Home > People > Nigel Fancourt

Nigel Fancourt

Director of Doctoral Research; Associate Professor of Education and Values | St Stephen's House

nigel.fancourt@education.ox.ac.uk

About me

Nigel is Associate Professor of Education and Values and the Department’s Director of Doctoral Research, overseeing all doctoral students.

His own research encompasses belief and values-based questions across education and research, especially on:

Laws, human rights and courts
Religions, beliefs & secularities
Educational justice
Educational research ethics

He has been convenor of the Philosophy, Religion and Education Group, and Chair of the Departmental Research Ethics Committee.

Professional associations: Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education; British Education Research Association; European Association of Research in Learning and Instruction; International Seminar for Religious Education and Values; Philosophy of Education (Great Britain) Society.

He is on the editorial board of Journal of Beliefs & Values, and regularly reviews for: British Journal of Religious Education, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Oxford Review of Education, Religion & Education, and Teachers and Teacher Education.

Advisory & consultancy: Nigel is involved in advising on research in UK and across Europe, most recently the MORE project in Vienna. He has also been a doctoral external examiner in UK and internationally. He welcomes consultancy work with schools, educational organisations and governments, and has carried out projects around the world.

Research

Books

Fancourt, N. (2024). Religions, beliefs and education in the European Court of Human Rights: investigating judicial pedagogies. Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003393276 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:11b0dfa6-6a17-4afa-8dd7-0d49e0d016ad
Fancourt, N. (2023). Religions, Beliefs and Education in the European Court of Human Rights. Taylor & Francis.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003393276

Book chapters

FANCOURT, N. (2024). The legal dimensions of international knowledge transfer in religious education across Europe: the role of national and supranational courts. In F. Schweitzer & M. Rothgangel (Eds.), Religious Education at Schools in Europe and International Knowledge Transfer: Looking Back and Looking Forward. University of Vienna Press.

https://openaccess.univie.ac.at/en/publication-services/vienna-university-press/
Fancourt, N. (2023). Schools and religions: the law and the courts – Costa Rica, England, France, Italy, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey. In J. Fraser-Pearce & J. Frazer (Eds.), The Bloomsbury Handbook of Schools and Religion (pp. 34-52). Bloomsbury Academic.

https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350297296.ch-3 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a2d75e71-387b-45d4-bae7-76671de6f977
Kelley, M., & Fancourt, N. (2021). Recognition, Mutual Respect, and Support. In Training for Community Health (pp. 177-194). Oxford University Press (OUP).

https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198866244.003.0011
Fancourt, N. (2021). Religious Education, Post-secularity and Neoliberalism. In Religious Education in a Post-Secular Age (pp. 17-35). Springer Nature.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47503-1_2
Fancourt, N. (2020). Religious education, postsecularity and neoliberalism. In O. Franck & P. Thalén (Eds.), Religious Education in a Post-Secular Age: Case Studies from Europe (pp. 17-35). Palgrave Macmillan.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47503-1 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4928f07b-b234-4e6d-b7c5-6792dae86b3a
Fancourt, N., & Childs, A. (2018). Building research capacity and relationships in schools: the consequences of involvement in Closing the Gap. In A. Childs & I. Menter (Eds.), Mobilising teacher researchers: tacking educational inequality. Routledge.
Fancourt, N. (2017). Research ethics in Closing the Gap. In Mobilising Teacher Researchers (pp. 159-174). Taylor & Francis.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160320-9
Fancourt, N. (2017). Research ethics in ’Closing the Gap’: equipoise in randomised controlled trials in education. In A. Childs & I. Menter (Eds.), Mobilising Teacher Researchers: Challenging Educational Inequality. Routledge.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f0c8d9b9-41cb-4025-99df-924fe356d0f3
Childs, A., & Fancourt, N. (2017). Building research capacity and relationships in schools. In Mobilising Teacher Researchers (pp. 141-158). Taylor & Francis.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160320-8
Childs, A., & Fancourt, N. (2017). Building research capacity and relationships in schools: the consequences of involvement in ’Closing the Gap’. In A. Childs & I. Menter (Eds.), Mobilising Teacher Researchers: Challenging Educational Inequality. Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160320 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:de4bdab3-6ee7-4b32-a53c-5a6e5add0af8
Fancourt, N. (2017). Spatial and temporal explanations in researching religious education. In M. Rothgangel, K. Von Bromssen, H.-G. Heimbrock, & G. Skeie (Eds.), Location, Space and Place in Religious Education (pp. 39-45). Waxmann.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:bf935ea0-6886-4f60-a455-37c077f6496f
Fancourt, N. (2017). Assessment in religious education. In Learning to Teach Religious Education in the Secondary School (pp. 89-101). Taylor & Francis.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768519-6
Fancourt, N. (2017). Crucifixes in classrooms: The pedagogical assumptions of the European Courts. In M. Rothgangel, K. Von Bromssen, H.-G. Heimbrock, & G. Skeie (Eds.), Location, space and place in religious education. Waxmann.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:dc413825-5281-4e50-a993-b91db25a66bf
Fancourt, N. (2017). Creating a System of Distributed Expertise: The Oxford Education Deanery Narrative. In Working Relationally in and across Practices (pp. 172-190). Cambridge University Press (CUP).

https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316275184.010
Fancourt, N. (2017). Assessment in ethics education: neoliberalism, values and alignment. In Assessment in Ethics Education: A Case of National Tests in Religious Education. Springer International Publishing.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50770-5_8 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:095c4419-c765-480d-9699-a02b2261aab9
Fancourt, N. (2016). ’I’m less intolerant’: Reflexive self-assessment in religious education. In The Empirical Science of Religious Education (pp. 46-59).
Fancourt, N. (2014). Insiders and Outsiders. In Designing Tasks in Secondary Education (pp. 170-187). Taylor & Francis.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315755434-10
Fancourt, N. (2014). Insiders and Outsiders: Task design in learning about religions. In I. Thompson (Ed.), Designing Tasks in Secondary Education Enhancing Subject Understanding and Student Engagement. Routledge.
Fancourt, N. (2013). Religious education across Europe: contexts in policy scholarship. In G. Skeie, J. Everington, I. Avest, & S. Miedema (Eds.), Exploring Context in Religious Education Research Empirical, Methodological and Theoretical Perspectives. Waxmann Verlag.
Fancourt, N. (2011). Differentiation (pp. 213-222).

https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203813805-28
Fancourt, N. (2009). Reflexive Assessment: The Interpretive Approach and Classroom Assessment. In J. Ipgrave, R. Jackson, & K. O’Grady (Eds.), Religious Education Research Through a Community of Practice Action Research and the Interpretive Approach. Waxmann.
Fancourt, N. (2009). The “safe forum”: difference, dialogue and conflict. In J. Ipgrave, R. Jackson, & K. O’Grady (Eds.), Religious Education Research Through a Community of Practice Action Research and the Interpretive Approach. Waxmann.
Fancourt, N. (2007). The dialogical teacher: pupils’ perceptions of good teaching in religious education. In C. Bakker & G. Heimbrock (Eds.), Researching RE Teachers. RE Teachers as Researchers. Waxmann Verlag.
Kelley, M., & Fancourt, N. (n.d.). Recognition, mutual respect, and support: A relational approach to training and supervision in community health work. In A. Geniets, N. Winters, & J. O’donovan (Eds.), Community Health Workers: A Pedagogical Perspective. Oxford University Press.
FANCOURT, N. (n.d.). The legal dimensions of international knowledge transfer in religious education across Europe: the role of national and supranational courts. In S. Freidrich & M. Rothgangel (Eds.), Religious Education at Schools in Europe and International Knowledge Transfer: Looking Back and Looking Forward. University of vienna Press.

https://www.vandenhoeck-ruprecht-verlage.com/verlage/vienna-university-press/

Journal articles

Fancourt, N. (2025). ‘A court in a glass box a thousand kilometres away’: judicial pedagogies of language in the European Court of Human Rights. British Journal of Educational Studies.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:32d512b7-bc16-44d1-8288-23341cf9f51f
Osbeck, C., Lilja, A., & Fancourt, N. (2025). RE teachers’ ways of balancing children’s existential concerns and the curriculum: mirrored through established RE approaches. Journal of Religious Education.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00249-w https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3f000f21-b49b-4843-bd0d-686420f9adbe
Healy, L., O’Grady, M., Fancourt, N., & Mema, B. (2024). Exploring the factors that impact recruitment and retention of pediatricians in irish community hospitals through the attitudes of trainees and physicians-in-practice. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 11.

https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205241285599 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b32cabe5-6cad-471e-80ca-867b65be07fd
Fancourt, N. (2024). From statutory localism to Strasbourg jurisprudence: the changing legal place of Humanism in religious education in England. Journal of Beliefs &Amp; Values, 1-17.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2024.2386217 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2024.2386217
Hunting, T., Kinchin-Frost, H., Lowe, F., McPherson, M., Waker, G., Wingfield, J., & Fancourt, N. (2024). Argument in religious studies at GCSE: a collaborative developmental research project. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 1-20.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2024.2372904 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:dd0761ce-cc1f-4524-a6a3-817e3fd9c6a8
Fancourt, N. (2022). Book review: The Bloomsbury handbook of religious education in the Global South. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 45(1), 124-125.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2022.2160606 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9fafff5e-400f-4a89-bdd2-893a8f408f66
Fancourt, N. (2022). Religion and Belief Literacy: Reconnecting a Chain of Learning. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 37(3), 578-579.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13537903.2022.2066277 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1b43ad3d-c52c-42b8-a60b-7546215d51f1
Fancourt, N., & Hendek, A. (2022). National, international and supranational perspectives on religious education, law and the judiciary: past, present and future. British Journal of Religious Education, 44(4), 411-419.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2022.2080357 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:c5ece101-b4bd-467e-bdf0-b24f0dbf6b3a
Fancourt, N. (2022). Religious freedom in English schools: neoliberal legality and the reconfiguration of choice. Religions, 13(7).

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13070639 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:252b598d-4e60-46ec-8de8-c38ba22e67d7
Fancourt, N., Foreman-Peck, L., & Oancea, A. (2022). Addressing ethical quandaries in practitioner research: a philosophical and exploratory study of responsible improvisation through hermeneutical conversation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 116.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103760 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f533ede2-5223-4ad1-8a51-cbe49efa45c9
Fancourt, N., & Guilfoyle, L. (2021). Interdisciplinary perspective-taking within argumentation: students’ strategies across science and religious education. Journal of Religious Education, 70(1), 1-23.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-021-00143-9 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ae23c734-affd-404c-9871-f6eeb249704a
Fancourt, N. (2021). The meaning of religious education in English legislation from 1800 to 2020. British Journal of Religious Education, 44(4), 497-511.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2021.1968793 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:0e224fb1-e619-4f32-a7c0-797f222a5de3
Hendek, A., & Fancourt, N. (2021). The effects of judgements by the European Court of Human Rights on religious education in England and Turkey. Religion and Education, 48(4), 436-457.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.1961658 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3d67f32d-69bc-419a-b68d-44fca2b07519
Guilfoyle, L., Hillier, J., & Fancourt, N. (2021). Students’ argumentation in the contexts of science, religious education, and interdisciplinary science-religious education scenarios. Research in Science and Technological Education, 41(2), 759-776.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2021.1947223 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f6d787da-117d-4ba9-9ffe-3d9c1c27078b
Fancourt, N. (2021). The educational competence of the European Court of Human Rights: judicial pedagogies of religious symbols in classrooms. Oxford Review of Education, 48(2), 131-147.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2021.1933406 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:550782e5-46df-4fa2-b9cc-0283da7f65ca
Oldac, Y., & Fancourt, N. (2021). “New Wave Turks”: Turkish graduates of German universities and the Turkish diaspora in Germany. British Journal of Educational Studies, 69(5), 621-640.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2021.1935708 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7001822e-51d6-435f-97af-4a0819ee7e49
Oancea, A., Fancourt, N., Robson, J., Thompson, I., Childs, A., & Nuseibeh, N. (2021). Research capacity-building in teacher education. Oxford Review of Education, 47(1), 98-119.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2020.1842184 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a85cabe2-e920-4fe4-9b46-45ff7689f641
Chan, J., Guilfoyle, L., & Fancourt, N. (2020). Argumentation in religious education in England: an analysis of locally agreed syllabuses. British Journal of Religious Education, 43(4), 458-471.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2020.1734916 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:145ee7f3-2532-4354-966e-13ecb31bc2eb
Erduran, S., Guilfoyle, L., Park, W., Chan, J., & Fancourt, N. (2019). Argumentation and interdisciplinarity: Reflections from the Oxford Argumentation in Religion and Science Project. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 1.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-019-0006-9 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:28d293cd-35ae-49d7-9fb3-4c72839e7922
Fancourt, N. (2019). Religious education as a dialogue with difference: fostering democratic citizenship through the study of religions in schools. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 40(4), 493-494.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2019.1646607 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:837ced46-861c-4ae4-a7a2-374baa32d9f4
Fancourt, N. (2019). Looked after children: embedding attachment awareness in schools. Education and Self-Development, 14(1), 11-19.

https://doi.org/10.26907/esd14.1.03 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:eb40ae39-2889-47bd-a8f2-e6efd9911b5d
Fancourt, N., & Ipgrave, J. (2019). Schools and their local religious contexts: building a framework of negotiations through qualitative meta-synthesis. Research Papers in Education, 35(3), 287-309.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1568530 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:defc0239-9138-4ef5-ba9d-9ef52a8145a4
Fancourt, N., & Ipgrave, J. (2018). Schools and their local religious contexts: building a framework of negotiations through qualitative meta-synthesis. Research Papers in Education.
Fancourt, N. (2016). Teaching about Christianity: a configurative review of research in English schools. Journal of Beliefs and Values: Studies in Religion and Education, 38(1), 121-133.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2016.1229469 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ca6fe6bb-f448-4975-b403-df4551ed8d74
Fancourt, N. (2016). Teaching about Christianity: a configurative review of research in English schools. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 38(1), 121-133.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2016.1229469 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:8a011692-1f1a-455f-b0b2-e0fe0fe28213
Fancourt, N. (2016). The classification and framing of religious dialogues in two English schools. British Journal of Religious Education, 38(3), 325-340.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2015.1113932 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b3130042-0007-403c-b51a-4346401584f7
Fancourt, N. (2016). Assessment and examinations in religious education: sixty years of research and analysis. British Journal of Religious Education.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:0a6c1007-7e92-4a93-8fcc-285d993125b5
Fancourt, N., Edwards, A., & Menter, I. (2015). Reimagining a school – university partnership: the development of the Oxford Education Deanery narrative. Education Inquiry, 6(3), 353-373.

https://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v6.27724 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:c952402c-d76a-4f6e-8043-0b12fcbe8a74
Fancourt, N. (2015). Re-defining ‘learning about religion’ and ‘learning from religion’: a study of policy change. British Journal of Religious Education, 37(2), 122-137.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2014.923377
Fancourt, N. (2015). Re-defining learning about religion and learning from religion: A study of policy change. British Journal of Religious Education, 37(2), 122-137.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2014.923377
Fancourt, N. (2014). Swimming against the Tide: The New Independent Christian Schools and their Teenage Pupils. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 29(2), 367-368.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13537903.2014.903673
Fancourt, N. (2013). Law, religious freedoms and education in Europe. British Journal of Religious Education, 35(2), 218-220.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2012.760912
Fancourt, N. (2013). “Very Sad, But It Works”: One Pupil’s Assessment Career in Religious Education. Religion & Education, 40(1), 78-89.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2013.745360
Fancourt, N. (2012). Assessment, failure and motivation in religious education. Religious Education Journal of Australia, 28(2), 29-35.
Brooks, V., & Fancourt, N. (2011). Is self-assessment in religious education unique?. British Journal of Religious Education, 34(2), 123-137.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2011.614747 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5fd27c97-3030-4bb7-874f-54954864e7dd
Fancourt, N. (2010). ‘I’m less intolerant’: reflexive self‐assessment in religious education. British Journal of Religious Education, 32(3), 291-305.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2010.498616
Fancourt, N. (2008). Teaching religious education. BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, 30(1), 83-85.
Copley, T., Meehan, C., Fancourt, N., Teece, G., Weisse, W., & Cush, D. (2008). BOOK REVIEWS. British Journal of Religious Education, 30(1), 79-91.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200701711741
Fancourt, N. (2003). Whole‐class strategies in Religious Education. Support for Learning, 18(3), 112-116.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.00292
Fancourt, N. (1995). Judicial boldness and the unauthorised insurer. International Insurance Law Review.
Fancourt, N. (1995). Imputed knowledge and affirmation. International Insurance Law Review.
Fancourt, N., & Gouge, A. (1994). Underwriting agents. International Insurance Law Review.
Fancourt, N. (1994). The English law of non-disclosure revised. International Insurance Law Review.
Fancourt, N. (1994). Utmost good faith: rescission. International Insurance Law Review.
Fancourt, N. (1994). Lloyd’s: underwriting agents. International Insurance Law Review.

Reports

Fancourt, N., Oancea, A., Thompson, I., Robson, J., & Childs, A. (2017). Evaluation of wiserdeducation: a report to HEFCW. In HEFCW External Report. HEFCW.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4377edfa-2672-4f3b-9b91-1db3371e59c0
Alexander, P., Edwards, A., Fancourt, N., & Menter, I. (2014). Raising and sustaining aspiration in City Schools. Department of Education.

http://www.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Citifoundation-Project-Report-June-5-PA-FINAL.pdf
Fancourt, N. (2012). Teaching Christianity in religious education: a review of research. Nigel Fancourt.
Jackson, R., Ipgrave, J., Hayward, M., Hopkins, P., Fancourt, N., Robbins, M., Francis, L., & McKenna, U. (2010). Materials used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England. DCSF.

Subjects Taught

DPhil in Education
MSc in Education (Research Design and Methodology)
MSc in Medical Education
MSc in Learning and Teaching

Current Doctoral Students

Probationer Research Student

Probationer Research Student

Doctoral Applications

Nigel welcomes doctoral applications from students interested in the following research areas

Religions, beliefs and secularities in education
Ethics and values in education and educational research
Qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, including practitioner research studies

Funded Research Projects

Raising and Sustaining Aspiration in City Schools (CI)

Funded by CitiFoundation

2012-2014

Leadership for Learning (CI)

Funded by Oxford City Council

2012-2014

Oxford Argumentation in Science and Religious Education: an interdisciplinary study in British schools. (CI)

Funded by Templeton Foundation

2018-2021

Refining the Ethical Eye and Ethical Voice – The Possibilities and Challenges of a Fiction-based Approach to Ethics Education (Advisor to University of Gothenburg)

Funded by Swedish Institute for Educational Research

2018-2020

Evaluation of Attachment-Aware CPD Birmingham (Co-PI)

Funded by Birmingham City Council

2017-2019

Knowledge Exchange: evaluation of attachment-aware CPD (PI)

University of Oxford

2017-2018

Evaluation of WISERDEducation (CI)

Funded by Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

2017

Research Use in Schools: teachers' views of methodology, status and implementation (Co-PI).

Funded by John Fell Fund, University of Oxford

2016-2017

Evaluation of Attachment-Aware CPD – Leicestershire (Co-PI)

Funded by Leicestershire County Council

2016-2017

Test and Learn: Closing the Gap (CI)

Funded by Department for Education

2013-2015

Raising and Sustaining Aspiration in City Schools (CI)

Funded by CitiFoundation

2012-2014

Leadership for Learning (CI)

Funded by Oxford City Council

2012-2014