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Educational Research

I, Me, and Curriculum: Reflecting on Self and Educational Reform in Wales

Posted on 11 April 2024 by Dr Kevin Smith

What does curriculum mean to me? Drawing on Mead’s theory of self and Pinar’s reconceptualist method of Currere, this post explores how Welsh educators can reclaim their professional voice and rethink curriculum as a living, reflective practice.

Currere Cymru: The Future of Educational Research in Wales

Posted on 27 February 2024 by Dr Kevin Smith

How can teachers in Wales reimagine curriculum as something lived, felt and continually made? In this post, I introduce Currere Cymru—a new research collaboration exploring how curriculum theorising can support transformative educational practice across Wales.

Cymraeg in the Classroom: Rethinking How We Teach Welsh

Posted on 12 May 2020 by Dr Kevin Smith

If most pupils believe Welsh is vital to Wales’s identity, why do so many dislike learning it? This post examines what pupils and teachers say about Welsh lessons today and explores how schools might rebuild enthusiasm and fluency by aligning classroom aims with the living language beyond the school gates.

Dysgu Cymraeg: Llais y Disgyblion

Posted on 1 May 2020 by Dr Kevin Smith

Pam mae cymaint o ddisgyblion yn teimlo’n anfodlon gyda’u gwersi Cymraeg? Yn y cofnod hwn, mae Dr Mirain Rhys yn archwilio beth mae dysgwyr eu hunain yn ei ddweud am ddysgu’r Gymraeg — o’r diffyg cyfleoedd i siarad i’r pwyslais gormodol ar arholiadau. Mae’r canfyddiadau’n cynnig cipolwg gonest ar y dyfodol i’n hiaith fyw genedlaethol.

Curriculum Theory and Theorising: Why Wales Needs Both

Posted on 17 April 2020 by Dr Kevin Smith

Curriculum reform demands more than compliance—it requires thought. This post explores what curriculum theory and theorising mean, why they matter for teachers in Wales, and how engaging with them can deepen both practice and understanding. It’s an invitation to think critically, question confidently, and join the broader conversation shaping education’s future.

Wales, Welshness, and the Curriculum: Rethinking the Welsh Dimension

Wales, Welshness, and the Curriculum: Rethinking the Welsh Dimension

Posted on 16 December 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

What does it really mean to “be Welsh” in today’s curriculum? This post explores how official discourses shape our understanding of Wales and Welshness, revealing the tensions between tradition, diversity and identity. It calls for a critical pedagogy of place—one that helps pupils think deeply about culture, belonging and the world beyond their doorstep.

Rethinking “Best Practices”: Teaching Beyond Technique

Posted on 20 July 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

Have we mistaken good technique for good teaching? In this post, Dr Kevin Talbert challenges the “best practices” orthodoxy in education and argues for teacher preparation that cultivates wisdom, reflection and moral purpose. Drawing on Freire and Harris, he makes the case for re-centring teaching on values and vocation, not standardised methods.

Finding Purpose in Teaching

Finding Purpose in Teaching

Posted on 8 July 2019 by Dr Kevin Smith

Are teachers guided by aphorisms or axioms? This post looks at what teachers say their top priorities are and questions whether phrases like “help pupils achieve their potential” offer genuine meaning or empty slogans. Drawing on Nietzsche, Frankl and Welsh education research, it invites reflection on how we find—and define—purpose in teaching.