Dr Lauren Hammond

Lecturer in Teacher Education

  • Institute for Education, Teaching and Leadership
  • Moray house School of Education and Sport
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Street

Moray House School of Education and Sport.
Room 3.05b Charteris Land,
Holyrood Road,

City
Edinburgh.
Post code
EH8 8AQ

Biography

Background

I began my career as a secondary school geography teacher, working primarily in London and Singapore. In 2014, I transitioned to working in higher education and took up a post as Lecturer in Geography Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, where I worked for eight years. I joined Moray House School of Education and Sport in August 2022. 

During my time at IOE, I worked in teacher education (including leading the Secondary Geography PGCE), and supervised students at Masters and Doctoral level. I also established and convened an undergraduate module in UCL’s Geography department ‘Geography Education’, which critically examined the complex and multi-faceted relationships between geography, education and everyday life. Finally, I co-chaired IOE’s Early Career Network from 2021-2022. This was a cross departmental role which involved working with a range of colleagues to explore how best to support and empower colleagues in the first stages of the academic careers, and to co-create more just educational spaces. 

I completed my PhD part time whilst working full time in schools and latterly in higher education. My thesis was an investigation into children’s geographies and their value to geography education in schools. My research is interdisciplinary, considering the relationships between children, geography and education. I am particularly interested in children’s geographies and children’s rights, and considering how education can empower young people in their lives and futures. I am also interested in geographies of education, particularly in considering how in/justices are (re)produced in, and through, education, and the relationships between education, space and place. I have a significant research interest in geography education, and I am interested in how geography is constructed, represented, taught, experienced and perceived in schools and universities. My focus is mainly on education in urban contexts, and I retain a particular interest in London. 

Qualifications

PhD (2020), University College London

MA Geography Education (2009), Institute of Education

PGCE Secondary Geography (2006), University of Bristol

BA(hons) Geography (2004), Kings College London

Responsibilities & affiliations

I am Honorary Lecturer in the department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society.

I am a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (FRGS).

I am deputy secretary of the RGS's Geography and Education Research Group (GeogEd) - https://geogedrg.org/.

I am membership officer of the RGS's Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group (GCYFRG) - About | GCYFRG

I am a member of the Geography Education Research Collective (GEReCo) https://www.gereco.org/gereco-who-we-are/gereco-member-profiles/.

I am a member of the Geography Education Research Special Interest Group (GERSIG) at the Geographical Association - Geography Education Research Special Interest Group (GERSIG)

I am an Associate Fellow of the Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research (CTTR) at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society - Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research | IOE - Faculty of Education and Society - UCL – University College London

I am external examiner for the University of Oxford's MSc in Learning and Teaching.

I am Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Research summary

My main research interests lie in the following areas: 

Children’s geographies – I am interested in children’s experiences and imaginations of the world, and in exploring how we can best empower young people in, and through, research. I am particularly interested in children’s lives in cities and children’s experiences of educational spaces and systems. I have used a variety of participatory approaches with young people including storytelling and mapping. I am also interested in research ethics with young people and children’s rights, and in considering how, and why, children’s ‘everyday’ lives and geographies matter to education and educators. 

Geography education – considering how geography is constructed, represented, experienced and perceived in formal educational spaces including, but not limited to, schools and universities. I have a particular interest in students' experiences of geographical education, including consideration of education as an embodied and affective experience, as students engage with complex debates about the Earth and the future. I am also interested in the relationships between geography as an academic discipline, geography as a school subject and geography as an inherent part of everyday life and our experiences of being in the world. 

Geographies of education and educational spaces – I am interested in how education relates to social and spatial in/justices, in a multi-scalar way. I am also interested in how educational spaces are experienced by those who work or study in them and considering how geographical concepts such as space and place can help us to better understand education. For example, I am currently investigating PGCE students' experiences of racialisation in schools and universities in London through walking interviews and mapping. 

(Geography) teacher education – in exploring how geography teachers can be best supported and empowered throughout their careers.

Place and time-space – exploring how these concepts can help us to better understand both children’s lives and geographies, and educational spaces, systems, processes and institutions. 

Current project grants

Race and the geographies of educational spaces: Engaging with PGCE students lived experiences of race and racism in London - Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research (UCL, £3500) - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/centre-teacher...

Past project grants

2021 - Children's rights in, and to, the city: Everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow (IOE Early Career Impact Fellowship, £1000)

2017 - Mitchell, D. Hammond, L. Wilkinson, S. To evaluate the effectiveness of a range of ways to develop high quality mentoring of student teachers on the secondary PGCE programme at UCL Institute of Education (IOE seed funding - £8317.50)

View all 26 publications on Research Explorer

Organiser

2023: Climate changed geographies and education for a better tomorrow? Possibilities, politics and perspectives. London: Royal Geographical Society annual conference

Two convened sessions organised with Professor Nicola Walshe (IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society); Grace Healy (University of Oxford) and Dr Victor Salinas-Silva (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile).

2023: International Geographical Union’s Commission on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE) annual conference (Oxford)

Organised with: Dr Steve Puttick (University of Oxford), Dr Emma Rawlings Smith (University of Oxford), Dr David Mitchell (IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society) and Grace Healy (University of Oxford).

2023: Book launch and pre-launch event for ‘Children, education and Geography: Rethinking intersections’

Organised with Dr Mary Biddulph (formerly University of Nottingham), Professor Simon Catling (Oxford Brookes University) and Professor John H. McKendrick (Glasgow Caledonian University).

2022: Geography and mental health workshop

Organised with Dr Matej Blazek (Newcastle University), Dr Matt Finn (University of Exeter), Dr Ruth Healey (University of Chester) and Dr Harry West (University of the West of England) through the Geography and Education research group.

2022: Children’s rights in, and to, the city: Everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow (Online) 

2021: Mind the gap! Possibilities across the borderland between school and university geography (online) 

Two sessions convened for the Royal Geographical Society’s annual conference with Grace Healy. 

2021: Student transitions: Journeys into and through geography at University (online) 

Co-ordinated with the RGS’s Geography and Education research group (online).  

https://geogedrg.org/conferences-events/student-transitions-journeys-into-and-through-geography-at-university-21st-may-2021/ 

2021: Geography Teacher Educator (GTE) conference (online) 

Co-organised the conference. 

2020: Engaging Geographers and Geographies Online (online) 

Co-organised the event with the RGSs Geography and Education research group (online) 

2020: Geography Teacher Educator (GTE) conference (London) 

Organised the conference with administrative support from the Geographical Association  

2019: Geography and the Student Experience conference (Bristol)  

Co-organised with the RGS's Geography and Education research group 

 

Papers delivered

Hammond, L. 2023. ‘What am I to do?’ Geography teacher educators’ navigation of complex socio-political landscapes when supporting beginning teachers to teach in a climate changed world. London: Royal Geographical Society.

Hammond, L. 2023. Children’s rights in, and to, the city: Everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow. Oxford: International Geographical Union – Commission on Geographical Education conference.

Hammond, L. 2023. Children’s rights in, and to, the city: Everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow. Edinburgh: Children and Young People research hub (University of Edinburgh).

Hammond, L. Freeman, D. 2023. Collaboration, community and connection in children’s geographies. Sheffield: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. Healy, G. 2023. Respecting students as citizens: Valuing their experiences of, and perspectives on, geography education. Online: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. Jones, E. Morgan, J. Wiggins, A. Hardman, M. 2022. Race and the geographies of educational spaces: Engaging with students’ lived experiences as an act of care and to co-create more just tomorrows. Newcastle: Royal Geographical Society annual conference

Hammond, L. Rosen, R. Wong, K. 2022. Research during the COVID-19 pandemic: reflections and learnings in relation to research ethics. Online: Research Ethics Committee seminar (IOE)

Hammond, L. Biddulph, M. Catling, S. Mckendrick, J. H. 2022. Children, education and geography: Rethinking intersections. Guilford: Geographical Association annual conference

Healy, G. Hammond, L. Puttick, S. Walshe, N. 2022. Mentoring geography teachers for a more just and inclusive geographical future. Guildford: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. Walshe, N. Fargher, M. 2022. Geography teacher educators’ experiences of, and perspectives on, education for sustainable development. Worcester: Geography Teacher Educator conference.

Hammond, L. 2021. Children’s rights in, and to, the city: Everyday life, education and empowerment in London and Glasgow. Online. UCL Early Career Impact Fellowship open event.

Hammond, L. 2021. Towards recognising the reciprocal relationships between the child’s everyday geographies and their formal geographical education. Online: Royal Geographical Society annual conference

Hammond, L. McKendrick, J. H. 2021. Bringing children’s geographies into the classroom. Online: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. 2021. London, race and territories: Young people’s stories of a divided city Online: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2020. More than a student: The child and their geographical education. London: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2019. Mind the gap! Geography as a discipline, pre-university subject and part of everyday life, Stockholm: NOFA7 conference

Hammond, L. 2019. Space: A geographical frontier? London: International Geographical Union with Commission on Geography Education conference

Hammond, L. 2019. Children’s geographies and the geography classroom. Manchester: Geographical Association annual conference

Palombo, M. Hammond, L. Mitchell, D. 2019. Developing high-quality mentoring in geography education. Manchester: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. McKendrick, J. H. 2010. Crossing borders in children’s geographies: a workshop. Bristol: Geography Teacher Educator conference

McKendrick, J. H. Hammond, L. Children’s and young people’s geographies: a workshop. Stirling: Scottish Association of Geography Teachers annual conference

Hammond, L. 2018. Why explore the production of space in geography classrooms? Cardiff: Royal Geographical Society annual conference

Hammond, L. Palombo, M. Mitchell, D. 2018. Repositioning geography education at the forefront of mentoring. Sheffield: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. 2018. Real world geography: An opportunity to reconsider the place of young people’s geographies in geography education. Sheffield: Geographical Association annual conference

Hammond, L. 2018. Why explore the ‘production of space’ in geography classrooms? Birmingham: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2017. Young people’s geographies: An opportunity to critically consider the relationship between “everyday” and “powerful” knowledge. Lisbon: International Geographical Union conference

Hammond, L. 2017. Young people’s geographies: reflections on a research journey and their place in geography Education. Plymouth: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2016. Geography, fear and the city: Why explore geographies of fear in the city? Singapore: International Geographical Union with Commission on Geography Education conference

Hammond, L. 2016. What do young people’s narratives reveal about their geographies and imaginations of London? Nottingham: Geography Education Research Collective seminar

Hammond, L. 2016. What do young people’s narratives reveal about their geographies and imaginations of London? London: Geography Education Research Seminar (UCL)

Hammond, L. 2015. Listening to London’s young voices London: International Geographical Union with Commission on Geography Education conference

Hammond, L. 2015. Place, powerful knowledge and powerful pedagogies. Manchester: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2014. Can powerful pedagogies be used to support powerful knowledge in geography education? Oxford: Geography Teacher Educator conference

Hammond, L. 2014. What do we mean by ‘subject specific pedagogy’ in geography education? London: Geography Education Research seminar (UCL)

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