Gill Forrester PhD Education (Keele), BA (Hons) (Keele)
Research Associate
Biography
Before joining The University of Manchester in October 2003 Gill completed a PhD in the Department of Education at Keele University. Her doctoral thesis was a study of primary teachers in England and their responses to the introduction of performance management and performance related pay in schools. Prior to her PhD she received a BA (Hons) from Keele University in Applied Social Studies and Educational Studies.
Main research interests:
Gill is involved in an ESRC funded project - Knowledge Production in Educational Leadership (January 2006-December 2007). This research is concerned with mapping knowledge in the field of educational leadership through studying the contribution of field members. The research will examine the work of those who produce and use knowledge and ascertain the knowledge base. The research seeks to determine who the knowers are and how they are recognised as knowing, and how that knowing is conceptualised and practiced.
She was involved in the Developing E-learning for Teachers Project (DEfT); a two-year collaboration between the University of Manchester and Beijing Normal University. The project was funded on the UK side by HEFCE as part of the wider eChina~UK programme. The DEfT teams designed, developed and piloted e-learning materials for an online Master of Education programme for in-service high school teachers in China and researched the processes of courseware production and deployment.
She is particularly interested in student support in distance learning. Her research investigated the needs, expectations and experiences of students commencing various distance programmes offered by the School of Education at The University of Manchester.
Gill retains interest in my PhD research, which includes primary teachers' work, lives and careers, teacher professionalism, issues relating to performance in education, gender and teaching, performance management and performance related pay in education, and managerialism in the public sector.
International experience:
In July 2006 Gill gave a presentation (invited) on 'Issues in Educational Research' to Faculty staff at the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Education at Universiti Utara Malaysia. From March 2003 until December 2005 Gill worked on the DEfT Project with academics at Beijing Normal University. Teams from Manchester and Beijing collaboratively designed and developed e-learning courseware. A selection of materials was piloted with in-service secondary school teachers in Beijing, Shenyang and Fujian and research undertaken to facilitate course development.
Forrester, G. & Parkinson, G. (2005) 'Mind the gap': students' expectations and perceptions of induction to distance learning in higher education. Paper presented at The Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) University of Western Sydney, Australia, 27 November - 1 December.
Motteram, G., Forrester, G. & Liu, B.X. (2005) Transforming teachers' thinking, learning and understanding via e-learning. Paper presented at The Conference on Research in Distance and Adult Learning in Asia (CRIDALA 2005) The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 20-22 June.
Motteram, G. & Forrester, G. (2004) Becoming an online distance learner: what can be learned from students' experiences of induction to distance programmes? Paper presented at 10th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning (ALN), Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida, November.
Forrester, G. (2000) Rewarding Performance in a Reforming Profession: Schoolteachers in England and Wales. Paper presented at the 4th International Research Symposium of Public Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, 10-11th April.
Selected recent publications:
Forrester, G. & Parkinson, G. (2006) 'Mind the gap': The application of a conceptual model to investigate distance learners' expectations and perceptions of induction. Issues In Educational Research, 16(2), 152-170.
Forrester, G., Motteram, G. & Liu, B.X. (2006) Transforming teachers'thinking,learning and understanding via e-learning. Journal of Education for Teaching:international research and pedagogy, 32 (2), 197-212.
Forrester, G., Motteram, G., Parkinson, G. and Slaouti, D. (2005) 'Going the distance: students' experiences of induction to distance learning in higher education', Journal of Further and Higher Education, 29 (4), pp 293-306.
Motteram, G. and Forrester, G. (2005) 'Becoming an online distance learner: what can be learned from students' experiences of induction to distance programmes?' Distance Education, 26 (3), pp 281-298.
Liu, B.X., Motteram, G. and Forrester, G. (2005) 'Web-based reflective and collaborative learning for Chinese teachers: effective approaches for transforming perceptions and actions in teaching and learning', China Educational Technology, 9, pp 19-24.
Forrester, G. (2004) 'All in a day's work: primary teachers 'performing' and 'caring'.' Gender and Education, Vol. 17, No.3.
Motteram, G. & Forrester, G. (2004) Becoming an online distance learner: what can be learned from students' experiences of induction to distance programmes? Paper presented at 10th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning (ALN), Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida.
Forrester, G. (2001) 'Performance related pay for teachers: an examination of the underlying objectives and its application in practice'. Public Management Review. Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 617 -625.
Forrester, G. (2000) 'Professional autonomy versus managerial control: the experience of teachers in an English primary school'. International Studies in Sociology of Education. Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 133-151.
Forrester, G., Forrester, P. L. and Hassard, J. S. (2000) "Paying teachers for performance: a comparison with private sector experience". Management Research News. 23(9 -11), pp. 65-66.
Forrester, G. (2000) Review of 'Challenges for Educational Research' (Jean Rudduck and Donald McIntyre (eds), Paul Chapman Publishing, 1998). Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning. 2(1), pp. 49-50.