Dr Mike Wray

Profile

Biography

I am an Associate Lecturer in the Department. I completed my BSc in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, then my MSc in Psychological Research Methods and PhD, Educational Research at Lancaster University.

Before lecturing, I had a varied career: working in the voluntary sector to begin with then social services, NHS, and further education before taking up a post as disability manager at UWE, Bristol in 1997. I have worked as a camp counsellor in New York state with children with learning difficulties, an assistant clinical psychologist in a community mental health team, a national coordinator of disability provision in HE and as a senior policy adviser on government policy in the UK.

I have also worked for a number of years as a consultant in HE, developing disability services and inclusive teaching and learning practice in several HEPs including York and Durham. I have taught at York St John, London South Bank, Wrexham Glyndwr, Sheffield Hallam universities and as a visiting lecturer at the Education University of Hong Kong.

Research

Overview

As a first in family, FSM, working class lad from a council estate in Bolton I am passionate about widening participation in higher education. My research has always been focused on this theme, having examined attitudes to people with learning difficulties in my UG thesis to a cross-sector study of inclusive teaching practice in universities in England.

Research group(s)

• Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice (CRESJ)

External activities

Overview

I have been on writing groups at the Quality Assurance Agency, and sat on national policy fora including for the General Teaching Council of England, and for the NHS grants unit.
For many years I was on the Board of the National Association of Disability Practitioners, More recently I was CEO and founding director of the International Network of Inclusive Practice and blogged at inclusioninhe.com.