Teacher Education & Professional Learning
About the theme
We believe schools and teachers have the potential to change lives and society through influence, education and role modelling, yet the profession is assailed by competing priorities and increasing social demands.
Decisions are frequently taken in the context of increasing marketisation and pupil precarity. To navigate these stormy waters, teachers in training and in the wider professional workforce need critical dialogue and the interchange of ideas between a dynamic, changing workplace and the academy. Each decision a teacher or school leader makes will ripple through the lives of children.
A shortage of cross-disciplinary knowledge for regional and national decision makers has significant impacts on costs and outcomes for children and young people and those who work with them. There are currently many gaps – a lack of criticality in the discussion on the evidence base, significant gaps in research around the primary years, and limited understanding of the intersectional factors that affect trainee and early career teachers in the workplace.
Teacher Education and Professional Learning aims:
- (Impact on practices): We seek to support the improvement of institutional practices and enhance the experience of teachers in training and throughout their careers through the development of evidence on best practices within a changing world.
- Along with other strand leaders, to build a collegiate culture of research and knowledge exchange within the faculty
- To support colleagues to develop their research and KE profile
- To support the development of academic writing and publication
- (Impact on professional and academic networks): We aim to facilitate conversation and create a meaningful interaction between schools and organisations supporting children and young people and academic spaces.
- To identify questions, educational problems and opportunities for innovation within the context of teacher education and professional development
- To identify funding opportunities and to support funding applications
- To facilitate research & KE projects and to draw together colleagues and wider partners
- (Impact on outcomes): Exchange of knowledge in this area has the potential to enable improvements in workforce retention, development, sustainable school cultures, student experience and pupil outcomes.
Recent publications
Partnerships & Sponsors
Research team
Gavin Davenport (Knowledge Exchange lead)
Gavin is a lecturer in Primary and Childhood education with a specific focus on primary computing education. Gavin taught in English schools for 17 years, spending time as a teacher at all phases including EYFS, Keystage 1, Keystage 2 and Secondary SEND settings. Gavin holds a BA(Hons) in English language & Literature and an MA (Sheffield) in Oral Culture and Literature. He is a doctoral researcher in digital education and society at Liverpool John Moore’s University.
Dr Ian Shirley (Research lead)
Dr Ian Shirley is a senior lecturer, specialising in Primary Music education in the Department of Primary and Childhood Education, at Edge Hill University, where he has worked since 2008. Ian holds a B.Ed (Hons) degree in Primary Education, specialising in Music and an MA (Sheffield) in Psychology for Musicians. In 2017, Ian completed an Ed.D (Sheffield) exploring the discursive constitution of contemporary music education policy, and the lived experience of music education policy enactors. Ian is the programme leader for iQTS which launches in 2026 and the department lead on academic integrity. Ian is one of the faculty Designated Safeguarding Officers.
Dr Anna Mariguddi (Research lead)
Dr Anna Mariguddi is a Senior Lecturer and Music Education Subject Lead, based in the Department of Primary and Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University. Anna has achieved a BMus (Hons), PGCE (secondary music education with specialist instrumental teaching), MA and PGCTHE before completing her PhD (focused upon perceptions of informal learning, secondary music education). Anna is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of Learning and Teaching at Edge Hill University. Prior to joining the University, Anna has taught instrumental lessons to primary-aged children and secondary school classroom music lessons.
Anna’s research interests include general music education, an informal learning approach in music education, research-informed practice, co-researching, teacher identity, qualitative research and research ethics. Anna is Faculty co-lead for research into Teacher Education and Professional Learning with Dr Ian Shirley, and also sits on the Education Research Ethics Committee (Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University).