Professor Penny Jane Burke

National Teaching Fellow 2008 Institute at the time of award: Institute of Education, University of London Dr Penny Jane Burke is Professor of Education at the University of Roehampton. She was previously Senior Lecturer of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London at the time of her NTFS award, where she was Chair of the  Widening Participation (WP) Sub-Committee and Leader of the SRHE Widening Participation Network, and placed developing inclusive pedagogies at the centre of the Institutes WP strategy. Pennys commitment to social inclusion in higher education is influenced by her personal experience of returning to study as a mature student. One student commented: "Penny's composure and encouragement of all students is a lovely example of inclusive teaching". Penny's commitment to bringing together theory and practice to expose and challenge the operations of exclusion resulted in the design of a unique module, Widening Participation: Policy and Practice. The module provides a space for researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, teachers and students to critically engage with research and theory in the field and draw on this to think through the complex challenges for developing inclusive frameworks in higher education. One student explains that the module has "contributed to positioning me as an agent of change", while another says "it was brilliant - would fully recommend to all Widening Participation practitioners". Penny has written widely about the importance of developing inclusive and reflexive pedagogical practices. Her co-authored book, Reconceptualising Lifelong Learning (Burke and Jackson, 2007, Routledge), addresses issues of difference and inequality in a range of learning spaces. Her sole authored book 'Accessing Education effectively widening participation' (Burke, 2002, Trentham Books) explores the experiences of access students in the context of emerging WP policy and practice. Interest in her work on WP and inclusive pedagogies has led to a number of high profile invitations to speak nationally and internationally. Penny remains dedicated to developing inclusive teaching and learning practices, both in terms of her own work and in influencing policy and practice more widely. She loves teaching and her enthusiasm has consistently had a positive effect on her students. One doctoral student explains "I could not ask for a more caring, understanding and inspiring supervisor than Penny".