Dee Rutgers

Dr. Dee Rutgers is a Research Fellow at the Sheffield Institute of Education Research and Knowledge Exchange (SIRKE), Sheffield Hallam University, since January 2022. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge (2014), with research focused on bilingual education and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Her expertise spans multilingualism in education, teacher professional development, and mixed-methods research. She has conducted studies across the Netherlands, Ecuador, the US, and the UK, addressing cognitive, psychological, and social implications of multilingualism.

• Education: PhD in Education (Cambridge, 2014), MPhil in Second Language Education (Cambridge), MA in Renaissance/Romantic Literature (Liverpool), MA in English Language and Culture (Groningen).
• Professional Experience: Postdoctoral roles at Cambridge University’s PEDAL Centre and MEITS project, Visiting Research Scholar at University of Florida, and teaching at Universidad de Las Américas (Ecuador).

Research Interests: Multilingualism in education, CLIL methodologies, teacher training, and evidence-based policy. Her current projects include Education Endowment Foundation initiatives, DfE evaluations, and Wellcome Trust collaborations. She emphasizes the cognitive benefits of multilingualism and the design of effective professional development programs.

Recent Contributions: Authored/co-authored over 15 peer-reviewed articles and reports, including works on multilingual identity development, CLIL implementation in Ireland, and teacher language awareness. Active in international conferences such as World CLIL 2025 and the British Educational Research Association.

Teaching & Supervision: Contributes to MA TESOL programs and supervises doctoral students in languages education. Teaches modules on multilingualism and language pedagogy.