Personal statement

Wendy Geens joined Bath Spa University as a Senior Lecturer on the Primary PGCE programme in 2018. She leads the Early Years route and is currently subject lead for Art and Design.

She has worked in Primary and Early Years Education for over 15 years as a class teacher and Senior Leader in South West England and also as an Advanced Skills Teacher in mathematics for Plymouth LA. Her work has predominantly been based in the Early Years sector and focused on promoting early mathematical development.

In addition to her work in Primary and Early Years Education, Wendy has extensive experience working in Initial Teacher Education and Higher Education, having previously worked at the University of Birmingham supervising MA students and Primary PGCE Trainee Teachers and at a Marjon where she was Programme Leader for the PGCE Primary course. She has also taught and led several undergraduate programmes.

She has been an External Examiner for several years for PGCE Primary and Early Years Programmes with Qualified Teacher Status.

Wendy is currently undertaking PhD research looking at how the professional identify of Pre-service Early Years Teachers is shaped and how innovative approaches to training support a reflective approach towards their practice.

Academic qualifications

  • BEd (Hons) Creative Arts, Plymouth University
  • Advanced Skills Teacher: National Assessment Agency
  • MEd Professional Development, Exeter University
  • PGCERT Professional Development – Coaching and Mentoring in Higher Education

Professional memberships

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Other external roles

  • External Examiner, University of Manchester, PGCE Primary and Early Years
  • External Examiner, Warwick University, PGCE Primary 5-11 and 3-7 programmes
  • Previously Associate Editor for the International Journal of Learning (Volume 16)

Teaching specialisms

  • Primary Art and Design
  • Early Years
  • Teachers as Professionals

Areas of expertise

  • Early Years and professional identity
  • Mathematics in the Early Years
  • Art and Design

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Nurturing self-regulation in early childhood: adopting an ethos and approach
book

Grimmer, T and Geens, W (2022) Nurturing self-regulation in early childhood: adopting an ethos and approach. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780367753924

Journeyman to master: the changing shape of a PGCE primary course
article

James, S, Geens, W and MacBlain, S (2009) 'Journeyman to master: the changing shape of a PGCE primary course.' The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 16 (8). pp. 629-640. ISSN 1447-9494

Self-regulation: making the link
conference_item

Geens, W (2022) Self-regulation: making the link. In: Nursery World Conference, 9 November 2022, online.

Journeyman to master: the changing shape of a PGCE primary course
conference_item

Geens, W and James, S (2009) Journeyman to master: the changing shape of a PGCE primary course. In: 16th International Learning Conference, 1 - 4 July 2009, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain.