Rate My Professor Sarah Marston

Professor Sarah Marston is the Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Reading, where she holds concurrent roles as Associate Professor, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Lecturer in Secondary MFL Education. Prior to her academic career in higher education, she worked as a senior leader in a secondary school. She earned her Doctorate in Education (EdD) from the University of Reading in 2023, with her thesis titled "Exploring leadership identity development through the professional lived experiences of female secondary school headteachers in England." This work draws on her own experiences as a senior school leader and focuses on interpretivist studies of female leadership in education. She has also served as Programme Director of Secondary Initial Teacher Training at the Institute of Education.

Sarah Marston's research interests include second language acquisition, climate and sustainability education, educational leadership and management, mentoring and coaching, initial teacher education, and education across secondary, primary, and Early Years levels. She supervises doctoral students in these areas. In 2021, she was recognized as a University Teaching Fellow for her contributions to teaching excellence at the Institute of Education. Her publications feature "Reconceptualising preservice teachers’ subject knowledge in climate change and sustainability education: a framework for initial teacher education from England, UK" (Sustainability, 2023; co-authored with Nasreen Majid, Jo Anna Reed Johnson, and Andrew Happle) and "Climate change and sustainability education framework: an opportunity for pre-service teaching" (Cogent Education, 2025; co-authored with Jo Anna Reed Johnson, Andrew Happle, and Nasreen Majid). She contributes to international partnerships, including teaching at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and supports programmes such as PGCE Early Years and foundation degrees in children's development and learning.