About
Research
Email: kerry.assemakis@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 2368
Biography
Kerry Assemakis is a senior lecturer in Primary English, teaching on both postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. Kerry is passionate about teaching and learning in primary English, and especially about promoting a pedagogy of reading for pleasure and developing teachers’ identity and confidence as writers.
Kerry belongs to the UKLA special interest groups for reading, writing and participatory approaches in literacy research. She co-runs an Open University/United Kingdom literacy association teachers’ reading group, which delivers high quality continuous professional development on reading for pleasure, and includes participants engaging in small-scale research in their own schools. She is currently involved in a joint research project on teacher-writer identity and the impact this has on teaching and learning. Alongside a colleague, Kerry received a commendation from the St Mary’s University Walpole prize in recognition for her work with student teachers as writers.
Prior to joining St Mary’s in 2014, Kerry worked as a teacher in primary schools for fifteen years. She was a subject lead for English, and she also held the role of a lead English teacher in the borough of Richmond. Kerry was a staff governor and was also responsible for children in receipt of the pupil premium funding. Kerry has a BA (hons) in Primary Education and a MA in Education. She is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds a postgraduate certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). She is currently a doctoral student with an interest in visual literacies.
Research
Research profile
Publications
Conferences
- Assemakis, K. Fox, K. Head, J. Utton, F. and Willmott, A. (2023) ‘A shift in writing identity: teacher reflections on how their sense of self as writers informs practice’. UKLA Annual International Conference. Exeter, UK.
- Assemakis, K. (2023) ‘Student Teachers as creative writers’. UKLA Annual International Conference. Exeter, UK.