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Department of Education

Katharine Burn

Associate Professor of Education

College Affiliation: St Cross College

Katharine is an Associate Professor of Education and Course Director of the PGCE programme.

Katharine is also Honorary Secretary of the Historical Association and has variously served as Chair of its Secondary Committee (2013-18) and as Vice President (2018-21). She is a co-editor of the professional journal Teaching History and an Editor of the History Education Research Journal.  She is also currently a Fellow of the Schools History Project.

In addition to her teaching on the PGCE programme (particularly within the history subject strand), Katharine teaches and supervises students on the MSc Learning and Teaching and the MSc in Teacher Education.

Katharine’s research interests and doctoral supervision focus particularly on the fields of history education and teacher education (both policy and practice) at all career stages.  She is interested in the ways in which teachers engage with research – and has been involved in several participatory research projects with teachers, leading to joint publications. She worked for several years (2016-22) as Coordinator of the Oxford Education Deanery: a multi-strand partnership with schools, focused on the development of teachers’ research engagement through initial teacher education, early career professional learning and collaborative university/school research projects.  She contributed to the BERA-RSA Inquiry into the Role of Research in Teacher Education (2013-14) and represented BERA at presentations of the final report in the US and Australia.

Katharine is a co-director of the Historical Association’s regular survey of history teaching in England and is particularly passionate about promoting access to history for all young people and supporting teachers’ continued engagement with historical scholarship. She has explored ways in which the knowledge exchange and impact agenda has been harnessed to support sustained, subject-rich CPD for teachers and served as an Impact Assessor for the History sub-panel for REF2021.

Katharine is a Fellow of St Cross College.

EXTERNAL APPOINTMENTS

Honorary Secretary of the Historical Association since June 2021

Funded Research Projects:

  • Tricky Topics: ESRC Impact Accelerator

    • 2016-17

    Award in collaboration with Open University

  • Research Use in Schools

    • 2016-17

    (University of Oxford John Fell Fund)

  • Recruitment and Retention of Teachers in Oxfordshire

    • 2015-16

    (Oxfordshire County Council)

Doctoral Applications

Katharine welcomes doctoral applications from students interested in the following research areas:

  • Initial teacher education – beginning teachers’ learning, clinical practice, the integration of knowledge from different sources, mentoring strategies, teacher education policy;
  • Teachers’ continued professional learning – the development of subject-specific pedagogy, learning within and beyond subject departments, teacher engagement in and with research;
  • History education – including the impact of policy on curriculum and pedagogy; inclusive pedagogies (the value of history for all); curriculum planning and the integration of substantive and second order concepts.

Publications:

  • Books

    • Dumay, X., & Burn, K. (2022). Introduction: The status of the teaching profession (pp. 1-14). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-1
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-1

    • Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Thompson, I. (2022). PRACTICAL THEORISING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: Holding Theory and Practice Together (pp. 1-251). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945

    • Dumay, X., & Burn, K. (2022). The Status of the Teaching Profession: Interactions Between Historical and New Forms of Segmentation (pp. 1-173). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., Hagger, H., & Thirlwall, K. (2018). Teacher Education Partnerships Policy and Practice.

    • Tatto, M., Burn, K., Menter, I., Mutton, T., & Thompson, I. (2017). Learning to Teach in England and the United States: The Evolution of Policy and Practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315678382
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1f338bbe-a7c5-4b5e-9d32-2df2140da43d

    • Counsell, C., Burn, K., & Chapman, A. (2016). MasterClass in History Education Transforming Teaching and Learning Introduction (pp. 1-2).

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., & Hagger, H. (2015). Beginning Teachers’ Learning: Making experience count (I. Menter, Ed.).

    • Harris, R., Burn, K., & Woolley, M. (2013). The Guided Reader to Teaching and Learning History. Routledge.

  • Book chapters

    • Tatto, M., Menter, I., Burn, K., Clark, C., Ikoma, S., LeTendre, G., Mayer, D., & Mutton, T. (2023). Learning to Teach: Building Global Research Capacity for Evidence-Based Decision-Making. In The Palgrave Handbook of Teacher Education Research: Volume 1,2 (pp. 1511-1559). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16193-3_84
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16193-3_84

    • Dumay, X., & Burn, K. (2022). Afterword. In The Status of the Teaching Profession (pp. 167-168). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-9
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-9

    • Dumay, X., & Burn, K. (2022). Introduction. In The Status of the Teaching Profession (pp. 1-14). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-1
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-1

    • Mulholland, M., Thompson, I., & Todd, J. (2022). Theorising practices of inclusive pedagogy: a challenge for initial teacher education. In K. Burn, T. Mutton, & I. Thompson (Eds.), Practical Theorising in Teacher Education: Holding Theory and Practice Together (pp. 113-126). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945

    • Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Thompson, I. (2022). THE ROLE OF PRACTICAL THEORISING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: Formulation, critique, defence and new challenges. In Practical Theorising in Teacher Education: Holding Theory and Practice Together (pp. 11-31). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945-3
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945-3

    • Burn, K., & Harries, E. (2022). SUSTAINING PRACTICAL THEORISING AS THE BASIS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT. In Practical Theorising in Teacher Education: Holding Theory and Practice Together (pp. 199-214). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945-17
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183945-17

    • Burn, K., & Menter, I. (2022). Patterns of segmentation within the teaching profession and teacher education in England, 1870-2020. In The Status of the Teaching Profession: Interactions Between Historical and New Forms of Segmentation (pp. 15-37). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-2
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003042563-2

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., & Hagger, H. (2022). Can initial teacher education partnerships maintain their epistemological and pedagogical underpinnings in light of market-driven reforms? The case of England. In International Encyclopedia of Education: Fourth Edition (pp. 83-92). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.04054-9
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.04054-9

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., Thompson, I., & Childs, A. (2021). The complex policy landscape of initial teacher education in England: what’s the problem represented to be?. In D. Mayer (Ed.), Teacher education policy and research: Global perspectives (pp. 57-71). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3775-9_5
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1ad17c79-63ba-4172-8fa0-e33118050611

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., Thompson, I., & Childs, A. (2021). The Complex Policy Landscape of Initial Teacher Education in England: What’s the Problem Represented to Be?. In Teacher Education Policy and Research: Global Perspectives (pp. 57-72). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3775-9_5
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3775-9_5

    • Ingram, J., Burn, K., Fiddaman, J., Penfold, C., & Tope, C. (2021). The Influence of and Interactions Between Different Contexts in the Learning and Development of Mathematics Teacher Educators. In LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS TEACHER EDUCATORS (pp. 263-280). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62408-8_14
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62408-8_14

    • Menter, I., Mutton, T., & Burn, K. (2019). Learning to Teach in England: Reviewing Policy and Research Trends. In KNOWLEDGE, POLICY AND PRACTICE IN TEACHER EDUCATION: A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY (pp. 60-80).

    • Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Hagger, H. (2017). Towards a principled approach for school-based teacher educators: Lessons from research. In A Companion to Research in Teacher Education (pp. 105-120). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4075-7_7
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4075-7_7

    • Burn, K. (2016). Sustaining the Unresolving Tensions within History Education and Teacher Education. In MASTERCLASS IN HISTORY EDUCATION: TRANSFORMING TEACHING AND LEARNING (pp. 233-242).

    • Burn, K. (2015). The Gove Legacy in the Curriculum: The Case of History. In The Gove Legacy: Education in Britain after the Coalition (pp. 47-62). https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137491510_4
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137491510_4

    • BURN, K., & TODD, J. (n.d.). Getting the question right: Reconciling students’ needs and interests with the demands of disciplinary history. In R. Bain, A. Chapman, A. Kitson, & T. Shreiner (Eds.), International Review of History Education Volume 9: History Education and Historical Enquiry. Information Age.

  • Journal articles

    • Burn, K., Ingram, J., Molway, L., & Mutton, T. (2022). Beyond reactive responses to enduring growth: the transformation of principles and practices within initial teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 48, 441-458. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2098007
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b548ff99-337d-4bb7-9855-6dfaa8573865

    • Burn, K., & Menter, I. (2021). Making sense of teacher education in a globalising world: the distinctive contribution and challenges inherent in a socio-cultural approach. Comparative Education Review, 65(4), 770-789. https://doi.org/10.1086/716228
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9e352738-30e9-4bc1-8b11-80a2bac8697d

    • Burn, K. (2020). Oral history in schools: practice as reflected in the Historical Association’s professional journals. Oral History, 48(2), 113-122. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:79d83ad9-8b1d-44cc-9b39-de064973d6ff
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:79d83ad9-8b1d-44cc-9b39-de064973d6ff

    • Burn, K., Conway, R., Edwards, A., & Harries, E. (2020). The role of school-based Research Champions in a school-university partnership. British Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 616-633. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3675
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:591557e5-ebdd-4c5e-8d7b-5e942c598cdc

    • Mutton, T., & Burn, K. (2020). Doing things differently: responding to the ‘policy problem’ of teacher education in Wales. Cylchgrawn Addysg Cymru Wales Journal of Education, 22(1), 85-112. https://doi.org/10.16922/wje.22.1.5-en
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d7b8694d-46a3-4d7e-99e2-a61f29e46c6d

    • Harris, R., Courtney, L., Ul-Abadin, Z., & Burn, K. (2019). Student access to the curriculum in an age of performativity and accountability: an examination of policy enactment. Research Papers in Education, 35(2), 228-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1568528
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3d187afb-4afb-49b4-943a-f98ea86da692

    • Chapman, A., Burn, K., & Kitson, A. (2018). ¿Para qué sirve la enseñanza de la historia? Perspectivas de docentes y estudiantes británicos. Arbor, 194(788). https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2018.788n2003
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:96b62ee9-d28b-41da-935a-12e14e4cd190

    • Burn, K., & Mutton, T. (2018). Constructing the curriculum of (initial) teacher education: when should new teachers be encouraged to ask critical questions?. Impact: Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching, 4. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b0e6e712-bf3d-43a0-a007-567a3770040a
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b0e6e712-bf3d-43a0-a007-567a3770040a

    • Thompson, I., Willemse, M., Mutton, T., Burn, K., & de Bruïne, E. (2018). Teacher Education and Family-School Partnerships in different contexts: A cross country analysis of national teacher education frameworks across a range of European countries. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(3), 258-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1465621
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:c9f4e495-9fab-4b09-aba1-f40cf5bfe45f

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., & Thompson, I. (2018). Preparation for family-school partnerships within initial teacher education programmes in England. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(3), 278-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1465624
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3e27b2cd-6f5c-4a9e-83be-788dc779417e

    • Burn, K., & Childs, A. (2016). Responding to poverty through education and teacher education initiatives: a critical evaluation of key trends in government policy in England 1997-2015. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42(4), 387-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2016.1215547
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:40bf4785-086c-4cf7-8c85-0cde7daaf45f

    • Burn, K., Mutton, T., Thompson, I., Ingram, J., McNicholl, J., & Firth, R. (2016). The impact of adopting a research orientation towards use of the Pupil Premium Grant in preparing beginning teachers in England to understand and work effectively with young people living in poverty. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42(4), 434-450. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2016.1215551
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3724f420-52bb-41d5-bc78-91dba87bc596

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., & Menter, I. (2016). Deconstructing the Carter Review: competing conceptions of quality in England’s ‘school-led’ system of initial teacher education. Journal of Education Policy, 32(1), 14-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2016.1214751
      https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:0781caa3-d60e-41bb-b84a-a54976a1603f

    • Harris, R., & Burn, K. (2016). English history teachers’ views on what substantive content young people should be taught. JOURNAL OF CURRICULUM STUDIES, 48(4), 518-546. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2015.1122091
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2015.1122091

    • Burn, K., & Mutton, T. (2015). A review of ‘research-informed clinical practice’ in Initial Teacher Education. Oxford Review of Education, 41(2), 217-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1020104
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1020104

    • Burn, K., & Mutton, T. (2015). A review of ’research-informed clinical practice’ in Initial Teacher Education. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 41(2), 217-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1020104
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1020104

    • McNicholl, J., Childs, A., & Burn, K. (2013). School subject departments as sites for science teachers learning pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher Development, 17(2), 155-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.753941
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.753941

    • Childs, A., Burn, K., & McNicholl, J. (2013). What influences the learning cultures of subject departments in secondary schools? A study of four subject departments in England. Teacher Development, 17(1), 35-54. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.753945
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.753945

    • McNicholl, J., Childs, A., & Burn, K. (2013). School subject departments as sites for science teachers learning pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher Development.

    • Childs, A., Burn, K., & McNicholl, J. (2013). What influences the learning cultures of subject departments in secondary schools? A study of four subject departments in England. Teacher Development.

    • Harris, R., Downey, C., & Burn, K. (2012). History education in comprehensive schools: using school-level data to interpret national patterns. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 38(4), 413-436. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.707614
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.707614

    • McCormick, B., & Burn, K. (2011). Reviewing the National Curriculum 5-19 two decades on. Curriculum Journal, 22(2), 109-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2011.574513
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2011.574513

    • Mutton, T., Hagger, H., & Burn, K. (2011). Learning to plan, planning to learn: the developing expertise of beginning teachers. TEACHERS AND TEACHING, 17(4), 399-416. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.580516
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.580516

    • Harris, R., & Burn, K. (2011). Curriculum theory, curriculum policy and the problem of ill-disciplined thinking. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION POLICY, 26(2), 245-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2010.498902
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2010.498902

    • Hagger, H., Mutton, T., & Burn, K. (2011). Surprising but not shocking: The reality of the first year of teaching. CAMBRIDGE JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, 41(4), 387-405. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2011.624999
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2011.624999

    • Malmberg, L., Hagger, H., Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Colls, H. (2010). Observed Classroom Quality During Teacher Education and Two Years of Professional Practice. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, 102(4), 916-932. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020920
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020920

    • Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Hagger, H. (2010). Strengthening and sustaining professional learning in the second year of teaching. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 36(6), 639-659. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2010.501140
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2010.501140

    • Mutton, T., Burn, K., & Hagger, H. (2010). Making sense of learning to teach: learners in context. RESEARCH PAPERS IN EDUCATION, 25(1), 73-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520802382912
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520802382912

    • Hagger, H., Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Brindley, S. (2008). Practice makes perfect? Learning to learn as a teacher. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 34(2), 159-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701614978
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701614978

    • Burn, K., Childs, A., & McNicholl, J. (2007). The potential and challenges for student teachers’ learning of subject-specific pedagogical knowledge within secondary school subject departments. Curriculum Journal, 18(4), 429-445. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585170701687886
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585170701687886

    • Burn, K. (2007). Professional knowledge and identity in a contested discipline: challenges for student teachers and teacher educators. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 33(4), 445-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701450886
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701450886

    • Burn, K., & Edwards, A. (2007). Learning in and across the professions. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 33(4), 397-401. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701562664
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701562664

    • Burn, K. (2006). Promoting critical conversations: The distinctive contribution of higher education as a partner in the professional preparation of new teachers. Journal of Education for Teaching, 32(3), 243-258. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607470600782252
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02607470600782252

    • Burn, K., Hagger, H., Mutton, T., & Everton, T. (2003). The complex development of student-teachers’ thinking. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 9(4), 309-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/1354060032000097235
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1354060032000097235

  • Reports

    • Furlong, J., Burn, K., Hagger, H., Howson, J., & McNamara, O. (2009). Review of Teacher Education in Brunei Darussalam. Oxford University Department of Education. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http://www.education.ox.ac.uk/research/teacher-education/research/review-of-teacher-education-in-brunei-darussalam/&ei=PjFOVerzNoqAU_-OgagE&usg=AFQjCNHhcIzo3Tqoi6wnObzwEo60i1Egtg&sig2=kiH5HLZyEq3gb5bPe9Nklw&bvm=bv.92885102,d.d24

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