Dr Sarah Telfer

Sarah is an Associate TIRI Professor in education at the University of Bolton. An experienced educational leader and teacher educator with a background in ESOL and Literacy teaching and learning, teacher training, and staff development in a range of different educational contexts. Sarah is Programme Leader for initial Teacher Education (ITE) 14+ Further Education and Skills (FES) Programmes. She has extensive experience in staff training; planning developing new Higher Education (HE) curricula; creating and implementing strategic educational policy and strategies, including the introduction of new ITE courses; applying new administrative teaching systems; coordinating resource requirements; writing, developing and validating HE education programmes; organisational planning for educational conferences and events, presenting at national and international conferences; liaising with partner colleges and organisations; and applying for education tenders.

Research Interests and Research Subject Specialisms:
Sarah completed a BA (Hons) in Drama and worked as a professional actress for seven years in film and TV, before applying these skills to teach English as a Foreign Language and completing a postgraduate certificate and Masters in TESOL in 2009. She completed a Doctorate in Education (2017).

Her areas of special academic interest include: the use of storytelling as a pedagogic tool in the ESOL Classroom; interaction in the ESOL and literacy classroom by embedding Drama, Creative writing and Literature into English language teaching. Her specialist areas of research focus on the use of storytelling to promote engagement and interaction in the language classroom.

Teaching specialisms:
Sarah has taught English as a foreign language in both the private and the public sector in the UK and in Europe and has worked as a teacher trainer for over twenty years, specialising in ESOL and English teacher training. Her research-intensive teaching focuses on the use of stories as a teaching approach and learning strategy; a form of self- reflection; and as an assessment tool.

Publications and Research:
Telfer, S. (2023) Storytelling as a pedagogic tool for engagement - Featuring Dr Sarah Telfer, Associate Professor in Education, University of Bolton. https://anchor.fm/tirigogy/episodes/Storytelling-as-a-pedagogic-tool-for-engagement---Featuring-Dr-Sarah-Telfer--Associate-Professor-in-Education--University-of-Bolton-e2cm4rt

Telfer. S,(2022) The Routledge International Handbook of Therapeutic Stories and Storytelling -Chapter 15 The Use of Storytelling as a Pedagogic Tool in the English Language Classroom. Oxfordshire: Routledge.

Telfer, S. and Bacova, D. (2018) ‘Anecdotal Storytelling in the Adult ESOL and Literacy Classroom’ BESA - Educational Futures Vol. 9.1 June

Professional Online Profile:
X; @SarahTelfer5- (20) Dr Sarah Telfer (@SarahTelfer5) / X (twitter.com)
LinkedIn (69) Telfer Sarah | LinkedIn

Affiliations:
Senior Fellow -Advanced HE Academy