The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.
Professor Lorraine Cale is a Professor in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy and the Director of Teaching Education, overseeing the University’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provision.
Lorraine describes herself as an educator who is ‘passionate about learning and teaching, and fully committed to excellence and delivering a high-quality student experience’.
She started working as a Lecturer in Physical Education (PE) at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in 1996 before ultimately being promoted to the position she now holds. From 2012-21, she was the Associate Dean Teaching in SSEHS having held former Director of Learning and Teaching and Programme Leader roles. Until recently, Lorraine was also the School’s Academic Education Lead for postgraduate student growth, overseeing new programme developments that ventured into new discipline areas and modes of delivery.
The success of her leadership can be reflected in the consistently positive feedback and evaluations from Ofsted inspections, External Examiner reports, and the Postgraduate Teaching Experience Survey (PTES) results. The most recent ITE Ofsted inspection report stated, “all trainees complete the programme as at least good teachers, with the large majority demonstrating consistently excellent classroom practice”.
Focusing on research-informed teaching, Professor Cale’s research centres on the critique and enhancement of health-related PE policy and pedagogical practice, which she uses to encourage students to question and develop their own thinking, decision-making, and practice.
Outside of the University, Lorraine has worked with the Association for Physical Education and provided consultancy work for government bodies including the Sports Council for Wales and the National Physical Education and School Sport Professional Development Programme in England.
Within º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, she has received a number of accolades in recognition of her work, such as the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching’s ‘Unsung Hero’ Award and the School’s Athena Swan Extra Mile Award.
Further afield, her published works have influenced PE policies and guidelines in countries including South Africa, Mexico, and Zambia. She continues to actively improve her professional development, regularly registering for workshops on teaching and assessment, remote learning, leadership and EDI, as well as attending and participating in external conferences.
Dr Ash Casey has worked at the University since 2014, originally joining as a Lecturer before advancing to Senior Lecturer and now Reader in Physical Education and Pedagogy.
Ash is renowned for helping student teachers understand the approach behind Models-based Practice (MbP) and how they can put this into practice. His expertise has led to him being invited to deliver sessions across the globe, as well as working with local government and national associations on the use of MbP. This work has also had a significant impact on the way previous students have altered their own practice at work, describing Ash’s teaching as ‘inspiring’ and ‘innovative’. Such work resulted in him being shortlisted for a Vice-Chancellor’s Award in 2022 for Student Learning and being awarded a Research Informed Teaching Award in 2020.
Additionally, to support those who wanted to improve their teaching in higher education, Ash established a Teaching and Pedagogy Group in the School in 2019, which provided monthly sessions for staff from early career researchers to Emeritus Professors to come together in a safe space to discuss teaching and learning. One attendee said, “Ash provides support and encourages us to strive for excellence in our practice. We use these meetings to share best practice ideas, and I believe that this has had a direct impact on my teaching and indeed student learning in my modules”. The concept has gone on to become part of the School’s established professional development programme.
Since 2013, Ash has disseminated his knowledge through his Physical Education Practitioner Research Network (PEPRN) blog and podcast, which has seen engagement from users from more than 196 countries, proving that not only has Ash supported his students and fellow colleagues, but also people from across the world.
Ash champions self-reflection for analysing personal growth and knowledge in practice, and credits it for enhancing his own teaching, new ideas and perspectives, as well as improving his skillset. It has also helped him to support doctoral students juggling multiple responsibilities; one student said, “Ash is incredibly supportive, patient and encouraging. He has an excellent ability to gently steer me when I am struggling, and to help me overcome obstacles in my work without ever criticising me.”
Dr Tina Byrom, Head of Enhanced Academic Practice within Organisational Development and Change at the University commented: “I am absolutely thrilled for Ash and Lorraine. Being recognised as a National Teaching Fellow is recognition of their outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession.
“Having worked with them in the development of their applications, I can confidently state that these awards are truly well-deserved. I look forward to seeing their continued collaboration in building our community of National Teaching Fellows, along with Dr Hilary McDermott, who received the award in 2022.”
Any member of staff who is interested in exploring whether they could submit an application for National Teaching Fellow in the future should contact Tina or Dr Sarah Turner (Programme Director Professional Programmes and Pathways) from the Enhanced Academic Practice team.
Professor Cale and Dr Casey will be awarded their Fellowships at a prestigious awards ceremony on 28 September 2023. More details about the Fellowships including a full list of recipients this year can be found on the Advance HE website.