Suanne Gibson

Academic profile

Dr Suanne Gibson

Associate Professor in Education
Plymouth Institute of Education - School of Society and Culture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)

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"I believe in, have experienced and witnessed the power of education to transform".
Over the past 10 years, Associate Professor Dr Suanne Gibson has developed a range of partnerships with and for disability, equality and inclusion.She has provided research evidence for government policy, spoken at the House of Commons, contributed to international publications and policy, is regularly invited to talk on inclusive provision in Education and delivers mentorship programmes that address contemporary challenges in education.

The Global Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Suanne's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

Goal 04: SDG 4 - Quality EducationGoal 05: SDG 5 - Gender EqualityGoal 10: SDG 10 - Reduced InequalitiesGoal 16: SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong InstitutionsGoal 17: SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

About Suanne

Associate Professor Dr. Suanne Gibson NTF FRSA is an Associate Professor of Inclusive Education at the University of Plymouth and co-UK lead with CITED.

Suanne is an international leader of inclusive education, directing regional, national and international research projects on the policy and practice of inclusive education for Disability/Special Educational Needs and other minority/protected groups. She leads strategic partnerships with the third sector, education policy leaders and practitioners for sustained cross-sector change with evidenced impact. In 2022 she received the FoAHB Research Award for Outstanding Impact in Public Policy, Law and Services.

Academic Career

Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, University of Plymouth,  2008 -present

Interim Director, Plymouth Institute of Education (PIoE), University of Plymouth, 2020-2021

Associate Head Teaching Learning and International PIoE, University of Plymouth, 2018-2020

Programme Leader BA Education Studies, University of Plymouth, 2010-2018

Subject Leader BA Education Studies, University of Plymouth, 2003-2010

Lecturer, BA Education Studies, University of Plymouth, 2001-2003

Doctoral Scholarship, Oxford Brookes University, 1998-2001

Research Assistant, University College London Institute of Education, 1999-2001

Supervised Research Degrees

External examiner on 1 EdD, 2 PhDs

Internal examiner on 3 PhDs and 1 EdD

Internal examiner for 6 upgrades

Director of Studies on 2 PhD teams

Second superviser on 1 EdD and 2 PhDs

Teaching

I currently teach on the BA Education programme, the MA in Education and at Doctoral level at University of Plymouth. I have developed and lead post-16 progression programmes in secondary education and contribute to PG programmes and doctoral student teaching at Taylor's University, Malaysia.

My specialisms are - Disability, SEN and Inclusion, Disability Rights, critical pedagogy, widening participation and social justice in education, student experience, partnership and leadership.

I use student-centred methodologies in my teaching and work with socio-cultural theory to understand learners' education spaces and build opportunities for their progression.

Project highlights

Are we included logo
Are We Included?
An inclusive mentorship programme that aims to address contemporary challenges in education (including: pupil attendance, attainment, achievement, and progression) and their impact on inclusive practice in Plymouth schools.
OIpportunity Plymouth logo
Opportunity Plymouth
An empowering mentorship project where undergraduate students of Education become mentors to Year 10 school pupils
Illustration showing a range of people with differing physical abilities
Partnering for Disability Equality
Associate Professor Dr Suanne Gibson has over the past 10 years developed a range of partnerships with and for disability, equality and inclusion.
Illustration showing a range of people with differing physical abilities
Improving disability access and support in HE
An international webinar that brought together some of the leading proponents for change in the Higher Education sector.
Participants from the autism-friendly animation workshop proudly display their certificates.
Inspiring autistic animators of the future
Since it was launched, more than 2,000 students have participated in the DaniMation Summer Camp Programme and explored the exciting world of animation, writing, storyboarding, voice acting, and much more.
University of Plymouth STEAM lab - a learning space where students can investigate the fundamental working principles of engineering systems.
Enhancing young people’s achievements and enthusiasm for engineering
Developed for disadvantaged learners, and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the project will deliver summer schools for Year 10 pupils and post-16 students from across Plymouth.