Mike Younger
Position/Status
Head of Faculty
Director of Centre for Commonwealth Education
E-mail Address
mry20@cam.ac.uk
Phone
01223 507204 / 01223 767611
Qualifications
BA, MA
Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations
British Educational Research Association
Gender and Education Association
Geographical Association
Profile
Within the Faculty of Education, I had responsibility for one-year Initial Teacher Education and Training courses (PGCE secondary, primary and KS2/3, Gatsby SCITT, Graduate Teacher Programmes and the FastTrack programme) before becoming Director of Teaching / Deputy Head of Faculty in 2004, and then Head of Faculty in 2007.
My main research and teaching interests are located in the field of gender. From 2000-2004, I directed - in collaboration with Molly Warrington - a ten-term DfES sponsored project on Raising Boys' Achievement. This project, involving a research team of nine co-researchers, explored intervention strategies which appeared to have the potential to raise boys' (and girls') achievements within inclusive contexts. The project involved collaborative working with primary, secondary and special schools in different socio-economic contexts across England, and subsequently generated wide-ranging interest and comment from across the world.
A second major interest of mine is in teacher education and development, particularly in terms of increasing access to and diversity within the teaching profession, and promoting a symbiotic relationship between practice and theoretical perspectives. Other interests include geographical education and environmental education.
My recent role as Director of the Centre of Commonwealth Education has involved me in co-directing a project based in East Africa, the overall aim is to develop an understanding of practice in relation to gender and education. Working collaboratively with colleagues from East Africa, I am involved in developing research and intervention projects exploring gender processes and patterns in upper primary / lower secondary schools in Uganda and Tanzania, with particular reference to strategies which appear to have potential to enhance the retention and achievement levels of girls in secondary education. Other Commonwealth initiatives with which I am currently associated are based in India and the Caribbean.
Academic Area/Links
- Geography and environmental education
- Whole school issues linked to gender and achievement
- Teacher Education
- Developing the expertise of beginning teachers
Research Topics
- Gender and achievement
- Initial teacher education
Current Research Projects
- Raising Boys' Achievement in Schools in England
- Developing the expertise of beginning teachers (DEBT)
- Keeping Girls in School Against the Odds: Perspectives from Uganda and Kenya
- The Caribbean Context: Keeping Boys out of Risk
Course Involvement
- Education Tripos (undergraduate)
- PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education)
- GTP (Graduate Teacher Programmes)
- PPD and MEd provision
External Examiner appointments
- University of Sussex, PhD Examiner (2007)
- University of Oxford (Secondary PGCE) 2002-05
- Christ Church University College, Canterbury (Key Stage 2/3 PGCE) 1999-2003
- University of Central England (Undergraduate BEd., primary) 1998-2001
- University of East Anglia (Secondary PGCE) 1996-2000
Publications
Younger, M and Warrington, M (2009) Mentoring and target-setting in a secondary school in England: an evaluation of aims and benefits, Oxford Review of Education, 35, 2: pp 169-185.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (2008) The gender agenda in primary teacher education in England: fifteen lost years?, Journal of Education Policy, 23 (4), pp.429-446.
Younger, M. (2007) The Gender Agenda in Secondary ITET in England: forgotten, misconceived or what? Gender and Education, special edition on Teacher Education.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (2007) Closing the Gender gap? Issues of Gender Equity in English Secondary Schools, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 28 (2), pp 219-242.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M (2006) Would Harry and Hermione Have Done Better in Single-Sex Classes? A Review of Single-Sex Teaching in Coeducational Secondary Schools in the United Kingdom, American Educational Research Journal, 43 (4), pp 579 - 620.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. , with Bearne, E (2006) Raising Boys' Achievements in Primary Schools: towards an holistic approach. (Maidenhead : Open University Press).
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (2006) Working on the inside: discourses, dilemmas and decisions, Gender and Education, Special Edition.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M., with McLellan, R. (2005) Raising Boys' Achievement in Secondary Schools: issues, dilemmas and opportunities (Open University Press).
Younger, M., Brindley, S., Pedder, D and Hagger, H. (2004) Starting points: student teachers' reasons for becoming teachers and their preconceptions of what this will mean, European Journal of Teacher Education, 27, 3: pp 245-264.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (2003) 'We decided to give it a Twirl': single-sex teaching in English comprehensive schools, Gender and Education, 15, 4, pp 339 - 350.
Younger, M. and Webster, A. (2003) Environmental Education : Education for Sustainable Development, in J.Beck and M.Earl, (eds), Issues in Secondary Education (Cassell), second edn.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (2003) Under-achieving boys' in English primary schools? The Curriculum Journal, 14, 2, pp 139 - 156.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (2002) The 'Problem' of 'Under-achieving Boys' : some responses from English secondary schools, School Leadership and Management, 22,4, pp 389 - 405.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (2002) Single-sex classes in co-educational comprehensive schools in England: an evaluation based upon students' performance and classroom interactions, British Educational Research Journal, 28, 3, pp353 - 374.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (2001) Single-sex classes and equal opportunities for girls and boys: perspectives through time from a mixed comprehensive school in England, Oxford Review of Education, 27, 3, pp 339 - 356.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (2000) The Other Side of the Gender Gap, Gender and Education, 12,4, pp 493-508.
Younger, M. and Webster, A. (2000) Environmental Education : Education for Sustainable Development, in J.Beck and M.Earl, (eds), Issues in Secondary Education (Cassell).
Warrington, M., Younger, M. and Williams, J. (2000) Student Attitude, Image and the Gender Gap, British Educational Research Journal, 26 (1), pp 393-407.
Everton, T and Younger, M. (1999) The Changing Nature of Secondary ITT Partnership in England and Wales in the 1990s, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education and Development, p.21-28.
Younger, M., Warrington, M. and Williams, J. (1999) The Gender Gap and Classroom Interactions : Reality and Rhetoric?, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20, (3), p 325 - 341.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (1999) "He's such a nice man, but he's so boring; you really have to make a conscious effort to learn." The views of Gemma, Daniel and their contemporaries on teacher quality and effectiveness, Educational Review, 51,3, p 231-241.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (1999) Perspectives on the Gender Gap in English secondary schools, Research Papers in Education, 14 (1), p 51-77.
Younger, M. (1997) 'Subject Mentoring in Geography' in M Wilkin, J Furlong, S Miles, T Maynard [eds], The Subject Mentoring Handbook for the Secondary School, pp 119 - 152, Kogan Page.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (1996) Goals, Expectations and Motivation: gender differences and achievement at GCSE, Curriculum, 17, 2, pp 80 - 94.
Younger, M. and Warrington, M. (1996) Differential Achievement of Girls and Boys at GCSE: some observations from the perspective of one school, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 17, 3, pp 299 -313.
Warrington, M and Younger, M. (1996) Gender and Achievement: the Debate at GCSE, Education Review, 10, 1, pp 21 - 27.
Warrington, M and Younger, M. (1995) Differential Achievement of Girls and Boys at GCSE: observations from the perspective of one school, Homerton College Research Report No.4, ISBN 0-9522249-76.
Younger, M. (1995) "Now everyone wants to be involved "....What makes for Total Quality Mentoring? Mentoring and Tutoring, vol 3,1.
Warrington, M. and Younger, M. (1995) Homework : Dilemmas and Difficulties or" I want it done now, before Neighbours and Home and Away start!" in J Rudduck, R Chaplain and G Wallace [eds], School Improvement : What can pupils tell us ? (David Fulton).
Conference Presentations
Contextualising the 'Boys' Agenda' within an inclusive context or 'Let's not forget he girls''. Implications for Policy and Practice on Gender Equity in Schools. Keynote Address to Nordic Conference on Gender Equity, Reykjavik, Iceland, September 2009.
Boys at Risk: Implications for Pedagogy, Practice and Policy in Teacher Education. Keynote Address to World Bank / Commonwealth Secretariat Caribbean Regional Conference, Montego Bay, Jamaica, May 2009.
What Should They Know about Gender? The Need for a New Paradigm in Initial Teacher Education. Keynote Address to National Conference for United Kingdom Headteachers, Villa Park, Birmingham, November 2008.
Gender and Inclusion in Initial Teacher Education: Keynote Session at Institute of Educational Development, East Africa / Centre for Commonwealth Education Conference, Zanzibar Round Table, Zanzibar, July 2008.
Initial and Continuing Teacher Education in the United Kingdom: Dilemmas and Choices. Keynote Address to East African Conference of Teacher Educators, Aga Khan University Institute of Educational Development, Dar-es-Salaam, March 2008.
Assertive Mentoring for Lads and Ladettes. Keynote Address to National Conference for United Kingdom Headteachers, Camden Lock, November 2007.
The 'Under-Achieving Boys' Debate: the need for a new view. Conference for School Leaders, Birrmingham, May 2007.
The Gender Agenda in Primary Teacher Education in England: the lost decade? Dublin, Gender & Education Conference, March 2007.
Raising Boys' Achievements: the need for inclusivity and sustainability. Keynote presentation to the national conference of the Education Breakthrough Programme for Raising Boys' Achievement in Secondary Schools, Northampton, 23 January, 2007.
Gender Equality: an Inclusive Approach, Republic of Ireland Department of Education and Science: Gender Equality Conference for School Inspectors and School Leaders, Dublin, November 2006.
Contextualising the 'Boys' Agenda' within an inclusive context:reflections and lessons from the 'Raising Boys' Achievement' Project, 2001-04. University of Lancaster Department of Educational Research, Research Seminar Series, October 2006
Partnerships in Gender Research: Processes and Outcomes. Keynote address : Norwegian National Conference of Teacher Educators, Trondheim, Norway, April 2006
Raising Boys' Achievements: perspectives from a DfES Research and Intervention project. Keynote presentation to the national conference of the Education Breakthrough Programme for Raising Boys' Achievement in Secondary Schools, Leamington, February 2006
The achievement debate: the need for a holistic and medium term view. Presentation to local authority officers and headteachers, Portsmouth LA, February, 2006
Girls into Science and Technology : opportunities and pitfalls of single-sex teaching, Guest keynote presentation to Vhto / Universum Progarmma 'Meisjes en de N-profielen' , Utrecht, 2 February, 2006
The debate about single-sex teaching in coeducational schools: the English experience, University of Alaska, Anchorage, April 2005
Raising Boys Achievements within an inclusive context: experiences and approaches from England, Univerity of Alaska, Fairbanks, April 2005
Raising Boys' Achievements: perspectives from a DfES Research and Intervention project, Cardiff, Gender and Education Conference, March 2005
Gender mainstreaming for boys and girls, Strasbourg, European Council of Ministers, October 2004
A gender inclusivity for boys and girls in secondary schools, European Conference of Educational Research (ECER), Crete, September 2004
Raising boys' achievements in inclusive contexts, BERA, Manchester, September 2004
Single-sex teaching in co-educational schools, BERA, Exeter, 2002
Starting Points: Student Teachers' Reasons for Becoming Teachers and their perceptions of what this will mean, BERA, Leeds, September 2001
Developing the expertise of beginning teachers, BERA, Cardiff, September 1998
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