Carole Bignell

Previous Teaching:

• 17 years in primary schools teaching pupils aged 4-11.  Last 7 years as Deputy Headteacher then Headteacher.
• 10 years at University of Chichester teaching curriculum English - core and specialism (FHEQ levels 4-9).  Last 3 years as Programme Leader for BA(hons) Initial Teacher Education.  

Current Teaching:

• Initial Teacher Education, BA(hons) programme (SCQF level 10)
• PGDE Programme (SCQF levels 10-11)
• Academic specialism lead (leadership) for the MEd Education Studies (Specialisms) (SCQF level 11)
• PhD and Professional Doctorate supervision

Research:

I completed doctoral research with a focus on newly-qualified teachers and dialogic teaching.  I have recently published from a 2-year research project with an Academy school in England which considered the affordances and challenges of the use of teacher reflective video triads in seeking to develop dialogic teaching in the primary classroom and have written a book chapter in 'Dialogic Education: discourse in contexts from pre-school to university'.  I have also worked alongside a colleague in researching school/university partnership in support of teacher learning rounds.  

Supervision:

I have examined doctoral work and supervised (lead and second) PhDs and professional doctorates with titles as follows:

• How Bangladeshi primary school headteachers navigate contested leadership spaces when leading school improvement initiatives
• Investigating Teacher Leadership within the Algerian Context: Middle School EFL Teachers' Perspectives
• What communication tools are pertinent to successfully supporting parental engagement during transition programmes from early learning and childcare to primary school?
• Regulatory changes (2009-2023) and their impact on independent private higher education institutions in England: a case study
• An exploration of the intercultural experiences of Thai students and their learning in British universities through Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
• The educational provision for learners with autism in primary mainstream state schools in Malta: revealing the educators’ perspectives on the SWOTs
• How does undertaking a small-scale practitioner enquiry during the first year of teaching influence the formation of NQTs’ professional identity and their classroom practices?
• Learning selves in Chinese and Scottish contexts: how digital game playing shapes university students’ learner identity.