Dr Emma Rawlings Smith

PGCE Geography

Globalisation and Education Policy

Mentoring and Professional Development

Changes in English Education

After completing a first degree in Geography and Biology at the University of Sussex, a Masters in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy (with Distinction) and a Secondary Geography PGCE both at the University of Sheffield, Emma taught school geography for 15 years in the United Kingdom and abroad. Emma’s disciplinary expertise was recognised by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) when she became a Fellow (FRGS) and Chartered Geographer in 2009. While working in Abu Dhabi, she gained an MA in Education (with Distinction), and became increasingly interested in practitioner research and professional learning. On return to England Emma completed her doctorate exploring the professional capital of authors who recontextualise knowledge about place in geography textbooks.

Emma has worked in Higher Education since 2016, first at the University of Leicester as PGCE Geography Lead, SCITT Academic Lead and MSc Educational Leadership module lead. She then moved into the role of Postgraduate Research Lead at Bangor University and further supported research as the School Ethics Chair and CaBan ITE Partnership Research Lead. Emma was awarded Welsh Government funding for a Student Transitions to University project in collaboration with colleagues at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She has published widely on geography education and initial teacher education (ITE) and her research interests focus on teacher education, professional development, teacher and teacher educator identity, student transitions, lesson study in ITE, and place pedagogy. Last year Emma worked at the University of Oxford across postgraduate education programmes and engaged in research on mentoring in ITE. An edited volume with Dr Susan Pike titled Encountering ideas of Place in Education is to be published by Routledge on 1 December 2023.

Emma has been, and continues to be, involved in a range of societies and associations. She is a trustee and sits on the Council of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS- IBG) as Honorary Secretary (Education) and is a Chartered Geographer assessor. Emma is Chair of the Geographical Association’s (GA) Teacher Education Phase Committee and a member of the Teaching Geography Editorial Board and Geography Education Research Collective. Through her consultancy work with the GA, RGS, the Field Studies Council, NASBTT and others, Emma has supported the professional learning of geography teachers and she has co-authored a number of 11-18 school geography textbooks. Emma has examined GCSE and A level geography for AQA and Edexcel and most recently worked as an Assessment Specialist with CAIE to develop a new A Level Geography qualification.