David Stevens is subject tutor for the PGCE Secondary English course at Durham University School of Education, having previously taught English in four secondary comprehensive schools, in two as Head of English.
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David’s research and teaching interests center on English pedagogy, with particular emphasis on the developing nature of the subject as taught and learned in schools. In this respect, he is interested in working towards a synthesis of different – sometimes apparently opposing – views of English, focusing on its radical Romantic roots and the implications of such a conception for the contemporary world; his research and publications seek to explore this area from diverse standpoints. He counts as major influences the poetry of Blake, Coleridge and other Romantics, libertarian thinkers such as William Morris, John Dewey, Herbert Read and Paulo Freire, and the songs of Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson. Above all, David is concerned to promote a broad vision of English as an arts subject in a critically intercultural context, and has published widely in this field, including publications cited below. Current research and possible writing center upon the possibilities for teaching critical and celebratory literacy in the increasingly constrained English classroom.
In the broader context of English teaching, David is a long-standing member of the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE), and as such chairs the NATE Committee for Initial Teacher Education – increasingly active in its promotion of this sector’s interests; he is, further, a member of the NATE National Council and management committee, and contributes at both local and national levels to the development and activities of the organization. He is also currently external examiner for the PGCE Secondary English course at the universities of Ulster and Cambridge, having previously held similar posts at several other universities, and sits on the editorial board of the influential journal English in Education.
The Guided Reader for Secondary English draws on extracts from the published work of some of the most influential education writers to provide insight, guidance and clarity about key issues affecting Secondary English teachers. The book brings together key extracts from classic and contemporary...
Published July 12th 2012 by Routledge
Series: Cross-Curricular Teaching and Learning in...
What is the role of the individual school 'subject' and 'subject teacher' within school? Is it to teach a set of core subject knowledge, skills and understanding in a way that remains faithful to long-standing subject cultures and pedagogies? Or is there another way to consider how the curriculum...
Published October 21st 2010 by Routledge
Now in an updated third edition, English Teaching in the Secondary School is a comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of teaching English. Presenting an informed view of current educational policy, the authors provide advice to help students creatively and independently interpret government...
Published November 10th 2009 by Routledge
At a time when school-based English is in danger of becoming reductive and mechanistic, the authors of this book reconsider the fundamental philosophy of English teaching, evaluate current practice and offer a practical framework for new approaches to teaching this important subject. The authors...
Published May 26th 2004 by Routledge
Meeting the Standards in Secondary English provides detailed subject knowledge, including the detailed pedagogical knowledge needed to teach English in secondary schools, support activities for work in schools and self-study and information on professional development for secondary schools.This...
Published April 25th 2001 by Routledge
