Mrs Nerys Defis

Professional biography

Nerys joined the Open University in Wales team in September 2020. Currently working as a Primary Curriculum Tutor on the PGCE programme in Wales, Nerys has the pleasure of working alongside student teachers and partner schools to support Welsh Government’s national aspirations of reformed, high-quality initial teacher education (ITE).

Nerys’ background is in primary education. After completing a degree in International Politics and History, she completed a Primary PGCE course at Aberystwyth University. For the next eighteen years or so, Nerys taught across the primary age range in three very different primary schools: one small village school; one large Welsh medium primary school; and in a dual-stream school. Almost eight years ago she moved into Initial Teacher Education working with both secondary and primary PGCE students, and B.A. Education with QTS students. The move into Higher Education has enabled Nerys to continue to work in the field of education in Wales – doing so at such an exciting time in terms of curriculum developments. 

Research interests

Nerys’ research interests are varied. During her M.A. studies she focussed on attitudes and mindset, and pupil groupings. In 2021 she joined the OU's Professional Doctorate programme with the aim of researching children's use of technology and its potential impact on their health and wellbeing.

As part of her tutor role in ITE, Nerys supports student-teacher small-scale research and has also been able to collaborate with colleagues on a study into the use of video-technology to support ITE-student reflections. She is currently working on a collaborative project focussing on reflective practice in ITE.

Teaching interests

Nerys works and writes bilingually, through both the medium of Welsh and English. Her teaching focusses on the linking of educational theory and practice in order to support student-teachers to develop effective classroom pedagogy.

Nerys delivers sessions on menoring ITE students and co-authored the free Open Learn course Mentoring Mindsets which focusses on quality mentoring in ITE. 

Impact and engagement

Papers:

Glover, A., Bleasdale, C., Defis, N., Glover, A., Thomas, A. and Wills, N., Campbell, C., Esufali, M. Vaughan, H. (2026) ‘Collaborative toolkit creation to support reflective practice in teacher education’. Journal of Education, Innovation and Communication 7(4). Available at: DOI: 10.34097/jeicom-7-4-3

Bleasdale, C., Defis, N., Glover, A., Thomas, A. and Wills, N. (2026). Developing reflective practice in Initial Teacher Education: A collaborative approach to toolkit design. Wales-PGCE, The Open University. Available at: https://oro.open.ac.uk/108080/

Cole-Jones, N., Defis, N., Glover A.. Jones, M. and Wallis, R. (2024) Using collaborative peer reflection to develop student teachers’ practice. Distances et médiations des savoirs, 46, article no. 10045

Defis, N. and Glover A. (2023)  Student teachers’ experiences of online learning. Advances in Online Education: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, 2(2) pp. 147–159.

Defis, N., Glover, A., Jennings, C., Stewart, S., Wallis, R, Craggs, B., Hay, C., Linton, B., Powell, T. and Williams, A. (2022) Using video technology to support micro-teaching and reflection in Initial Teacher Education, Journal or Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 8(1). Available at: https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/studentchangeagents/issue/view/80 (Accessed 10 August 2022).

Cole-Jones, N., Defis, N., Glover, A., Jones, M., Wallis, R. and Williams, A. (2022) ‘Exploring the impact of sudent teachers’ online collaborative peer reflection’. Conference Short Papers Distance Education: A Brave New World? Modalities, Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects, pp. 269-278. Available at: https://distance-2022.sciencesconf.org/data/pages/Short_papers_distance_2022_en.pdf (Accessed 21 September 2022).

Conference Papers/Posters:

Defis, Nerys (2024). Exploring both adult and child viewpoints of children's digital media use and wellbeing through image-based methods. In: BERA Conference 2024 and WERA Focal Meeting, 8-12 Sep 2024, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Available at: https://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/nd5385.html

Defis, N. (2024) Gweld plant fel arbenigwyr: Defnyddio dulliau cyfranogol er mwyn ymchwilio i brofiadau plant o'u lles wrth ddefnyddio technoleg.Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, 28 Mehefin 2024, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. Ar gael o: https://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/nd5385.html

Educational blog posts:

Our Journey of Learning, September 2022:Our journey of learning | Curriculum for Wales Blog (gov.wales)

Ein Taith Ddysgu, Medi 2022:Ein taith ddysgu | Blog Cwricwlwm i Gymru (llyw.cymru)

Distance learning & inital teacher education: Making connections in a virtual world, August 2021: Distance learning & initial teacher education: Making connections in a virtual world | BERA

A Test for Welsh Education, May 2018: A test for Welsh education – Yr Athrofa

Life Outside the Classroom, May 2016: Life outside the classroom – Yr Athrofa

External collaborations

In her role as Curriculum Tutor, Nerys works closely with a range of partner schools across Wales. She also works with pan-Wales colleagues through her membership of the Collaborative Research Network for Equity and Inclusion

Nerys has collaborated on various educational resources, including a Curriculum for Wales mapping document for Rising Stars and a pack of mathematical resources with Peniarth Press.

Nerys dedicates time to volunteer within her local community. She is a board member for a local Welsh mothly paper and regularly contributes written pieces to local press. Nerys is also Chair of Governors at a local Secondary school.