Mary Dyer is the Subject Leader for the Undergraduate Framework in the Department of Academic and Professional Studies in the School of Education and Professional Development. She has recently completed her Doctor of Education, investigating the professional identity and agency of graduate early years practitioners, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Mary's qualifications also include a BA Hons in Linguistics and Psychology and an MA in Educational Studies. She began her career teaching English and Mathematics in Adult Community Education, and GCSE and A Level English Language and Psychology in Further Education. She then specialised in teaching Social Sciences and Social Policy on vocational courses in Childcare and Health and Social Care at Levels 2, 3 and 4.

During this time Mary worked with local employers to establish three NVQ Assessment Centres in Childcare, Playwork and Health and Social Care, offering work-based qualifications to their employees and the NVQ Assessor and Internal Verifier training needed to support this.She also worked with the Open College Network (Yorkshire and Humber) as a moderator and staff development tutor, training and supporting assessors and moderators in adult education.

Before joining the University, Mary worked most recently with the Local Authority in Barnsley as a Development Officer, then Project Co-ordinator, supporting early years settings in developing provision and meeting OfSTED’s inspection and registration requirements.

• Work-based learning – developing reflective practice

• Effective work place mentoring

• Supporting practitioners in building a vision/community of practice

• Developing ethical practice in early years settings

• Professional identity, agency and autonomy