About

I am a Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education, teaching mainly on the BEd and MEdu.

The main elements of my role involve delivering lectures and workshops for undergraduate trainee primary teachers and supporting them during their school placement.

Having joined the University in September 2018, I previously worked as a primary teacher specialising in Early Years Foundation Stage and Physical Education.

Teaching responsibilities

I lead and teach on the English modules for undergraduates on the BEd and MEdu programmes. My role involves supporting trainee primary teachers in developing their subject knowledge and pedagogies for teaching reading, writing and Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP). Our trainees are also expected to develop pedagogies and strategies to support children's development in speech, language and communication. As a result, I support their understanding in this area through workshops and tutorials.

I also teach on the Wider Curriculum which includes learning and teaching of the 11 foundation subjects of the Primary National Curriculum. I am a Level 5 PE and School Sport specialist and enjoy inspiring our primary teacher trainees to be passionate and creative in all areas of the curriculum.

Additionally, I teach on Child Development focusing on cognitive, social and emotional development and linking this to current practice whilst critiquing current theory and policy. I enjoy creating sessions which support our trainees understanding of developmental factors and milestones, support students' observational skills and develop holistic practitioners. Additionally, teaching on this module allows me to use my recent practice as an Early Years practitioner to synthesise current practice to developmental theories.

I also work as a University Link Tutor visiting and supporting students on school placements.

Research interests

Research interests include:

• Pedagogical research for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
• Leadership approaches and theories in HEIs
• Leadership application in the Primary Curriculum
• Diversity awareness through literature

 I am also active in writing blogs regarding changes to educational policy, best practice in teaching and child development.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) English - University of Derby
• PGCE Primary Education - University of Derby
• PGCE Higher Education - University of Derby

Recent publications

• Petronzi, R., & Petronzi, D. (2020). 'The online and campus (OaC) model as a sustainable blended approach to teaching and learning in higher education: A response to COVID-19'. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 4(4), pp. 498-507
• Petronzi, R., Petronzi, D. and Owen, K., 2021. Putting learning first. [online] npj Science of Learning Community
• Patmore, M., Woodhouse, S., Petronzi, R. and Mosey, C. (2022) Fundamental English and Mathematics Skills for Trainee Teachers. London: Learning Matters