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Dr Melanie Norman

Principal Lecturer

contact:
Education
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9PH

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 643377

Email: M.J.Norman@brighton.ac.uk

Duties

  • Programme Leader PGCE (Secondary)
  • Route Leader PGCE (Secondary) Geography
  • Admissions Tutor PGCE (Secondary) Geography Route
  • Chair: School of Education Health and Safety Committee
  • Secondary ITE Co-ordination support (including Link Tutor role)
  • Subject co-ordinator for Geography
  • Member of the School of Education Senior Management Group
  • Member of the Faculty Academic Board
  • School of Education member of UCET Secondary Committee

Teaching

  • Postgraduate modules related to geography in education
  • Dissertation supervisor
  • Undergraduate complementary placement tutor

Research

My research over the past few years has focused on:

  • Pupils' perception of the school geography curriculum
  • Issues of key stage 2/ key stage 3 transition in geography
  • The state of primary geography in teacher training and within the primary school curriculum
  • The construction of the key stage 3 geography curriculum in schools
  • Themed key stage 3 curricular vs discrete subject teaching

Consultancy

  • External Examiner for PGCE geography at the University of Plymouth
  • Chief External Examiner Secondary Course, University of Greenwich
  • LA governor for a 11-16 comprehensive school sitting on the personnel and curriculum committees
  • Chair of the Chair of the Geographical Association Teacher Education Special Interest Group
  • Committee member Brighton and District Geographical Association

Biography

I taught in schools for 20 years, both in London and East Sussex, and had various roles including Head of Geography, Head of Year and Assistant Head. I joined the university to run a secondary geography course and also to teach on the primary geography course. I have been the Programme Leader and admissions tutor for the 2 Year BA (Hons) with QTS, and Course Leader and admissions tutor for the BA (Hons) Education, a non-QTS route. I am currently PGCE (Secondary) Programme Leader and Route Leader and admissions tutor for PGCE (Secondary) Geography. I am a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers and an active member of the Geographical Association, sitting on committees at both local and national level.
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Selected Publications

  • Norman, M. (2010) Supporting learning and teaching in geography using mobile phones and flipcams. GeogEd  4 (1) Sheffield: Geographical Association
  • Norman, M.(2009) What’s new about the new KS3 geography curriculum R.Ed, 2 (1) University of Brighton: School of Education
  • Norman, M. (2008) Year 10 Fieldwork: Coast and Rivers. Teaching Geography, 33 (3), Sheffield: Geographical Association
  • Norman, M. & Harrison, L. (2004) Year 9 students' perceptions of school Geography - A British Perspective Geography Bulletin, 36 (3) Ryde, NSW, Australia: Geography Teachers' Association
  • Norman, M. and Harrison, L. (2004) Researching Primary Geography 'Pupils' perceptions of geography: KS2/2 transfer issues', London: Register of Research in Primary Geography.
  • Norman, M. and Harrison, L. (2004) Year 9 Students' perceptions of School Geography. Teaching Geography, 29 (1), Sheffield: Geographical Association, pp. 11-16.
  • Norman, M. (2004) The state of primary geography in ITE. Sheffield: Geographical Association
  • Norman, M. (2000) The re-emergence of middle years teacher training. In C. Fisher and T. Binns Issues in Geography Teaching. London: Routledge.
  • Fisher, C. and Norman, M. (2000) Fieldwork in geography at key stage 3. Teaching Geography, 25 (2), pp. 75-9.
  • Norman, M. (1998) CD-ROM GCSE Geography Study Guide. London: Letts Educational.
  • Norman, M. (1997) GCSE Geography Study Guide. London: Letts Educational.