Dr Rachel Payne

Deputy Head for Education and Student Experience

School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Rachel Payne

Role

Rachel Payne teaches and researches visual methods, arts-based continuing professional development, art education policy and arts-based pedagogy in education.  Rachel is subject coordinator for the Artist Teacher Practice MA in Education, a programme which supports professionals working in visual arts education to examine their dual artist-teacher identity through participating in a community, and reposition their professional practices as a result.  This is run in partnership with the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, and combines theory, research and practice. 

Rachel is currently supporting the delivery of academic poster workshops to colleagues and students across the University.  This initiative supports students to publish their research at the University's annual GetPublished! Conference.  Rachel is also one of the Faculty representatives for the Student Research Launch Pad

Research interests include investigating how young people and educators learn with creative practitioners, often in cultural sites such as museums and galleries, and how education policy impacts educators.  Rachel is involved in art education at a national level as the President of the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) and a core member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education.  

Teaching and supervision

Modules taught

Postgraduate

ED50: MA in Education Artist Teacher Practice

  • EDUC7033 Integrating Artist Teacher Pedagogies in the Classroom

  • EDUC7034 Developing Personal Artistic Practice

ED50:MA in Education

  • EDUC7008 Investigating Professional Practice (ATP route)
  • EDUC7001 Research Methods (ATP/ Visual methods route)
  • EDUC7002 Dissertation (ATP/ Dissertation project route)

Other teaching

  • Learning and Teaching Support Team (2020); team member
  • Subject coordinator of MA in Education: Artist Teacher Practice (2006-present)
  • Co-subject coordinator of MA in Education: Open Route (2016-2019)
  • Developing interdisciplinary PhDs between School of Education and Fine Art (2019)
  • Doctorate in Education dissertation supervisor (2018-present)
  • MA in Education dissertation supervisor (2008-present)
  • Undergraduate dissertation supervisor (2014-present)
  • Faculty representative for Student Research Launch Pad and GetPublished! Conference (2019)
  • Faculty champion for HEA applications (2019)
  • Internal mentor for the Art and Design Foundation programme, School of Arts, Oxford Brookes University (2016-present)
  • Widening participation representative for School of Education (2018-present)
  • Employability representative on the Faculty Employability group (2019- present)
  • Academic poster workshops to postgraduates, undergraduates and staff CPD (2018-2020)

Supervision

  • Doctorate in Education dissertation supervisor (2018-present)
  • MA in Education dissertation supervisor (2008-present)
  • Undergraduate dissertation supervisor (2014-present)

Research

Research interests

Key research interests revolve around the arts and culture in education and policy including:

  • The transformative nature of artist teacher pedagogies.  How these pedagogies can be applied in other HE settings.
  • Learning in museums and galleries. 
  • Initial Teacher Education: examining subject specific pedagogic training; recruitment and retention; ITE bursaries.
  • Marginalisation of art, craft and design education: implications for policy and practice 
  • Teacher continuing professional development
  • Visual methods and methodologies
  • Arts and cultural policy, pedagogy and curriculum

Research group membership

A member of the Humanistics Perspectives on Education research group, School of Education. 

A member of the Science Technology Engineering Art Maths (STEAM) research group, School of Education. 

A member of the cross- University committee and Humanities and Social Sciences faculty representative for the Student Research Launch Pad which facilitates opportunities for students to publish and their work through a range of platforms and modes (2016-present). 

Research grants and awards

  • 2020-22: Brookes Teaching Excellence Fellowship funding awarded to support students' engagement in a University-wide project to develop a consent education programme. 
  • 2020-21: Student Experience funding awarded to develop Phase 1 of the University-wide consent education programme.  
  • 2020-21: A named researcher on the successful bid for Oxford Brookes Research Excellence and Impact Award Scheme.  Funds are being used to work on a quasi-experimental approach examining differences in formal and informal (museum) education.  
  • 2018-19: Awarded internal funding from the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Promoting Pedagogies scheme to develop the Students as Researchers academic poster workshops. 
  • 2018: Nominated for a Brookes People Award 2018 for the Team Award category.
  • 2017-18: Awarded internal funding from the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty to conduct a small-scale impact case study examining how an artist CPD session with teachers and pupils from a Multi-Academy Trust raises the profile of the visual arts across the curriculum. 
  • 2015: Brookes Union Teaching Award for Most Effective Feedback.

Research projects

  • Consent education programme (2020-22): this involves co-designing an online resource with student participants. 
  • Autoethnographic arts-based research investigating how the findings from the artist teacher impact case study (see below) impacts on how I maintain an artist teacher MA community during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • My School is in the Museum (2020-21): a named researcher working on a quasi-experimental approach examining differences in formal and informal (museum) education.  
  • Project managing the Students as Researchers initiative which involves facilitating the dissemination of research through academic poster workshops. After establishing the pilot (2017-18) I successfully bid for internal funding to develop workshops run by MA artist teachers and delivered to staff and students across the University (2018-present).
  • Project managing a pilot study examining the strengths, limitations and feasibility of developing sexual consent workshops for first year undergraduates (2018-present).
  • Project managing two research associates who are examining why the artist teacher programme facilitates transformative learning for its participants. Impact data will contribute to an education REF impact study (2017-present).
  • Member of the steering committee for the Get Published! Project which facilitates a University-wide academic poster conference for undergraduate and postgraduate students to disseminate research projects (2016-present). Nominated for the Team of the Year Brookes People Award (2018).
  • Researching into the impact of art/design continuing professional development for primary educators (2015-present).

Further information

  • 2017: 2013 small scale research examining the impact of the closure of the Secondary Art and Design PGCE programme at Oxford Brookes University (2012) was cited by Earl Clancarty, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education, during a debate in the Lords Chamber, 28 November 2017.  The focus was on Teacher Education: Arts, Crafts and Design; Arts and the Government.
  • 2017: One of eight academics profiled on the new  Research Impact at the UK Parliament, which provides comprehensive information for researchers and universities on how they can engage with Parliament.
  • 2017: Beyond Surfacean art exhibition at The Glass Tank Gallery celebrating ten years of the Artist Teacher Scheme MA in Education. 
  • 2017: Presentation at a Modern Art Oxford event Creative Conversation: She Who Writes Her-story Rewrites History.  The talk Drawing Professional Worlds examines how the Artist Teacher Scheme supports educators to positively address neoliberal agendas in their professional settings through using art as a visual research method.  Rachel drew on Beyond Surface exhibitors’ artworks, artist statements and rationales to support this as well as literature from her doctoral thesis.
  • 2016: Dissemination of the International Journal of Art and Design Education conference presentation on the Humanistic Perspectives on Education Research Group blog.
  • Payne, R (2016) EBacc and primary testing pushing arts out of the curriculum, Schools Week online.
  • 2016: NSEAD Survey findings report, 2015-16 

Research impact

Successful lobbying of Department for Education to provide art and design secondary teacher trainees with training bursaries (2018-2019).  I chaired a Special Interest Group in Initial Teacher Education for the NSEAD and corresponded with Nick Gibb MP over a year to challenge DfE inequity. Find out more about NSEAD news communication.

Project managing two research associates who are examining why the artist teacher programme facilitates transformative learning for its participants (2018-present).

Groups

Publications

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Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

  • 2020: Fellow Royal Society of the Arts
  • 2019: The Higher Education Academy Senior Teaching Fellow status
  • 2019: Fellow National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD)
  • January 2019 – 21: President, NSEAD.
  • January 2018-19: President Elect, NSEAD.
  • January 2016-2017: Vice President, NSEAD.
  • May 2015: core member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Art, Craft and Design Education, organising the re-configured APPG in light of the general election.
  • March 2014-ongoing: Council member of NSEAD.
  • 2013-14: Chair of Oxford Art Teach (OAT), a voluntary art education group constructed to support local CPD in subject pedagogy.
  • 2012: Co-creator of OAT.
  • 2008: The Higher Education Academy Teaching Fellow status.

Conferences

International:

  • Payne, R (2017) 11.30am on a Sunday Morning.  NSEAD Presidential address at Art and Design as Agent of Change, International Journal of Art and Design Education conference, National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
  • Payne, R (2017) Drawing Professional WorldsPaper presented at Art and Design as Agent of Change, International Journal of Art and Design Education conference, National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
  • Payne, R & Hall, E (2016) Drawing a response to the NSEAD’s Survey Report.  Paper presented at Art and Design Education in Times of Change, International Journal of Art and Design Education (Insea) Regional conference, Austrian Centre for Didactics of Art, Textiles & Design, Vienna.
  • Payne, R & Hall, E (2016) Art, Craft and Design in Education in the UK: The Current (Damaged) Picture.  Visual paper presented at Drawing, International Journal of Art and Design Education conference, University of Chester.
  • Payne, R (2011) Seen, unseen or overlooked?  How can visual perception develop through a multimodal inquiry? Paper presented at Centrality of Art, Design and the Performing Arts to Education, International Journal of Art and Design Education conference, University of Chester.

National:

  • Payne, R (2020) Is education as we know it, dead?  NSEAD Presidential address at Voices, Value and the Visual Arts, National Society for Education in Art and Design Conference (online). 
  • Payne, R (2020) Academic Poster Design, an asynchronous resource for academics presented at the Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference
  • Payne, R (2020) Unlearning/releaning through Practice Based Pedagogies, at Principles into Practice School of Education research conference, Oxford Brookes University
  • Payne, R (2019) Art and design education: Our unique contribution. NSEAD Presidential address at Art, craft and design is … shaping the future, National Society for Education in Art and Design Conference, Hepworth Wakefield.
  • Payne, R (2019) Building the arts back into the curriculumPaper presented at the OTSA Deputy Head Teachers’ Conference, Oxford.
  • Payne, R (2019) Drawing social worlds.  Paper presented at the School of Education Research Conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R; Kinch James, H & Moreton, A (2019) Students as teachers and researchers: The dissemination of student-led academic poster workshops.  Academic poster presentation at Rising to the challenge: Reflecting a climate of change and opportunity in higher education, Brookes Teaching and Learning Conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R & Bird, J (2019) Developing curriculum in partnership: embedding the visual arts.  Paper presented at Oxfordshire Head Teachers’ Conference 2019, Stratford-upon-Avon.
  • Payne, R (2018) Misrepresentations of art and design in Initial Teacher Education.  Paper presented at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education, House of Commons.
  • Payne, R (2018) Conference organiser of The Artist Teacher: Practices and Pedagogies Conference, Pitt Rivers Museum. 
  • Payne, R & Jackson, I (2018) Affirming the Arts: Impact of The Big Draw Project in a Multi-Academy Trust.  Professional dialogue and presentation at the Think Human Festival, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R (2018) Drawing Professional World.  Paper presented at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R (2017) Drawing Professional Worlds.  Paper presented at Creative Conversation: She Who Writes Her-story Rewrites History, Modern Art Oxford.
  • Payne, R (2017) Initial Teacher Education: A secondary perspective.  Paper presented at All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education, House of Commons.
  • Payne, R (2015) Visual art and creativity.  Workshop delivered at Creativity for Change in Language Education conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Steenberg, L & Payne, R (2013) Interdisciplinary Film Club.  Paper presented at Creative Futures at the heart of art, craft and design education, NSEAD conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R (2013) Artist Teacher Scheme: An overview. Paper presented at Creative Futures at the heart of art, craft and design education, NSEAD conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R (2011) How do Art and Design PGCE trainees develop professional practice when working with a craft expert? Paper presented at School of Education Research conference, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Taylor, S & Payne, R (2011) The advantages and limitations of PGCE student teachers working with craft practitioners.  Paper presented at Collaborative Crafts conference, Manchester Metropolitan University.
  • Payne, R (2011) Seen, unseen or overlooked? How can visual perception develop through a multimodal inquiry? Paper presented at a School of Education seminar series, Oxford Brookes University.
  • Payne, R (2010) Do art teachers foster talent in their classrooms?  Paper presented at the NSEAD conference, British Museum.
  • Taylor, S; Mindell, C & Payne, R (2010) Skills in The Making. Paper presented at the NSEAD conference, British Museum.   
  • Payne, R & Mossop, S (2008) Partnership in the Oxford Brookes University – Modern Art Oxford Artist Teacher Scheme. Paper presented at the Artist Teacher Scheme conference, NSEAD, Tate Modern.

Consultancy

  • 2020: School of Art, Fine Art Undergraduate Programme Periodic Review 
  • 2019: Art and design in the primary curriculum; planning, delivering and assessing the impact of a series of training events aimed to support Newly Qualified Teachers, Early Career Teachers and Arts-Coordinators in primary education. 
  • 2011: Oxfordshire Art Teachers’ group: delivery of CPD to 25 secondary art teachers exploring current developments in art education and how to develop enquiry-based pedagogy in the art classroom.
  • 2007-10: Arts Council England: annual audit of CPD within Creative Partnerships (CP) over three years.   Responsibilities include liaising with colleagues, visiting and analysing data through interviews, observations and scrutiny of documentation; dissemination of analysis. 
  • 2008: Museums Libraries and Archives (MLA): delivery of CPD on Teaching Outside the Classroom at an inset training day for teachers and education officers working in museums and galleries.
  • 2008: engage: delivery of CPD on research methodology and analysis when working with young people with education gallery staff from Modern Art Oxford and MK Gallery, and art teachers from partnership schools.
  • 2008: NSEAD: collaboration in writing group for NSEAD website; changes in 14-19 education in art/design.
  • 2007-8: Stephen Lawrence Trust: contributed to identifying a profile of high ability in visual-spacial applications; use of MA dissertation research of high ability in visual arts in schools; contribution to writing and conducting research with primary and secondary schools with vocational excellence.
  • 2007: Bourton Meadow Primary: delivery of whole school CPD to develop 3d practical skill and theoretical knowledge with the aim to extend creativity across the curriculum.

Areas of expertise

  • Artist teacher pedagogies; creative pedagogies and curriculum design
  • Teacher training and continuing professional development
  • Visual methods and methodologies
  • Arts and cultural policy, pedagogy and curriculum
  • Museum and gallery pedagogy

Further details

External Examiner roles:

  • 2014-2017: External Examiner for Northampton University BA Primary Education art and design specialism
  • 2009-2012: External Examiner for Colchester Institute Artist Teacher Scheme
  • 2008-2012: External Examiner for Birmingham City University PGCE art, craft and design
  • 2000-2004: Head of Art, Icknield Community College, Watlington, OX49 5RB

Further information

Learning, Teaching and Management Experience

  • School of Arts Periodic Review (2019): panel member.
  • BA in Photography validation (2018): panel member.
  • ED50 MA in Education (2017-2018): chaired subject course committee meetings.
  • ED50 MA in Education (2014/ 2018): contributed to PDT revalidation events.
  • ED50 MA in Education Participative Process Review (2017-18): co-planned, delivered and assessed the event with the Programme Lead; it was attended by subject coordinators and the wider support team (admissions, finance, marketing, programme administrators).
  • Foundation Degree in Creative Arts and Design Practice revalidation (2016): panel member.
  • Module leader for U70131: Children and the Media (Level 5, 2015-18); U75105: Understanding Media (Level 4, 2012-2016), and U75136: Making News (Level 5, 2013-16).
  • Deliver practical art sessions to Primary PGCE students as part of the U71285: Arts and Humanities module (2015-2017).
  • Brookes Union Teaching Award for Most Effective Feedback (2015). As a result of receiving this award I was invited to work with a Principal Lecturer in Student Experience (PLSE) to co-deliver a number of cross-faculty assessment workshops (2016).
  • Project planning and delivery of the Modern Magna Carta Challenge, a project linking schools and colleges to the University as part of the national Magna Carta 800 Committee celebrations (2015).
  • Secondary PGCE Partnership Liaison Tutor (2012-13).
  • Subject coordinator of the Secondary PGCE Art and Design programme (2004-2012).
  • Module leader for Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice in Early Professional Development (2007-2010) and Mentoring New Teachers (2008-2009).
  • Excellence in Cities Gifted and Talented programme (DfES/DCMS funded, 2004-2007).