Lecturer in Education

MBA (Leicester), PhD (Leeds)

Tel: 0116 252 3696
Email: jms32@le.ac.uk

Joan taught in urban, 11-18 comprehensive schools for almost 20 years.  Initially a teacher of English as a Second Language, she subsequently taught modern foreign languages, and held a range of middle and senior leadership posts.  Throughout her school teaching career she was involved in pastoral work and running extra-curricular activities for young people.  This included organising regular trips to Europe and leading a youth theatre.  

In her later role as Senior Lecturer in Secondary Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, she was responsible for the dual certification programme PGCE (mfl) with Maîtrise FLE (Français Langue Etrangère), offered via a partnership arrangement with Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale.  She also worked as an associate PGCE tutor (mfl) for the University of Nottingham, and as co-ordinator of French on the  ‘Languages at Leicester’ programme.  Prior to taking up her current post in the School of Education, she was Postgraduate Training Co-ordinator, responsible for the provision of research skills training for doctoral students university-wide.

Joan is currently the co-ordinator of the Secondary PGCE programme, leading the core Teacher Development Course.  Outside the University, she is a member of the British Educational Research Association, the British Educational Leadership and Management Society and the British Psychological Society, including specialist sub-sections on the Psychology of Women and Qualitative Research methods.

Research Interests

• Research Interests
• Publications

Teaching interests

Joan co-ordinates the Secondary PGCE programme, leading the core Teacher Development Course.  She contributes to the teaching of the Research Methods module on the Master's in International Education programme and doctoral research skills sessions for postgraduate students.  She is an HEI link tutor for the Master's in Teaching and Learning and supervises a number of PhD and EdD students in Education. 

Selected Recent Publications

Smith, J.M. (2011)  Aspirations to and perceptions of secondary headship: contrasting women teachers’ and headteachers’ perspectives, Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 39 (5): 516-535

Smith, J.M. (2011) Agency and female teachers’ career decisions: a life history study of forty women, Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 39 (1): 7-24*

*This article was awarded the prize of 'Best new paper of 2011' by the editorial team of Educational Management Administration and Leadership