When did you start your PhD and when do you hope to finish?
I started my PhD in October 2020 and hope to complete it in three years.
Could you briefly give an overview of your PhD research?
My study aims to examine what is meant by an active science curriculum. Then, I aim to understand what expertise teachers require to make an active science curriculum and how they acquire it.`The findings will be useful to science teachers, curriculum leaders, professional development leads and schools involved in the practice of curriculum making.
Why did you decide to study for a PhD?
Having worked at a secondary school as science lead developing the curriculum, I became curious about the meaning of ‘active science’ in secondary schools and how teachers make their curriculum active. My school was challenging the notion that a teacher just delivers the curriculum rather than make it, and I believed that this work could make a huge difference to schools and students.
Why is your topic of research important and how does it link to the wider education system?
There has been a major resurgence in curriculum thinking in UK schools over the last decade brought, in part, by the new Ofsted Inspection Framework. Internationally, there has been a trend towards more teacher autonomy over the curriculum they deliver. Finally, teacher quality is recognised as one of the most important factors in students’ outcomes therefore research into the area of teacher professional learning is vital. This research seeks to overlap these important areas.
How does your research link to Edge’s wider work/priorities?
The notion of an 'active' curriculum links very closely to Project Based Learning (PBL) and Real-World Learning (RWL). Therefore, research which seeks to understand how teachers make the curriculum active, which may involve PBL and RWL, aligns to Edge's wider work.
