Role
As a Senior Lecturer in Academic Practice in the Centre for Academic Development & Quality at Nottingham Trent University, Adam teaches and co-leads the Level 7 Academic Professional Apprenticeship / Postgraduate Certificate of Learning & Teaching in Higher Education for new members of teaching staff at the University. As a member of the Academic Practice team Adam supports scholarly activities and the work of the Trent Institute of Learning & Teaching (TILT), sharing and showcasing good practice, as well as advancing new best practices in inclusive and student-centred pedagogy.
Adam also has responsibility for the online Introduction to Learning & Teaching at NTU, which is a 40-hour training course available for all colleagues at NTU and mandatory for all new teaching and teaching-related staff.
Career overview
Adam joined NTU’s Academic Practice team in March 2021 as a Lecturer of Academic Practice to support and teach on the Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) and the Postgraduate Certificate of Learning & Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE). He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Academic Practice in September 2021.
Adam's passion is for effective education utilising appropriate pedagogies for the educational setting and removing barriers to participation.
Education:
BSc Geography - Aberystwyth University - 2010-2014
MSc Nature, Society & Environmental Policy - University of Oxford - 2014-2015
PGCE Secondary - University of Roehampton - 2016-2017
Learning & Teaching in Higher Education - Associate Teacher - Oxford Brookes University - 2019
PhD Education - Oxford Brookes University - 2018-Present
Adams doctoral thesis is: Being a ‘good’ student: the impact of affective influences on student behaviours and practices in the current Higher Education context. Adam is researching the extent to which universities’ interactions with their students reflect or embody the ‘soft power’ of the state as distinct from their own wholly autonomous actions as education providers. To that end, his research explores how student behaviours and practices are influenced by universities, and takes a post-structural approach focusing on networks of power.
In December 2021, Adam gained Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.
Previous Experience:
Associate Lecturer - Oxford Brookes University
Adam was an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University in the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development contributing to the teaching and assessment on Learning & Teaching in Higher Education Module (Associate Teacher) course for members of new staff (and partner organisations) and research students who have teaching responsibilities, the course led to Associate Fellowship of Advance HE. Adam also acted as a Professional Standards Framework reviewer for Associate Fellowship applications via the pathway route. In the role, was involved in several Scholarship of Teaching & Learning projects identifying best practice around inclusivity.
Director of Education, Governance & Standards - International Performing Arts & Theatre Ltd
For five years Adam was the Director of Education, Governance & Standards for a performing arts education organisation, working with a team taking it from a small London based theatre school to a larger membership and examination board operating in 12 countries with over 100 schools. In the role he led people-centred change to nurture the talent of staff, creating an engaged and effective workforce. He led the creation of systems to provide robust quality assurance and courses centred on active learning, working to ensure that the organisation met sector and regulator requirements. Furthermore, Adam led the development of a number of qualifications including flexible supporting resources for teachers to use in the creation and delivery of courses in their local context. His role involved Adam ensuring that the work the organisation engaged in remained true to the purpose of creating a safe and successful performing arts sector, this also included sharing best practice insights with the sector.
Responsible Officer - Global Education Training & Qualifications
Adam led the setup of this new awarding organisation focused on creative and vocational education, this involved assembling a Board of Directors of leading industry professionals and academics. Adam led the development of the policy architecture and systems required for the operation and regulation of the organisation and worked with qualification teams and the wider team to ensure that qualifications were/are robust and appropriate with quality assured assessment. Adam was responsible for the awarding process and ensuring that partners effectively delivered programmes with timely reporting.
Teacher of Geography - City of London Academy
Adam was a Teacher of Geography for students from Y7-Y12 at City of London Academy (Southwark), and was responsible for the lead of the Y7 curriculum and the geography gifted and talented extracurricular provision. The role involved projects to support widening participation and raising the aspirations of students.
Outside of Formal Education work, Adam has been involved in a number of civil society organisations:
- University of Cambridge and the Royal Commonwealth Society - acting as a mentor each year for those on the Queen's Young Leaders Programme, he provided guidance to people working in education/NGO/community groups focused on youth, governance, education and social action.
- Cabinet Officer & Step Up to Serve - a Young Social Action Ambassador working across the East Midlands public, private and community sectors to recognise the work of inspirational volunteers and refer these to the Cabinet Office as part of the Big Society recognition systems
- The Scouts - a number of roles including: representing the World Organization for the Scout Movement at the European Parliament in 2016, having input into the World Non-formal Education Forum leading to the Rio Declaration in 2019, and most significantly I led the growth of the London Scout Region
- Commonwealth Youth Parliament - one of two people representing the the under 30s of the UK at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in 2020
Research areas
Adams areas of research are:
- Higher Education Policy
- Learning & Teaching in Higher Education
- Education Theory
- Pedagogy
- Non-formal Education
- Education Governance Systems
- Post-structuralism
- Foucault
- Social Theory
- Biopolitics
- Power relationships
- Creative Education
- Social and Cultural Geography
External activity
Adam is the Founder of the charity Fahr Beyond, working to support people with Fahr's disease and their families. He remains involved in non-formal education particularly volunteering with The Scouts.
Publications
For details of Adams publications and selected scholarly activities please view my ORCID profile