Staff Profile:Deb Heighes

Name:

Mrs Deb Heighes

Job Title:

Lecturer in Science Education

Responsibilities:

University responsibilities:

• PGCE/GTP Secondary Science Course Leader
• Professional Studies Tutor

Main responsibilities at the Institute of Education:

• Leading the PGCE/GTP Secondary Science programme

Teaching:

• Leading the Secondary Science course for PGCE and GTP trainees
• Leading Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses in Chemistry and Physics
• Management Group for PGCE Secondary Programme
• Personal Tutor for PGCE Secondary trainees
• Supervising Master's dissertations and PBR projects
• Teaching on the secondary Professional Studies programme

Areas of Interest:

Expertise and research interest:

• Secondary Science teacher education, teaching and leadership; pupil voice; 14-19 progression routes
• Developing and supporting reflective practice in trainee science teachers
• Professional development of science teachers

Areas in which you are able to supervise at Masters level:

• Teaching and Learning in secondary science
• Pupil voice
• Assessment

Current and recent Research Students:

• Practitioner Based Research Students on the modular Master's programme
• Supervising Master's dissertations

Current and Recent Research Projects:

• Developing and enhancing 'reflective practice' with trainee secondary science teachers to improve outcomes
• IOE Research Fund for "Pupil lesson observers: listening to what children have to say about their involvement in a 'pupil voice' project in a successful girls' school" - current

Research groups / Centres:

• 14-19 research group (IOE)
• Science research group (IOE)

Publications:

Conference presentations:

Heighes, D. and Rainford, M. (2012, January) 'Assessment for learning practices shared between Jamaican and English teachers - can it work?' Paper presented at the ASE Annual Conference, Liverpool, UK.

Thomson, J. and Heighes, D. (2011, September) 'Strategies to advance the ability of trainee science teachers to become reflective practitioners' Sept 2011Paper presented at BERA, London, UK.

Heighes, D, and Rainford, M. (2011, June) 'Assessment for learning practices shared between Jamaican and English teachers - can it work?' Paper presented at Biennial Conference on Education at University of West Indies, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Harding, R., Heighes, D. and Kempe, A. (2010) 'The role and attitudes of secondary school staff in the provision of Post 16 Information, Advice and Guidance for Year 11 students.' Paper presented at BERA, Warwick, UK, Progress South Central Conference, Oxford, UK and the Lifelong Learning Network Conference, Manchester, UK.

Fuller, C., MacFadyen, T., McCrum, E., Heighes, D., and Kempe, A. (2009) 'What should I do now? An exploration of Information, Advice and Guidance provided for year 11 students?' Paper presented at BERA, Manchester, UK.

Applications for funding:

• May 2011 IOE Research Fund application for "Pupil lesson observers: listening to what children have to say about their involvement in a 'pupil voice' project in a successful girls' school" - (successful)
• Oct 2010 British Academy application 'Effective science teaching: investigating and communicating good practice' £4 710 (unsuccessful)

Enterprise activity; external roles and consultancy:

• Enterprise Committee (IOE)
• Creating Champions project with the University of West Indies, Jamaica
• TiFoLa EU ERASMAS (CLIL) Intensive Project involving trainee teachers from 12 European institutions working together on a two week teaching placement (Holbaek, Denmark 2010, Krems, Austria 2011, planning Reading, UK 2012)
• External examiner for PGCE Secondary Science at Roehampton University
• Some consultancy for schools - quality assurance work