Alison-Baker-1920

Ms Alison Baker

Senior Lecturer

Primary English, children's literature

Department of Early Childhood & Education , School Of Education And Communities

Alison Baker is a senior lecturer in the School of Education and Communities, where she teaches modules on inclusion and subject knowledge in the Early Years, Primary English and reflective practice in Primary Teaching.

Qualifications

  • BA, PGCE, MA, (pending) PhD

Areas Of Interest

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  • Children's literature
  • Reading for pleasure
  • Social class
  • Inclusive practice
  • International and comparative education
  • Social class in children's fiction
  • Representation and picture books
  • Developing reading for pleasure with Primary teachers
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Alison-Baker-1920

OVERVIEW

Alison Baker is a senior lecturer in the School of Education and Communities, where she teaches modules on inclusion and subject knowledge in the Early Years, Primary English and reflective practice in Primary Teaching. 

She is in the final year of a PhD on white working class children in children's fantasy fiction. She is interested in the representation of social class in fantasy, and how child readers perceive it.

She has published chapters in books on social class and inheritance in Harry Potter, and children's comics, and journal articles on developing critical reading pedagogy in Higher Education, developing children's literature subject knowledge with PGCE students and her fieldwork in primary school.

External roles

  • Children's programme coordinator, Eastercon 2019 (Ytterbium)
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Historical Fiction

CURRENT RESEARCH

My interests include children's literature; reading for pleasure; social class; inclusive practice; international and comparative education.

Children's sense of genre and development of reading taste. Social Capital in children's fantasy fiction. The use of social media in extending and supporting trainee teachers' knowledge of children's literature. UEL Goodreads discussion group.

"Every child should be able to relate to their literature": Trainee teachers investigating cultural diversity in picturebooks - Alison Baker

  • Fieldwork in a Year 6 (10 and 11 year olds) classroom, finding out whether children can identify social class in children’s fantasy fiction
  • White working-class children and children's fantasy fiction
  • Reading pedagogies
  • Social class and reading
  • Reading pedagogies for Higher Education

PUBLICATIONS

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  • Baker, A (2018) 'You have your mother's eyes: Inheritance and Social Class' in Bell, C. E. (Ed) Inside the World of Harry Potter Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland
  • Baker, A (2019) 'Comics and Graphic Novels' in Gamble, N. Exploring Children's Literature 4th edn London: Sage
  • Baker, A (2020) 'Step-Parents in two novels by Diana Wynne Jones' in Butler, C and Mendlesohn, F eds (2020) Proceeds of the Diana Wynne Jones Conference 2019 Manifold Press
  • Baker, A (2020) 'Do children perceive social class in children's fantasy texts? Initial findings from research in a Year 6 classroom' RiTE Vol 10 No 1. Ed. Christopher, E. Bell. 2018. McFarland & Co.
  • Presentation: "Using social networking to develop trainees teachers' subject knowledge of children's literature and the importance of reading for pleasure" Cass School of Education Research and Knowledge exchange
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TEACHING

BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS

Train to teach the 5-11 age range. Study pedagogy and subject knowledge covering both the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum.

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MODULES

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  • Module leader for Assessment and Subject Knowledge in Children's Fantasy Fiction
  • English Teaching in Primary Schools
  • Mental Wealth: School Based Training
  • Professional Practice: School Based Training
  • Pedagogy in Practice
  • Assessment and Subject Knowledge in Early Childhood Education and Care
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Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository