Huw Humphreys

Dr Huw Humphreys

Senior Lecturer

Teacher education, educational leadership, music education, maths education

Department of Education , School of Childhood and Social Care

Huw teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education courses, and he is interested in the religious and ethical identity of teachers and how that impacts their work. His research interests cover Church of England schools and their mission within education, agrarian philosophy, as well as definitions of personhood in teacher education and primary schools.

Qualifications

  • BA (Hons), 2:1, Geology, University of Oxford
  • MSc (Cum Laude) Geology, University of the Western Cape (South Africa)
  • PhD Geology, University of Cape Town (South Africa)
  • Cert Ed (PGCE), Coleg Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth
  • PG Dip, York St John University
  • Ed.D., Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln/University of Leicester.

Areas Of Interest

  • Teacher education
  • Educational leadership
  • Educational philosophy
  • Christian perspectives on education
  • Personhood in education
Huw Humphreys

OVERVIEW

Huw’s research interests began in structural and metamorphic geology and all his early publications arise from that work, done at the Universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town.

He then took a 25-year break from academic life and taught in, and led, primary schools in South Wales, Shropshire, and Milton Keynes.

At UEL, he teaches mathematics and music on both undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education courses and is engaged in research into the way that neoliberal conceptions of teacher education impact the personhood of teachers and children.

More broadly, he is interested in the way Christian realities find their way into the classroom for teachers and children, particularly in Church of England schools.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Huw researches the foundations of English teacher education, the contradictions between the kind of teacher and child we wish to see in our schools, and the philosophy underpinning government policy on teacher education in England. With colleagues in other universities, Huw has identified the impact of that on teacher educators and students.

Huw’s research into Church of England primary schools as agents of transformation has highlighted the need to return to the more explicit Christian roots that enabled Church of England schools to have such a huge impact in the 19th century.

Ongoing research into strengths and weaknesses of maths mastery in English schools has started to impact Huw’s teaching and broadened the scope of the maths content in the UEL ITE courses.

Most recent research

PUBLICATIONS

Books:

  • Humphreys, H.C. (2018). Towards a Personal Theology of Education: reflections from a Head Teacher. Grove Books, Cambridge.

Book chapters:

  • Cornell, D.H., Theart, H.F.J. & Humphreys, H.C., (1990) Dating a collision-related metamorphic cycle at Prieska Copper Mines, South Africa. In: Spry, P. & Bryndzia, T. (Eds.) The Regional Metamorphism of Ore Deposits. VSP Scientific, Amsterdam, 97-116.

Journal articles:

  • Humphreys, H.C. (1986). Metamorphic imprints on sulphide mineralisation at Boksputs, South Africa. Mineralium Deposita, 21:271-277Humphreys, H.C. & Van Bever Donker, J.M. (1987). Aspects of deformation along the Namaqua Province eastern boundary, Kenhardt District, South Africa. Precambrian Research, 36: 39-63.
  • Humphreys, H.C., Van Bever Donker, J.M., Scott, W.D. & Van Schalkwyk, L. (1988). The early deformational history of the eastern Namaqua Province: new evidence from Prieska Copper Mines. South African Journal of Geology, 91: 174-183
  • Humphreys, H.C., Van Schalkwyk, L. & Scott, W.D. (1988). A geological and structural map of the Areachap Group succession at Prieska Copper Mines. South African Journal of Geology, 91: 373-380.
  • Humphreys, H.C. & Cornell, D.H. (1989) Petrology and geochronology of low-pressure mafic granulites from the Marydale Group, South Africa. Lithos, 22: 287-303.
  • Humphreys, H.C. & Van Bever Donker, J.M. (1990) Early Namaqua low-pressure metamorphism: deformation and porphyroblast growth in the Zoovoorby Staurolite Schist, South Africa. Journal of Metamorphic Geology 8: 159-170.
  • Humphreys, H.C., Schlegel, G.C.J. & Stowe, C.W. (1991) High-pressure metamorphism in garnet-hornblende-muscovite-plagioclase-quartz schists from the Kheis Subprovince, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology, 94: 170-173.
  • Cornell, D.H., Kroner, A., Humphreys, H.C. & Griffin, G. (1991) Age of origin of the polymetamorphosed Copperton Formation, Namaqua-Natal Province, determined by single-grain zircon U-Pb dating. South African Journal of Geology, 93: 709-716
  • Cornell, D.H., Humphreys, H.C., Theart, H.F.J. & Scheepers, D.J. (1992) A collision-related pressure-temperature-time path for the Prieska Copper Mine, Namaqua Natal tectonic province, South Africa. Precambrian Research 59: 43-71
  • Humphreys, H.C. (1993). Metamorphic evolution of amphibole-bearing aluminous gneisses from the Eastern Namaqua Province, South Africa. American Mineralogist, 78: 1041-1055
  • Humphreys, H.C. & Scheepers, D.J. (1993). Polymetamorphism and isobaric cooling of politic schists from the Annex Sulphide Deposit, South Africa. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 11: 661-675
  • Geringer, G.J., Humphreys, H.C. & Scheepers, D.J. (1994). Lithostratigraphy, protolithology, and tectonic setting of the Areachap Group along the eastern margin of the Namaqua Mobile Belt, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology, 97: 78-100.
  • Humphreys, H.C. & Feil, T. (2018). Building an ethically vibrant curriculum: a church school perspective. Chartered College of Teaching Journal Impact 4 (online, November 2018).
  • Humphreys, H.C. (2020). Restorative practice in support of child mental health in primary schools. Chartered College of Teaching Journal Impact 9 (online, May 2020)
  • Humphreys, H.C. (2023). A status-based crisis of teacher shortages: a discussion. Research in Teacher Education 13 (1): 41-43

TEACHING

  • SDS & PGTA Primary Education
  • PGCE Primary Education 

BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS

Train to teach the 5-11 age range. Study pedagogy and subject knowledge covering both the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum.

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Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository