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Anne O'Grady

Anne O'Grady

Principal Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Staff Group(s)
Continuing Education

Role

Dr O'Grady is a Principal Lecturer; Nottingham Institute of Education.   Dr O'Grady leads a number of postgraduate programmes and continuing professional development courses, including the Masters in Educaiton, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and the PGCE SEND. Her research focuses on marginalised groups, and increasingly, on the provision and experience of prison education.  Currently, Dr O'Grady in focussing on the provision of Higher Education in prisons and has recently completed a project, exploring the feasibility of providing digital higher education distance learning for prisoners, She has undertaken a number of research projects across the prison estate, including young offenders, men's and the women's estate, working with prisoners and prison education staff, exploring how education is experienced by prisoners; as well as the professional identity of prison educators.  She has been co-lead on a number of Learning Together projects with HMP partners, bringing HMP and HEi students together in collaborative learning opportunities.  She has presented her research at national and international conferences, and has published a number of journal articles and books. She has successfully supervised a number of doctoral candidates, and continues to supervise doctoral candidates.

Career overview

Dr O'Grady has previously worked at a number of Higher Education Institutions, including the University of Nottingham and the University of Derby, where she developed a new international MA in Education; and supported the delivery of the Professional Doctorate in Education in Hong Kong.  Dr O'Grady also spent several years working at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education where she undertook a wide range of research, working with stakeholders across a broad agenda of lifelong learning.

Research areas

Dr O'Grady's research advocates for a dialogic, social justice, approach to education that provides space for people to make informed choices for their future. She focuses on providing a voice to educationally marginalised groups; particularly prisoners, to consider the role, value and purpose of education for them.

She has worked on projects covering:

  • Prison education
  • Prisoner preparedness for release
  • Young offenders
  • Children in Challenging Circumstances
  • Adult learners

Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil/PhD in the School of Education exist and further information may be obtained from the NTU Graduate School.

External activity

Dr O'Grady has examined a number of doctoral thesis (PhD and EdD) both in the UK and Hong Kong.

Additionally, she has held several External Examiner positions.

Dr O'Grady works in partnership with a number of HM Prisons

Publications

Publications

See all of Anne O'Grady's publications...

Press expertise

Dr O'Grady can comment on prison education.