Dr Jonas Thiel

After completing an undergraduate degree in Primary Education at the University of Giessen, I moved to Manchester to enrol on a PGCE course in Primary Education. I then taught at a primary school for a few years before being awarded a PhD studentship at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2014. My PhD explored the UK National Student Survey (NSS) as a neo-liberal governmental apparatus. My recent book builds on my PhD to critically explore ratings and rankings in academia and beyond. I have also been the co-investigator of a project funded by the Council of Europe and the European Union to explore how to implement democratic education principles into teacher education programmes. Since joining Manchester Met, I have successfully taught, led, and co-led various undergraduate units, including a dissertation unit. Currently, I am a senior lecturer in primary education.

I am currently managing and teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral units where I thoroughly enjoy the process of exploring the complex world of education together with my students. My academic interests include arts education, neoliberalism, Foucauldian theory, New Materialist philosophy, bilingualism and foreign language teaching. I have published articles in some leading journals (the “British Educational Research Journal” and “Discourse”) and have also just published my first book with Routledge. Being a co-investigator in a research project funded by the Council of Europe and the European Union sparked a growing interest in Democratic Education.