About
Rachel Foster is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Education with extensive secondary teaching experience. She holds an MA in History from Cambridge, PGCE from Cambridge, and MEd in Researching Practice. As Managing Editor of Teaching History and honorary fellow of the Historical Association, she influences national history education through curriculum development and policy advising.
Her research focuses on innovative history pedagogy, curriculum design, and historical thinking. She develops frameworks for teaching complex historical concepts and advocates for inclusive representations of non-European history. Her work emphasizes argumentation skills, evidence evaluation, and meaningful connections between local and global histories.
Publications consistently address pedagogical innovation, including textbook authorship for Hodder Education and curriculum resources for primary education. Recent works focus on medieval African history integration, biographical teaching approaches, and GCSE curriculum reforms. The research demonstrates commitment to advancing historical literacy and critical thinking.
She teaches Secondary PGCE History, MEd Transforming Practice, and MSt Advanced Studies. As DfE Model History Curriculum advisor, she shapes national standards. Consulting roles include examination boards, education publishers, and international workshops for ECIS and Schools History Project Conference.
