Olufunnke Olugboji

I am a higher education tutor and I have the following qualifications - bachelor of arts degree in education and French (combined honours); master's degree in library studies; master's degree in teacher education with a specialization in early childhood education; and master of philosophy degree in education with a focus on early childhood development. I am a third-year postgraduate research student at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. I am following a Ph.D. programme in education and my research is on ‘Pre-service Teachers and School Libraries: Learning Experiences and Attitudes in Nigeria and England.’ Prior to my arrival in the UK, I was a lecturer in the Primary Education Department, Adeyemi College of Education, now Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, Nigeria. I taught core education courses and the French language and supervised the projects of final-year students. I am currently a Senior Lecturer. 

I have had to mentor my students in not only academics but in ensuring that they become focused and confident as they move along in life. I served on several Committees at the Departmental, Faculty, and College levels. I am known for being detailed in everything I say or do, just to make sure that my ideas are not misunderstood and to attract the necessary criticism to create an opportunity for improvement. My colleagues referred to me as ‘mother hen’ because, according to them, I always watched their backs! I always ensure that everyone around me gets whatever they need to make them comfortable if it is within safeguarding environments. 

I have taken about 20 online courses for self-development in other areas not directly related to my qualifications but which have added value to me and to my various activities. Examples of such courses are Mental Health, Caregiver Course, International Human Resource Management, Climate Change, International Volunteering, and so on. I work as a Health Care Support Worker on part-time, basis and I volunteer in the Café run by the Church I attend, where I also volunteer as a Licensed Lay Minister of the Diocese of Norwich, Church of England.

Apart from my teaching skills, I have other skills such as time management, resource management, inventory control and management, adaptability, counselling, customer service, typing, ICT, organisational skills, interpersonal skills, management skills, ability to work with or without a team and the ability to work under pressure.

I started work as a French teacher after my graduation in 1985. For different good reasons, I have had to change jobs from being an Information Officer to working at the Central Bank of Nigeria as a Senior Supervisor, then as the Administrative Manager of a private hospital. After that, I went back into banking, but this time to commercial banking, where I rose from being the Head of Customer Services of a branch to Operations Manager and Business Development Manager. I moved to another commercial bank as a Branch Relationship Manager before I quit banking to set up my Training and Management Firm. I operated as the Managing Consultant until I decided to go into academia in 2014 and I was appointed as a lecturer in the Primary Education Department to teach pre-service teachers. My teaching subject is French but I also teach core education courses such as Introduction to the Teaching Profession, Principles and Practice of Education, and so on. I supervised the projects of final-year students and I served on various Committees among other assignments. I am currently a Senior Lecturer.

I have four degrees at the moment and all of them were obtained from the Faculties of Education of the Universities where I obtained them, one bachelor's and three master's degrees. I have a bachelor of arts in Education & French (Combined Honours) while my postgraduate degrees are in Librarianship, Teacher Education & Early Childhood Education, and Early Childhood Development (master of philosophy). I am in the third year of a Ph.D. research programme in Early Childhood Education.