Research staff

Dr Anthony Anderson

Research Fellow in Music Education

Anthony taught music in schools for 16 years, during which time he was a Head of Performing Arts. He is an accredited Advanced Skills Teacher and coach, and has worked as an Outstanding Facilitator with the National College for Teaching and Leadership. He is an experienced initial teacher educator having worked in schools as a...

Dr Carolyn Blackburn

Reader in Interdisciplinary Practice and Research with Families

Dr. Carolyn Blackburn worked in a range of charities and education settings before taking up an academic post. Carolyn has taught in four Universities at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Carolyn has worked on numerous research projects related to inclusion, disability and child/family wellbeing. She is...

Dr Christopher Bolton

Senior Lecturer in Drama Education

Chris is a Senior Lecturer in Drama Education here at BCU. Before this role, he worked in secondary schools as a Drama Advanced Skills Teacher. He has a keen interest in how drama pedagogy can create spaces for dialogic learning within Initial Teacher Education. Additionally, this interest has resulted in exploring...

Dr Vanessa Cui

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Vanessa Cui is currently a Senior Research Fellow at Birmingham City University Centre for the Study of Practices and Culture in Education (CSPACE). Her research work has mainly focused on the interface between education policy and practice from educators’ and learners’ perspectives across fields of education (e.g. teacher...

Dr Fadia Dakka

Senior Research Fellow in Education

Dr. Fadia Dakka studied International Relations (BA, MA) at Bologna University (Italy) and King’s College London (MA) before obtaining a Doctorate in Social Sciences from the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, where she taught and guest lectured on Social Policy and Education before moving to Birmingham...

Dr Julia Everitt

Research Fellow

Dr. Julia Everitt is a Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education (CSPACE). She is the Health, Education and Life Sciences (HELS) Lead for the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice and the co-lead for the Communities of Practice for Doctoral Supervision which is a professional...

Professor Martin Fautley

Professor of Education

Professor Martin Fautley has a wealth of experience in music education, both in terms of pedagogy, and of music education research. After enjoying many years as a classroom music teacher, he then undertook full-time Doctoral research working across the education and music faculties at Cambridge University, investigating...

Dr Susan Foster-Cohen

Vising Professor

Susan has taught and carried out research in universities in the UK, USA and France. She is currently the Director of The Champion Centre, a multi-disciplinary early intervention centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. Susan’s research is carried out in collaboration with the University of Canterbury (NZ) where she is adjunct...

Dr Amanda French

Reader

Amanda has worked in higher, further, adult education and the voluntary sector for 30 years as a lecturer, writing developer and researcher and is currently employed as Reader in Teaching and learning in the School of Education and Social Work. Her PhD in Education: '"Through a glass darkly”: Lecturers perceptions of...

Dr Eleni Kanira

Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education Studies

Eleni Kanira is a PhD graduate of the University of Warwick and a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Birmingham City University. She trained and worked as an Early Years teacher, co-ordinator and consultant in various Primary schools and Early Years centres and as a drama teacher in schools and Theatre spaces. ...