Dr Jo Basford

Course Director Assoc Prof

Health, Education, Policing and Sciences

I am the Course Director for Undergraduate Learning in the Institute of Education. With over twenty-five years working in the field of education, my professional career has involved working across the whole sector from early years to higher education.

Prior to joining Staffordshire University, I was a Senior Lecturer in Early Years and Childhood Studies in the School of Childhood, Youth and Education at Manchester Met University. Alongside my teaching and programme management responsibilities on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, I supervised Doctoral students and had responsibility for student experience and recruitment.

Outside Higher Education, I have worked for Shropshire and Cheshire Local Authorities as an early years teacher and Inclusion and Quality Manager during the Sure Start Children’s Centre initiative.

I have been a High/Scope Endorsed Trainer, and an assessor for the Early Years Professional (EYPS) programme. I have held several external examiner roles, of which I am currently examiner for the University of Hull.

I have sat on several governing bodies and am currently Chair of Governors at a large junior school in which is part of a Multi Academy Trust.

Professional memberships and activities

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academic (SFHE)

British Educational Research Association (BERA)

British Education Studies Association (BESA)

Association for Professional Development in Early Years (TACTYC)

Early Education

Academic qualifications

Doctor of Education (Early Childhood Education) ‘Playing the Assessment Game in early Childhood Education: mediating professional habitus with the conditions of the field’ – University of Sheffield

MA Educations (3-7) – Manchester Met University

BA Primary Education (QTS) – S. Martins College, Lancaster

Expertise
  • Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
  • Research and Doctoral supervision
  • Early Childhood Education policy, curriculum and practice.
  • Inclusive practice and social justice
  • School Governance

Research interests

Teaching and Learning

Early Childhood Education (policy, curriculum, and pedagogy)

Social Justice

Critical and relational pedagogies

Cultural Capital

Professional Identity

Grants

SCoLLP Innovators Award – Developing a digitally enabled blended learning pedagogical toolbox 

Teaching

Theory in Educational Research (Doctor of Education Programme)

Post Graduate Certificate in Promoting Inclusive Education

Contemporary Issues in Education (Undergraduate Programmes)

Postgraduate supervision

EdD and PhD supervision and examination.

Publications

Basford, J., Lord, J and McCabe, O. (2021) ‘Relational Approaches to Module Review using Student Response Systems: A contradiction in terms? In Wiley, C and Bennett, E. (Eds) STUDENT EVALUATION OF TEACHING: FROM PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TO QUALITY ENHANCEMENT. Staff and Educational Development Association [Special Edition]

Basford, J (2019) An essential guide to ….Cultural Capital. Nursery World. 2-16 Sept, 2019. pp23-26

Basford, J (2019) Editorial - The early years foundation stage: whose knowledge, whose values?. Education 3-13, Vol 47 (7) https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2019.1622493

Basford, J (2019) Being a graduate professional in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care: silence, submission and subversion. Education 3-13, Vol 47 (7) https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2019.1622514

Dann, R., Basford, J., Booth, C., O’Sullivan, R., Scanlon, J.,  Woodfine, C. & Wright, P. (2018): The impact of doctoral study on university lecturers’ construction of self within a changing higher education policy context, Studies in Higher Education https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1421155

Basford, J & Bath, C (2014) Playing the Assessment Game: An English Early Childhood Education Perspective. Early Years. An International Research Journal, 34 (2) pp119-132

Books.

Basford, J & Wood, E (2018) “Assessment in ECE in England: two readings, many lenses”, in Roopnarine,J. Johnson, J.E. Quinn, S and Patte, M. Handbook of International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education. Routledge

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021