Michael Bird

Michael Bird is a Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Head of the ITE Department at the University of Chester, UK. He leads programs awarding Qualified Teacher Status, including BA (QTS) Primary/Early Years and PGCEs across Early Years, Primary, and Secondary phases. With nearly 30 years of experience in education spanning primary, secondary, and higher education, Bird specializes in History Education and research at Masters/Doctoral levels.

• Roles: Chairs ITE Module Assessment Board, co-chairs ITE Partnership Governance Board, and serves on the School of Education Student Experience Committee.
• Research: Focuses on History Education, teacher learning, and the cognitive anthropology of schooling. Collaborates with schools on funded projects (AHRC/National Lottery).
• Teaching: Instructs BA QTS History modules (Levels 4-6) and contributes to PGCE Level 7 topics like professionalism and dialogic teaching.

Research outputs emphasize material culture’s role in education and gender constructs, as seen in his 2024 book chapter and 2020 journal article. He actively promotes local history through school partnerships and advocates for teacher-led research.