Christopher Hanley

Dr. Christopher Hanley is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), where he also serves as the EdDoc Lead and leads English education initiatives. He transitioned to academia after an 11-year career teaching in North West schools and colleges, now focusing on teacher education, doctoral studies, and interdisciplinary research in education. His primary affiliations include the Department of Education within MMU’s Faculty of Health and Education.

His research interests span teacher education, curriculum design, and professional learning. He explores how place-based education integrates natural environments into curricula, as seen in his work on treescapes and green spaces. His interdisciplinary approach incorporates social and philosophical theories to analyze educational practices and doctoral supervision methodologies. Key areas include:

• Curriculum design and its socio-cultural dimensions
• Psychoanalytic perspectives in teacher development (e.g., applying Lacanian theory)
• Doctoral education and academic writing pedagogy
• Civic roles of educators and global citizenship in teacher training

Dr. Hanley has secured significant grants, including a £2 million NERC-funded project (2021) on children’s engagement with treescapes and a £6,000 MMU grant (2022) on place-based English curricula. His leadership in projects like Research on becoming an English teacher (2019) highlights his contributions to pedagogical innovation.

In teaching, he instructs on MMU’s Doctor of Education program and the English PGCE, emphasizing critical reflection and creativity. He currently supervises doctoral candidates researching topics like teacher leadership, professional development in further education, and quality assessment in higher education. Past supervisees include Mark Sackville-Ford (Affective school atmospheres, 2017) and Stephen Evans (Emergent educational practices, 2021).

No scientific awards or fellowships are listed in his profile. His work bridges academic research and practical application, with a focus on empowering educators through innovative methodologies and reflective practice.