Her doctoral research investigated the historiography of the Official War History volumes produced by the Government following the Second World War. I think it’s unique and important, and the students, certainly the ones I see in contact courses, really appreciate that because it would be out of their reach otherwise.”ĭr Bell is particularly interested in historiography – the process or ‘history’ of the writing of history. “I really like the flexibility that we offer here at Massey. I particularly like extramural teaching because it’s so well suited for people going along the same journey that I had, where you’re juggling fulltime work and raising children and doing your study at the same time,” she says. Now she’s back as a lecturer in Massey’s School of Humanities and it is a natural fit. She completed her degree, an honours year, a master’s and, last year, a PhD all at Massey.
The mother-of-two joined Massey as an undergraduate student in 1998 but soon became hooked on history.
New history lecturer Rachael Bell can understand the challenges her distance students face – she was once one of them.
