Background

Introduction

I am a passionate advocate of the transformative role of education for social justice. My teaching and research focus on developing greater understandings about and action for race and language equality. Specifically, I draw on critical race theory (CRT) and, in particular, critical understandings of whiteness. In working against discrimination of minoritized languages towards a just pedagogical approach, I have begun to draw on the theory/pedagogy of translanguaging (where all languages of a pupil are valorised and pupils are enabled to draw on all of their languages in the pursuit of learning). 

anti-racism – Research and Training (ncl.ac.uk)

My recent research as PI (working alongside Professor Vini Lander as co-I) was a project entitled: 'Developing an anti-racism framework for Initial Teacher Education to mitigate racial inequities in education and to develop sustainable practices for the future'. This led to the writing of an anti-racism framework for initial teacher education/training (Anti-Racism Framework - Institute for Social Science - Newcastle University (ncl.ac.uk)).

I was PI for an Erasmus funded European Project, entitled: ROMtels (Roma translanguaging enquiry learning space), which improved education for Roma pupils across Europe by enabling a translanguaging pedagogy (€261,317). ROMtels was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Awards 2020 Research Project of the Year (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences).

I am Docent Chair of Multicultural Teacher Education at Helsinki University, Finland.

Roles and Responsibilities

I am EDI lead for ECLS.

I am module lead for EDU 3002 Social Justice and Education, BA Education

I am module lead for EDU 8218 Comparative Education, MA

PhD supervision

I am looking to supervise students in the areas of:

• Critical race theory as applied to education, including critical whiteness
• Translanguaging pedagogy for multilingual pupils
• Education of Roma pupils

Research

Research Interests

My research focuses on developing greater understandings about and action for race and language equality. Specifically, I draw on critical race theory (CRT) and, in particular, critical understandings of whiteness. In working against discrimination of minoritized languages towards a just pedagogical approach, I have begun to draw on the theory/pedagogy of translanguaging (where all languages of a pupil are valorised and pupils are enabled to draw on all of their languages in the pursuit of learning). 

I co-lead (with Professor Peter Hopkins) 'Researching racism and anti-racism' research seminar series (as part of NISS)

I co-lead (with Lydia Wysocki and Hanain Brohi) 'Critical education and discourse studies research - Cedars' reading group, ECLS. 

Research Funding Includes:

PI: NEU Commission: Developing an anti-racism framework for Initial Teacher Education to mitigate racial inequities in education and to develop sustainable practices for the future (£10K). 2021

PI: UKRI SPF grant: Developing an anti-racism framework for Initial Teacher Education to mitigate racial inequities in education and to develop sustainable practices for the future (£20k). 2020-2021.

PI: Newcastle University Social Justice Fund: Supporting Roma in Newcastle: Access to Higher Education (£5,886.80). 2019-2020

PI: ESRC IAA: Extending ROMtels: Responding to local need (£9,853.87), 2017-2018.

PI: Erasmus plus: ROMtels (Roma translanguaging enquiry learning space) (in collaboration with Helsinki University, Catholic University of Paris, Middlesex University, Westgate Hill Primary school, People to people foundation, Romania (€261,317.00). 2014-2017

Current Postgraduate Supervision

Muhamad Ali Alsheikh Muhamad (FT NEDTC/NINEDTP (ESRC) studentship, year 1): EAL provision for resettled Syrian refugees in North East mainstream schools: challenges and opportunities for teachers and students

Nada Bin Ghali (FT, year 2): Enabling Translanguaging in the Saudi EFL Classroom: Potential Implications for Language Learning Strategies

Sabina Bllaca (PT NINEDTP (ESRC) studentship, year 4): Supporting EAL pupils in mainstream primary classrooms: How do teachers facilitate communication to enable progress within lessons?

Lydia Wysocki (PT NEDTC/NINEDTP (ESRC) studentship, year 6): British comics, British values.

Previous Postgraduate Supervision

Dorine Lugendo (PhD, full time): Scaffolded Assistance in Kenyan Secondary School classrooms: The case of Maseno University student teachers of English

Gail Edwards (staff PhD): The Crisis of Transcendence and the (im)possibility of teacher education
Michiko Masuya (PhD part-time): How Discourse Constructs Values in the British and Japanese TV News
Shaban Aldabbus (IPhD): An investigation into the Impact of Language Games on Classroom Interaction and Pupil Achievement in Libyan Basic Education Schools.

Teaching

Module Leader: EDU3002 Social Justice and Education

Module Leader: EDU8218 Comparative Education

Publications

• Articles

  • Smith HJ. The doublespeak discourse of the race disparity dudit: An example of the White racial frame in institutional operation. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 2023, 44(1), 1-15.
  • Smith HJ, Lander V. State of the Discipline of ITE/T in England and the urgent need for anti-racism. Research Intelligence 2023, (154), 20-21.
  • Smith HJ, Lander V. Finding 'pockets of possibility' for anti-racism in a curriculum for student teachers: from absence to action. The Curriculum Journal 2023, 34(1), 22-42.
  • Smith HJS. Britishness and ‘the outsider within’: tracing manifestations of racist nativism in education policy in England. Prism: Casting New Light on Learning, Theory and Practice 2021, Early view.
  • Smith HJ, Robertson LH, Auger N, Wysocki L. Translanguaging as a political act with Roma: carving a path between pluralism and collectivism for transformation. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 2020, 18(1), 98-135.
  • Smith HJ, Robertson L. SCT and Translanguaging-to-learn: Proposed Conceptual Integration. Language and Sociocultural Theory 2020, 6(2), 213-233.
  • Smith HJ, Wysocki L. Roma Translanguaging Enquiry Learning Space (ROMtels). EAL Journal 2020, Autumn 2020, 41-44.
  • Smith HJ. Britishness as racist nativism: a case of the unnamed ‘other’. Journal of Education for Teaching 2016, 42(3), 298-313.
  • Smith HJ. A National Curriculum For All: A Cautionary Tale. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy 2014, 11(1), 35-37.
  • Smith HJ. Emotional responses to documentary viewing and the potential for transformative teaching. Teaching Education 2013, 25(2), 217-238.
  • Smith H. A critique of the teaching standards in England (1984-2012): discourses of equality and maintaining the status quo. Journal of Education Policy 2013, 28(4), 427-448.
  • Smith HJ, Lander V. Collusion or collision: effects of teacher ethnicity in the teaching of critical whiteness. Race, Ethnicity and Education 2012, 15(3), 331-351.
  • Smith HJ. The social and private worlds of speech: Speech for inter- and intramental activity. Modern Language Journal 2007, 91(3), 341-356.
  • Smith H. Playing a different game: The contextualised decision-making processes of minority ethnic students in choosing a higher education institution. Race Ethnicity and Education 2007, 10(4), 415-437.
  • Smith H. Playing to learn: A qualitative analysis of bilingual pupil-pupil talk during board game play. Language and Education 2006, 20(5), 415-437.
  • Wall K, Higgins S, Smith H. 'The visual helps me understand the complicated things': pupil views of teaching and learning with interactive whiteboards. British Journal of Educational Technology 2005, 36(5), 851-867.
  • Smith HJ, Higgins S, Wall K, Miller J. Interactive whiteboards: Boon or bandwagon? A critical review of the literature. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 2005, 21(2), 91-101.

• Book Chapters

  • Smith HJ. Deracialization. In: Mitja Sardoč, ed. Encyclopedia of Diversity. Cham: Springer, 2024.
  • Smith HJ. Racist Nativism. In: Dr. Mitja Sardoč, ed. Encyclopedia of Diversity. 2023. Submitted.
  • Smith HJ, Lander V. Creating the anti-racism framework to transform the curriculum for student teachers in England. In: Moncrieffe ML; Fakunle O; Kustatscher M; Rost AO, ed. The BERA Guide to Decolonising the Curriculum: Equity and Inclusion in Educational Research and Practice. Leeds: Emerald Publishing, 2023. In Press.
  • Smith HJ. Journey towards a Translanguaging Pedagogy for Social Justice: from school French to Critical Race Theory. In: G. Prasad, N. Auger, & E. Le Pichon Vorstman, ed. Multilingualism and Education: Researhcers’ Pathways and Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022, pp.256-263.
  • Jones H, Smith HJ. Teaching for Social Justice: Creating equity for pupils living in poverty and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. In: Cremin T; Burnett C, ed. Learning to Teach in the Primary School 4th Edition. Routledge, 2018.
  • Smith HJ. Britishness as racist nativism: a case of the unnamed 'other'. In: Lander, V, ed. Fundamental British Values. London: Routledge, 2018.
  • Lugendo D, Smith HJ. Scaffolding for mediated learning during 'whole-class exercises' in Kenyan Secondary English lessons. In: Jenks, CJ and Seedhouse, P, ed. International Perspectives on ELT Classroom Interaction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, pp.129-148.

• Reports

  • Smith HJ. Diversity on the Doorstep: Mentoring for diversity in a predominantly monolingual area. University of Newcastle upon Tyne: School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, 2007. Multiverse Research Project Report 13804.
  • Higgins S, Wall K, Falzon C, Hall E, Leat D, Baumfield V, Clark J, Edwards G, Jones H, Lofthouse R, Moseley D, Miller J, Murtagh L, Smith F, Smith H, Woolner P. Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 3 Evaluation Year One Final Report. London: Campaign for Learning, 2005.
  • Higgins S, Falzon C, Hall I, Moseley D, Smith F, Smith H, Wall K. Embedding ICT in the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies: Final Report. Newcastle upon Tyne: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2005.
  • Higgins S, Clark J, Falzon C, Hall I, Moseley D, Smith F, Smith H, Wall K. Embedding ICT In The Literacy And Numeracy Strategies. University of Newcastle upon Tyne: Centre for Learning and Teaching School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, 2005.

• Reviews

  • Smith HJ. Language Disabilities in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. Educational Review 2010, 62(2), 122-124.
  • Smith H, Higgins S. Opening classroom interaction: The importance of feedback. Cambridge Journal of Education 2006, 36(4), 485-502.