Dr Nigel Newton
Lecturer in Education
Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy
Overview
Dr Newton's research includes work on graduate employees, student course choice, formative assessment, school culture, curriculum reform and school governance. He has provided teacher training and consultancy in relation to fostering student leadership, learning motivation and employability skills.
He previously coordinated research at WISERD, Cardiff University, "Successful Futures for all", funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales which explored the potential impact of curriculum reform in Wales on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a result of this research, he presented evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.
His PhD research at the University of Bristol explored the relationship between school culture and students' educational engagement. The research was carried out in Quaker schools in England and the findings point to the importance of a disposition towards inclusiveness in relation to students' willingness to engage in the learning opportunities their school provides.
Previously, he taught English, Classical Civilisation & World Development mainly in Further Education. He also wrote for the TES FE Focus on a range of subjects including college marketing, lecturer professionalism and the 'skills economy'. For several years, Dr Newton was projects director working with a learning disposition profiling tool developed at the University of Bristol. Projects he coordinated and supported included developing leadership skills in school learners in England and supporting first generation undergraduate progression in California.
Dr Newton is also interested in the use of technology to support education; he recently drew from research with school governors in Wales to develop a website aimed at supporting their work and building confidence; previously he designed an award-winning online tool to help students' post-16 course choice decision-making.
His academic writing includes papers on research methods, curriculum reform, school culture and educational theory.
Dr Newton is happy to consider supervising any PhD students whose work focuses on any of the themes mentioned above.
Research Publications
Values, relationships and engagement in Quaker education: student perspectives on inclusive school cultures
Newton, N., 7 Jun 2024, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
‘Dyfodol llwyddiannus’ i bawb yng Nghymru? Yr heriau wrth ddiwygio cwricwla i ymdrin ag anghydraddoldeb addysgol
Power, S., Taylor, C. & Newton, N., 11 May 2020, In: Curriculum Journal. 31, 2, p. e148-e165Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Y sail resymegol dros gymhwyso egwyddor sybsidiaredd wrth ddiwygio cwricwla a’i ganlyniadau anfwriadol
Newton, N., 11 May 2020, In: Curriculum Journal. 31, 2, p. e40-e56Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
‘Successful futures’ for all in Wales? The challenges of curriculum reform for addressing educational inequalities
Power, S., Newton, N. & Taylor, C., 16 Mar 2020, In: Curriculum Journal. 31, 2, p. 317-333 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
The rationale for subsidiarity as a principle applied within curriculum reform and its unintended consequences
Newton, N., 26 Feb 2020, In: Curriculum Journal. 31, 2, p. 215-230 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
A Polanyian Perspective on the Place of Knowledge Within the Curriculum
Newton, N., Jul 2019, In: Tradition & Discovery: The Polanyi Society Journal. 45, 2, p. 28-38 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review