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Having been educated through the medium of Welsh in the Rhymney Valley, Gareth Watkins completed a BA (Hons) in Business at the University of Glamorgan in 1997. Following a period of travel and work in Australasia, he returned to undertake a PGCE at the University of Wales, Caerleon.
Gareth began his teaching career in 2000 at a Welsh-medium primary school in Torfaen, where he worked for 23 years, including five years as deputy headteacher. During this time, he taught across all primary age phases and led curriculum development, promoting meaningful learning experiences grounded in pupils’ communities, values and lived experiences.
Since joining the Initial Teacher Education team at the University of South Wales in 2023, Gareth has completed a PGCert in higher education. His current work explores the barriers and factors influencing the progression to Welsh-medium higher education and examines how student teachers develop and construct their professional teacher identity.