St Cross Fellow recognised with University Teaching Excellence Award
St Cross College is delighted to congratulate Fellow Dr Katharine Burn on receiving the Achievement Award for Sustained Commitment to Education at the University of Oxford's Social Sciences Division Teaching Excellence Awards 2026. The annual awards recognise outstanding contributions to teaching, learning and the academic development of students across the Division.
Dr Burn, from Oxford's Department of Education, was recognised for her sustained and exceptional contribution to education over more than 20 years. Since joining the Department in 1999, she has played a leading role in teacher education through her teaching, supervision and academic leadership across the PGCE, MSc in Learning and Teaching, and MSc in Teacher Education programmes.
The award also recognises Dr Burn's commitment to research-informed teaching and her leadership as Course Director of the PGCE. She successfully guided the programme through reaccreditation and multiple Ofsted inspections while maintaining a strong emphasis on intellectual rigour, social justice and outstanding student outcomes. Beyond the University, Dr Burn’s work has influenced teacher education nationally and internationally through mentoring, scholarly publications, editorial leadership and professional engagement.
Commenting on the award, Dr Burn said:
Excellence in teacher education is rooted in genuine, principled school/university partnerships. I'm delighted by the recognition that this award confers on my commitment to 'practical theorising': a constant striving to find productive ways of integrating theory and practice for our students, enabling them to interrogate each from the perspective of the other.
St Cross warmly congratulates Dr Burn on this well-deserved recognition of her dedication to teaching excellence and the development of future educators.
