Dr Alan Bainbridge

I have an expansive view of education that builds on practical school experience and academic interests that range across ecology, psychology, politics and sustainability.

I use psychoanalytic theory and processes to inform broadly narrative based research methods and as such tend to work qualitatively seeking to provide opportunities and spaces where participants can provide rich contextual insight into their life experiences. This has included research such as; exploring how life history influences the development of education professional practice, and the transformation nature of human/more-than-human relationships.

I am interested in the interconnection between human learning and the “natural world” and understanding attitudes towards native wildlife, biodiversity and pro-environmental behaviours.

I have explored the organisation of higher education – particularly the Teaching Excellence Framework – using ideas linked to the Marxian and Freudian fetish and has more recently applied this thinking to the impact of COVID-19 on education

Active research interests:

• Use of research evidence by education policy makers.
• Supervision as professional learning and well-being.
• Education as an ecological response.
• Education as a destructive enterprise.
• Education and sustainability.
• Adult education and learning.
• The commodification of (Higher) Education.
• Human/Wild animal interactions.

Research Methods:

• Qualitative approaches including biographical, narrative and auto/biography.
• Discourse analysis

In development: Lead consultant for Brandthinktank Group ‘Dirt is Good’ project, aimed at developing a further bid with Unilever Ltd on young people’s relationship with the natural world. (£9,400 to date)

2022: Attitudes towards the reintroduction of the chough to Kent. The Kent Wildlife Trust (£4,050)

December 2016 – May 2020: Erasmus+ 2 Year project ‘Curricular Reform For Democratic Principles and Civic Education in Teacher-Training Programs in Israel and in Georgia – Evaluation partner. (Total - €1.17 million; Evaluation budget £49,425).

September 2015 – 2018: Supervision: A business and community service for colleagues in schools project– Canterbury Diocese funded with approximately £10,000 per year for three years.

2017: Understanding attitudes towards native wildlife and biodiversity in the UK: the role of zoos. (Canterbury Christ Church University development fund)

2011: Academic supervisor. Evaluation of Kent Safe Schools Programme. Knowledge Transfer Partnership. (£120,000). Completed 2011 and graded ‘Outstanding’.

I am responsible for the Education Studies Year 4 Dissertation module and I supervise masters and doctoral research.

Visiting Reader in Education and Sustainability – Canterbury Christ Church University.