Mary James (educator)
Encyclopedia
Professor Mary James is Associate Director of Research at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education.
She was born in Dorking
, Surrey
, England
on 21 March 1946. Her father was a carpenter and joiner and her mother was a factory worker. Mary was educated at Sondes Place Secondary Modern School and West Ewell Country Secondary School before qualifying as a teacher at Brighton College of Education. She was then in the first cohort to be awarded a BEd degree from Sussex University in 1968. She now lives near Cambridge with her partner Dave Ebbutt, two horses, two Burmese cats and several hens. Their son, Luke Ebbutt James, is a designer.
London, and in 1990 she gained a PhD from the Open University
. She is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
. In 1979 she started a career in educational research at the Open University
and subsequently moved to Cambridge Institute of Education as a tutor (in 1989). The Cambridge Institute became incorporated in the University of Cambridge
in 1992 where she became a Senior Lecturer and then a Reader. She was also elected as a Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge in 1996. In 2005 she left Cambridge to take up a Chair in Education at the Institute of Education
. From 2002 to 2007 she was Deputy Director of the ESRC’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme
.She held an Economic and Social Research Council
Director's Fellowship in 2008. At the end of 2008 she formally retired but in 2009 took up a part-time post as Associate Director of Research at the University of Cambridge
Faculty of Education.
Traditional views of practice, cultural and institutional expectations, and external policy sometimes inhibit change, therefore, another area of research interest has been the impact of national, local and school policy on classroom practice and students’ experience. She has published widely in all these areas.
These two complementary strands of research activity also found expression in her work as founding editor (1990–1996) of The Curriculum Journal, and in her membership of the Assessment Reform Group from 1992.
Mary's research interests in assessment, teaching, learning, curriculum, teacher development and school improvement came together in a major ESRC TLRP development and research project: Learning How to Learn – in classrooms, schools and networks’. This involved collaborative work over four years (2001–2005) among five universities (Institute of Education
, Cambridge University, University of Reading
, The Open University and King’s College, London) and 40 primary and secondary schools. Its overarching aim was to develop and test a model of how pedagogical knowledge about how pupils learn how to learn, building on assessment for learning, is created and applied in classrooms under particular organisational conditions. It also investigated how this knowledge can be successfully transferred between teachers and between schools. Publications from this project can be accessed via the TLRP website.
She was born in Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 21 March 1946. Her father was a carpenter and joiner and her mother was a factory worker. Mary was educated at Sondes Place Secondary Modern School and West Ewell Country Secondary School before qualifying as a teacher at Brighton College of Education. She was then in the first cohort to be awarded a BEd degree from Sussex University in 1968. She now lives near Cambridge with her partner Dave Ebbutt, two horses, two Burmese cats and several hens. Their son, Luke Ebbutt James, is a designer.
Previous Teaching Career
Mary taught for ten years in secondary schools, including:- Park Barn County Secondary School, Guildford (1968–1970)
- Portsmouth Southern Grammar School for Girls (1970–1974)
- Hatch End High School, Harrow (1974–1979)
Professional Credentials
In 1979 Mary gained a part-time MA(Ed) in Curriculum Studies at the Institute of EducationInstitute of Education
The Institute of Education is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom specialised in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It is the largest education research body in the United Kingdom, with...
London, and in 1990 she gained a PhD from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. She is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
. In 1979 she started a career in educational research at the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
and subsequently moved to Cambridge Institute of Education as a tutor (in 1989). The Cambridge Institute became incorporated in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1992 where she became a Senior Lecturer and then a Reader. She was also elected as a Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge in 1996. In 2005 she left Cambridge to take up a Chair in Education at the Institute of Education
Institute of Education
The Institute of Education is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom specialised in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It is the largest education research body in the United Kingdom, with...
. From 2002 to 2007 she was Deputy Director of the ESRC’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme
Teaching and Learning Research Programme
The Teaching and Learning Research Programme is the United Kingdom's Economic and Social Research Council's largest investment in education research. It was initiated in 2000 and is expected to end in 2011. The programme incorporates 700 researchers in 70 projects, which cover all education...
.She held an Economic and Social Research Council
Economic and Social Research Council
The Economic and Social Research Council is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides funding and support for research and training work in social and economic issues, such as...
Director's Fellowship in 2008. At the end of 2008 she formally retired but in 2009 took up a part-time post as Associate Director of Research at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Faculty of Education.
Research interests
Throughout her career in teaching and research, Mary has been interested in finding out what teachers might do to improve learning by investigating what happens in their interactions with students, the curriculum and school structures. After moving into higher education, this interest initially developed into research and teaching on school self-evaluation and teacher action-research. During a period of five years (1985–90) when she was involved in a large government-funded evaluation of records of achievement schemes (PRAISE), she became increasingly interested in the idea that assessment by teachers in classrooms could be a powerful tool for improving learning. This often requires them to rethink what it means ‘to teach’ and ‘to assess’ and to place more emphasis on eliciting and interpreting evidence of learning as a basis for planning teaching to support learners in their efforts to improve.Traditional views of practice, cultural and institutional expectations, and external policy sometimes inhibit change, therefore, another area of research interest has been the impact of national, local and school policy on classroom practice and students’ experience. She has published widely in all these areas.
These two complementary strands of research activity also found expression in her work as founding editor (1990–1996) of The Curriculum Journal, and in her membership of the Assessment Reform Group from 1992.
Mary's research interests in assessment, teaching, learning, curriculum, teacher development and school improvement came together in a major ESRC TLRP development and research project: Learning How to Learn – in classrooms, schools and networks’. This involved collaborative work over four years (2001–2005) among five universities (Institute of Education
Institute of Education
The Institute of Education is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom specialised in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It is the largest education research body in the United Kingdom, with...
, Cambridge University, University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
, The Open University and King’s College, London) and 40 primary and secondary schools. Its overarching aim was to develop and test a model of how pedagogical knowledge about how pupils learn how to learn, building on assessment for learning, is created and applied in classrooms under particular organisational conditions. It also investigated how this knowledge can be successfully transferred between teachers and between schools. Publications from this project can be accessed via the TLRP website.