2010: Derval Carey-Jenkins, University of Worcester
Derval Carey-Jenkins is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester, where she teaches Primary Pedagogy and Management, Research methods, SEN and Maths mathematics across the BA (Hons) and Post Graduate Primary initial teacher training programmes. She is course leader for the Primary Full Time and Flexible PGCE Course.
Derval graduated with a Bachelor of Education from St Marys’ College, Queen’s University, Belfast and began her teaching career as a primary school teacher in 1986. She worked for 23 years in a variety of schools in East London and the West Midlands. Derval was a Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher in Worcestershire and Shropshire. She also spent three years as an Advisory support teacher with the West Midlands Education Service for Travelling Children Derval joined the staff at the University of Worcester in January 2009.
Derval has developed a keen research interest in values, system leadership, change management and curriculum design. These interests are driven by a personal and professional passion for equality, inclusion and entitlement. Her Masters’ dissertation in 2007 focussed on leadership challenges facing Primary School Headteachers in the 21st century. Using a qualitative, constructivist approach she explored key issues around tensions that may exist between policy makers and policy deliverers. The study concluded that there is a need for open and transparent dialogue amongst all involved leading to developing a shared national vision of Education in the 21st Century.
Derval used the 2010 UCET research scholarship to build on her previous work by travelling to Finland to develop an understanding of the extent to which Finnish Education and Teacher training are underpinned by key societal values. This was achieved through observations, questionnaires and interviews with a range of staff, parent/carers and pupils in both University led Teacher training schools and a local Primary school.
