Dr Matt Vince

Biography

The Islam-UK Centre has been my academic home for my masters and doctoral studies, along with a postdoctoral research position. These opportunities were generously funded by the Jameel Scholarship Programme.

For my doctoral research, I explored the experiences of “Muslim Religious Education teachers” and their understanding of personal and professional identities. After successfully completing my doctorate, I worked as a Research Associate leading on the Discovering Muslims in Britain: for Key Stage 3 (2019-2021) training and curriculum development project.

I am interested in continually supporting these areas of research, particularly projects involving ‘lived religion’ and Religious Education teaching in schools. Do get in touch to discuss this more.

Speaking engagements

• W8 Discovering Muslims in Britain: for Key Stage 3 (2021, NATRE Strictly RE – invited speaker)
• Discovering Muslims in Britain for KS3 (2021, Cumbria SACRE - workshop)
• Alternative forms of leadership in British Muslim communities: Muslim RE teachers (2019, Cardiff University Leadership, Authority & Representation in British Muslim Communities conference’)
• Muslims in the UK and Europe Symposium 2018 (2018, Cambridge University - symposium)
• Islam, Muslims, and education in Britain (2018, conference organiser)
• Muslim RE teachers and Religious Education: balancing personal faith and professional responsibilities (2017, Harmony Interfaith Lecture Series, University of Wales Trinity St David – invited speaker)
• Expressing Islam within a Christian-centric education system: lessons from a young British Muslim RE teacher (2014, British Association for Islamic Studies inaugural conference – conference paper)

Publications

• Date
• Type
• Selected

Teaching

• Associate Fellowship accreditation (Higher Education Academy)
• PGCE and QTS in Secondary Religious Education
• Muslims and Education: MA seminar
• Introduction to Religion 1 & 2: Undergraduate modules
• Module lead: Sociology of Religion (level 5, 2020-2021)

My research interests include experiences of education, Religious Education (RE), and identities and expressions of ‘lived religion’. I utilise sociology of religion methodologies, particularly the work of Nancy Ammerman and Meredith McGuire, alongside my previous experience of RE teaching. I am also keen to engage with practitioners in these fields in my research.

PhD thesis

• Muslim Identities in Contemporary Britain: The Case of Muslim Religious Education Teachers
• What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain? Talking about identity in the classroom (article for REToday magazine, Spring 2021)

Wider Writing

• TRS-UK School Engagement Survey 2020 (2020, Theology and Religious Studies – UK)
• Socrel Member Interviews: Matthew Vince (2018, British Sociological Association SocrelNews)
• ‘Being There’: A brief reflection on shadowing Muslim RE teachers - (article for the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK Blog, 2017)
• Islamic Education in Britain: New Pluralist Paradigms – Book Review (2016, Journal of Beliefs and Values, 37:1)