My research interests lie in the intersections between: dialogic education, philosophies of Islamic education, ‘Southern' theory, i.e. critical and indigenous research methodologies and identity/personhood/character education. I am particularly interested in ontological, epistemological and theoretical frameworks and how these influence classroom practice. My research is driven by a commitment to community-led educational initiatives generating innovative educational practice. As such, my research tends to be interwoven with sustainable teacher professional development (TPD).
My theoretical research involves uses Muslim thinkers’ extensive writing on human nature; psyche; personality; including cognitive, affective, social, emotional and spiritual dimensions; and dialogic personhood, which is yet to be applied in most contemporary educational contexts. My empirical research involves trialling dialogic halaqah (a traditional Islamic circle of learning) in a range of contemporary educational contexts.
I am a member of the CEDiR Research Group, a member of the T-SEDA team and the Camtree development advisory group where I am engaged in developing materials to support teacher-led professional inquiry and teacher research exchange. I have developed several open access online teacher professional development courses e.g. Fundamentals of Educational Dialogue. I have also set up an online platform supporting teacher inquiry and professional development for educators in Islamic contexts.
My work comes under both the knowledge Power and Politics and Psychology, Education and Learning Studies research groups. I co-convene the ‘Cultural, religious and philosophical traditions in educational dialogue’ strand of the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research group.
I have over twenty-five years of experience teaching in and leading Islamic schools in the UK. I have expertise in curriculum development, and have developed and taught teacher professional development courses on Islamic education: philosophies, pedagogies and practices.
