Alison Silby
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+44 (0) 118 378 2646
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Lecturer in Primary English Education
- Lecturer – primary and secondary English education
- Pathway lead for BA Primary Education with English
- Co-module lead for EDM007 Investigating Education – MA Ed
- PhD and EdD supervision
- Academic and supervising tutor
Areas of interest
- English pedagogy across the key stages
- Children's literature
- Developing English through the creative arts
- English and SEND in Initial Teacher Education
- Qualitative research methodologies
Postgraduate supervision
Current and Recent PhD and EdD Students, with topics/titles of their research:
PGR completions:
- Harriet Speed (PhD) - The effect of teaching grammar using cognitive linguistic strategies on the writing of Year 9 learners
- Anna Farleigh (EdD) - Constructions of literature in GCSE English and their implications for teaching practice
- Hailz Emily Osborne (PhD) - How masculinities are cultivated and practiced within long-established education structures
- Lauren Vincent (EdD) - An exploration into the development of academic identity in UK dance academics
- Anne House (PhD) - An investigation of speech recognition software in mainstream secondary schools
Current PGR students:
- Sarah Turvey (EdD) – Music education and teacher confidence
- Kate Allen (EdD) - Exploring the value of extra-curricular oracy-based activities in secondary school
- Xinrong Chen (PhD) – Investigating the pedagogical beliefs of pre-service music teachers
- Debbie Salvo (EdD) – Climbing the academic ladder: Exploring academic identity development through professional lived experiences of nursing pracademics in UK Higher Education
- Qiqi Zheng (PhD) – How do international students’ attitude towards using ChatGPT affect their perception of educational equity
Research centres and groups
- First Language research group
- Language and Literacy in Education research group
Research projects
- Relationships between knowledge, concepts and skills in school-based writing
- Supporting the professional development and practice of dyslexic trainee teachers
- The development of the English specialist teacher in the primary classroom: A longitudinal study of the identities of pre-service trainees, aspiring subject leaders and expert practitioners
- Developing children’s literacy through the art of storytelling
Selected publications
- Silby, A. & Callander, A. (2025). Good teaching for Children with SEND. Sage.
- Silby, A., Murphy, S. & Sharp, S. (2021). Poetry, the Art of Expression (pp. 94-108). In S. Ogier & S. Tutchell (eds.), Teaching the Arts in the Primary Curriculum. Sage.
- Silby, A. & Watts, M. (eds.), (2017). Early Child Development and Care: A contemporary look, 187(2).
- Silby, A. & Watts, M. (2015). Making the tacit explicit: children's strategies for classroom writing. British Educational Research Journal, 41(5), 801-819.
- Silby, A. (2004). Creative Learning: Music. Primary File Publishing.
- Silby, A. (2004). Creative Learning: Art and Design. Primary File Publishing.
- Silby, A. (2003). Teaching Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom (3). Primary File Publishing.
- Silby, A. (2003). Creative Learning: Drama and Role Play. Primary File Publishing.
- Silby, A. (2002). Teaching Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom (1). Primary File Publishing.
- Silby, A. (2002). Teaching Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom (2). Primary File Publishing.