Louise Barrett
PGDE SECONDARY PROGRAMME LEADER
Lecturer in Education
Academic and Professional Qualifications
MA (Hons) English Language and Literature, University of Glasgow, 1993
PGCE (Secondary) English, University of the West of Scotland, 1999
MEd (Inclusive Education) , University of Glasgow, 2008
Teaching Career
Having taught English in South and East Ayrshire, Louise worked as a Support for Learning teacher with East Ayrshire’s Network Support Team, based mainly at Auchinleck Academy, for the four years prior to taking up her appointment as Lecturer in Education in April 2006.
Current Teaching and Management Commitments in the School of Education
Louise’s principal teaching commitments relate to the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment of English on undergraduate and postgraduate primary and secondary programmes. In addition, she has some responsibility for topics relating to inclusive education and other generic aspects of teaching and learning. Louise also supervises students in the completion of their Year 4 BEd dissertations and within MEd (Advanced Professional Studies).
Louise is the Enabling Support Co-ordinator for the School of Education, moderator for a number of modules on the BEd, BACS and PGDE (Secondary) programmes, a member of the PGDE (Secondary) and BEd programme management teams and serves on the School of Education Research Committee.
Louise has also taken up the Programme Leader (PGDE Secondary) postition within the School of Education (June 2011).
Research and Scholarly Interests
In 2008, Louise completed her MEd (Inclusive Education). Building on previous work she had undertaken in this area, particularly in relation to supporting the reading and writing development of children with literacy difficulties, the research for her dissertation explored the processes of engaging teachers of subjects other than English in the teaching of literacy.
She has begun part-time doctoral study, the focus of which is interdisciplinary learning in the secondary school.
In 2007-8, she undertook research, in collaboration with the University of Stirling, into the social practices of curriculum development in Highland Council schools, within the context of articulating links between formative assessment practices and the principles of A Curriculum for Excellence.
Recent Publications
Barrett, L., Miller, K., Priestly, M. & Wallace, C. (2009) Teacher Learning Communities and Educational Change in Scotland: the Highland experience
Please click this link for the pdf file
Membership of National Bodies and Professional Organisations
Louise represents the University of the West of Scotland on the STEC National Framework for Inclusion Working Group, with particular involvement in the sub-group responsible for drafting the Framework which was launched among the teacher education community in April 2009.
She also represents the University on the Refugees Into Teaching in Scotland Research Group and was a member of the following groups, until their recent disbandment:
- Assessment is for Learning HEI Group
- Curriculum for Excellence HEI Group
- Recruitment of Ethnic Minorities Into Teaching Partner Group and Reference Group
She has membership of the Scottish Educational Research Association, the United Kingdom Literacy Association, the National Association for the Teaching of English, the National Centre for Language and Literacy and the Literacy Exchange, and since taking up her post in the School of Education she has attended local, national and international conferences organised by these groups.