Position/Status

Senior Teaching Associate Geography Education

E-mail Address

ad433@cam.ac.uk

Phone

+ 44 (0)1223 767561

Qualifications

• BSc Hons Geography, University of Northampton
• PGCE Secondary Geography, University of Cambridge
• MEd Researching Practice, University of Cambridge

Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations

• Geographical Association
• Physical Geography Special Interest Group (Geographical Association)

Profile

Alison has eleven years’ experience teaching secondary geography and continues to work in school mentoring early careers teachers. Following her PGCE in secondary geography at the University of Cambridge, she taught geography, geology and was a PGCE mentor at an 11 – 18 comprehensive school in Essex for six years, before moving to take a Head of Geography post at an 11 – 18 school in Cambridgeshire.

During her three years at this school and before moving into teacher education, Alison became an Associate Assistant Headteacher (with responsibility for independent learning and more able students across the school) and Head of Human Sciences alongside her Head of Geography role. She undertook her MEd Researching Practice degree in her second year of teaching and examined teaching the complex concept of sustainable development.  Alison also leads on mentor training for the Secondary PGCE course at the Faculty, and has worked on teacher training and mentoring in Pakistan.

Academic Area/Links

Research Topics

Current Research Project(s)

Teaching

• Postgraduate
  • Secondary PGCE: Geography
  • MEd: Researching Practice (secondary schools).

Principal and Recent Publications

Dunphy, A. & Spellman, G. (2009) Geography fieldwork, fieldwork value and learning styles, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 18(1), 19-28.

Dunphy, A. (2009) Extending students' understanding of sustainable development beyond the environment, University of Cambridge, MEd Thesis.

Walshe, N., Healy, G. & Dunphy A.  (2020) How is geography rendered visible as an object of concern in written lesson observation feedback?  Curriculum Journal, 31(1), 7-26.