Rebecca Davidge
Senior Lecturer
Secondary and Post Compulsory Education
email: r.davidge@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 542082
Rebecca gained her BA (Hons) in Religious Studies and Sociology at Cardiff University, which she followed with postgraduate teacher education at Birmingham University. She later gained her MA in Education (Religion and Values) from the University of Worcester, whilst working in a secondary school. She has over 20 years of teaching experience across a range of secondary schools in the West Midlands, including middle and senior management positions. She has had responsibilities for leading departments, faculties and the teaching and learning strategy in schools.
Rebecca joined the School of Education as PGCE secondary subject lead for Religious Education. She contributes to the postgraduate professional studies sessions. She teaches undergraduate courses in the Department for Education and Inclusion, specialising in religion, values, interfaith and education contexts.
She has taught a range of Humanities subjects, with her main expertise in Religious Education, Ethics and Values. Rebecca is a fellow of the HEA and is an external examiner at the University of Roehampton. Rebecca’s research interests include decolonising and diversifying the curriculum, Holocaust education, faith schools, inter-faith dialogue and UDL.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Religious Studies and Sociology
- PGCE Religious Education
- MA Education (Religion and Values)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education – University of Worcester
- Member of HEA Fellowship
Learn Upon Training completed
- Safer Recruitment
- Introduction to the Prevent Duty as it affects Higher Education
- Safeguarding Essentials
Teaching & Research
Teaching Interests
- Subject Tutor for the PGCE Secondary RE course
- Takes an active interest in the progress of all her students, during their training and beyond as they begin their career.
- Specialises in teaching religious studies, worldviews, values, interfaith dialogue, Holocaust education, diversifying the curriculum, cross-curricular links and fieldwork in religion.
Research Interests
Rebecca is fascinated in showing how religion influences individuals, culture and attitudes in the 21st Century UK and exploring the place of RE in school curriculums. In collaboration with a partner secondary school, Rebecca has set up an area RE Hub, in collaboration with NATRE, for teachers to network, share good practices and received CPD.
Rebecca has written about the importance of pedagogical strategies and reflecting on her own pedagogical approaches to RE. She is also involved in Holocaust Education and is particularly interested in research in this area. Rebecca has contributed to a book on how to be an effective RE mentor and she is interested in supporting the mentoring role in schools.
Rebecca is currently researching decolonised curriculums and anti-racist educational practices. She is collaborating with colleagues and TIDE~ global learning on a project to address deficits in diversity within our own institution and our partnership schools.
Adopting a hermeneutical cycle of reflection, this process will culminate in writing materials and resources for schools to use focusing on the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Birmingham in 2022.
Professional Bodies
Rebecca is an active member of the National Association for Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE).
Publications and Conferences
Book chapter Davidge R. and Vickerage-Goddard, L. (2021) Supporting beginning Religious Education teachers to deliver and evaluate their lessons, in Sheehan H. (ed) A Practical Guide for Mentoring Beginning Religious Education Teachers. Awaiting publication.
Davidge, R. (2016) Awaking to the power of pedagogy: one RE teachers journey of discovery. Professional REflection in RE Today. 32 (2) 49-51.
Conferences
Why does the problem of evil matter, and what should we do with it? A Level Conference. University of Worcester 2017.
Professional Identities – Teacher and pupil perceptions of the ethos and character of their Catholic school. University of Worcester Teaching and Learning Conference 2018.
A case study of the character and ethos of one Catholic secondary school. Worcestershire Interfaith Forum Values in Education Conference 2018.
Raising the status of your RE department in school. Deeper Thinking: Deeper Learning Secondary RE conference NATRE 2018.
If there is no reward, what is the point of being good? A Level Conference. University of Worcester 2019
External Roles
External Examiner for the PGCE programme for the University of Roehampton.