Janet Douglas Gardner is Associate Teaching Professor at the School of Social Sciences and Professions.
Janet Douglas Gardner
Janet is an Associate Teaching Professor and a Senior Fellow in The Higher Education Academy. A former teacher and education consultant with an interest in raising standards, Janet has taught and delivered in-service education training in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Guyana, South America, Bahamas in the Caribbean and India. Her teaching experience has been mainly in the early years and primary education. Her specialism is in literacy. She has worked as a Literacy Consultant in an inner London local authority and a London Challenge English Consultant with Tribal Education. She has researched reading strategies in early childhood education, "Closing the Gap – Parents, Children and Teachers reading together" and teachers perspectives of children’s progress in non-narrative writing in Key Stage 2.
As a Teacher Educator within the School of Social Sciences and Professions, Janet has led teacher training courses and programmes for undergraduate and post graduate student teachers in pre-service and employment-based routes. She has been the PGCE Literacy Lead in Early Years and Primary Education for five years. Janet uses her knowledge and experience of literacy learning and teaching to inspire and engage aspiring teachers in all aspects of spoken language, reading and writing in multilingual, multicultural classrooms while enhancing their English subject knowledge. She keeps abreast with developments in the English/Literacy curriculum through research and evidence informed practice. Janet is an active member of the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) where she is a Trustee, Co Convenor of Conferences, Panel Chair for the Association's award for Inclusion and Diversity: The Brenda Eastwood Award and a member of the special interest group – "Literacy and Multilingualism".
Janet was the Course Lead for the newly introduced two-year Accelerated Degree in Primary Education from 2018 – 2022. She is the London Met Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Voice staff lead supporting the university's strategy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She was the Co-Lead for the "Decolonising Met Working Group and Critical Conversations Café". She has contributed to the "Disrupt the Discourse Critical Pedagogy Interview Series 1 – Bringing your culture into the classroom". Janet is currently a member of the Dialogic Pedagogy Network and supports the University’s Education for Social Justice Framework.
Janet currently teaches on the Primary Education BA. Content on this course includes early years and primary pedagogy, education and social justice, the impact of policy on practice, the academic and pastoral curriculum, assessment, inclusion and the research process. In preparing students for teacher education and training, Janet supports them in understanding the importance of subject and curriculum knowledge in primary education. Students are encouraged to complete curriculum subject audits, set and review targets and identify sources to assist them to meet their targets.
- Douglas-Gardner, J., & Callender, C. (2022). Changing teacher educational contexts: global discourses in teacher education and its effect on teacher education in national contexts. Power and Education, 0(0).
- Douglas Gardner, Janet (2022) Embracing cultural wealth: innovative approaches to curriculum delivery in primary teacher education. Investigations in university teaching and learning, 13. ISSN 1740-5106
Selected Conferences
July 13, 2022 London Metropolitan University Student and Staff Research Conference presentation: Exploring the value of student voice, the lived experience and sense of belonging at a Post 1992 institution of higher learning
July 8, 2022 Oral History Conference London Metropolitan University Oral History Project Presentation: Home, culture and the diasporic communities of Guyana and Sierra Leone
July 2, 2022 The United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) International Conference Session Chair for Expert Practice Presentation - Inclusion and Diversity: The Brenda Eastwood Award 2022
June 28, 2022 London Metropolitan University Learning and Teaching Conference joint presentation with final year students of the BA Hons Primary Education (two-year accelerated degree) : Students as Leaders in Learning
March 26, 2022 Conference Chair for The United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) inaugural Inclusion and Diversity National Conference Reflecting Realities: Equity and Inclusion in Literacy