Alexander McMullan-Bell

Profile

I am a part-time PhD researcher within the School of Education, specifically Deaf Education, as well as a full-time Teacher of Deaf Children and Young People working in a Deaf Resource Base within East London.
My Academic Career began back in 2008 when I studied Drama at the University of Essex. In 2013 I trained as an English teacher with the Institute of Education and have been teaching for the last 12 years. In 2017, I returned to academia to train as a Teacher of Deaf Children and Young People and completed my MA in Deaf Education here at the University of Leeds. This meant I ended up undertaking my dissertation during the Covid-19 pandemic, and although it was certainly difficult times, I really enjoyed the undertaking of independent research on a topic of my choice. This is what I believe sparked me to return to Leeds to undertake my PhD.

Research interests

As a researcher, my areas of research interest lie within:

- Deaf Education – In general, but with particular interest in teaching and learning, and Bilingual / Bimodal practices.
- Cognition – Embodied cognition within education and deaf education, and social cognition and its development in deaf learners.
- Pedagogy – Techniques and practices within the classroom and their adaptation for learners.
- Drama – The use of drama based practice within education, particularly the techniques and apporaches of Boal.
- Shakespeare – The teaching of Shakespeare, particulaly around practical approaches, its adaption and delivery for deaf learners, and its use as a conduit for social and emotional education.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) - Drama - The University of Essex
• QTS - English - University College London The Institute of Education
• MA - Deaf Education (QToD) - The University of Leeds
• British Sign Language Level 6
• Memberships - BATOD, BERA, The CCT, NATE

Research groups and institutes

• ICY: Inclusion, Childhood & Youth Research Centre
• Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Policy