About Dr Kate Duffy
I am a Senior Lecturer in Education and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). I have been leading and teaching courses in education studies for over 15 years. My role encompasses academic leadership, research development, postgraduate supervision, and the advancement of relational approaches to learning and teaching.
Relationality remains the central thread that runs through all aspects of my practice. My research and teaching are grounded in the philosophy of education, relational pedagogies, educational ethics, qualitative inquiry, critical thinking, and the human connections that shape learning environments. I am deeply committed to pedagogical approaches that honour personhood, agency, and the moral dimensions of educational encounters.
In my role as Head of the Centre for Research in Education (CRE), I lead research culture and activity within the School of Education, including convening the CRE Public Seminar Series. I support colleagues throughout their research trajectories and work with external partners and networks to explore relational and personalised educational practice. I also serve as PG Research Student Manager for Education, supporting doctoral researchers, ethics processes, and supervisory development.
As Co-Lead with Dr Elizabeth Hidson of the InterAction Unit(opens in new tab), our work focuses on interdisciplinary and relational approaches to learning, interaction, and inquiry. I am module leader for the MA Education Thesis and have experience teaching across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes.
As Executive Director of the Relation Centered Education Network (RCEN),(opens in new tab) I work internationally with researchers, practitioners, and educators committed to relational, ethical, and human-centred approaches to education.
My earlier professional background includes work as a 14–19 educator supporting widening participation, curriculum innovation, and flexible learning pathways. Entering higher education as a mature student has shaped my longstanding commitment to enabling access to transformative educational experiences for others.
I have served as Principal Investigator for two UKRI Partnership Projects (2021–23) focused on enhancing student autonomy in assessment and promoting self-assessment. I am also a member of the University’s Research Ethics Panel and contribute to curriculum development and programme validation processes.
My work has been recognised through several awards and nominations, including the Vice Chancellor's Teaching Fellow Award (2023) and multiple Student Teaching Award nominations across areas such as doctoral supervision, personal tutoring, inspirational teaching, feedback, and digital innovation.
Beyond the University, I contribute to networks for Autoethnography, the Association for Moral Education, and international communities exploring relational and ethical dimensions of education.
Teaching and supervision
I supervise research studies at PhD, master's and undergraduate levels. I am module leader for the Master's Thesis in Education and supervise students through their thesis. My teaching expertise is in the areas of relational pedagogy, moral education and practice and autobiographical research in education. I am directly involved in modules such as Philosophy and Education, Ethics in Education, Comparative Education and the undergraduate Dissertation.
Encouraging the use of dialogue and enquiry in my teaching is important towards developing students' confidence in the subject they are studying; therefore, seminars are active, and student participation is essential, making for lively debates and discussions.
Interests
My research interests and expertise are in the practitioner-as-researcher, moral dimensions of practice, pedagogy of vulnerability, critical thinking, Philosophy for Children (P4C), teacher education and student self-assessment practice. I am particularly interested in supervising students who are researching aspects of moral practice, reflective practice, relational pedagogies, critical thinking and philosophy of education.
I am willing to supervise doctoral studies in the areas of expertise listed above and would welcome approaches to discuss possible projects
Research
My PhD was entitled 'Embracing Vulnerability: Moral Practice within Higher Education'.
The study explores moral education within higher education (HE) from the perspective of the practitioner. The methodology I adopted was auto-ethnography, making my teacher diary the primary source for research data.
Other areas of research activity include student self-assessment, moral imagination of future educators, agile research teams as relational knowledge exchange, vulnerability as assessment, students’ perceptions of personal academic tutoring, and experiences of neurodivergent students in HE.
Areas of expertise
- Moral education and ethical teaching practice
- Theories of teaching, learning and assessment
- Research in education – qualitative methods
- Philosophy for children and the community of philosophical enquiry
- Fostering research cultures in education.