Dr Mark Whalley
Senior Lecturer
I am a senior lecturer in Education teaching on the MA in Educational Leadership. My career started as an academic physicist in particle physics, and I have research experience in particle physics, astrophysics and biophysics. However I then became a school teacher and spent 20+ years as a teacher of physics and maths, a middle and senior leader and a headteacher (of three schools). I worked at the Institute of Physics for six years, working with teachers, running a major research project and as a senior leader in the education department. I started working at the University of Chester in January 2023.
I am a Chartered Physicist, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers, and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership.
I teach full-time and part-time students on the MA in Educational Leadership.
I currently lead:
CD7201 Professional Development Review
CD7606 Leading Change in Schools
My research focuses on issues around teacher recruitment and retention, especially in sciences.
In 2023 I conducted research looking at job satisfaction of early career physics teachers (with the IOP) and with former teachers (with the Ogden Trust).
Current research themes include:
1. Reasons for leaving - understanding the factors causing teachers to leave the profession
2. Leadership for retention - what is happening in those schools where teacher retention is good?
3. Developing professional awareness - how do trainee teachers develop an understanding of the challenges of teaching during their training year?