Dr Maria Grazia Imperiale
- Lecturer in Adult Education (School of Education)
Biography
I hold a PhD in Language Education (University of Glasgow), and my doctoral research looked at intercultural language education in the context of siege of the Gaza Strip (Palestine). I hold a MA (Hons) in Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Communication (University for Foreigners of Siena, Italy), and a BA (Hons) in Linguistic and Intercultural Mediation (University for Foreigners of Siena). I am CELTA certified (Pass A).
I am a qualified language teacher and teacher trainer, and I taught Italian and English as foreign languages to adults in Italy, Australia, Lebanon, Morocco, UK. I have several experiences of teaching and volunteering with refugees from the Middle East.
I worked as a postdoctoral research associate on several research projects. I coordinated the Culture for Sustainable and Inclusive Peace Network+, researching conflict transformation through arts-based methods in Palestine, Mexico, Morocco, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.
Research interests
I am interested in intercultural language education in situation of emergencies and protracted crisis, and in language education for wellbeing and resilience. My focus is on adult education.
I am also interested in teacher identity and agency; teacher wellbeing; critical pedagogy; pedagogies of discomfort; local and global theories and perspectives in adult education; the capabilities approach; integration and hospitality.
Methodologically, I work with qualitative approaches. In particular, I am interested in participatory methodologies, in arts-based methods, in decolonizing methodologies and indigenous knowledges, with a strong interest in ethics in research in fragile settings.
Grants
[PI] Learning for Informal and Non-Formal Educators in Refugee Settings in Lebanon and Jordan. Jan-June 2023. GCRF GCID Small Grant, University of Glasgow [Co-I Dr G. Fassetta; D. Ross] £19,671
[PI] Inward visit to build sustainable collaboration between UofG and the University of Thessaly. Jan-June 2023. IPDF, University of Glasgow. £3,675
[PI] Academic Returner Research Support Grant. Jan 2023- Jan 2024. University of Glasgow, £9,217
[CO-I] Seeing Arts Health Research Enacted (SHARED): Understanding what works for whom in arts and humanities-based approaches for mental health and wellbeing across the globe. Aug 2022-July 2023. AHRC Networking Grant. [PI: prof Josie Billington, University of Liverpool] £45,000
[CO-I] Welcoming Languages: Including a refugee language in Scottish education. Jan 2022-Dec 2022. AHRC Follow On. [PI Dr G Fassetta] £99,750
[PI] 'Early Career English Teacher Identity and Agency' Jan 2021- May 2021. British Council Consultancy.
British Council Award for the essay 'On Language teachers as agents of cultural relations'
[PI] Interim Evaluation of Ethiopia language for resilience programme. Jan 2020- Feb 2020. British Council Consultancy.
Scholarship for Doctoral Research within the AHRC ‘Researching Multilingually at the Borders of Language, the Body, Law and the State’ project. £145,000
Award Ph.D. Visiting Scheme at the University of Luxembourg
Award Saifi Institute (Beirut): Intensive Course of Intermediate Arabic
Supervision
I would be happy to supervise students interested in: intercultural dialogue, language education in situation of emergencies and crisis, language teachers' wellbeing, the capabilities approach applied to education and language education, creative teaching pedagogies, participatory action research, peacebuilding and conflict transformation, integration through languages and the arts, decolonizing methodologies and indigenous knowledges.
- Li, Keying
The Formation and Development of Ethnic Identity - Yang, Guiping
A Study on the Mismatch of Public English Education...
Teaching
I am teaching on:
International Masters in Adult Education for Social Change (IMAESC)
- Dissertation course (course lead)
MSc/MEd Educational Studies
- International Issues in Adult Education (course lead)
- Language and Intercultural Education for a Globalised World (course lead)
Additional information
I am a member of the GRAMNet (Glasgow Refugee Asylum Migration Network) steering committee.