Learning to Teach in the Secondary School

How to use this site

We hope that many readers will develop a good level of familiarity with the book and website, and then return to them to dip into specific chapters at different times during the academic year to support their deepening understanding. The explainer videos on each chapter page give a useful introduction and overview for the chapter, and are designed to be used either independently or during group work. Many of the materials can be downloaded and used independently or as set tasks during initial teacher education. We advise that you familiarise yourself with the range of support materials and remember to check this chapter by chapter.

If you are working to UK frameworks or teachers’ standards, you will find the mapping document provided in the Extra Resources especially helpful when looking at the core concepts: behaviour, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and professional behaviours.

About the Editors

Sarah Younie

Dr Younie is a Reader in Education, Innovation and Technology at De Montfort University and is Associate Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Technology, Pedagogy and Education, and sits on the journal’s Editorial Board. Dr Younie is a founder member of the Education Futures Collaboration (EFC) charity; she is a Trustee and sits on the Strategic Leadership Steering Group for EFC. Dr Younie has collaborated with Prof Leask from the beginning to set up MESHGuides and has helped to drive this vision forward, through establishing its structures and processes; she sits on the MESH Chief Editorial Board and is Editor-in-Chief of the MESH ICT Editorial Board.

Dr Younie has been involved in international and national teaching and research on educational technologies for over 25 years. She has been involved in the use of digital technologies in educational settings for UNESCO, EU and UK government agencies, including the Training and Development Agency (TDA), Becta, BBC, HEA and JISC. She has worked as a teacher and researcher in secondary schools, universities and as the UK Chair of the National Subject Association of IT in Teacher Education (ITTE), and she has conducted national research, including evidence for the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Education.

Elizabeth Hidson

Dr Elizabeth Hidson trained as a secondary school teacher in 1999. She progressed into middle leadership then senior leadership in London schools, first as an assistant head and then as a deputy headteacher. She has supported and mentored teachers at all stages of their careers, having been an Advanced Skills Teacher and a SSAT Lead Practitioner for the London region. Elizabeth relocated to the North East to study full-time for her doctorate and has been an educational technology researcher as well as teaching on PGCE, MA and doctoral training courses at Durham University and Newcastle University. Elizabeth moved fully into teacher education in 2018, joining the international initial teacher training team at the University of Sunderland. She now leads the PgCert Education (SCITT) programme, working with School-Centred Initial Teacher Training partners across the north of England as well as teaching and leadership on the international PGCE Education and PGCE with iQTS programmes. Elizabeth leads a large Level 7 MA module where trainees explore school-based targeted academic interventions and is an assessor on the Assessment-Only Route to QTS. She is an external examiner across a range of teacher education programmes at other universities, including SCITTs, teaching apprenticeships and School Direct routes into teaching. Image provided by David Wood Photographer

Julia Lawrence

Julia is an Assistant Professor working in Initial Teacher Education and Development. Her background is in physical education and she has worked extensively on primary and secondary teacher education programmes. She gained a BEd (Hons) degree and taught in secondary schools in England. Following completion of her PhD, Julia took up a teaching post at Leeds Beckett University and has subsequently worked at Hull University and now Northumbria University. She has supported teachers internationally in Cyprus, South Africa and more recently Singapore

Julia’s research and writing focus on the development of beginning and early career teachers across both primary and secondary teaching. She is the author of Teaching Primary Physical Education, and has co-edited physical education subject books in the Learning to Teach series (Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School and A Practical Guide to Teaching Physical Education in the Secondary School) as well as the Mentoring Trainee and Newly Qualified Teachers series (Mentoring Teachers in the Primary School and Mentoring Physical Education Teachers in the Secondary School) for which she is also a Series Editor. She is also co-editor for Surviving and Thriving in the Secondary School and CPD for Teaching and Learning in Physical Education. Julia has also published over 30 book chapters and research articles.

Nikki Booth

Dr Nikki Booth has been a part-time researcher and educator at Birmingham City University since 2021. His interdisciplinary teaching experience in secondary education spans music, Spanish, mathematics, and physics, with leadership roles including Head of Music, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, and Head of Assessment.

Nikki’s academic journey includes studies at Keele University, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and Birmingham City University. He earned a Master’s in Teaching and Learning, which sparked a strong research interest in music education, educational assessment, and teacher development. His doctoral work, completed in 2023 under the supervision of Professor Martin Fautley and Dr. Victoria Kinsella, focused on audio recordings in Key Stage 3 music group composing, exploring formative assessment and learner engagement.

Beyond academia, Nikki leads professional development workshops for teachers and school leaders across the UK. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences and authored over twenty publications on educational assessment.

Following the completion of his PhD, and in addition to his BCU role, Nikki transitioned from a 15-year teaching career to join NEBOSH as Head of Assessment Development, where he supports assessment development and practices for learners worldwide, alongside his continuing role at BCU.

A Companion to School Experience