Staff Profile
Dr Emma Walker
Associate Head of School for Children, Young People and Education - Counselling
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In my role as Associate Head of School, I have strategic and operational responsibility for the full suite of Programmes in the area of children, young people and education. These are three undergraduate Programmes: BA (Hons) Education, SEN and Mental Health; BA (Hons) Children Young People and Society; BA (Hons) Early Years Education and Care (with graduate competencies). Our Education Master's level suite: MA Education (full time and part time) and our MRes Education. Plus our professional doctorate - Doctor of Education.
After a career in senior management in the private sector, I returned to education as a mature student in 2011. Following completion of a Foundation Degree in Supporting Learning (distinction) at York St John University, I gained a BA Hons (first class) in Children, Young People and Families and was awarded the Faculty of Education and Theology Vice Chancellor’s Medal in 2014.
During my studies, I worked in a primary school in North Yorkshire supporting children with Special Educational Needs.
I then went on to successfully gain a funded studentship to allow me to carry out my doctoral research. The focus of my PhD was the use of narrative inquiry to examine how the force of centralised, mandated school change can be challenged at a local level.
My current research interests develop the use of narrative participatory methodological approaches to explore a range of areas concerning education, children, young people and families.
- School – School of Education, Language and Psychology
- Email – e.walker@yorksj.ac.uk
- Phone – 01904 876 511
- Research - View my work in RaY
- Postgraduate Research Supervisor
More information
Teaching
I teach across a range of modules in the Children, Young People and Education suite. My main areas of teaching are in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion, Qualitative Research Methods, Critical Studies in Education and the role of the State in the lives of families.
Research
As a narrative inquirer, I develop the use of narrative methodological approaches to explore education through a cultural geographical lens. My use of narrative supports the notion that we all live storied lives. Through narrative inquiry in-between spaces are created where researcher and participant can share a collaborative encounter.
My research focus is on the politics and ethics of co-production; place, space and landscape; geographies of community and belonging; place based education and critical pedagogy.
I am currently supervising the following doctoral researchers: Denise Brogden; Hannah Cutting; Luke Dale; Jake Goodwin; Suzanne Lane; Alec Scott; Iain Sirrell.
I also supervise a number of Master's students.
I would be interested in supervising MRes/ Doctoral Researchers in theses relating to place based education, identity and belonging, cultural geographies of education - in particular those wishing to take narrative inquiry methodological approach. Please get in touch to discuss.
I have two doctoral completions:
- Dr Brett Wilkie: Ecological dynamics: a theoretical framework for understanding physical literacy in children.
- Dr Keither Parker: Diminishing inequalities? A critical feminist genealogy of education policy and practice in post-World War II England.
Publications and conferences
Journal articles
Walker, E., Pennington, A., Wood, M. and Su, F. (2023) Lived experiences of educators and leaders in multi-academy trusts in England: The colonisation of schools, the erosion of community engagement and the need for alternative futures. Research in Education, https://doi.org/10.1177/00345237231196779
Ashbridge, Chloe, Clarke, Matthew , Bell, Beth T. , Sauntson, Helen and Walker, Emma (2021) Democratic citizenship, critical literacy and educational policy in England: a conceptual paradox? Cambridge Journal of Education. pp. 1-17.
Clarke, Matthew , Haines Lyon, Charlotte , Walker, Emma , Walz, Linda, Collet, Jordi and Pritchard, Kate (2021) The banality of education policy: Discipline as extensive evil in the neoliberal era. Power and Education.
Book chapters
Walker, E. and Walker, L. (2024) Mapping the Importance of Place, Identity and Local Ways of Knowing in E. Rawlings Smith and S.Pike (Eds.) Encountering Ideas of Place in Education: Scholarship and Practice in Place-based Learning. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Theses
Walker, Emma (2019) Restorying ‘our school’: mapping a school improvement counternarrative through place, space, and the light of local knowledge. Doctoral thesis, York St John University. Item availability may be restricted.
Conferences
Walker, E., Rock, B., Parker, K. (2025) Media Mindfulness: Evaluating a critical media literacy scheme of work with KS3 pupils and educators. Paper presented at BERA Conference.
Walker, E. and Rock, B. (2025) Reading media: Developing critical media literacies with KS3 students and educators. Paper presented at UKLA Conference.
Clarke, M., Parker, K. and Walker, E. (2024) Developing critical media literacies with Key Stage 3 pupils and educators. Paper presented at BERA and WERA Conference [11 September 2024]
Walker, E. (2017) 'Don't you think it's like a prison here Sir?: Examining the implications of importing 'no excuses' school discipline to English schools' Paper presented at York St John University PGR Colloquium (Education, Languages, Linguistics) [7 April 2017].
Walker, E: (2014) 'Follow the Leader?: Phenomenology as methodology in a small scale study on school leadership’ Paper presented at York St John University Undergraduate Research Conference [22 October 2014.
Reports
Clare, Isobel, Swain, Spencer , Wood, Margaret , Dobson, Tom , Gillet, Adam, Lightfoot, Rob, Lowe, Hilary, Haines Lyon, Charlotte , McCarthy, Ann, Walker, Emma and Wheatley, Rebecca (2025) In their own words: removing barriers for ‘more able’ disadvantaged students in secondary schools - Scoping Review. Project Report. York St John University.
Professional activities
I am co-convener of the Research into Professional Practice in Learning and Education (RIPPLE) Group. I am co-Chair of the York St John University Postgraduate Supervisors' Network. I am Deputy Chair of York St John University Research Degrees Committee. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
