Dr Jacqueline Williams

Jackie’s primary responsibilities associated with the course leadership role, are the ownership of the quality, standards and assessments of the learning and teaching provision and responsibility for the overall student experience, in relation to a course award. The BA(Hons) Children, Schools and Families course is an extremely innovative course and as such includes high-quality inventive teaching practices, which seek to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills within the students engaged on the course. The approach adopted is through a playful pedagogy which is endorsed within contemporary research practices. Jackie is an active member of the Playful Pedagogy Association and attends regular national meetings to support this development. As an educationalist and health professional, Jackie has worked extensively in the health sector, Community and Educational environment, leading several Teacher Training programmes, including Early Years Initial Teacher Training and PGCE (Early Years and Primary) with QTS. Having worked extensively in early years practice she has also been influential in developing degree courses response to the changing landscape of practice. On a personal level Jackie is strongly committed to the value of education in its ability to transform lives and open up opportunities for students to not only develop their personal growth and self-esteem, but also access professional job opportunities and increased job satisfaction. Her personal values compellingly align with the University’s mission to deliver high quality learning for all.

Jackie has spent her professional career in a variety of roles in health, education and community both as a specialist nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor and as a Course Leader within several universities. Later in her career, Jackie took the opportunity to move into education and had responsibility for teacher education programmes, as well as non-vocational education provision and Master’s programmes. She regards the education of outstanding teachers as vital to the success of the education system overall, sustained by related research and mature collaborative partnerships with schools, colleges and other stakeholders. As a Senior lecturer and course leader, she has taught and developed Higher Education courses with respect to Working and teaching in the Early Years and Post graduate teacher training programmes within a variety of organisations. Throughout these experiences Jackie has developed a particular passion about the ways in which excellent educational experiences can promote social mobility and life chances for all. Jackie’s doctoral research was situated in the fields Health and Social Care. Her Thesis encompassed the research question, “The Social construction of Fibromyalgia: a sufferer’s perspective”. From this data Jackie has presented several keynote addresses to Pain symposiums and also communicated the findings at the Annual Fibromyalgia conference. Jackie is the External Examiner for Early Years programmes at Teesside University.