PhD Gender and Deviance in School;  MEd Sociology, Pyschology and Educational Research;  Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music;  PGCE (with distinction);  BA (Hons) in German with French

Research and Project interests

My research interests fall within the overall field of global justice, as follows:

• I have a particular interest in the field of conflict and education, looking at the contribution of education to peace and to war in different international contexts, in stable, conflict and post-conflict societies.   I have done consultancy work in Angola, Kosovo, Bosnia, Palestine, Sri Lanka and with UNRWA.  I have just completed a book Educating Against Extremism (Trentham April 2008) which examines the role of education in combating negative extremism and terrorism; and presented a keynote lecture at the Gandhi Foundation of Canada on this topic.   My book Conflict and Education: Chaos and Complexity (Routledge 2004) won the Society of Education Studies prize for best book of 2004.
• A linked concern is with democracy and democratisation of education.  This has involved a funded Research Project and Report Pupil Democracy in Europe (Children’s Rights Alliance 2000); a research project with teacher educators in The Gambia and guidebook Democracy Through Teacher Education (CIER, 2002), with a second phase working with the inspectorate, and a guidebook Democratic Professional Development: a Guidebook for supervisors and inspectors of education (CIER 2005)
• Pupil voice and participation is also central to democracy and to non-violence.  I have completed a funded research project London Secondary School Councils Action Research Project (2004-2007), and a Carnegie funded research review The impact and benefits of youth participation in school and community (2005-2006).   As a trustee of UNICEF, I have been supporting UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools programme. 
• In the area of citizenship and global citizenship, I have been engaged in a funded research project The Needs of Teachers and Learners in Global Citizenship (DFID 2002-2004), and have acted as advisor to British Council on Citizenship Education and Human Rights Education.  I currently act as Senior Advisor to the British Council on governance of education.
• This focus on democracy and citizenship means a concern to promote alternatives in notions of school effectiveness.  We published a book School Management and Effectiveness in Developing Countries (Continuum 2002) which arose from work in various parts of Africa and Asia, and with students from developing countries.  A funded research project which reviewed 50 years of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (2002-2003) has also contributed to notions of quality in education, as has research on decentralisation, for example a funded research Project on decentralisation in Malawi (DFID 2000-2002).

International Consultancies

2007  Consultancy work with the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, to support the establishment of a National Policy on Education for Peace and Social Cohesion (GTZ funded)

2006 Research consultancy for an action research project on school improvement in primary education in Angola (Education Action International)

2006 Consultancy to Solomon Islands College of Education to advise on gender and equity policy and curriculum (NZAid funded)

2004-5 Research consultancy to conduct a survey of Teacher Motivation in Egypt (USAID funded)

2004-now Member of Expert Panel for UNESCO/IBE on Monitoring the Impact of Peace Education

2004- now Advising on establishment and accreditation of British University in Dubai Institute of Education.

2003 Writing of curriculum for the new College for International Citizenship in areas of peace, violence and conflict

2002 Management training for education officials from UNRWA in UK and in Jordan on areas of performance management and education in conflict and crisis

2001 Consultant to EC/TAER Education Reform Project in Bosnia-Herzegovina, advising on curriculum harmonisation

2000- Research Consultancy for DFID to evaluate the impact of their support to the Decentralisation of the Malawi education system

2000 Consultant to Ministry of Education, Palestine, on the integration of gender into policy and planning (part of DFID project). Two visits, to conduct workshops and write materials and guidelines on gender and planning.

1999- Consultant to British Council on Citizenship Education and Human Rights Education; member of working party

1999- Consultant to British Council on Education in Kosovo

1998- DFID funded project to upgrade the Ministry of Education in Peru; working visits to Peru in1998 and 1999, working on the organisation and culture of the Ministry, decentralisation and on school effectiveness

1997- Consultant to British Council as Senior Adviser, on a) the work of UNESCO; b) parental participation in schools; c) educational reform and school effectiveness.

1997 Facilitator for workshop on Women in Higher Education Management for Sri Lanka University Grants Commission, Colombo 1997 Working visit to Edwardes College, Pakistan, to commence the British Council link programme on staff development.

1996 Facilitator for First Southern Africa Regional six-week short course on Gender and Development held at University of Botswana

1995 Consultant to ODA INSTEPP In-service project in Uganda, on a base-line study on research methodology to be used by the Inspectorate

1995 Consultant to UNDP/Government of Zimbabwe project on Performance Management, researching the work of regional Education Officers

1995 Consultant to University of Sana'a, Yemen, to assist in the establishment of their M.Ed programme

1994 Consultant to Secondary Education Reform Programme in Pakistan, conducting Study 14: Restructuring Secondary and Intermediate Education (World Bank/British Council)

1994 Consultancy to British Council on Guidelines for Good Governance in Education

1993 Consultant to Women and Primary Education programme in Pakistan; seminar on "Equity and Pluralism" to SDEDP, Karachi

1992 Consultant to ERNESA (Educational Research Network in Eastern and Southern Africa) regional meeting in Cape Town, on integration and qualitative research methods

1991 Working visit to University of Botswana to consolidate the link programme, give public lectures on equity and run workshops on Gender and Education

1991 Consultancy to University of Sierra Leone to advise on their Women in Development work

1991 Working visit to University of Gothenburg to give seminars on school management, culture and deviance

1990 Consultancy to University of Alberta to give seminars on gender research; women in development; equity in higher education

1989 Working visit to University of Botswana to run workshops on women and employment and on gender and education

1988 Consultancy to University of Botswana to advise on the instigation of a Women's Studies programme

Other Professional Activities

• Executive Editor, British Journal of Sociology of Education
• Editor, International Studies in Sociology of Education
• International Advisory Board, South African Journal of Education
• Trustee, Board of UNICEF UK
• Chair of the UNESCO ASPnet Steering Group in UK
• Senate member, British University in Dubai (BUiD)

Publications [pdf]