Skip to main content
Alex Hadwen-Bennett

Dr Alex Hadwen-Bennett

Senior Lecturer in Inclusion and STEM Education

  • ECS Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead and ECS Maker Space and Making Pedagogies Lead

Research interests

  • Computer science
  • Policy
  • Education

Biography

Alex has worked in education in various capacities for over 20 years. He has worked as a Computing teacher, examiner, teacher educator and educational researcher. Alex is committed to research-informed teaching and has helped to shape the practice of Computing educators through his numerous published teaching resources.

Being neurodiverse, Alex had a challenging journey through the education system, and this has shaped both his teaching and his research. He strives to create inclusive learning environments in his teaching and to make computing and STEM education more accessible and inclusive through his research.

Research

Alex’s research focuses on exploring how alternative means of engaging with Computing and STEM concepts can make these disciplines more inclusive. He is particularly interested in exploring the role that making and physical computing can play in widening participation. His most recent research explores how programming education can be made more inclusive, particularly for learners with visual impairments. 

He is a member of the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.

Teaching

Alex currently teaches on the:

He leads the STEM: Making and Creating module as well as teaching on the Leading Practices in STEM Education and Recent Developments in Digital Education modules.

Supervision

Alex’s current PhD students are:

  • Xinyun He (2023-present), Designing and embedding AR tools into geometry learning environments to support the learning processes of autistic students.
  • Shukri Mohammed (2022-present), Exploring the potential of STEM-based making activities on primary-aged learners' development and participation in computational thinking.

Alex is interested in supervising research which explores inclusion in STEM and Computing education, particularly with an emphasis on the use of making and alternative means of engaging with concepts.

Publications

Academic Work:

Articles:

    Research

    CRESTEM PGCE outside
    Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM)

    Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM)

    News

    New report raises interesting questions into accessibility of programming education in secondary schools in England

    In a new report, King’s academics Alex Hadwen-Bennett and Peter E.J. Kemp in the Centre for Research in Education in STEM (CRESTEM) find key differences...

    Programming coding

    Events

    13Marcoding 780px

    TIBBL: Tangible Inclusive Block-Based Language for widening access to programming

    In this seminar, Dr Alex Hadwen-Bennett will discuss how an interdisciplinary approach benefited the development of the TIBBL tool.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    23FebFEB-robo-wunderkind-780x450

    Exploring blind and partially sighted learners’ sense of programming concepts

    In this CRESTEM seminar, Alex Hadwen-Bennett will explore how forms of expressing programming concepts are shaped both by the programming environment and by...

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Features

    Programming Education in England's Secondary Schools

    This blog post offers a glimpse into the findings of the report on programming education in secondary schools across England. The full report delves deeper...

    Programming education feature hero image

      Research

      CRESTEM PGCE outside
      Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM)

      Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM)

      News

      New report raises interesting questions into accessibility of programming education in secondary schools in England

      In a new report, King’s academics Alex Hadwen-Bennett and Peter E.J. Kemp in the Centre for Research in Education in STEM (CRESTEM) find key differences...

      Programming coding

      Events

      13Marcoding 780px

      TIBBL: Tangible Inclusive Block-Based Language for widening access to programming

      In this seminar, Dr Alex Hadwen-Bennett will discuss how an interdisciplinary approach benefited the development of the TIBBL tool.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      23FebFEB-robo-wunderkind-780x450

      Exploring blind and partially sighted learners’ sense of programming concepts

      In this CRESTEM seminar, Alex Hadwen-Bennett will explore how forms of expressing programming concepts are shaped both by the programming environment and by...

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Features

      Programming Education in England's Secondary Schools

      This blog post offers a glimpse into the findings of the report on programming education in secondary schools across England. The full report delves deeper...

      Programming education feature hero image