Dr Andie Reynolds

Programme Director: MSc Social Justice and Community Action / Teaching Fellow in Learning in Communities

Biography

Background

I joined the University of Edinburgh in January 2021 as the Programme Director of the MSc Social Justice and Community Action, and a Teaching Fellow in Learning in Communities. I previously worked at Northumbria University in the Department for Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, as a Graduate Tutor and then Lecturer in Childhood & Youth Studies and Social Work (2011-2020).

Prior to joining academia I worked as a practitioner and researcher in the civil society and education sector across six different countries (Australia, Ecuador, Nicaragua Ethiopia, UK and USA). I am a social change agent committed to social justice work to lead and facilitate positive changes in the world. My academic and applied research and practice has directly shaped education and development policy and practice across the globe.

I have been directly involved in research and evaluation projects across the fields of refugee education, widening participation in Higher Education, young people and mental health, community development and organising, youth work and youth participation, volunteering and human trafficking.

Qualifications

MA (Hons) Sociology - University of Glasgow

MSc Social Research – University of Strathclyde

Postgraduate Certificate in Community Education – University of Strathclyde

PhD Social Policy – Northumbria University

 

I am a qualified youth and community worker and ESOL teacher. I gained my accreditation status with the Community Learning and Development Standards Council for Scotland in 2020 and obtained my Trinity CertTESOL in 2009.

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Programme Director for the MSc Social Justice and Community Action at the University of Edinburgh
  • Knowledge Exchange co-lead for the Children and Young People Research Hub at the University of Edinburgh
  • Steering Group member for the Comparative Education and International Development Research Group at the University of Edinburgh
  • External examiner for the MEd / PgDip Adult Education, Community Development and Youth Work programme at the University of Glasgow
  • Edinburgh Teaching Award (EDTA) mentor
  • Accredited member of the CLD Standards Council for Scotland
  • Trustee for the Community Development Alliance for Scotland
  • Trustee for Survivors of Human Trafficking for Scotland

Undergraduate teaching

Course tutor, Domains of Practice 1: Engaging with the Literature (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/21-22/dpt/cxedua07005.htm)

Postgraduate teaching

Course Convener, Policy Analysis for Social Justice (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxedua11326.htm)

Course Convener, Working with Children and Young People for Social Justice (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/22-23/dpt/cxedua11438.htm)

Course Convener, Activist Social Research (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/20-21/dpt/cxredu11074.htm)

Course Co-Convener, Learning for Democracy (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/19-20/dpt/cxedua11327.htm)

Course Tutor, Organisational Management for Social Justice (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/20-21/dpt/cxedua11328.htm)

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

 

I am interested in working with students who wish to pursue doctoral research in the following areas:

 

  • Working with children and young people for social justice
  • Children and young people’s participation in policymaking
  • Youth work and mental health
  • Refugee education / Education in Emergencies

 

I am also very interested in working with doctoral students looking to use indigenous, decolonial, intersectional, feminist or post-structuralist methodologies and methods.

Current PhD students supervised

Ewajesu Okewumi – Children’s Participation in Youth Parliament in Nigeria.

Research summary

I have been involved in a total of fifteen research and evaluation projects across the fields of refugee education, widening participation in Higher Education, young people and mental health, community development and organising, youth work and youth participation, volunteering and human trafficking.

Current research interests

I am currently working on projects that address issues such as: refugee access to Higher Education; the role of youth work in initial mental health support for young people, and widening participation students’ experiences of Higher Education.

Knowledge exchange

I am passionate in working with diverse stakeholders to achieve knowledge exchange and impact in fields concerned with social justice. I am currently the Knowledge Exchange co-lead for the Children and Young People’s research hub at the University of Edinburgh where I primarily organise seminars for academics, policymakers, practitioners and students to discuss their work with children and young people across the globe. I am a trustee and strategic lead for the Community Development Alliance for Scotland that brings together academics, policymakers, practitioners, students and community members to promote and implement community development policy and practice in Scotland.

Affiliated research centres

Project activity

Evidence Review and Contextual Analysis of Higher Education for Refugees (May 2023-present)

£80 000 Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium (CLCC) / UNHCR Consultancy Grant

Principal Investigator

 

Getting in, fitting in and getting on: investigating the experiences of mature age working class undergraduate students on the MALiC degree programme (January 2023 - present)

£20 000 University of Edinburgh, Principal Teaching Award

Co-investigator

 

Foundations for All Toolkit (March 2021 - present)

Co-investigator

 

Consultancy (July 2020 – August 2020)

£3000 Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK

 

Situational Analysis on Factors Impeding Female Participation in Teacher Training Programs in Refugee Contexts (January – July 2020)

£50 000 UNICEF

Principal Investigator

 

Mental health issues of children and young people (November 2015 - September 2016)

£30,000 Institute for Local Governance.

Co-investigator

 

Evaluation of the Community Organisers Programme in the north east of England (July 2014 - October 2015)

£9,450 Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF); £9,450 Locality

Principal Investigator

 

Building Volunteer Capacity: Exploring the links between volunteering and employability (November 2013 – January 2015)

£4500 Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF); £3000 NHS County Durham & Darlington, UK

Co-investigator

View all 6 publications on Research Explorer

This article was published on