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Nigel Fancourt

Director of Doctoral Research; Associate Professor of Education and Values

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.

With a background in theology, anthropology, law and education, his research encompasses human rights, legal and values-based questions across education and research, and especially on:

Freedom of religion or belief in education

Law in educational research

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 include: 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.

He is on the editorial board of British Journal of Religious Education, Journal of Beliefs & Values, Religionspädagogik in pluraler Gesellschaft; University of Sakarya Journal of Theology.

Nigel has been involved in advising on education and research around the world. He welcomes consultancy work with schools, educational organisations, policy-makers and governments, and has carried out several national and international advisory projects.

He is currently on the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’ Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief (2025-2028).

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
Kelley, M., & Fancourt, N. (2021). Recognition, mutual respect, and support: a relational approach to training and supervision in community health work. In A. Geniets, J. O’Donovan, & N. Winters (Eds.), Training for Community Health: Bridging the global health care gap (pp. 177-194). Oxford University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198866244.003.0011 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ef4d3697-8cb4-448d-b185-f91f0589248e
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
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). 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
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.
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). Law in British educational research: a chronological review and critique. Educational Review.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2025.2562484 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:50434058-cb2e-49ac-ac7e-6b9ebcbda878
Khaw, S., Chung, L., & Fancourt, N. (2025). Integrating non-technical skills into undergraduate medical simulation: a scoping review and thematic analysis of current practices. Advances in Simulation, 10(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-025-00377-9 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:219f2002-ba05-4e01-a4cd-597d1ac5302d
Fancourt, N., Ipgrave, J., & Parker, S. (2025). Localities and regions in religions and worldviews education: introduction to the special issue. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 46(3), 423-431.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2025.2538348 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5650da09-c770-42aa-b200-0fd3f8b71dce
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://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2025.2508378 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, 73(1), 37-56.

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 and Values, 46(3), 567-583.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2024.2386217 https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3d94c945-69ca-4a61-85dd-6702a5cf7343
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). Get Set for Religious Studies. JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RELIGION, 23(1), 119-120.
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. (2008). Teaching religious education. BRITISH JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, 30(1), 83-85.
Fancourt, N. (2005). Practitioner Research and Professional Development in Education. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND HISTORY, 37(1), 113-115.

https://doi.org/10.1080/0022062042000341067
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, 3(3), 94-97.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:0e1c614c-d890-448b-a8c7-f1397bcd3da3
Fancourt, N. (1995). Imputed knowledge and affirmation. International Insurance Law Review, 3(2), 59-64.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cb017240-d627-4013-91c2-84e578657baa
Fancourt, N., & Gouge, A. (1994). Underwriting agents. International Insurance Law Review, 2(6), G95 - 98.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3a8f77ec-9e15-449c-8348-7d44ed157ae1
Fancourt, N. (1994). The English law of non-disclosure revised. International Insurance Law Review, 2(10), 392-397.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:11086684-4a5e-4444-84ee-5df4aee702b8
Fancourt, N. (1994). Utmost good faith: rescission. International Insurance Law Review, 2(9), G159 - 160.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d8589cad-825d-45af-8536-668ce32c83bb
Fancourt, N. (1994). Lloyd’s: underwriting agents. International Insurance Law Review, 2(1), G10 - 12.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:bb2c4935-a035-4cc4-8169-76f3973db742

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.
Fancourt, N., Park, W., Habibi, A., & Wahabi, H. (n.d.). Teaching about Grenfell: recommendations from the community.

https://doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/PP0070

Subjects Taught

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