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Richard Harris

Professor Richard Harris

Institute of Education

  • Co-subject Leader PGCE Secondary History
  • Chair of Ethics Committee

Areas of interest

  • Theory and practice of history teaching
  • Action research
  • Curriculum policy and development
  • Diversity
  • Citizenship
  • Trainee teacher/teacher development
  • Transgender issues

Postgraduate supervision

Completions

  • Marlon Moncrieffe - Examining experiences and perceptions of mass-migration and settlement in Britain over the ages: How can this assist teaching and learning in Key stage 2 history?
  • Hilal Al-Shandudi - Teachers’ self-perceptions of their professional learning in the context of recent educational reforms in Oman.
  • Oğuzhan Hazır - Implementing school based teacher training: the case study of departments of education for intellectually disabled students in Turkey.
  • Ruth Samuel - Teacher values and value construction among low income female teachers in Bangalore, India: implications for reflective practice in teacher education in India.
  • Ahlam Alatiq - Exploring resistance to change and teacher attitude towards new educational reform in female schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Julie Cracknell - Early career teachers’ reflections of teaching in an age of performativity.
  • Zeynep Butan - Professional learning for Turkish ELT lecturers.
  • Jill Matterface – An action research project to promote a 21st-century adult learning environment in a Phase 1 military training unit.

Current

  • Eda Kuzuca - Exploration of history teachers’ expertise in teaching historical thinking.
  • Christina Thompson – Objectivity, law and emotion.
  • Alison Oliver - A case study of teachers’ professional identity and professional learning in a secondary school which can be regarded as a learning organisation.
  • Albert Mususa - How do teachers in the alternative provision perceive their role in relation to being able to care properly for their pupils.
  • Oliver Ward - Affecting change - trauma informed care in alternative provision education.
  • Hira Hanif - Examining the impact of the professional development program on teachers’ beliefs and long-term practices at a university in Saudi Arabia.
  • Helen Crawford - Exploring the nature of outstanding practice in history in primary schools in England.
  • Luke Attridge – Notions of knowledge in the Drama curriculum.

Research projects

  • 2021 An examination of LGBTQ+ students’ lived experiences in high schools ($2000 Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues).
  • 2021 Exploring young minority ethnic adults’ experiences of history education (£1200 UoR funding).
  • 2019 An exploratory study of UG students’ experience of different assessment models within the University of Reading (£1200 UoR funding).
  • 2019 Exploring the school experience of LGBT+ youth: an examination of LGBT+ policy espousal, enactment and experience in secondary schools (£4500 UoR funding).
  • 2017 The impact of an outdoor learning pedagogy on primary school pupils’ knowledge of and attitude towards history (£1500 Ufton Court).
  • 2017 Exploring the issues: An exploration of the issues that affect how LGBT teenagers feel about themselves (£700 UoR funding).
  • 2015 An examination of history teachers' rationale for content selection (£2000 UoR funded).
  • 2015 An analysis of longitudinal data from the Historical Association's annual surveys (£1500 UoR funded).
  • 2014 Fragmentation in Initial Teacher Education (£1500, UoR funded).
  • 2012-13 An evaluation of the Langley Academy's museum learning curriculum (£10000, Arts Council).
  • 2012-13 What role does the choice of history curriculum topics play in promoting a sense of identity and social cohesion amongst young people? (£2000, UoR funded).
  • 2009-2012 Annual national survey of history in secondary schools (on behalf of the Historical Association - £1500 funding in 2010 from the HEA).
  • Improving Equity and Inclusion through Education.

Selected publications

Conference Presentations:

International conference papers:

  • Harris, R., Wilson-Daily, A. and Fuller, G. (2019) Exploring the school experience of LGBT+ youth: An examination of school culture, climate as understood by teachers and experienced by LGBT+ students in secondary schools. In International Association of Intercultural Education (IAIE), 2019, DENISE, 11-15 Nov.
  • Harris, R. (2018) Symposium Title: History teachers as curriculum makes 1. In History Education International Research Network (HEIRNET) 2018, The Ionian University, Corfu, 31 Aug-3 Sep.
  • Harris, R. (2018) Symposium Title: History teachers as curriculum makes 2. In HEIRNET 2018, The Ionian University, Corfu, 31 Aug-3 Sep.
  • Harris, R. and Reynolds, R. (2016) So what? History teachers’ rationale when designing school history curricula. European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Dublin, Ireland.
  • Harris, R., Heighes, D., Hopper, G., Jay, M. and Francis-Brophy, E. (2014) The successes and challenges of implementing a museum learning curriculum: a study of teachers’ responses and engagement with innovation. In ECER, Porto, Portugal, 1-5 Sep.
  • Harris, R. and Reynolds, R. (2014) The history curriculum and its personal connection to students from minority ethnic backgrounds. In ECER, Porto, Portugal, 1-5 Sep.
  • Burn, K. and Harris, R. (2012) History education denied: the unheralded growth of a two tier education system in England. In American Educational Research Association (AERA), Vancouver, Canada, 13-17 April
  • Bhopal, K., Harris, R. and Rhamie, J. (2009) ‘Race’, diversity and inclusion: student perspectives. In ECER, Vienna, Austria, 28-30 Sep.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2009) What factors influence pupils' commitment to history as a school subject? A view from the United Kingdom. In AERA, San Diego, USA, 13-18 April.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2008) Children’s ideas about what it means ‘to get better’ at history: a view from the UK. In Empirical Research on History Learning - International Society for History Didactics, Tutzing, Germany, 8-10 Sep.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2008) Pupil and teacher perspectives on motivation and engagement in high school history: a U.K. view. In AERA, New York, USA, 24-28 March.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2007) Getting pupils to ‘see the point’ of school subjects: history, a case study. In ECER, Ghent, Belgium, 18-22 Sep.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2006) Pupil perceptions of history as a school subject. In ECER, Geneva, Switzerland, 13-16 Sep.

National conference papers:

  • Harris, R., Wilson-Daily, A. and Fuller, G. (2021) ‘I just want to feel like I’m part of everyone else.’ How schools unintentionally contribute to the isolation of students who identify as LGBT+. In British Educational Research Association (BERA), 2021, online conference, 13-16 Sept.
  • Harris, R. (2017) Symposium Title: Building Powerful Knowledge in History: challenges and opportunities. In British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2017, University of Sussex, UK, 5-7 Sep.
  • Harris, R. (2016) Symposium Title: History Teachers as Curriculum Makers: Hard choices and History Teaching. In BERA 2016, University of Leeds, UK, 13-15 Sep.
  • Harris, R. and Burn, K. (2014) Symposium Title: Learning History Part I: The purposes, practices and professional knowledge of history teachers - and how they are developed. In BERA 2014, Institute of Education, University of London, UK, 23-25 Sep.
  • Harris, R. Francis-Brophy, E., Heighes, D., Hopper, G. and Jay, M. (2014) An evaluation of an innovative curriculum: the benefits and challenges of implementing a museum learning curriculum in a secondary school. In BERA 2014, Institute of Education, University of London, UK, 23-25 Sep.
  • Crolla, C., Harris, R. and Heighes, D. (2014) Fragmentation in Teacher Education - an examination of current policy and practice in England. In BERA 2014, Institute of Education, University of London, UK, 23-25 Sep.
  • Harris, R. (2013) What role does the choice of history curriculum topics play in promoting a sense of identity and social cohesion amongst young people? In BERA 2013, University of Sussex, UK, 3-5 Sep 2013.
  • Harris, R. (2012) Taking history forward: framing the debate 'correctly'. In Centre for Learner Identity Studies conference at Edge Hill University, 10-12 July 2012.
  • Harris, R. (2010) Diversity and the history curriculum. In History Teacher Educator Network conference, University of Newport, UK, 19-20 July.
  • Harris, R. (2010) Diversity and the history curriculum: An action research approach to help trainee history teachers embrace cultural and ethnic diversity in the curriculum. In BERA, University of Warwick, UK, 2-5 Sep 2010.
  • Bhopal, K., Harris, R. and Rhamie, J. (2009) Student perspectives on ‘Race’, diversity and inclusion on ITE courses: a case study analysis. In BERA 2009, Manchester, 2-5 Sep 2009.
  • Harris, R. (2009) Diversity and the history curriculum: An action research approach to help trainee history teachers embrace cultural and ethnic diversity in the curriculum – initial findings. In History Teacher Educator Network conference, University of Birmingham, UK, 17-19 July.
  • Haydn, T. and Harris, R.(2007) Getting pupils to ‘see the point’ of school subjects: history, a case study. In BERA Annual Conference 2007, London, UK, 5-8 Sep 2007.
  • Harris, R. (2005) Evaluations - what lessons can we learn from these? In BERA, University of Glamorgan, UK, 14-17 Sep 2005.

Enterprise Activity, External Roles and Consultancy:

  • Member of the Historical Association's Council - 2001-2003
  • Member of the Historical Association's Secondary Executive Committee - 2001-2016
  • Chair of the Historical Association's Secondary Executive Committee - 2007-2010
  • Awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Historical Association - 2011
  • Senior Follow of the Higher Education Academy - 2012
  • Reviewer for journals - including British Educational Research Journal; Journal of Curriculum Studies; Journal of Education Policy; International Journal of Research and Method in Education; Teaching and Teacher Education; Cambridge Journal of Education; Educational Review
  • QCA consultant for A level/IB history comparability study - 2002
  • Past Forward: a vision for school history, 2002-2012 - conference organiser, and editor of conference papers - 2002
  • Speaker at 2002 and 2004 Reading HA Sixth form conferences
  • Plymouth LEA History conference - keynote speaker and workshops - 2003
  • Project Director for History Initial Teacher Training project - HA project for the TDA to produce training materials for new history teacher trainers - 2003-2006
  • Member of the QCA KS3 Review Board for the National Curriculum - 2006
  • Researcher on Teaching Emotive and Controversial History (TEACH) - HA project funded by DfES - 2006
  • School History Project workshop leader - 2008, 2010, 2012
  • SSAT North West history in-service training - 2010
  • Hampshire History Conference key note speaker - 2015, 2016
  • International consultant for the Nile Schools Federation humanities curriculum - 2010
  • Ofqual consultant for A level international comparability study - 2010-2011
  • Council of Europe projects - Multiperspectivity in history - 2007-2008 (participant); THEO project - 2008 (author); Education for the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity - 2009-2010 (module leader); Teaching history in a changing world - 2011 (joint venture with the Arab League; module leader) Teaching history for a diverse community - 2012 (official observer for the Council of Europe); Teaching a common history in a divided community: Cyprus - 2013; 'Understanding diversity' Summer School - 2013 (part of a team of 4 coordinators and course leader for a series of workshops); Writer for the CoE' 'Teacher Manifesto for the C21st'; Remembrance of the Holocaust and Education for the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity – 2016-2017 (facilitator)
  • Centre for Holocaust Education associate - 2012-2014
  • Secondary PGCE history external examiner for University of Bath Spa 2004-08, University of Gloucestershire 2007-11, University of Bristol 2012-2014, University Trinity St David's 2013-2017, University of Ulster 2015-2019, University of Sunderland 2020-present, Nottingham Trent University 2020-present
  • Secondary PGCE chief external examiner for University of Gloucestershire 2008-2011, and University of Reading 2008-2011
  • MA Humanities Education external examiner, University College London - 2017-present
  • Professional Training for Lefkoşa Türk Lisesi teachers 2014
  • CCT Network Rathfern Research Hub – 2021 – invited to run a series of workshops with teachers in Lewisham to develop history teaching
  • University of Manchester – 2018 – invited to work with the university history department on diversifying their curriculum offer
  • Bracknell Forest Primary history consultant – 2015-16
  • Hampshire History Conference – 2015, 2016 – key note speaker and workshop leader
  • Centre for Holocaust Education Associate, based at the IOE, UCL – supporting the Beacon School Project to develop the teaching of the Holocaust and other genocides – 2012-2013.
  • Historical Association Conference – 2012, 2013, 2021 – workshop leader
  • Schools History Project Conference – 2008, 2010, 2012 – workshop leader

Publications