The project team brings a range of interdisciplinary expertise in PedR, PedD and learning-practice links to the project.
Professor Lindsey McEwen (project leader, University of Gloucestershire) has carried out previous PedR projects in GEES disciplines and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship 2009 that recognised of her PedR leadership and activity in PGT learning. She has been one of the core team for the CETL Centre for Active Learning and is Director of the Pedagogic Research and Scholarship Institute at University of Gloucestershire. She has carried out several previous projects on taught postgraduate learning – funded through GEES, CEAL and the HE Academy. The report (McEwen et al., 2009) provides a key backdrop to the current project proposal. This proposal builds on this HE Academy-funded research that explored Masters’ students experiences of IDL across a range of course types including ESD. While evaluation of students’ experiences of IDL in ESD was only a small element of this earlier project, the scoping demonstrated strong potential value in extending the original survey.
McEwen, L. J., Haigh, M., Smith, S., Steele, S. and Miller, A. (2003) ‘Real world’ experiences? Reflections of current and past students on practitioner inputs to environmental taught Masters courses. Planet 10, 18-22. (available at: http://www.gees.ac.uk/planet/p10/lm.pdf)
McEwen, L. J., Duck, R., Haigh, M., Smith, S., Wolfenden, L. and Kelly, K. (2005) Evaluating the ‘postgraduateness’ of vocational taught Masters environmental courses: student perspectives. Planet 10, 18-22. (available at: http://www.gees.ac.uk/planet/p14/lm.pdf)
McEwen, L. J., Jennings, R., Duck, R and Roberts, H. (2009) Masters’ student experiences of interdisciplinary learning. Published by The Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Group, Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, Higher Education Academy. Available at: http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/3219)
Professor Stephen Sterling (University of Plymouth) has research interests in Transformative learning and learning systems, systemic thinking, learning and sustainable lifestyles. He has a PhD in Education and Sustainability, University of Bath, with a background in teaching, international consultancy on education and sustainability.
Sterling, S (2004) ‘Systemic Thinking’, in Tilbury, D and Wortman, D (eds.), Engaging People in Sustainability, IUCN, Gland.
Sterling, S. (2004). An Analysis of the Development of Sustainability Education Internationally: Evolution, Interpretation and Transformative Potential. In Blewitt, J and Cullingford, C (eds), Sustainable Development: A Challenge for Higher Education, Earthscan, London.
Sterling, S (2001) Sustainable Education – Re-visioning learning and change, Schumacher Briefing no.6. Schumacher Society/Green Books, Dartington.
Glenn Strachan has been a tutor on the Education for Sustainability Master’s Programme at London South Bank University since 2002 and was Co-Director of the Programme from 2005 to 2008. He is a Visiting Fellow at the International Research Institute in Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire. He has completed numerous research projects in ESD and ESDGC for among others the Centre for Excellence in Leadership, Professional Practice for Sustainable Development, WWF-Cymru and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Dr John Powell (University of Gloucestershire) is Reader within the Countryside and Community Research Institute and has strong experience of subject-based research in the broad area of geography and environmental economics. John is course leader for the MSc in European Rural Development. He has strong interests in taught postgraduate development in the sustainability area.
Dr David Norcliffe (University of Newport) leads their MA in Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. His background is in Religious Studies with a focus on religion, politics and ethics. He has run two projects, both funded by the Welsh Assembly, to embed ESDGC into ITET Institutions in Wales. The first project constructed a data base of materials, the second project designed and delivered CPD in this area for lecturers in ITET in Wales. He worked on a third project with Sheila Bennell writing the supporting documentation for the Welsh Assembly Government ESDGC: A Common Understanding. In addition he has worked on a Comenius project that developed a framework for a competency based curriculum for ESD for initial teacher training and in-service training institutions. The University of Gloucestershire has strong collaborative links in PedR with Newport and its CELT
Dr Sheila Bennell has been involved in master's teaching for eight years and has developed a series of distance learning modules in global education. She has coordinated several research and development projects on education for sustainable development and global citizenship within higher education, particularly and initial teacher education, in Bangor University looking at influences on students' knowledge and understanding of ESD and global issues.
Professor Joe Howe (University of Central Lancashire; UCLAN) heads up the Centre for Sustainable Development in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment (including Environment and Geography). UCLAN is reviewing and developing its PGT provision and is keen to build capacity in the PedR area.
Dr Chris Lowe (University of Central Lancashire) is course leader for the MSc Sustainable Waste Management at UCLAN.
Jonathan Kelly (University of Gloucestershire) is a research assistant within the project team. He will be assisting in design, and distribution of the Questionnaire and the focus group research as well as some extra contribution to finalising the literature review. Jonathan is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, having completed an Environmental science and Geography (Joint Honours) degree in 2008. He is currently enrolled on a part time Masters degree in International Development at the University of Birmingham.