Benjamin Johnson

Benjamin Johnson is a Senior Lecturer in Education, Childhood and Professional Studies at Newman University’s Faculty of Education. With over eight years of teaching and leadership experience in UK primary schools, he completed his PhD in 2020 examining teachers’ perceptions of LGBTQ+ inclusion through narrative inquiry. His research focuses on critical pedagogy, social justice, and disrupting heteronormativity in education systems.

Education: PhD in Education (2020), Newman University; extensive experience in primary school leadership roles across the UK.

Research Interests: His work addresses systemic inequities in education by exploring socially just pedagogical approaches, inclusive school environments, and teacher agency. He interrogates neoliberal educational structures and advocates for queer-inclusive policies through frameworks like Bourdieu’s habitus and Foucaultian power dynamics.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on student precarity in higher education (2024), LGBTQ+ teacher identity (2024), and trans-inclusive education (2024). He consistently publishes in journals addressing critical education theory and inclusive practices.

Teaching & Advising: Specializes in training educators on equality/diversity/inclusion (EDI), social justice, and critical pedagogy. No formal advisees listed, but actively supports student-centered learning initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary research groups focusing on queer education and educational equity through partnerships with organizations like TIESA and BERA.