Role
Sarah is the assistant course leader for the Post Graduate Certificate (PGCE) in Secondary Education. Sarah is also a senior lecturer and she contributes to a range of modules within both the PGCE and Masters in Education courses.
Career overview
Sarah joined NTU in 2007 as the strand leader for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education course for Secondary Design and Technology Education.
Between 2020 - 2023, she led the Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education with international partners.
Before moving into Higher Education, Sarah was an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) for Nottinghamshire local authority, which included work across a number of schools, supporting new and experienced teachers with professional development and training issues.
Sarah has worked in three secondary schools as a design and technology (D&T) teacher.
Prior to working in secondary schools, Sarah was a knitwear designer
Research areas
Sarah’s primary research focuses on design and technology teacher agency, and how teachers manage curriculum change. She has recently completed her professional doctorate at the University of Nottingham.
She has worked with Alison Hardy on the Building Research Capacity and Engagement in Design and Technology, an Education Innovative Knowledge Exchange Pilot.
Current projects
NTU Archer Exchange: Shaping D&T Education
Nottingham Institute of Education (NIE) Secondary School Subjects Special Interest Group (SIG)
Close to Practice
Current Doctoral Students
Hannah Barnet, Exploration of Joint Participatory Art Practice (JPAP) to facilitate collaborative learning in diverse FE classrooms (Co-Supervisor)
Claire Vickery, Exploring Teacher Perceptions about the Decline of D&T in Secondary School Contexts (Co-Supervisor)
Kim Western, Developing authentic academic assessment practices on Creative Technology courses. (Co-supervisor)
External activity
External examining
Goldsmiths University of London
Birmingham City University
Editorial board
Design and Technology Teacher Education
Researching Design and Technology
Reviewer
Design and Technology Education: An International Journal
International Journal of Technology and Design Education
Consultancy
Textile Skills Centre
OCR
Harper Collins
Bloomsbury Publishing
The Design and Technology Association
Kitronic
Noel-Baker School
Sponsors and collaborators
Collaborators
Dr Matt McLain
Marion Rutland
Publications
DAVIES, S., 2020. Planning lessons in design and technology. In: A. HARDY, ed., Learning to teach design and technology in the secondary school: a companion to school experience. Learning to teach subjects in secondary school. London: Routledge, pp. 191-207. ISBN 9780429321191
DAVIES, S., 2019. Observing design and technology teachers' lessons: tools for observation and analysis. In: S. LAWSON and S. WOOD-GRIFFITHS, eds., Mentoring design and technology teachers in the secondary school: a practical guide. Mentoring trainee and newly qualified teachers. London: Routledge, pp. 119-130. ISBN 9781138541108
DAVIES, S., 2017. Letting pupils 'tinker' is the way to teach electronics. Times Education Supplement. ISSN 0040-7887
DAVIES, S. and HARDY, A., 2016. How to teach 'Smart Fashion' within the D&T curriculum: have we got it right? In: PATT2016: Technology Education for 21st Century Skills Conference, Hogeschool Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, 23-26 August 2016.
DAVIES, S. and HAIL, Y., 2015. Education for sustainable development within textile technology: a case study of two schools. In: M. CHATONEY, ed., Plurality and Complementarity of Approaches in Design and Technology Education (PATT 29 Conference), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseilles, France, 7-10 April 2015. Marseilles, France: Presses Universitaires de Provence, pp. 106-111. ISBN 9782853999946
Press expertise
- Teacher education
- Student teacher observation
- Teacher professional development tools
- Design and technology secondary education
- Curriculum development in Design education