Stephen Bigger
I currently am a PhD supervisor working part-time for the University of Worcester, UK after retirement from full-time work in 2008. I have taught in primary and secondary schools, and been a teacher-trainer since 1981. I worked in Westminster College, Oxford (1983-1999) where I was Head of Postgraduate Education and Deputy Head of School, teaching on the MEd programme. I moved to what is now the University of Worcester in 1999, becoming successively Head of Applied Education Studies (including CPD), Dean of Education and Head of Educational Research between 1999 and retirement in 2008. I served on the UCET CPD and Research committees. My research interest was and is in motivating and empowering pupils. I completed an MA thesis on the empowerment of underachieving pupils. It seemed anomalous to be supervising PhDs in Education without an educational qualification!
My first degree was in Biblical Studies and I completed a PhD (1975) on Ancient Hebrew Marriage and Family. As a religious studies teacher and lecturer (though not religious myself), I continued this interest with an edited book Creating the Old Testament (1989) about why the Old Testament was written, Two education books followed, Researching Equal Opportunities (with K. Ashcroft and D. Coates, 1995) and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (with E. Brown, 1999). Recent articles have focused on world religions, Muslims in Britain, the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, critical phronesis, the so-called qualitative-quantitative divide, Mikhail Bakhtin and dialogic education, environmental education and various aspects of children’s literature. I am a frequent book reviewer and referee articles for a number of journals beyond this one, including the Journal of Belief and Values, Educational Research, Research in Post-Compulsory Education, Educational Management Administration and Leadership and Environmental Education Review.
I have supervised ten PhD students to completion and four to near completion, and three MPhils. I have examined 15 research degrees, mostly at PhD level in various universities. I have supervised students on the following topics: religious studies; professional development; early years education; street children in India, education for Muslim girls; the UK Pathan community; pedagogy, teaching and learning (primary and secondary); gifted pupils; children’s literature. There are further details on http://stephenbigger.blogspot.com.
Contact details: [email protected].