I research why people choose to pursue different career pathways, especially in relation to teaching and science. Through this work I explore social inequalities and education policy in the UK and Canada, often using sociological frameworks.
In my research I use a range of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, and I have expertise in qualitative longitudinal and arts-based methods.
Since 2024 I have worked at McGill University’s Faculty of Education. Alongside this role I am Vice President for McGill’s Association of Postdoctoral Fellows.
My past work
I began my career as a secondary school French teacher in the north of England.
After completing a Masters in Education whilst teaching, I joined the ASPIRES research project, first at King’s College London then at UCL. ASPIRES was a national research project in England examining young people’s science and career aspirations. Running from 2009 to 2023, the project surveyed over 47,000 young people and conducted over 800 interviews. Working on this unique project developed my interest in researching different career choices and trajectories.
My doctoral research, conducted at University College London (UCL), examined why some people become school teachers (especially in the sciences), and why others do not. To do this I analysed data collected over 11 years, tracing young people’s teaching aspirations from age 10 to age 21. For this work I won the Doctoral Thesis Award from the British Educational Research Association (BERA) and the Geoff Whitty Prize for Doctoral Research from UCL’s Institute of Education.
During my PhD I was seconded to the UK House of Commons’ Education Select Committee where I worked as a Committee Specialist. I was also co-host on UCL’s ‘Research for the Real World’ podcast, and I was elected as the first ever PhD Executive Board Member of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA).
I also have experience working in research consultancy in the education team at RAND Europe. At RAND Europe I conducted research for the UK government’s Department for Education, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).