Dr Geoff Taggart
Lecturer
Institute of Education
University of Reading
United Kingdom
Biography
Dr. Geoff Taggart is currently working as a Lecturer in the Department of Institute of Education, University of Reading , United Kingdom. Responsibilities: University and Institute of Education Responsibilities: • Director or PG Certificate in Early Years Practice • PhD, MA and ATP supervision • Personal tutor • Part-time secondment on Electronic Marking and Assessment project (2017-18) Teaching: • FD/BA Children's Development and Learning • BA Childhood and Education • BA Ed Primary (Humanities) • PG Certificate in Early Years Practice • PGCE Primary • MA Education • EdD Current and Recent Research Projects: • Re-gendering Early Years: from Maternal Care to Political Compassion : interviews with early years practitioners who are also mothers. Argues for the need to re-interpret the maternal tradition in early childhood education. • Good with Children: ethical formation in early childhood teacher programmes. Argues for an affective approach to ethical formation and development in teacher development Research groups / Centres: Values in Education. .
Research Interest
All of my teaching and research focusses on ways in which education can help us to flourish as human beings. A key theme centres on adult behaviour in learning organisations which espouse an ethic of care, particularly behaviours associated with professional resilience and reflection. Early years is a rich context for this work. I investigated spiritual development for my PhD and have been ordained as an interfaith minister: I therefore retain a strong interest in the philosophical foundations of education and am exploring the new field of contemplative pedagogy. I convene the following modules:
Publications
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Taggart G. Sustaining care: cultivating mindful practice in early years professional development. Early Years. 2015 Oct 2;35(4):381-93.
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Taggart G. Compassionate pedagogy: the ethics of care in early childhood professionalism. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. 2016 Mar 3;24(2):173-85.
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Taggart G. Don’t we care?: The ethics and emotional labour of early years professionalism. Early Years. 2011 Mar 1;31(1):85-95.
