Dr Sam Heathcote

Sam is the Course Leader for the MSc in Public Health-Health Promotion (UK) and teaches on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the UK and overseas.

Sam began her professional career teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), before becoming a qualified Community Educator in the early 90's. Since then she has worked as a Youth and Community Worker and Manager in both urban and rural settings; a Learning Mentor for the Excellence in Cities Initiative; a Study Support Officer and a Basic Skills Co-ordinator before being appointed by a Primary Care Trust for the first national post of Health Literacy Manager. In addition, she has been the Commissioning Lead for the Voluntary Sector and Child Poverty Officer for a local authority.

Sam's research interests lie in investigating the structure-agency relationship; the reproduction of disadvantaged identities; Marxist and Critical Realist analyses; transformative pedagogy and participatory approaches. She was awarded her doctorate in 2014 from Leeds Metropolitan University. For her thesis she explored the value of transformative education for the working class.

Sam is the Course Leader for the MSc in Public Health-Health Promotion and is Module Lead for Health Communication; People, Power and Communities; Professional Practice and the Seminar Series. She also contributes to the Foundations in Public Health module on the same and teaches on a number of undergraduate and post-graduate courses across the School. In addition, Sam also leads and teaches modules for the BSc Degree in Zambia and is Link Tutor for Wakefield College who deliver the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care. She currently supervises two doctoral students from the Schools of Education and Health & Community Studies.