Paula Cowan
senior Lecturer in education
Background
Paula has over seventeen years experience of teaching in primary schools. Her breadth of experience includes teaching in schools for pupils with moderate and severe learning difficulties but principally teaching in mainstream schools. There she has taught across the primary spectrum as a class teacher, as well as in part-time team teaching and job-sharing positions.
Paula was a freelance educational writer during the period 1994 to 2001, and a frequent contributor to the education pages of The Scotsman, The Herald and the TES Scotland Supplement. In November 2001, Paula took up a full-time position as a Lecturer in Education within the School of Education of the University of the West of Scotland and was promoted to Senior Lecturer (Research) in 2007.
Teaching
Paula's teaching on campus is a combination of teaching undergraduates on the BEd (Hons) course and postgraduates on the PGDE (Primary) course.
Paula is module co-ordinator for the B.Ed. Dissertation and Holocaust Studies and Citizenship modules, moderator for the PGDE (Primary) Humanities module and a member of the PGDE (Primary) Management Team. She also teaches B.Ed. students English Language, School and Professional Studies, Informed Professionalism and is a school experience tutor for B.Ed. and PGDE (Primary) students.
Research
Recent Publications:
Maitles, H., & Cowan, P. (2012) “It reminded me of what really matters”: teacher responses to the Lessons From Auschwitz Project. Educational Review (forthcoming 2012).(Link to webpage) (pdf)
Cowan, P. (2011) First International Conference on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, History Today Online. Link
Cowan, P.,& Maitles, H. (2011) We Saw Inhumanity Close Up: What is gained by school students from Scotland visiting Auschwitz?’ Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43,2 pp. 163-184. Link
Cowan, P., & Maitles, H. (2011) Teaching the Holocaust: to simulate or not?, Race Equality Teaching, 29,3.
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2010), Policy and Practice of Holocaust Education in Scotland, Prospects, 40, 2, pp257-272. Link
Cowan, P. (2010) Scotland’s New Approaches to Learning about the Holocaust and Racism, Race Equality Teaching, 28, 2, pp27-30.
Cowan, P. (2009) Remembering the Holocaust: UK initiatives associated with Holocaust Memorial Day, Canadian Diversity, 7,2, pp 35-38
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2008) “Why are we learning this?”: Does Studying the Holocaust Encourage Better Citizenship Values? Genocide Studies and Prevention 3,3, pp341-352.
Cowan, P. (2008) Learning about the Holocaust and responsible citizenship in Scotland, Race Equality Teaching, 26, 2, pp36-39.
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2007) Does Addressing Prejudice and Discrimination Holocaust Education Produce Better Citizens? Educational Review, 59, 2, pp115-130.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2007) Making the Links: the relationship between learning about the Holocaust and contemporary anti-Semitism, in Ross, A. (Ed.) Citizenship Education in Society, (London, CiCe).pp 431-445.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2007) in Ross, A. (Ed.) Citizenship Education in Society, (London, CiCe).pp 431-445.
Research Reports:
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2009) Never Again: How the Lessons from Auschwitz Project Impacts on Schools in Scotland. The Pears Foundation & The Holocaust Educational Trust. Link
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2006) Never Again! Does Holocaust Education Have an Effect on Pupils' Citizenship Values and Attitudes?, SEED sponsored research, Edinburgh,ISBN 0 7559 6236 2 (Web only publication). Link
Conference Papers:
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2011) A Decade of Education for Citizenship: Induction Teachers Reflect on its Practice in their Primary Schools, Scottish Educational Research Association, Stirling.
Cowan, P. (2011) Enlightenment and Enhancement: module delivery with an external organisation, Scottish Educational Research Association, Stirling.
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2011)’It was worth every second of the effort’- Induction year teachers reflect on citizenship education in their primary schools, Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe, Dublin.
Cowan, P., & Maitles, H. (2010) Citizenship in Primary School: how well is it developed? Scottish Educational Research Association, Stirling
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2010)'It reminded me what really matters': teachers' responses to the Lessons From Auschwitz project, Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe, Barcelona.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2010) We saw Inhumanity Close Up: Lessons from Student and Teacher Participation in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project in Scotland, The Eighth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, Los Angeles.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2009) “It reminded me of what really matters”: teachers’ responses to the Lessons From Auschwitz project, Scottish Educational Research Association, Perth.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2009) Seeing inhumanity close up: what is gained by school students visiting Auschwitz? European Conference of Educational Research, Vienna, September.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2009) Seeing the world today from a different viewpoint: the impact of the Lessons from Auschwitz project on schools in Scotland, Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe, Malmo.
Cowan, P. & Maitles, H. (2008) Seeing the Holocaust on a personal level: the impact of the Lessons from Auschwitz project on schools in Scotland, Scottish Educational Research Association, Perth.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2008) Does teaching the Holocaust have a long term effect on the values and attitudes of adolescents? British Educational Research Association, Edinburgh.
Cowan, P. (2008) Seeing, hearing and feeling- how can a visit to Auschwitz encourage young people to practise citizenship? Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe, Istanbul.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2008) More open to diversity?: the longer term citizenship impact of learning about the Holocaust, Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe, Istanbul.
Cowan, P. (2007) A Visit to Auschwitz- What Happened Next? Scottish Educational Research Association, Perth.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2007) The same pupils but have their attitudes changed?: The impact of learning about the Holocaust, Scottish Educational Research Association, Perth.
Maitles, H. & Cowan, P. (2007) Making the links: the relationship between learning about the Holocaust and contemporary anti-Semitism, Scottish Educational Research Association, Perth, November 2006, and Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe Montpellier.
Publications (General):
Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom: Key Issues and Debates, edited by Paula Cowan and Henry Maitles, Continuum, ISBN 9781441124845 (2012).
Scottish Review: The Annual Anthology 2010, Part V1 Chapter 4, Anne Frank and the Prisoners, p115-118, ICS Books, ISBN 9780954652760 (2010). Link
The Chambers Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions (Judaism), Chambers Harrap, ISBN 9780 550103444 (2009)
Curriculum Development
National Qualifications Curriculum Support, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Morality in the Modern World (Judaism), Intermediate 2; Higher, LTS (2005).
Full text at: Link
National Qualifications Curriculum Support, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, World Religions (Judaism), Intermediate 2; Higher, LTS, (2004).
Full text at: Link
The Holocaust: a teaching pack for secondary schools, LTS (2002).
The Holocaust Drawing Pack, (co-written with Marion Gardyne) Glasgow City Council (2001).
The Holocaust: a teaching pack for primary schools, LTS (2000).
Children's Rights and the Holocaust, an Env. Studies pack for P7 pupils, East Renfrewshire Council (2000).
Continuing Professional Development
Paula provides CPD on teaching the Holocaust, Citizenship and Judaism to local authorities for courses for primary and secondary schools. Courses are aimed at class teachers, school managers and quality development /education officers with the exact content being negotiated with the commissioning body. Courses have been held in Dundee (2011), South Ayrshire (2011), Fife (2006), East Renfrewshire (2000, 2003), East Ayrshire (2003), North Lanarkshire (2001) and South Lanarkshire (2001).
Consultancy
Adviser to the Anne Frank Trust UK.
Chair and speaker at Holocaust Memorial Day Trust conference for teachers and student teachers, Glasgow, (2007).
Adviser, I knew I was painting for my life' art exhibition by Holocaust survivor Marianne Grant, Glasgow City Council, (2002).
Education adviser for ‘Just One More Dance' play, and schools education project, Glasgow City Council, (2001).
Guest speaker at Primary Teachers' Seminar at Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre, Nottingham (2000, 2001).
'One Lonely Journey' teacher booklet Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre, (2000).
Grants
Grants |
|
2002 |
£15,495 from University of the West of Scotland (with John Robertson and Neil Blain). Examining children and young people's understanding of the socio-political dimensions of their world. |
2003-2005 |
£7,384 from SEED (with Henry Maitles). Examining the values and attitudes of children, before and after they have learnt about the Holocaust. |
2007-2008 |
£700 from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. Examining the impact of an educational visit to Auschwitz on pupils from one Scottish authority. |
| 2008 - 2009 |
£2,000 from the Holocaust Educational Trust. £5,000 from the Pears Foundation (with Henry Maitles) Evaluating pupil and teacher impact of the Lessons from Auschwitz project in Scotland. |
Memberships
British Educational Research Association (BERA)
Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA)
Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe (CiCe)
Trustee, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (2005-2011).
Scottish Religious Advisory Committee, BBC Scotland (2001-2011)
Editorial Board, Scottish Educational Review (2008-)
UK delegate on the International Task Force for International Co-operation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (2009-)