I am an advocate for Further Education professionals researching their practice and their sector. Within my own college I have responsibility for the development and normalisation of research and scholarship. I founded and chair the Bedford College Group Research Network and edit the network’s blog https://bcgresearchnetwork.wordpress.com/.

I founded and work as an advocate for the #FEResearchmeet movement, including the organisation of the Bedford researchmeet. Researchmeets are a free and democratic model for building and supporting engagement with research in further education, led by practitioners, for practitioners. I am also fortunate enough to convene the British Education Research Association’s Post-compulsory and lifelong learning special interest group and my local branch of the Learning and Skills Research Network.

When I am not doing all this I also teach the PGCE / Cert Ed in Post-Compulsory Education and work towards my PhD. My research interests are in Continuing Professional Development, vocational pedagogy and the transfer of lecturers’ vocational knowledge.

Samantha Jones, an advanced practitioner at Bedford College, has been named as teacher of the year at the Times Educational Supplement Further Education Awards. Samantha has worked for the College for over 14 years, moving into the Teacher Education and Scholarship Department in 2013 and teaches on the PGCE Certificate in Education course. The award recognised Samantha’s ‘outstanding commitment to the development of the course, the student learning experience and her own teaching best practice.’