Dr Kathryn Spicksley

  • Lecturer in Teacher Education (School of Education)

email: Kathryn.Spicksley@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns: She/her/hers

Import to contacts

Biography

Kathryn in a Lecturer in Teacher Education. Kathryn joined the School of Education in September 2025 as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, working on a project focused on playful and participatory approaches to enhancing early career teacher mentoring. Kathryn's research explores the relationship between national and situated education policies and the working lives and identities of early career teachers (ECTs). Kathryn often takes a granular approach to analysing the difficulties faced by ECTs, which opens up new spaces to think about the demands made of new teachers and how this impacts on their motivation and commitment. 

Prior to studying for a PhD at the University of Worcester, Kathryn worked as an Early Years teacher for 5 years in state-funded primary schools in England. She holds a PGCE in Early Years from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Early Years Education from UCL Institute of Education. Kathryn has previously worked at the Institute of Community Research and Development (ICRD) at the University of Wolverhampton and in the Department for Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham.

Kathryn's research utilizes interdiscipinary methods, primarily informed by corpus linguistics and the sociology of education. 

 

Research interests

  • Education policy in England, 2010 to present
  • Teacher recruitment and retention policies
  • The working lives and professional identities of Early Career Teachers
  • Corpus linguistics
  • Participatory research methods

Grants

  • British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022 - 2026)
  • Methods NorthWest Collaborative Innovation Grant (2022 - 2023)
  • British Educational Research Association (BERA) ECR Career Development Award (2021 - 2022)

Supervision

Kathryn is happy to be contacted to discuss PhD proposals which align with her research interests.  

Teaching

Kathryn currently teaches on the MEduc Education and Society programme.  

Professional activities & recognition

Prizes, awards & distinctions

  • 2022: Doctoral Thesis Prize (BERA)
  • 2021: Deputy Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis (University of Worcester)

Research fellowships

  • 2022 - 2026: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship

Editorial boards

  • 2023: BERA Blog
  • 2024: FORUM for Promoting 3-19 Comprehensive Education

Professional & learned societies

  • 2017: Member, British Educational Research Association (BERA)
  • 2025: Member, British Educational Leadership, Administration and Management Society (BELMAS)