Rob Smith

Dr Rob Smith is a Professor of Education at Birmingham City University. His early body of work included research into the impact of funding and marketisation on teaching and learn-ing and management in further education colleges. This interest extended to research into the impact of the Area Review process and leadership and management in colleges.

Rob was co-investigator on the Transforming Lives project with Professor Vicky Duckworth which has had a national and international impact. Drawing on accounts from students, teachers, employers and parents, the project provides a wealth of data on further education as a space for transformative teaching and learning.
His other recent research projects include Social Justice and Leadership in Further Educa-tion (funded by the Further Education Trust for Leadership) which investigated colleges’ role in addressing social justice in different local contexts. Other recent work uses a Lefebvrian theoretical frame to look at HE and FE space and how teachers and students produce educational spaces in new educational architecture.