Personal statement

Vandana is a Senior Lecturer in International Development Education at Bath Spa University, where she leads the International Development Education award. She joined the department as an Associate Lecturer in October 2019, before taking on her full-time role in February 2020.

Vandana's research focuses on understanding gender disparities at primary and secondary school levels, which leads to social and economic marginalisation in South Asian countries. Her work examines the teachers' pedagogic practices in classroom settings, as well as schools' overall gendered practices that contribute to gender disparities in education.

Both her research and teaching aligns with goals four and five of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Prior to joining Bath Spa University, Vandana worked as a Teaching Assistant (TA) at the University of Bath and served as the Headteacher of a North Indian senior secondary school. She is also a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Authority (FHEA). Her research methodology includes ethnography, the use of co-creative practices and photo-elicitation interviews.

With her extensive experience in both education and research, Vandana brings a unique perspective to her work and is dedicated to advancing our understanding towards various disparities in the South Asian education system through innovative co-creative approaches.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD Education (award pending), University of Bath, England
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA), England
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), England
  • Bachelor of Education, BEd, India
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA), India

Professional memberships

  • Advance HE, Diversifying Leadership Programme
  • British Education Research Association (BERA)
  • British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE)
  • Development Studies Association (DSA)
  • Society of Gender Professionals (SGP)

Teaching specialisms

  • A case study of Nepal: rural education and community development
  • Nepal: policy, power and ideology with reference to education
  • Gender disparities and marginalisation in India's education system
  • Educational policies in South Asian countries
  • Education, social inequalities and social justice
  • Education and international development
  • Sociology of education
  • Dissertation supervision projects

Research supervision

Vandana welcomes prospective PhD students to contact her, especially those interested in:

  • Development studies and education in global majority
  • Education and international development
  • Gender and education
  • Right to Education Act, India
  • The UN's Sustainable Development Goals Four and Five

Grants awarded

Singh. V. (2023). Principle Investigator. Case study: Gendered Capabilities built by Female Pupils of 11-13 years in Nangi Village School, Nepal. Awarding Body: SoE HEQR Research Funding 2023.

Singh. V. (2021). Co-Investigator. Studying Comparative and International Education (CIE) during Global Emergencies and Uncertainties. Awarding Body: British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE). 

Singh. V. (2021). Co-Investigator. Co-creation project/workshop, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Singh. V. (2019). Awarded Santander Mobility Fund UK to present my research at ECER 2019 in Hamburg, Germany.

Singh. V. (2018). Hands-on training on publishing articles. Awarding Body: Doctoral college training fund, University of Bath.

Conference presentations

Application of Capability Approach, Amartya Sen’s conceptual framework. Bath Spa University’s ‘lunch time seminar series’ – 25th November 2020.

Presented at The Sixth Annual Qualitative Research Symposium (QRS) 2020, University of Bath, UK – 29th January 2020.
  
Presented at The Oxford Ethnography and Education Conference 2019, University of Oxford – 9th-11th September 2019.

Presented at ECER 2019 Hamburg, Gender and Education, Germany – 6th September 2019.
         
Presented at International Standing Conference for the History of Education (SCHE) Annual Conference 2019, Spaces and Places of Education at University of Porto, Portugal – 16th-20th July 2019.

Presented at Fifth Cambridge Symposium on Knowledge in Education, at Jesus College, Cambridge University, Cambridge – 1st-3rd July 2019.

Presented at Gender and Education Association International Conference 2019. Hosted by the University of Portsmouth, UK – 25th-27th June 2019.

Presented at [IM]POSSIBLE COMPLICITIES: Co-production, Co-creation and co-optation, a conference in screen programme, Berlin, Germany –23rd-24th May 2019.

Presented at The Fifth Annual Qualitative Research Symposium (QRS) 2019, University of Bath, UK – 30th January 2019.