About Reece Sohdi
I am the Deputy Programme Leader and Lecturer PGCE Further Education and Skills (FES).
In this role, I contribute to the design and delivery of the course, supporting trainee teachers in developing their practice for diverse educational settings. I am committed to fostering inclusive and critical approaches to teaching, learning and research that prepare educators to meet the needs of all learners.
I began my academic journey at the University of Sunderland, graduating in 2017 with a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts, followed by a PGCE in 2018. During this time, I developed a particular interest in teaching English Language, completing my placement teaching GCSE English resit learners alongside a performing arts placement in higher education. This experience deepened my curiosity about education policy, leading me to complete a master’s in Education at Durham University in 2019.
I have a strong background in creativity, social justice and decoloniality, which informs both my teaching and research. As an Early Career Researcher, I have published on teacher training, apprenticeships, decoloniality and artificial intelligence, contributing to journal articles, conference proceedings and edited book collections.
I continue to pursue research that challenges assumptions, promotes equity, and enhances opportunities for learners and educators alike.
Teaching and supervision
Programme Leader:
- PGCE Further Education and Skills (FES) (Deputy).
Teaching:
- Learning and Skills Teacher Apprenticeship
- BSc (Hons) Mathematics Education with QTS and BSc (Hons) Physical Education with QTS – SEC304 Developing Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- MA Education – EPDM104 The Curriculum in the Contemporary World.
Supervision:
Interests
- Decoloniality
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Creativity.
Research
My research journey has consistently focused on how learners think, feel, and belong within educational settings. Early projects explored the affective domain in both FE and HE, beginning with a PGCE PCET action research inquiry into how feedback format influences motivation among GCSE re-sit learners, followed by an empirical Master’s thesis on performance anxiety and coping strategies in undergraduate performing arts students. These studies established a sustained interest in learner confidence, engagement, and identity formation, which now informs my broader work in teacher education and curriculum design.
My current scholarship brings together decoloniality, belonging, teacher development, and AI. I have led and analysed decolonial curriculum initiatives in HE, contributed to journal articles and book chapters on inclusive and culturally sustaining pedagogy, and examined how teacher educators model belonging and professional practice. Alongside this, I am developing a research profile on AI in education, critiquing the rise of “shallow learning” and exploring how AI reshapes epistemic literacy and critical thinking. Through conferences, publications, and ongoing writing, my work continues to interrogate how educational spaces can support more equitable, critically engaged, and human-centred learning.
Further information
In addition to my professional interests, I have a passion for performing, travel, and cooking a variety of different cuisines.
I am still also involved in local productions in musical theatre and acting, alongside additional work for Stagecoach Performing Arts.