Dr Philip Nicholson

  • Lecturer in Education Studies (School of Education)

Biography

Phil is a Lecturer in Education Studies. He joined the University of Glasgow in January 2025, having held positions at University College London (Institute of Education) and the University of Suffolk. He is a sociologist of education, with a particular interest in the relationship between policy, pedagogy and inequality.

Phil is also a member of the ESRC Education Research Programme 2021-2026 which explores and compares the relationship(s) between research, policy and practice across the four nations of the UK. 

Research interests

  • Sociology of education
  • Education policy
  • Pedagogy
  • Educational inequality and privilege 
  • The relationship(s) between education research, policy and practice  

Publications

Prior publications

Conference Proceedings

Philip Nicholson (2024) Beyond a public/private binary: Comparing maintained and independent schools in England Philip Nicholson.

Philip Nicholson, Andrew Wilkins (2023) Knowledge brokers and policy interlocutors working against performativity: Using activity theory to examine the role of local authorities in supporting pedagogical change in the first year of compulsory school education in England Philip Nicholson.

Article

Nicholson, Philip M., Wilkins, Andrew W. (2024) Intermediaries in local schooling landscapes: policy enactment and partnership building during times of crisis Web of Science Researcher Profile Sync. (doi: 10.1080/02680939.2024.2346140)

Philip Nicholson (2023) Pedagogy-as-praxis: a sociocultural framework for researching pedagogy as performance and discourse Philip Nicholson. ISSN 1743-7288 (doi: 10.1080/1743727x.2023.2167977)

Philip Nicholson, Helen Hendry (2022) A pedagogical meeting place or a problem space? Extending play-based pedagogy in Year One Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/03004279.2020.1840608)

Philip Nicholson, Helen Hendry (2020) How I… pinpointed key challenges for an EYFS approach to Year 1 Philip Nicholson.

Philip Nicholson (2019) Play-based pedagogy under threat? A small-scale study of teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of pedagogical discontinuity in the transition to primary school Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/03004279.2018.1496124)

Report

David James, Philip Nicholson, David Atkins (2023) Music Education in Suffolk: Mapping provision and moving towards music for all Philip Nicholson.

Conference item

Philip Nicholson (2022) A sociocultural analysis of the factors that support and constrain the enactment of responsive pedagogies in the first year of compulsory school in England. Philip Nicholson.

Teaching

I currently teach on the MSc Education Studies programme.

Additional information

Academic and professional body membership

  • 2021-present: Member, British Educational Research Association
  • 2022: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • 2022: Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCap)

Selected conference contributions and presentations

  • Nicholson, P. (2024). Beyond a public/private binary: Comparing maintained and independent schools in England. British Educational Research Association, 2024, Manchester.
  • Nicholson, P. & Wilkins, A. (2023). Knowledge brokers and policy interlocutors working against performativity: Using activity theory to examine the role of local authorities in supporting pedagogical change in the first year of compulsory school education in England. British Educational Research Association, 2023, Birmingham.
  • Nicholson, P. (2022). A sociocultural analysis of the factors that support and constrain the enactment of responsive pedagogies in the first year of compulsory school in England. European Early Childhood Education Research Association, 2022, Glasgow.

 


Philip Nicholson profile pic

Dr Philip Nicholson on Bluesky