Staff profile

Sophie Ward is an Associate Professor of Education. She joined the School of Education in 2011 after completing a BA, MA and PhD in Education at Durham University. Sophie’s research interests include: 

• the arts in education
• arts based research
• philosophy of education 

Sophie is interested in arts education policy and practice. In 2022, she conducted research into the impact of the In2 Music Project, funded by ESRC IAA. Sophie evaluated the original In2 Music Project in 2020, which was funded by Darlington Borough Council, Warwick Music and UKRI. This project explored the benefits of music workshop participation for pupils' wellbeing and social capital:

Full article: The benefits of music workshop participation for pupils’ wellbeing and social capital: the In2 music project evaluation (tandfonline.com)

Sophie is a member of Digital Storytelling Durham About – Digital Storytelling Durham and publishes on the use of digital storytelling in education, for example: 

Compassionate inquiry: digital storytelling and the ethics of care

Sophie’s research is informed by her interest in the philosophy of education and neoliberal economic theory. She has published on theorists including Dewey, Hayek, Fukuyama and Boal. Her expertise in the philosophy of education has been recognised internationally, for example as guest editor of Dewey Studies.

Sophie often uses literary studies as her research method, and publications informed by this approach include her book, Ward, S. (2017). Using Shakespeare’s Plays to Explore Education Policy Today: Neoliberalism through the lens of Renaissance humanism. Abingdon: Routledge. This book combines Sophie’s interest in neoliberal economic policy with her interest Shakespeare Studies and is among a number of publications on Shakespeare:

Let them eat Shakespeare: prescribed authors and the National Curriculum

jope881-libre.pdf

Full article: The play is a prison: the discourse of Prison Shakespeare

Sophie's research is often interdisciplinary, such as her forthcoming contribution to the Bloomsbury Handbook on Solitude, in which she examines 19th century notions of solitude, nature and the environment through a study of novels by the Brontё sisters. Sophie is a member of the Brontё Society and has published on the Brontёs: Ward, S. C. (2018). In Search of Progress: Female Academics after Jane Eyre. Other Education, 7(2), 55-74.

As an undergraduate student, Sophie was appointed Junior Research Assistant to Professor Erik Meyer researching threshold concepts and students’ metalearning capacity. This collaboration was longstanding and yielded numerous publications, for example:

Metalearning capacity and threshold concept engagement: Innovations in Education and Teaching International: Vol 47 , No 4 - Get Access

Sophie’s work with Erik continues to inform her approach to teaching and learning.

Completed Supervisions

Primary teachers’ conceptions and approaches to using visual arts in writing in Saudi Arabia.

The experiences of refugee creative writers: An intersectional feminist study.

Lifelong Influences of Being a Chorister: a Phenomenological Study. 

Understanding Japanese students' intercultural learning before, during, and after studying abroad: Using reflective writing as a pedagogic tool.

Exploring The Role Of A Special School Teacher: An Autobiographical Narrative Inquiry.

Exploring student nurses' intercultural care experiences in clinical practice.

The misfit of music in a higher education government institute for Emirati women: An ethnographic study exploring the pursuit of music as an activity in a conventional Islamic setting.

Being WELL in the Neoliberal University:Conceptualising a Whole University Approach to Student Wellbeing and Experiences of Living and Learning at UK Universities in a Neoliberal Higher Education Context.

The Council of Europe’s Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture: Hope for democracy or an allusive Utopia?

The Price of Performing Arts Education in England: Power, Privilege and Social Justice in Drama School Training.

Impact

Member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal of Qualitative Methods.

Reviewer for Revista Española de Educación Comparada.

Reviewer for Professional Recognition Pathway, Higher Education Academy.

Member of the selection and interview panel for the Serra Húnter Programme, 2022.

 

 

Information for prospective doctoral research student supervisions

Sophie would be pleased to hear from potential research students with an interest in the arts in education.

• The arts in education
• Arts based research
• Philosophy of education

• Member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal of Qualitative Methods:
• Reviewer for Revista Española de Educación Comparada:
• Reviewer for Professional Recognition Pathway, Higher Education Academy:
• Member of Digital Society and Education research group:
• Member of the Curriculum and Pedagogy research group:
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy:
• Registered as a referee for the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA):

Authored book

• Using Shakespeare's Plays to Explore Education Policy Today: Neoliberalism through the lens of Renaissance humanism
  
  Ward, S. (2016). Using Shakespeare’s Plays to Explore Education Policy Today: Neoliberalism through the lens of Renaissance humanism. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315696850

Book review

• Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice.
  
  Ward, S., & Bagley, C. (2010). Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice. Qualitative Research, 10(2), 273-277.

Chapter in book

• Discovering your philosophy of education through digital storytelling
  
  Ward, S., Mazzoli Smith, L., & Dragas, A. (2023). Discovering your philosophy of education through digital storytelling. In M. Pulsford, R. Morris, & R. Purves (Eds.), Understanding Education Studies: Critical Issues and New Directions. Routledge.
• The role of the Arts in the Society
  
  Ward, S. (2015). The role of the Arts in the Society. In M. Fleming, L. Bresler, & J. O’Toole (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Arts and Education (pp. 106-121). Routledge.
• Education and the 'New Totalitarianism': How standards for reporting on empirical studies of education limit the scope of academic research and communication
  
  Ward, S. (2014). Education and the ’New Totalitarianism’: How standards for reporting on empirical studies of education limit the scope of academic research and communication. In P. Smeyers & M. Depaepe (Eds.), Educational research : material culture and its representation. (pp. 71-85). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03083-8_5
• 'Creativity is our Hope': A wider perspective on creativity.
  
  Ward, S., & Newton, L. (2012). ’Creativity is our Hope’: A wider perspective on creativity. In L. Newton (Ed.), Creativity for a New Curriculum: 5-11. (pp. 120-130). Routledge.
• Developing students' metalearning capacity: a grounded assessment framework.
  
  Meyer, J., Shanahan, N., Norton, L., Walters, D., Ward, S., & Ewertson, H. (2006). Developing students’ metalearning capacity: a grounded assessment framework. In C. Rust (Ed.), Improving student learning 13 - Improving student learning through assessment. (pp. 248-266). OCSLD.

Conference Paper

• Digital Storytelling as Authentic Assessment: A Case from an Undergraduate Education Module”
  
  Dragas, T. (2023, June 20 – 2023, June 23). Digital Storytelling as Authentic Assessment: A Case from an Undergraduate Education Module” [Conference paper]. Presented at DST 11th International Digital Storytelling Conference, University of Maryland, Montgomery College, Smithsonian Institute. USA.

Journal Article

• Compassionate inquiry: digital storytelling and the ethics of care
  
  Ward, S., Dragas, T., Mazzoli Smith, L., Ross, K., & Miao, Z. (2025). Compassionate inquiry: digital storytelling and the ethics of care. Teaching in Higher Education, 30(5), 1157-1173. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2024.2394600
• Exploring the religious and spiritual trajectory of cathedral choristers in England
  
  Dong, L., & Ward, S. (2023). Exploring the religious and spiritual trajectory of cathedral choristers in England. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 44(4), 502-516. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2023.2267928
• The Benefits of Music Workshop Participation for Pupils’ Wellbeing and Social Capital: The In2 Music Project Evaluation
  
  Ward, S., James, S., James, K., Brown, C., Kokotsaki, D., & Wigham, J. (2023). The Benefits of Music Workshop Participation for Pupils’ Wellbeing and Social Capital: The In2 Music Project Evaluation. Arts Education Policy Review, 124(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2021.1903640
• Material Culture in the Identitarian Episteme: Dewey and the War on Woke
  
  Ward, S. (2021). Material Culture in the Identitarian Episteme: Dewey and the War on Woke. Dewey Studies, 5(2), 241-256.
• Education at the End of History: A Response to Francis Fukuyama
  
  Ward, S. (2021). Education at the End of History: A Response to Francis Fukuyama. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(2), 160-170. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1767073
• Virtue and the quiet art of scholarship: Reclaiming the university by A. Pirrie
  
  Ward, S. (2021). Virtue and the quiet art of scholarship: Reclaiming the university by A. Pirrie. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(1), 101-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2019.1666711
• The Play is a Prison: the discourse of Prison Shakespeare
  
  Ward, S., & Connolly, R. (2020). The Play is a Prison: the discourse of Prison Shakespeare. Studies in Theatre and Performance, 40(2), 128-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/14682761.2018.1560999
• Boal, Theatre in Education and the Promotion of Fundamental British Values
  
  Ward, S. (2018). Boal, Theatre in Education and the Promotion of Fundamental British Values. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 16(3), 38-67.
• In Search of Progress: Female Academics after Jane Eyre
  
  Ward, S. (2018). In Search of Progress: Female Academics after Jane Eyre. Other Education, 7(2), 55-74.
• What is ‘policy’ and what is ‘policy response’? An illustrative study of the implementation of the Leadership Standards for Social Justice in Scotland
  
  Ward, S., Bagley, C., Lumby, J., Hamilton, T., Woods, P., & Roberts, A. (2016). What is ‘policy’ and what is ‘policy response’? An illustrative study of the implementation of the Leadership Standards for Social Justice in Scotland. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 44(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214558580
• School Leadership for Equity: Lessons from the Literature
  
  Ward, S., Bagley, C., Lumby, J., Woods, P., Hamilton, T., & Roberts, A. (2015). School Leadership for Equity: Lessons from the Literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(4), 333-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2014.930520
• Uncovering Policy Response: Primary School Principals in the Netherlands and the Professions in Education Act
  
  Smit, J., Bagley, C., & Ward, S. (2014). Uncovering Policy Response: Primary School Principals in the Netherlands and the Professions in Education Act. Sodobna Pedagogika., 65/131(4), 30-47.
• Creativity, Freedom and the Crash: how the concept of creativity was used as a bulwark against communism during the Cold War, and as a means to reconcile individuals to neoliberalism prior to the Great Recession
  
  Ward, S. (2013). Creativity, Freedom and the Crash: how the concept of creativity was used as a bulwark against communism during the Cold War, and as a means to reconcile individuals to neoliberalism prior to the Great Recession. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 11(3), 110-126.
• The Enactment of Metalearning Capacity: Using drama to help raise students' awareness of the self as learner
  
  Ward, S., Connolly, R., & Meyer, J. (2013). The Enactment of Metalearning Capacity: Using drama to help raise students’ awareness of the self as learner. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 50(1), 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2012.746517
• Education under the Heel of Caesar: Reading UK Higher Education Reform through Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.
  
  Ward, S. (2012). Education under the Heel of Caesar: Reading UK Higher Education Reform through Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(4), 619-630. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9752.2012.00881.x
• Metalearning capacity and threshold concept engagement.
  
  Ward, S., & Meyer, J. (2010). Metalearning capacity and threshold concept engagement. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 47(4), 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2010.518429
• Threshold concepts and metalearning capacity
  
  Meyer, J., Ward, S., & Latreille, P. (2009). Threshold concepts and metalearning capacity. International Review of Economics Education, 8(1), 132-154.
• Let them eat Shakespeare: prescribed authors and the National Curriculum
  
  Ward, S., & Connolly, R. (2008). Let them eat Shakespeare: prescribed authors and the National Curriculum. Curriculum Journal, 19(4), 293-307. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585170802509880

Report

• An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity
  
  Atkinson, A., Ayadurai, C., Berryman, S., Birks, D., Bond, C., Bramley, R., Broadfoot, H., Brown, K., Bryant, E., Capstick, N., Chapman, A. D., Clegg, J., Coghill, L., Costa, C. I., Crawford, A., Croucher, K., Daly-Smith, A., Day, P., Denny, S., … Wilson, A. (2025). An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity. Child of the North.
• Enacting Metalearning: Using Performance Based Research in conjunction with Meyer's Reflections on Learning Inventory to raise HND/FD students' awareness of the self as learner in the context of level six (final year) undergraduate study
  
  Connolly, R., & Ward, S. (2011). Enacting Metalearning: Using Performance Based Research in conjunction with Meyer’s Reflections on Learning Inventory to raise HND/FD students’ awareness of the self as learner in the context of level six (final year) undergraduate study. Palatine (Performing Arts Learning and Teaching Innovation Network).