Ann Casson

Senior Research fellow at the National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER) at Canterbury Christ Church University.

My present position is as lead research fellow on the Ten Leading Schools: The spiritual influence of Christian-ethos secondary education project - an initiative set up by the National Institute of Christian Education Research (NICER) at Canterbury Christ Church University, working in association with Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/our-work/research-knowledge-exchange/national-institute-christian-education-research/research/research-projects.aspx

My role as a qualitative researcher is to work in partnership with schools and build a picture of each school’s approach to promoting spiritual development. The aim is to offer other secondary schools with a Christian foundation case studies that may stimulate them to reflect on, and improve their own work of spiritual development with their students. The findings will also be employed to contribute to the international academic debate on the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Christian-ethos secondary schools.

Prior to becoming a full time researcher, I taught Religious Education in Church of England, Catholic and community secondary schools in the North East of England.

My main research interests are faith schools in a plural society; teaching and learning of other faith traditions in faith schools; religious education and social cohesion; Christian education in England and Wales; religious identity development of young people; and intercultural education, and students’ spiritual development.

Research Projects

How do Headteachers establish, articulate and maintain an ethos that provides a compelling vision of Christian faith? An international comparative study of Christian leadership in Schools.. Researcher(s): Mrs Claire Gibson. Supervisor(s): Dr Ann Casson, Dr Mary Woolley, Professor Bob Bowie. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Known by name: A Chaplain's Role. Researcher(s): Dr Ann Casson, Mrs Ann Pittaway, Professor Bob Bowie. [Project report]

Selected Presentations

Sustaining a deeply Christian ethos: Church of England secondary schools’ admissions policies and the generation of spiritual capital. International Conference of Christianity, Education and Contemporary Culture at Canterbury Christ Church University, July 2017
We study the Bible, but in a deeper meaning kind of way”: student engagement with Christian scripture in Religious Education in Church of England schools. The place of scripture and sacred texts in contemporary Religious Education Heythrop College, March 2017
The Findings: features of Christian-ethos secondary schools that contribute to positive spiritual development for their pupils, Ten Leading Schools Research Consultation Day, University of Warwick, November, 2016
The contribution of Religious Education to the spiritual development of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools, ISREV, Chicago, July 2016
Catholic primary school parents: a sense of belonging to the Catholic school? Portsmouth diocesan teachers conference, Swanwick, June 2016
Ten Leading Schools: the features of Christian-ethos secondary schools that contribute to positive spiritual development for their pupils, Annual conference of the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges, Chester, February, 2016
Emerging themes: the features of Christian-ethos secondary schools that contribute to positive spiritual development for their pupils, Ten Leading Schools Research Consultation Day, University of Warwick, September 2015
A time to reflect- RE & Collective Worship: features of Christian-ethos secondary schools that contribute to positive spiritual development for their pupils, Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education, St Mary’s University, September 2015 Twickenham.
Opportunities and Challenges for New Evangelization: a case study of Catholic primary school parents in England and Wales, keynote speaker, Department of Evangelization and Catechesis, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales symposium, London, Nov 5^th 2014
A sense of belonging to the Catholic Church or to the Catholic school, St Mary’s Centre annual symposium, North Wales, Oct 2014
Maintaining the memory of Catholic ritual: an ethnographic study of three Catholic secondary schools in England, British Association for the Study of Religions, Durham, Sept 2011
The Catholic school community: a generator of bonds and bridges, European Network of Religious Education Contextual Approach, London, May 2011

Nexus researching church toddler groups Dr Ann Casson, Mrs Ann Pittaway, Dr Mary Woolley, Dr Tansy Watts, Mrs Katie Clemmey, Dr Nicola Kemp, Professor Bob Bowie, (21 Feb 2024). Canterbury. [Research report]
Lights for the path by John Sullivan, Dublin, Veritas Publications, 2022, 256 pp., €24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1800970267 Dr Ann Casson, (21 Mar 2023): International Studies in Catholic Education. [Journal article]
Paying attention to the spiritual flourishing of young children in church toddler groups: a scoping study evaluating the feasibility of a research study in this context Dr Ann Casson, Dr Mary Woolley, Mrs Ann Pittaway, Dr Tansy Watts, Dr Nicola Kemp, Professor Bob Bowie, Mrs Katie Clemmey, Ms Rosanne Aantjes, (09 Feb 2023): Religions. [Journal article]
Prioritising a sense of belonging within the rural nexus: An empirical study of five rural church primary schools Dr Ann Casson, Dr Mary Woolley, Sabina Hulbert, Professor Bob Bowie, (10 Oct 2023): Rural Theology. [Journal article]
Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England Dr Mary Woolley, Dr Ann Casson, Professor Bob Bowie, (16 Feb 2023, 16 Feb 2023): International Studies in Catholic Education. [Journal article]
Rethinking the place of the family in the post-Covid church in the UK: an exploration of families’ engagement with church during and after Covid Dr Ann Casson, (14 Jul 2023, 03 Sep 2023): Practical Theology. [Journal article]
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023 Dr Ann Casson, Mrs Ann Pittaway, Dr Tansy Watts, Professor Bob Bowie, (31 Dec 2023). Canterbury. [Research report]
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023 Mrs Ann Pittaway, Dr Ann Casson, Dr Tansy Watts, Professor Bob Bowie, (31 Dec 2023). Canterbury. [Research report]
Faith-talk and reflection spaces: an empirical study of Catholic primary school pupil accounts of the exploration of faith at home Dr Ann Casson, (30 Jul 2021), Catholic Education: a lifelong journey. [Book chapter]
Life to the full: the changing landscape of contemporary spirituality: implications for Catholic school religious education by Graham Rossiter, Professor of Moral and Religious Education, NSW, Australia, ASMRE 2018, 140pp, (PDF) ISBN 978-0-9808681-5-9. Free download available from https://asmre.org/book.html Dr Ann Casson, (07 Jan 2021): International Studies in Catholic Education. [Journal article]
Researching spiritual capital in Catholic education: on the need for theoretical frameworks and more empirical work Dr Ann Casson, (04 Aug 2021), New thinking, new scholarship and new research in Catholic education: responses to the work of Professor Gerald Grace. London. [Book chapter]
Faith in the nexus: Church schools and children’s exploration of faith in the home: A NICER research study of twenty church primary schools in England Dr Ann Casson, Dr Sabina Hulbert, Dr Mary Woolley, Professor Bob Bowie, (18 Nov 2020). Canterbury. [Research report]
Religious education for spiritual bricoleurs? The perceptions of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales Dr Ann Casson, Professor Trevor Cooling, (21 Jun 2019): Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. [Journal article]
Retaining young Catholics in the church: assessing the importance of parental example Dr Ann Casson, (12 Feb 2019): Journal of Religious Education. [Journal article]
Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity? Dr Ann Casson, (15 Aug 2018): Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. [Journal article]
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 1 final report Professor Bob Bowie, Dr Ann Casson, Dr Sabina Hulbert, (24 May 2018). Canterbury. [Research report]
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 2 the case studies Professor Bob Bowie, Dr Ann Casson, Dr Sabina Hulbert, Dr Mark James, (24 May 2018). Canterbury. [Research report]
Lessons in spiritual development: learning from leading Christian-ethos secondary schools Dr Ann Casson, Professor Trevor Cooling, (2017). London. [Book]

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