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Dr Paula Daines

Paula Daines
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Deputy Head of School

Paula is an experienced lecturer and teacher, who worked in primary schools before moving into Higher Education as a Teacher Educator. Paula is an active researcher, interested in the experiences of females who change career and retrain as primary teachers.

[email protected]

Faculty:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
School:
School of Education
Location:
Cambridge
Areas of Expertise:
Education and teaching
Research Supervision:
Yes
Background

After a decade-long first career in advertising, Paula retrained as a primary teacher and has worked in both state and independent schools, across KS1/KS2, and within alternative provision in the charity sector. In 2019, on completion of her Master’s in Education, Paula transitioned into Higher Education as a Lecturer. First at the University of Cumbria, teaching on both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, and then within the National Institute of Teaching and Education at Coventry University on the PGCE QTS route. As Deputy Head of School, Paula is part of the senior leadership team, with responsibility for the Undergraduate portfolio.

Research interests
  • Teacher Education
  • Early Career Teachers
  • Female career-changers who move into primary teaching
  • The use of oral histories as a research method for shining a light on under-represented voices
Areas of research supervision

Current doctoral research supervision:

  • An Insider–Alongsider Action Research Study of Coaching Identity, Capability and System Feasibility at Anglia Ruskin University - Ben Maddison
Qualifications
  • EdD, University of East London
  • PGCert in HE, Anglia Ruskin University
  • FHEA (Advance HE)
  • MA Education, University of East London
  • QTS, Forest Independent Primary Collegiate
  • BA (Hons) Business Administration and Marketing, University of Greenwich
Memberships, editorial boards
  • BERA member
  • British Academy – ECRN member
Selected recent publications

Daines, P. (2026). Supporting female career-changing beginning teachers: How do we solve a problem like Maria, Nadia or Athena? BERA Blog.

Daines, P. & Tragheim, M. ‘Do I really fit the mould? Gendered perspectives on becoming and belonging in early career teaching'. Impact Journal. Issue 26. Published February 2026. Chartered College of Teaching.

Daines, P. (2025). The Stories of Female Career-Changers who retrain as primary school teachers in England: their experiences of Early Career Teacher Induction. Prof Doc Thesis, University of East London, School of Childhood and Social Care. 

Daines, P., 2023. 'On the quest for an unusual research methodology: the stories of female career-changers who retrain as primary teachers'. Research in Teacher Education, Vol 13, No 2.

Daines, P. & Jump, K. Author and host. ‘An Introduction to the Research Process for Master’s students’ (audio podcast). Release date: April, 2023. National Institute of Teaching and Education, Coventry University.

Czerniawski, G. & Daines, P. Contributor. ‘Teacher Educator Living Library: InFoTED Podcasts of the Profession’ (audio podcast). Release date: December, 2022. University of East London, University of Aberdeen & InFOTED.

Recent presentations and conferences

University of East London Doctoral Conference 2025, guest speaker

University of East London Doctoral Conference 2022: poster submission

Coventry University 2023: presentation on ‘Reflective Practice for Trainees and Mentors’

Warwick Education Postgraduate Conference 2023: poster submission and presentation on ‘Methodology of Oral Histories as a feminist data collection tool’