BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Key influences
I began my professional career teaching geography in UK secondary schools before moving into initial teacher education in the mid-70s. This was at Charlotte Mason College of Education in the Lake District where I worked as a geographer in the environmental and social studies teams. It was at this time that I met Robin Richardson and was much influenced by his innovative work in global education.
Following this I did an MSc and PhD with Paul Smoker who ran the Peace and Conflict Programme at the University of Lancaster. For the former I reviewed the nature of global perspectives in UK initial teacher education and for the latter explored the nature of racism in UK geography school textbooks1. During the late 70s I was the first education officer for the Minority Rights Group2 based in London.
Arising from this research and my interest in teacher education I set up two national initiatives in the 80s at St Martin’s College of Higher Education, Lancaster (now part of the University of Cumbria). These were the World Studies 8-13 Project3 and the Centre for Peace Studies4. During that decade this global education project worked with some fifty Local Education Authorities, half of the then total in England and Wales.
In 1990 I set up the Global Futures Project5 based at the Institute of Education University of London in order to help students and teachers think more critically and creatively about the future. This project later moved to Bath Spa University where I subsequently became professor in the School of Education. At Bath my research and teaching focused on the Education Studies degree6,7,8 with a particular responsibility for modules on Education for Change, Education for the Future, Radical Education and Education for Sustainability.
Sources
1. Walford, R. (2001) Geography in British Schools 1850-2000, chapter 9 - Radical Responses, 1975-85, London: Woburn Press
2. Hicks, D. (1981) Minorities: A teachers’ resource book for the multi-ethnic curriculum, London: Heinemann Educational
3. Hicks, D. (1990) World Studies 8-13: a short history 1980-89, Westminster Studies in Education, 13: 61-80
4. Hicks, D. (1991) The Centre for Peace Studies: 1980-89, Westminster Studies in Education, 14: 37-49
5. Hicks, D. (2001) Citizenship for the Future: A practical classroom guide, Godalming: World Wide Fund for Nature UK
6. Hicks, D. (2006) Lessons for the Future: The missing dimension in education, Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing
7. Hicks, D. & Holden, C. (eds) (2007) Teaching the Global Dimension: Key principles and effective practice, London: Routledge
8. Hicks, D. (2013) Chapters on: A futures perspective and Education for sustainability in: S. Ward (ed) A Student’s Guide to Education Studies, 3rd edition, London: Routledge
Invitations
I am available for keynote lectures at events for teachers, teacher trainers and student teachers. Recent invitations include:
| 2013 | Keynote speaker | A geography of hope, Geographical Association Annual Conference |
| 2013 | Webinar | Visualising sustainable futures, Sustainability & Environmental Education (SEEd) |
| 2011 | Presentation | Teaching for a better world: is it geography? Institute of Education University of London |
| 2010 | Keynote speaker | Educating for optimism and hope in uncertain times, Annual Conference of UK Teacher Education Network for Education for Sustainable Development/Global Citizenship |