Dr Kate Cameron (She/Her)

Profile

I am a qualified teacher having worked in schools in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire for six years teaching secondary music. In this time I expanded upon my classroom practice to focus on extra-curricular provision and was Gifted and Talented Co-Ordinator, working with the most able students in my school setting. My teaching practice was founded on continued pedagogic study; I completed an MEd which examined my own classroom practice in 2014. Alongside my teaching career I worked to support teacher training both in schools and as temporary leader of the Secondary Music PGCE at the University of Cambridge. This involved supporting training teachers with their developing teaching practice as well as supervising their independent classroom research projects.  In 2018 I left teaching to pursue further academic research.  

In 2022 I joined the Learning Development team at the University of Leeds. In my role as Learning Advisor I support undergraduate and masters level students by offering one-to-one consultations, facilitating workshops, and contributing to the development of online resources as part of the Learning Development team’s co-curricular offer. In particular I focus on resources and events that can support students undertaking dissertations and final year projects.  I also work more closely with the schools of English; History; Performance and Cultural Industries; and Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, supporting students more specifically with the academic literacies vital to their programmes of study. Some of the topics covered include literature searching, academic writing, critical thinking, group working, delivering academic presentations, as well as sessions that link to specific assignments. In my work with these schools I collaborate with staff in module design, ensuring my teaching is connected to its wider context. I attend school and faculty-level education committees and contribute to welcome, induction and outreach events.  

In 2022 I completed my doctoral research which examined the social, emotional and self-efficacy impacts of music tuition on children in areas of deprivation in Leeds. This research was completed in collaboration with Opera North as part of the University of Leeds DARE Partnership. I focused on developing innovative qualitative research tools designed to be accessible to child participants allowing meaningful insights into their experiences to be captured. On the basis of this relationship with Opera North I carried out further freelance evaluation of their community outreach work in 2023. I have also continued to work with the school of music as a guest lecturer in music psychology in 2024.  

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Leeds
• MEd, University of Cambridge
• PGCE (Secondary Music), University of Cambridge
• BA(Hons) Newcastle University

Professional memberships

• Higher Education Authority (Associate Fellow)
• BERA (British Educational Research Association)
• SEMPRE (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research)