Dr Rebecca Heaton

Rebecca is an interdisciplinary and creative researcher who inquires into the pedagogy, policy, practices, intersects and ecologies of art, education, creativity, cognition, culture, technology and social justice.

Through multiple lenses (neuroscientific, artistic and educational etc), she explores social, cultural, human, educational and creative development. She researches experimental and future pedagogies, decolonisation, accessible and equitable voices, cognitive perception, creative and transformative research approaches and their applications in art, education and interdisciplinary contexts.

Rebecca has worked in partnership with the Nanyang Technological University Cognitive Neuro-Imaging Centre researching cognitive exchange in higher degree art education, from scientific, artistic and educational perspectives, to understand how cognitive exchange and neuroimaging data connect and influence educational provision. She has worked with researchers at Cambridge University to research creative industry pathways, has led multi-partnered research into the positionality of creative research in higher education and conducts research across sectors connecting creatives, museums, galleries, educational institutes and industry.

Rebecca is interested in developing new research collaborations across the domains of transformative creative education, creative arts research and cognition.

Educator

Rebecca is a qualified primary school teacher, primary and secondary art specialist teacher and is qualified to teach at the higher education level. Rebecca has trained teachers and has provided professional development for educators in the United Kingdom and overseas (largely in South East Asia). She has experience of designing and delivering creative education curriculum models internationally.

Artist

As an artist Rebecca uses multidisciplinary art practices to cognitively curate learning navigations and transformations. She uses art making as an embodied and transformative experience to transcend time, space and place of the human and non-human. She embodies art to play and experiment with mind, body, material and machine connections as sites of learning. Rebecca has exhibited her artwork across the globe in the UK, Singapore and Indonesia.

• Principal Investigator: Art education and neuroscience: An interdisciplinary inquiry into cognitive exchange in higher degree teaching and learning. Ministry of Education Singapore/ National Institute of Education. (2022–24)
• Principal Investigator: Cognition in the teaching-research-practice nexus of higher degree art education (2019–21)
• Co-PI: Artists as Educators: Understanding the Influences of Artistic Sensibilities on Teaching Practice, National Arts Council Singapore/ National Institute of Education. (2022–24)
• Co-PI: Artist-In-School Scheme (AISS) in SPED schools: Examining AISS through the lens of student engagement and pedagogies in and through the arts, National Arts Council Singapore/ National Institute of Education. (2022–24)
• Co-PI: Future focused teachers. Northampton Project Fund. 1-year project designed to support teachers transitioning between training and their Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) Year.
• Team Member: Erasmus+ European Research Bid. Research funding. Digital Learning Across Boundaries. Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education. Three-Year Project. This e-twinning project explores intercultural competence in the use of digital technologies in initial teacher education, with primary pupils as stakeholders in the learning experience.

• International Society for Education in Art and Design (InSEA) Research Excellence Award (2023) Awarded at the InSEA World Congress in Turkey.
• International Society for Education in Art and Design (InSEA) Doctoral Research Award in Art Education (2019) Awarded at the InSEA World Congress in Vancouver Canada.
• British Early Childhood Education Research Association (BECERA) award for best new higher education researcher (2014) presented at the BECERA symposium Birmingham UK.

Principal Investigator: Art education and neuroscience: An interdisciplinary inquiry into cognitive exchange in higher degree teaching and learning. Ministry of Education Singapore/ National Institute of Education. (2022–24)

Journal articles

Heaton, R. (In Review). Making Peace with AI in Art Education. International Journal of Art and Design Education.

Heaton, R. (2025). Opening doors: To cognitively curate creativity concepts in art education. Creativity and Thinking Skills International Journal, 56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101777.

Heaton, R., & Sun, Y. (2025) Art Education in the Metaverse. Portuguese Journal of Art Education (World Summit of Art Education, Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.34639/rpea.v13i2.228

Heaton, R., Low, J.H. and Chen, V. (2024) AI Art Education - Artificial or Intelligent? Transformative pedagogic reflections from three art educators in Singapore, Pedagogies an International Journal, 19.4. https://doi.org/10.1080/1554480X.2024.2395260

Heaton, R. (2024) Nurturing cognition through children’s early drawing experiences. International Art in Early Childhood Journal. https://artinearlychildhood.org/journal/2023-research-journal-1

Heaton, R. (2023). Curating cognition in the teaching-research-practice nexus of higher degree art education. Research in Education. doi.org/10.1177/003452372312130

Heaton, R. (2023) A systematic literature review of cognitive exchange in higher degree visual art education, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. Doi.org/10.1177/14740222231165907

Heaton, R., & Chan, S. (2023). Managing cognitive dissonance in art education. Cambridge Journal of Education. 1-21. Doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2023.2175789

Heaton, R., & Chan, S. (2022). A visual inquiry: Artist teacher perceptions of art education provision in Singapore. Studies in Art Education. Doi: 10.1080/00393541.2022.2050988

Heaton, R. (2021) Art education and cognition. British Educational Research Journal. Doi: 10.1002/BERJ.3728

Heaton, R., Burnard, P., & Nicolova, A. (2020). Artography as a creative pedagogy. Australian Journal of Art Education.

Caldwell, H., Whewell, E., Bracey, P., Heaton, R., Crawford, H., & Shelley, C. (2020). Teaching on insecure foundations? Pre-service teachers in England’s perceptions of the wider curriculum subjects in primary schools. Cambridge Journal of Education. DOI: 10.1080/0305764X.2020.1819202

Heaton, R., Caldwell, H., & Whewell, E. (2020). The impact of visual posts on creative thinking and knowledge building in an online community of educators. Thinking Skills and Creativity Journal, 36, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100647

Heaton, R. (2018). Artist teacher cognition: connecting ‘self’ with ‘other.’ Australian Journal of Art Education, 39(1), 139-145. Visual essay. 

Heaton, R. & Crumpler, A. (2017). Sharing mindfulness: A moral practice for artist teachers. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 18(26). http://www.ijea.org/v18n26/.

Caldwell, H. & Heaton, R. (2016). The interdisciplinary use of blogs and communities in teacher education. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology. 33.3, 142-158.

Heaton, R. (2014). Moving mindsets: Re-conceptualising the place of visual culture as multi-sensory culture in primary art education. Canadian Review of Art Education, 41.1, 77-96.

Books and book chapters

Heaton, R & Onishi, P. (Forthcoming) Artist Educators: Stories of Becoming and Thriving for Educational Futures. London: Routledge.

Heaton, R. (2024) Strategies to Mobilise Cognition in Secondary Art Education. In Ash, A. and Carr, P. (Ed), A practical guide to teaching art and design in the Secondary School, Routledge.

Heaton, R. (2024). Crafting and Cultivating an International Repertoire of Artist Teacher Pedagogies. In R. Payne (Ed), Professional Learning for Artist Teachers: Pedagogy, Practice and Partnerships in UK Contexts, Open University Press, pp.41-54.

Heaton, R. (2023). The Art of Creative Research Exhibition Review. International Journal of Education through Art, 19(1), https://doi.org/10.1386/eta_00146_5

Edwards, J., Caldwell, H., & Heaton, R. (2021, April 29). Art in the primary school: Creating art in the real and digital world. London: Routledge. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Primary-School-Creating-Digital/dp/0367273330

Heaton, R. (2020). Letting Art Teach: Art Education ‘After’ Joseph Beuys, Gert Biesta (2017) [Review of Biesta, G. Letting Art Teach: Art Education ‘After’ Joseph Beuys]. International Journal of Education Through Art, 16(3), 459-461. https://doi.org/10.1386/eta_00044_5

Heaton, R., & Hickman, R. (2020, October 27). Purposes of arts education. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.390

Burnard, P., Dragovic, T., Heaton, R., & Rogers, B. (2019). Why policy matters particularly in professional doctorates. In: C. Costley & J. Fulton (Eds.), Methodologies for Practice Research: Approaches for Professional Doctorates. London: Sage.

Heaton, R. (2019). Digital art pedagogy in the United Kingdom. In R. Hickman, K. Freedman, E. Hall & N. Meager (Eds.), International encyclopedia of art and design education. London: Sage. 

Heaton, R. & Edwards, J. (2017). Art. In H. Caldwell & S. Cullingford-Ague (Eds.), Technology for SEND in primary schools (pp. 119-137.) London: Sage.  

Hickman, R. and Heaton, R. (2016). Visual Art. The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment. London: Sage.

Heaton, R. Caldwell, H. Grantham, S. Whewell, E. (2015) Switched on iPad Science. London: Rising Stars.

Professional publications

Heaton, R. (2022). Looking beyond grades: How art education uplifts values in the young. NIEWS.

Heaton, R. (2021). Building psychological resilience through the arts. NIE/NTU Graduate Studies and Professional Learning Magazine.

Heaton, R. (2016). Theory versus practice in art and design education. AD Magazine, NSEAD, Issue 16, 26-27.

Heaton, R. (2016). Using group blogs to document art practice. Outside the Box Assessment and Feedback Practices. Northampton: Institute of learning and teaching in higher education, 1.2, 8-9. 

Heaton, R. (2014). Exploring social issues through art education. Changemaker in the Curriculum. Northampton: Institute of learning and teaching in higher education, 11-17.

Heaton, R. (2014). Project Miro: An international and multi-sited journey of early years creative practice. iBook: iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/project-miro/id887943037?mt=11

Exhibitions

Indonesian Exhibition: Rekoneksi (Reconciliation), Yogyakarta State University, May 2024. Exhibiting Artist.

The Art of Creative Research Exhibition, NIE Gallery, Singapore, December 2022 – February 2023. Exhibition organiser, artist, and host. https://www.theartofcreativeresearch.com/

Beyond Surface, Glass Tank Gallery, Oxford Brookes University, June 2017. Exhibiting artist.

Social issues through the arts, The University of Northampton, June 2015. Exhibition organiser.

Stem to SteAm, Northampton Contemporary Art Gallery and Museum, July 2015. Exhibition organiser.

Changemaker exhibition, The University of Northampton, June 2014. Exhibition organiser.

#Miromorning, The University of Northampton, June 2014. Artist academic in residence.

Traces, Ovada Gallery Oxford, July 2009. Exhibiting artist.

Conference contributions

Heaton, R. (2025) To belong and grow: Unearthing, embedding and nurturing hidden voices in cognitive art education ecology. International Journal of Art and Design Education, Bristol, UK.

Heaton, R. (2024) Transformative pedagogic reflections on the implementation of AI Art Education in Singapore, INSEA Congress South East Asia.

Heaton, R. (2024) Art education and neuroscience: An interdisciplinary inquiry into cognitive exchange in higher degree teaching and learning, World Conference Education, Singapore.

Heaton, R. (2023). Is it time to value the concept and practice of cognitive curation in art education? International Journal of Art and Design Education, Chester, UK.

Heaton, R. (2023). Cognitive exchange in human and post human art education. International Society of Education through Art, World Congress, Turkey.

Heaton, R. (2023). Nurturing cognition through children’s early drawing experiences. 9th International Art in Early Childhood Conference, Exeter, UK.

Heaton, R. (2023). Art education in the metaverse. World Summit of Arts Education, Portugal.

Heaton, R. (2023). The Art of Creative Research. Exhibition Seminar. Centre for Arts Research in Education/ NIE Gallery, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Heaton, R. (2022). Art education and neuroscience: An interdisciplinary inquiry into cognitive exchange in higher degree art educator teaching and learning. Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide.

Heaton, R. (2022). A presentation of the literature concerning cognitive exchange in higher degree visual art education. 4th International conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning. Virtual.

Heaton, R. (2021) Autoethnography as a tool to navigate cognitive dissonance surrounding conceptions of cognition in art education. Paper presented virtually at the International Journal of Art and Design Education Conference.

Heaton, R. (2021). Cognitive curation in the teaching - research - practice nexus of doctoral education. Paper presented virtually at the 7th International Conference on Professional and Practice-Based Doctorates.

Heaton, R. (2021). Cognition in art education. Centre for Arts Research in Education Webinar presented publicly online, Nanyang Technological University.

Heaton, R. (July, 2018). Social justice and artist teacher cognition. Paper presented at the International Society of Education through Art (INSEA) Seminar: Research and Praxis for Socially Engaged Art Education, INSEA, Thessaloniki, Greece. 

Heaton, R. (June, 2018). Digital practice and artist teacher cognition. Paper presented at National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) National Conference. Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford.

Caldwell, H., Heaton, R., & Whewell, E. (January, 2018). Digital learning across boundaries (DLAB): how can mobile technologies facilitate learning outdoors? Paper presented at the International Conference on Mobile Technologies in Teacher Education (MITE), National University of Ireland, Galway. 

Heaton, R. (June, 2017). Research portfolios. Paper presented at the Cambridge University Doctoral Education Conference. The University of Cambridge, Cambridge. 

Heaton, R. (June, 2016). Reflexivity in doctoral research. Paper presented at the Cambridge University Doctoral Education Conference. The University of Cambridge, Cambridge.

Heaton, R. (July, 2015). Interdisciplinary use of blogs and online communities for the arts. Paper presented at ICICTE. Kos, Greece.

Heaton, R. (October, 2015). Sharing Mindfulness: A moral practice for trainee artist-teachers. Paper presented at the International Journal of Art and Design Education Conference. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow. Co-presentation with students.

Heaton, R. & Caldwell, H. (June, 2015). Digital Leaders Building Bridges with Technology. Presentation at

ELESIG Symposium. University of Northampton, Northampton.

Heaton, R. Caldwell, H. Whewell, E. (May, 2015). Blogs as an assessment tool in Higher Education. Paper presented at 5th Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN) Annual Conference. Birmingham.

Heaton, R. (July, 2014). Making the most of i-pads: Ideas for integrating apps across subjects. Paper presented at ICICTE. Kos, Greece.

Heaton, R. (2014). Reflections: Exploring the use of multi-sited collaborative pathways to investigate social issues within art teacher education. International Journal of Art and Design Education Conference. Tate Liverpool, Liverpool.

Heaton, R. (2014). Preparing for the New Curriculum. Northampton Teaching and Learning Conference. University of Northampton, Northampton.

Heaton, R. (2013). Working in partnership: Communities of practice within Early Arts Education. Paper presented at Il bello, i bambini, Miro e l’arte contemporanea. Tuscany.

Heaton, R. (2013). Visual Culture: Children’s participation in the development of a shared perspective through multimedia technologies. Paper presented at the British Early Childhood Education Research Association (BECERA) Symposium. Birmingham.

Visiting Professor National Institute of Education Singapore.

Consultant: International art and design education curriculum design and review. 2018, 2023 and 2024 Cambridge Assessment.

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Art Syllabus Development Committee 2020-2024.

External Examiner: The University of Reading, UK. BA Primary Art Education. 2020-2024.

External Examiner: The University of Exeter, UK. Upper Primary Art PGCE Course. 2014-2018.

Affiliations with professional bodies:

• National Society for Art and Design Education (NSEAD) member
• International Society for Education through Art (INSEA) member
• Higher Education Academy (Fellow)