Dave Dennis

Dave has been ‘facilitating learning’ at Goldsmiths since 2014. He has extensive experience as a full time school science teacher and Head of Science in five schools within inner and outer London. Dave has been involved in initial teacher education as a co-tutor and school mentor for PGCE students since 1987. Moving to initial teacher education (ITE), initially on a part time basis, (‘I was reluctant to completely leave the classroom’), Dave made the move from the school science classroom into ITE in 2012. He teaches on both secondary and primary science programmes. Dave is passionate about making a difference to learning and teaching for all learners and believes that student teachers should embrace the ‘reflective practitioner’ tag line to make a difference for all pupils in our schools.

Dave’s research focuses on professional knowledge; what is it that teachers and student teachers do in the classroom to facilitate learning by pupils? What does ‘teacher knowledge’ look like and how do student teachers and Early Career Teachers engage with it? In Dave’s view, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) goes to the heart of what being in the classroom is all about: pupil learning.

You can find Dave in a number of programmes on Teachers TV. On a Saturday afternoon, you are likely to find Dave at Craven Cottage supporting Fulham FC who he has supported a lot longer than he has been in the classroom!