contexts. Thus, playful learning is […]
Teen reading lives in focus: Autonomy, agency and social reading cultures
KELLY ASHLEY, Lecturer in Reading for Pleasure, The Open University, UK TERESA CREMIN, Professor of Education (Literacy) and Co-Director of the Literacy and Social Justice Centre, The Open University, UK ALISON KING, Librarian, Literacy Lead and PSHE Coordinator, Kings Monkton School, Cardiff, UK SUSAN LATTER, Lead Teacher, Crofton School, Hampshire, UK Adolescent reading lives are shaped by a complex […]
‘Tell Me the Story’: Reframing creativity through student voice in specialist and mainstream settings
DR NIGEL MATTHIAS, HEADTEACHER, KING’S ACADEMY LORD WILSON, UK; VISITING FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, UK ‘Tell me the story of a time when you were successful in school’: this simple prompt opened a window into the complex internal worlds of boys in an SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) specialist academy, revealing that their creativity is […]
Whole-class approaches for addressing reading underachievement in disadvantaged communities: A comparative study of questioning versus uninterrupted reading
STEVE MURRAY, SEXEY’S SCHOOL, BRUTON, UK JON JAMES, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL, UK Introduction In the UK, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a quarter of students were shown to have reading ages of 12 years or below, something that adversely affects academic outcomes across the subject spectrum (GL Assessment, 2020). One method of improving reading ability, enhancing […]
A coaching pedagogy for autonomy and agency in the classroom
KIRSTY NUNN, HEAD OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, MILLFIELD SCHOOL, SOMERSET, UK Context and rationale Developing independent learners is a widely stated aim across education. However, students often remain dependent on teacher guidance, particularly when faced with challenge. In computer science, this is especially evident during programming tasks, where students frequently seek rapid reassurance rather than persisting independently. […]