Kate Lavender

I am a Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education (Lifelong Learning) having joined the University in 2017. Previously I have worked in a range of teaching, training and Learning development roles in both an FE college and universities. I currently lead the BA(Hons) Education and Professional Development in the School of Education.

Prior to my appointment at the university, I worked in HE, Access and Professional studies at Calderdale College, Halifax. There, I taught a on range of courses including, Early Years Education, Community, Health and Wellbeing, and Access to Social Sciences and Health Professions. I was also responsible for academic skills development across curriculum in HE and Teacher Education.

From 2015-2017, I was the programme lead for the Teaching Assistants Preparation Programme. This involved designing and delivering initial teacher development training for PGRs (home and international) who would be teaching along their studies.

My academic background is in Sociology, I have a BA(Hons) in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Liverpool, and an MSc in Social Research and Evaluation from the University of Huddersfield. I completed my PhD in 2016 entitled ‘Mature Students, Resistance and Higher Vocational Education’ which was a sociological investigation of culture and identity amongst mature students studying higher education in a further education college. My research interests are in the broad areas of further and adult education with a particular focus on higher level education and skills in these contexts.

My research interests are in the broad areas of further and adult education with a particular focus on higher level education and skills in these contexts. In 2016 I was co-investigator, with Rachel Terry, of a research project funded by the Education and Training Consortium investigating the experiences and needs of former trainees in the lifelong learning sector. Stemming from this work I have taken a further interest in the role of mentors in the professional formation of current and former trainees and I continue to work in this area. In 2018 I was awarded a grant by the Education and Training Consortium to explore the experiences of subject specialist mentors in ITE lifelong learning. In 2016 I was awarded a practitioner research fellowship for a research project funded by The Education and Training Foundation and SUNCETT which explored the use of collaborative supervision with industry to support students undertaking undergraduate dissertations in the context of college based HE.