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Centre for Teacher Education

Research Development Leads

Jen Rowan-Lancaster

 Jen is the MA Programme Lead at the University of Warwick. Jen also teaches PSHE and R.E on the Primary PGCE Programme and has led Warwick’s satellite alliance in Derby as part of the Early Years programme. Jen completed her Masters in metacognition and her Education Doctorate (EdD) in social justice (namely LGBTUA+ teaching). She has a significant interest in education research having supervised numerous teacher researchers on the MA programme. Jen feels that teachers are uniquely placed to conduct research in schools and wishes to support this in whatever way she can. Jen's areas of research interest are: Social justice, Metacognition and critical thinking. Wider curriculum and curriculum development (specifically PSHE, R.E, Arts and humanities). Early Career Teachers, Research in schools and Inclusivity.
Kirsty Weeks

Kirsty has a BSc in Mathematics and an MA in Education. With over 29 years teaching experience, Kirsty has been involved in Initial Teacher Education for the past 13 years. She works across Primary and Early Years and International programmes supporting trainees both at university and in school. Kirsty has extensive experience of supporting schools as an Early Years, Phonics and Literacy Consultant for Warwickshire Local Authority as well as an Early Years and Key Stage 1 moderator. She has experience of leading both literacy and numeracy in school and has taught all age groups from Nursery to Year 6. Kirsty has taught aboard in Singapore and Madrid. She is a Trustee for a local MAT. Kirsty's areas of research interest are: The big transitions from EY to KS1 from Ks2 to 3 or KS4 to 5, Early Years, phonics and talk for writing, leading teams/developing support staff/BAME staff development and international issues.
Dr Kate Mawson Kate is an associate professor leading CTE's professional enquiry module, she has 20 years of teaching experience working in a range of roles in schools including science teacher, Deputy Head of 6th form and Assistant Head: Director of Communications. Kate has a PGA in technology enhanced learning, and a Doctorate in Education as well as being a Chartered science teacher, founding fellow of the CCT and a senior fellow of Advance HE. Her areas of expertise in terms of research methodology are practitioner research, close to practice research and action research. Kate has published a number of papers, a book and a chapter in a core text on CTE's Secondary PGCE course, she reviews articles for BERA, IJIIE and leads CTE's WJETT blog. Kate's areas of research interest include: Professional development, identity and leadership, communities of practice, technology enhanced learning, pedagogy and learning theory including metacognition, assessment and adaptive teaching.
Rachel Cooper

Rachel has over 20 years teaching experience and has held a range of pastoral leadership roles within secondary schools including Head of Year, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Assistant Head Pastoral and Assistant Head Inclusion which included the strategic management of an alternative provision centre. Rachel is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Tutor within CTE in addition to leading the Religious Education subject studies module. Rachel has a PGA in technology enhanced learning, an MA in Religions and Education and is currently researching for her PhD. Rachel's areas of interest are focussed on teacher and pupil wellbeing and safeguarding, with a particular focus on how teachers are taught to safeguard children within education. Further areas of interest relate to the curriculum offer and structure of religious education within secondary schools, as well as inclusion, specifically behaviour for learning.
Rebecca Friesen Rebecca is a Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Teacher Education, subject specialism is Secondary English. Reading and research underpin all Rebecca's teaching sessions at Warwick and an area of interest for her is the value of reading for pleasure alongside the importance of offering diverse texts in English. Inclusion has always been at the heart of Rebecca's teaching philosophy and she is particularly interested in exploring ways to understand and remove barriers to learning for young people. Rebecca is a member of the Tackling Racial Inequality at Warwick Staff Development Programme and has been exploring anti-racist classroom pedagogies. Rebecca's areas of research interest are: Inclusion, diversity, barriers to learning, learners with additional needs, literacy, reading and writing and creativity in education
Dr Alison Morgan Alison is an associate professor and deputy head of the Secondary PGCE programme. As well as leading the English PGCE, Alison is an active researcher in poetry and song of the Romantic period and has published a range of books and journal articles, as well as presenting her research at national and international conferences. Through membership of the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences sub-group on decolonising the curriculum and anti-racist teaching forum, Alison’s developing expertise in this area, alongside research into critical pedagogy, is serving to strengthen the curriculum in relation to the Warwick Teacher Value of social justice.Alison's areas of research interest are: Critical pedagogy & literacy, decolonising the curriculum & anti-racist pedagogies, English pedagogies, specifically in the fields of poetry and Shakespeare.
Will Haywood

Will is an Assistant Professor in Science Education and is the PGCE Subject Lead for Chemistry and Secondary Link for Early Career Teachers. Outside of subject studies, Will takes a leading role on the PGCE for teaching cognitive science/learning theories and Technology Enhanced Learning. He has worked previously as a science teacher and curriculum designer and is a Chartered Science Teacher. Will has a MSc in Teacher Education from the University of Oxford in which his research focussed on the development of teacher knowledge through formative observation.Will is open to supporting projects in any area but is particularly interested in projects related to:-science education (in particular involving practical science), cognitive science / learning & memory, technology enhanced learning, teacher development, early career teachers and curriculum design.