Dr Caroline Dyer

Reader in Education in Development

Photo of Dr Caroline Dyer

A linguist by training and a South Asia specialist, I am interested in development practices in relation to the human right of education; community development; and impacts of development policies on pastoralist groups.

In India, I have researched and taught adult literacy on migration with pastoralists; used collaborative action research for professional development with teacher educators; researched literacies in primary school classrooms; investigated post-earthquake educational reconstruction. I recently assisted the Kenyan government in designing education by radio for mobile pastoralists.

Research Interests

Educational inclusion, exclusion, and adverse incorporation. I am particularly interested in links between education and social justice, and social development for pastoralists, Gypsy/Travellers, and socially marginalised, working and migrant children.

Teaching

At Master’s level, I teach core courses in Development Research, Development Management, Education in Development, and contribute to Global Inequalities.

At undergraduate level, I contribute to Contemporary Development Issues and teach Development Practice, a practical, applied module described by a student as: ‘where the rubber hits the road in development’.

My teaching is research-led, delivered through interactive approches designed to maximise student opportunities to reflect on and share critical insights into development practices.

PhD Supervision

I welcome candidates with interests in education in development; socially situated literacies; education as a human right; community development; children as development actors; and decentralisation. Current supervisions include education and human rights in Senegal, and two studies of decentralisation and community development in Ghana. I have supervised to successful completion theses on democratisation in Oman; gender and micro enterprise in Cameroon, corruption in higher education in Thailand, volunteer teachers in Indonesia, and indigenous health knowledge in Cochabamba.

Key Publications

Books

Sue Cox, Caroline Dyer, Anna Robinson-Pant and Michele Schweisfurth. (eds.) (2011) Children as Decision Makers in Education: Sharing Experiences Across Cultures. London: Continuum
Dyer, C. (ed.) (2006) The Education of Nomadic Peoples:Current Issues, Future Prospects. Berghahn Books.

Chapters in Books

Dyer, C. (2009) Literacies and Discourses of Development among the Rabaris of Kutch, India. In K. Basu, B. Maddox and A. Robinson-Pant (eds.) Interdisciplinary approaches to Literacy and Development, published as a special issue of the Journal of Development Studies (2008) and as an edited volume (2009) Oxford: Routledge
Dyer, C. (2009) Schooling and the Rabaris of Kachchh in India: The Need for Change in Danaher. In: P. et al (eds.) Traveller, Nomadic and Migrant Education. Oxford: Routledge.
Dyer, C. (2007) Schooling and social reconstruction in North West England. In: Leach, F. and M. Dunne (eds.) Conflict and reconciliation: Education in the 21st Century, Peter Lang.

Journal Articles

Dyer, C. (2010) Education and social (in)justice for mobile groups: re-framing rights and educational inclusion for Indian pastoralist children. In ‘Education and Global Justice’ Educational Review 62 (3) pp. 301 - 313.
Dyer, C. (2008)Literacies and Discourses of Development among the Rabaris of Kutch, India. Journal of Development Studies. 44 (6) pp. 863-879, also published in Basu, K., B. Maddox and A. Robinson-Pant (eds.) Interdisciplinary approaches to Literacy and Development (2009) Oxford: Routledge.
Dyer, C. (2008) Early Years Literacy in Indian Urban Schools: Structural, Social and Pedagogical Issues, Language and Education, 22 (5) 2008, pp.237-253.
Dyer, C. (2007) Working children and educational inclusion in Yemen. International Journal of Educational Development, 27 (5), pp.512-524.

Reports for External Bodies

Dyer, C. and Choski, A. et al (2004) District Institutes of Education and Training: A Comparative Study in Three Indian States. Department for International Development, p.232.

Edited Volume

Dyer, C. (ed.) (2006) The Education of Nomadic Peoples: current issues, future prospects Oxford: Berghahn Books

Working Papers

Dyer, C. (2009) Mobile pastoralists and education: strategic options (with S. Kratli) Working Paper no. 1. London: International Institute for Environment and. Development.
Dyer, C. (2008) Chronic Poverty and Education: a review of literature (with P. Rose) Chronic Poverty Research Centre Working Paper No. 131.