Alison Williams

Alison's Profile

Job title

Lecturer

Academic qualifications

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, MA Professional Studies in Childhood, PG Cert LTVS, PhD Intercultural Communication

Professional recognition / membership

HEA

Telephone

0121 604 1000

Profile

I began my career working as a teaching assistant., supporting children with learning across nursery, infant and junior school age phases. I then went on to specialise in special educational needs and, in particular, working with children with communication difficulties.

Having completed my undergraduate degree in Childhood Studies, I joined University College Birmingham in 2008 as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. I subsequently completed my MA and teaching qualification and went on to gain employment as a lecturer in the School of Health, Sport and Food at University College Birmingham.

Teaching

Academic Skills for Distance Learners (online)

Equity and Inclusive Practice in Education (Online)

SEND Within the Early Years Sector 

Growth Learning and Development

Leading and Managing Systems

Dissertation SEHC 

Dissertation Online

Research interests and scholarly activity

Research Interests:

Cultural Competence, Transformative Learning, Social Justice, Widening Participation in Higher Education

I recently completed my PhD at the University of Warwick, for which I used critical auto-ethnography to explore my practice as a teacher. My study focused on how teachers negotiate the challenges of neoliberalism when attempting to foster transformative relationships. Opportunities for positive growth were identified that may be implemented in a widening participation university.

Research presentations:

May 2019:  Teachers’ critical reflections on and cultivation of transformative learning opportunities at the 7th International Institute of Social and Economic Research hosted by the University of London. 

June 2019: Supporting Transformative Relationships in the NL University. The University of Warwick Postgraduate Conference.

July 2019: Supporting Transformative Relationships in the NL University. The British Auto-ethnography Conference, Bristol. 

Other activities

Voluntary work with The Open Theatre Company using drama to support non-verbal communication with children and young people with learning disabilities.  

Emotional intelligence workshops with student midwives.

Childhood Education Studies

Department of Education

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