Mrs Alison Barton

National Teaching Fellow 2010 "Alison's successful nurturing, of a genuine research culture, (with colleagues in further education) is yet another example of her vision, ambition and perseverance." (Dr Brian Rosebury) Alison came late into higher education having spent her earlier career as a manager within the NHS and lecturer on a range of vocational and academic programmes within further education. She had intended to remain a teacher educator until the opportunity to strategically lead a teacher education partnership appeared and has grown into this role by merging several professional identities that collectively provide the skills to successfully operate at the boundary between HE and FE. She has had a major impact on the community of practitioners within the partnership with particular focus on the professional development of colleagues in the further education sector.   Alison is best known for developing research cultures and embedding post graduate study within further education through new curriculum pathways leading to Masters level awards. She has challenged perceptions of culture and identity, supporting colleagues to develop academic profiles. Alison is recognised as a creative and inspirational teacher with an extended commitment to teaching and learning into the classrooms of her trainees. One student commented "I come away from each session with light bulb moments that transform my thinking about aspects of research." Her ambition to establish a raised profile for teachers within further education and provide an opportunity for them to contribute to pedagogic research became the driving force behind establishing Action Research across the partnership and the successful development of an independent journal 'Through the looking glass'. Her work has also been the catalyst for further university-wide publications that showcase undergraduates' research and a new collaborative partnership text. Alison's vision for widening access to learning and research with underrepresented groups within higher education continues to drive her to develop opportunities for colleagues in the wider lifelong learning sector.