Aisling Walters

Aisling Walters is a Senior Lecturer at the Nottingham Institute of Education, Nottingham Trent University. She specializes in teacher education, particularly focusing on secondary English pedagogy and preservice teacher development. Her role includes leading the Secondary English PGCE program and teaching undergraduate education courses. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Durham, a PGCE from the University of Oxford, and completed her MA in Education at NTU in 2023.

Her research explores writer identities of trainee teachers, prescriptive schemes of learning, and arts-based pedagogies. Current projects include an international study on preservice teachers’ use of pre-planned resources and a NTU TILT-funded initiative examining arts and place-based practices’ impact on creativity and belonging. She is also co-authoring a book, Becoming a Poet, stemming from collaborative work with Anthony Wilson, Richard Bromhall, and Sue Dymoke.

Aisling’s career spans teaching roles in Oxford and Nottingham, including Advanced Skills Teacher and Specialist Leader in Education at The Fernwood School. She has led literacy initiatives, provided teacher training, and collaborated with regional schools. She actively engages in external activities, such as podcast contributions to Pride and Progress and educational advocacy.

Her publications span journals like Literacy and Teaching English, focusing on teacher identity, creative writing in education, and professional development. She frequently presents at conferences, including BERA and UKLA, addressing topics like literacy as a social practice and the cultural role of creative writing.