Graham Downes
- Programme Leader, Education Studies
- Email: g.downes@bathspa.ac.uk
- School or Department: Institute for Education
Personal statement
Graham Downes is a senior lecturer in education with a particular interest in the social and political aspects of education, as well as the role of new technologies in schools. He spent six years working as a primary school teacher, followed by six years working as an advisory teacher for the Central Bristol EAZ. Whilst there, his remit was to develop collaborative projects between schools and local organisations with a focus on technology. The Zone had a specific affiliation with the Arts and, as a result, Graham worked on many projects in collaboration with local artists and art organisations such as The Watershed in Bristol.
He has an MSc in Education, Technology and Society and is currently undertaking a PhD examining new processes of educational governance, particularly in relation to academies and free schools. He has presented papers at The British Education Studies Association and British Educational Research Association. In July, 2013 he presented a paper at the Conference for Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in Prague, examining the relationship between communities and the State within systems educational governance.
Academic qualifications
- BA(Hons) Chichester University
- PGCE Chichester University
- MSc Bristol University.
Teaching specialism
- Educational governance and political economy
- Free Schools
- Critical discourse analysis
- Computer games and learning.
Research and academic outputs
When free schools in the UK and charter schools in the US backfire
book_section
Downes, G and Simon, C.A (2017) 'When free schools in the UK and charter schools in the US backfire.' In: Conchas, G.Q, Gottfried, M.A, Hinga, B.M and Oseguera, L, eds. Educational policy goes to school: case studies on the limitations and possibilities of educational innovation. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 53-68. ISBN 9781138678750
Information technology and learning in the global knowledge economy
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Downes, G and Brown, S (2012) 'Information technology and learning in the global knowledge economy.' In: Ward, S, ed. A student's guide to education studies. 3rd Ed. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780415809672
ICT, computer games and learning
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Downes, G and Haywood, S (2008) 'ICT, computer games and learning.' In: Ward, S, ed. A student's guide to education studies. 2nd ed. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780415465373
The role of online asynchronous discussion boards in developing reflective thought
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Howe, A and Downes, G (2015) The role of online asynchronous discussion boards in developing reflective thought. In: BESA 11th Annual Conference, 25-26 June 2015, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales.