Department of Education

Associate Professor Nigel Fancourt

MLT course director

College Affiliation: St Stephen's House

Nigel has worked at Oxford since 2010, and is course director of the Masters in Learning and Teaching. He is a PGCE tutor, in religious education, and lectures on philosophical and ethical issues for the research degrees. He specialises in research on ways of learning at the intersections of different epistemological and ethical domains, particularly in relation to:

  • Research and schools, for instance how and why teachers engage with research
  • Religions and schools, for instance around policy, pedagogy, and assessment
  • Conflicting epistemological and ethical demands across professional practices

Current professional associations: Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education; British Education Research Association; European Network for Religious Education through Contextual Approaches; International Seminar for Religious Education and Values; Philosophy of Education (Great Britain) Society.

CONSULTANCY: Nigel welcomes consultancy work for schools, educational organisations e.g. Education Development Trust, and governments, having carried out projects for organisations around the world – and notably Great Britain, India, Indonesia and Bhutan.

Funded Research Projects:

  • Evaluation of Attachment-Aware CPD

    2017-2018

    Birmingham (Co-PI, with Professor Judy Sebba). Funded by Birmingham City Council.

Doctoral Applications

  • Religions, beliefs and secularities in education
  • Professional practices in education
  • Ethics & values in education
  • Qualitative and mixed-methods approaches including practitioner research studies

Publications:

  • Featured Publications

    • Fancourt, NPM (2017) “Crucifixes in classrooms: the pedagogical assumptions of the European Courts”, In: M Rothgangel, K von Bromssen, H-G Heimbrock (eds.) Location, space and place in religious education. Religious diversity and education in Europe. Munster: Waxmann.

    • Fancourt, N (2017) “Creating a system of distributed expertise: The oxford education deanery narrative”, In: Working Relationally in and across Practices: A Cultural-Historical Approach to Collaboration.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/9781316275184.010

    • Fancourt, N (2017) “Teaching about Christianity: a configurative review of research in English schools”, JOURNAL OF BELIEFS & VALUES-STUDIES IN RELIGION & EDUCATION.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2016.1229469

    • Fancourt, NPM (2016) “ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATIONS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: SIXTY YEARS OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS”, British Journal of Religious Education. Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles.

    • Fancourt, N (2016) “The classification and framing of religious dialogues in two English schools”, BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2015.1113932

    • Fancourt, N, Edwards, A, Menter, I (2015) “Reimagining a School – University Partnership: The Development of the Oxford Education Deanery Narrative”, Education Inquiry.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v6.27724

    • Fancourt, NPM (2015) “Re-defining learning about religion and learning from religion: A study of policy change”, British Journal of Religious Education.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2014.923377

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. London: Routledge.

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. Münster: Waxmann Verlag.

  • Book chapters

    • Childs, A, Menter, I (2017) Afterword. 224-231
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160320

    • Fancourt, N (2017) “Research ethics in closing the gap: Equipoise in randomised controlled trials in education”, In: Mobilising Teacher Researchers: Challenging Educational Inequality. 159-174
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160320

    • Fancourt, NPM (2017) “Crucifixes in classrooms: the pedagogical assumptions of the European Courts”, In: M Rothgangel, K von Bromssen, H-G Heimbrock (eds.) Location, space and place in religious education. Religious diversity and education in Europe. Munster: Waxmann. 87-100

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. Religious diversity and education in Europe. Munster: Waxmann. 39-45

    • Fancourt, N (2017) “Creating a system of distributed expertise: The oxford education deanery narrative”, In: Working Relationally in and across Practices: A Cultural-Historical Approach to Collaboration. 172-190
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/9781316275184.010

    • Fancourt, NPM (2017) “Assessment in Ethics Education: Neoliberalism, Values and Alignment”, In: O Franck (ed.) Assessment in Ethics Education: A Case of National Tests in Religious Education. Evaluating Education: Normative Systems and Institutional Practices. Springer. 163-176

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. London: Routledge.

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. Münster: Waxmann Verlag.

    • Fancourt, N (2013) “Very sad, but it Works’: One pupil’s assessment career in religious education”, In: Religion in Education: Innovation in International Research. 105-118
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203067246

    • Fancourt, NPM (2011) “Differentiation”, In: P Barnes (ed.) Debates in Religious Education. London: Routledge.

    • 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. Munster: Waxmann.

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. Münster: Waxmann.

    • Fancourt, NPM (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. Münster: Waxmann Verlag.

  • Journal articles

    • Fancourt, N (2017) “Teaching about Christianity: a configurative review of research in English schools”, JOURNAL OF BELIEFS & VALUES-STUDIES IN RELIGION & EDUCATION. 38(1) 121-133.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2016.1229469

    • Fancourt, NPM (2016) “ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATIONS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: SIXTY YEARS OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS”, British Journal of Religious Education.

    • Fancourt, N (2016) “The classification and framing of religious dialogues in two English schools”, BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 38(3) 325-340.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2015.1113932

    • Fancourt, N, Edwards, A, Menter, I (2015) “Reimagining a School – University Partnership: The Development of the Oxford Education Deanery Narrative”, Education Inquiry. 6(3) 27724-27724.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v6.27724

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

    • Fancourt, N (2013) “"Very sad, but it works": One pupil's assessment career in religious education”, Religion and Education. 40(1) 78-89.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2013.745360

    • Fancourt, N (2013) “Law, religious freedoms and education in Europe”, BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 35(2) 218-220.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2012.760912

    • Brooks, V, Fancourt, N (2012) “Is self-assessment in religious education unique?”, BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 34(2) 123-137.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2011.614747

    • Fancourt, N (2010) “'I'm less intolerant': reflexive self-assessment in religious education”, BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 32(3) 291-305.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2010.498616

    • Fancourt, N (2007) “Quelle formation pour l'éducation à la religion? (British Journal of Religious Education (2005) 29, 2 (197-99))”, British Journal of Religious Education. 29(3) 303+.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/01416200701479927

    • Fancourt, N (2005) “Challenges for self-assessment in religious education”, British Journal of Religious Education. 27(2) 115-125.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/0141620042000336611

    • Fancourt, N (2003) “Whole-class strategies in Religious Education”, Support for Learning. 18(3) 112-116.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.00292

    • Fancourt, NPM “Assessment, failure and motivation in religious education”, Religious Education Journal of Australia. 28(2) 29-35.

  • Internet publication

    • Fancourt, NPM (2012) It’s time to rethink the way Christianity is taught in schools. Guardian Online.

  • Reports

    • Alexander, P, Edwards, A, Fancourt, NPM, Menter, I (2014) Raising and sustaining aspiration in City Schools. University of Oxford: Department of Education.

    • Fancourt, NPM (2012) Teaching Christianity in religious education: a review of research. University of Oxford: Nigel Fancourt.

    • Jackson, R, Ipgrave, J, Hayward, M, Hopkins, P, Fancourt, NPM, Robbins, M, Francis, LJ, McKenna, U (2010) Materials used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England. London: DCSF.

  • Other

    • Fancourt, N (2016) “Philosophical perspectives on teacher education”, JOURNAL OF BELIEFS & VALUES-STUDIES IN RELIGION & EDUCATION. 37(1) 123-124.
      DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2015.1107369

    • Burns, J Teaching of Christianity ‘lacks intellectual development’.

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