Education
There are many staff and postgraduate students who are actively researching into a wide range of projects, and our numbers are growing. We encourage and support new research through our expanding doctoral programmes, the Doctorate in Education (EdD) and our MPhil/PhD programmes.
Recent Submissions
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Reflecting on research in practice: developing innovative support structures for students undertaking small-scale research projects in work settingsHigher Education Academy Social Sciences Conference - Teaching research methods: Developing a pedagogical culture in the Social Sciences
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How did engaging with an online parenting programme delivered by “Empowering Parents Empowering Communities” parent volunteers during the Covid pandemic empower and benefit parents?This exploratory study gained insight into how effective parents and Parent Group Leaders (PGL) regarded the EPEC programme, delivered by Flintshire County, to be. The study adopted a qualitative methodological approach, underpinned by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as this allowed the research team to explore and understand the subjective perceptions and experiences of the Parent Group Leaders and parents (Cohen et al., 2018). The focus groups held with Parent Group Leaders and discussions with parents were conducted by the Programme Co-ordinator of Empowering Parents Empowering Communities; some Parent Group Leaders supported with the parent discussions. Findings to have emerged from the study suggest that the EPEC programme is highly respected and helps to empower parents. Key findings include: • The programme gives parents an opportunity to socialise with others reducing isolation which was key during the pandemic as a number of parents felt isoalated. • Parents often feel pressured to be a perfect parent but EPEC has made them realise that it is okay to be ‘good enough’. • Parents value that the course is delivered by trained parents who have undergone the programme themselves and that it focuses on children aged 2-11 years. • Parents found that sharing experiences with other parents promoted their confidence in general and building in time for themselves improved their own mental wellbeing. • Parents want help to understand their children, to promote commnication and gain strategies to manage their children’s behaviour and EPEC provides this. • The course has helped parents with children who have complex needs. • Parents found that the course being delivered online enabled them to attend at a time that suited them for example working parents or lack of childcare during the pandemic. • All parents felt that attending EPEC had empowered/benefited them, believing it offered a lot of knowledge and understanding and would recommend the course to other parents.
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Inclusion, Diversity, and Inequality in Childhood. Adopting a More Critical LensAfter decades of delivering equality, diversity, and inclusive education there is evidence to suggest that a more critical lens is required. Many academics, practitioners and policy makers continue to fail to sufficiently comprehend the overlap that exists with dimensions of diversity and continue to package difference in singular descriptors which suggest that there are discrete groups of learners (Thomas & Loxley, 2021). Some continue to see inclusion as a concept solely linked to special educational needs and disabilities, while certain children continue to encounter persistent and disadvantaging barriers in schools, and the tensions, dilemmas and limitations of inclusion ideology often goes unacknowledged. This presentation will be of interest to students, academics, and practitioners, both within the field of education and childhood studies, who wish to address social inequalities and make inclusive practice meaningful. A critical stance is adopted to unpack some of the complexities associated with inclusive ideology. Central to the discussion is Brahm Norwich’s (2013) notion of tensions and dilemmas of difference and Robinson and Jones-Diaz’s (2016) argument for promoting understanding of sociological perspectives, including intersectionality, which help to explain social inequality and disadvantage. Only when practitioners have more radical insight regarding inclusive ideology and diversity will there be the likelihood of them being more effective in their role as agents of change to dismantle discourses that exist to marginalise, thereby empowering the next generation in social justice education and shaping more equitable policies and practices in education and child settings.
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Supporting Teachers and Children to become Critical Thinkers of Social Justice and InclusionThe chapter, written by university lecturers based in the United Kingdom, is aimed at teachers (and child practitioners) who work with children, aged 0-11 years in education and early years settings. Inspired by the work of Australian academics Kerry Robinson and Criss Jones-Diaz (2016), this chapter emphasises the need for teachers to adopt a more critical stance relating to issues of social justice and social inequalities. It examines some of the sociological and psychological perspectives that can be drawn upon to understand and address social inequalities. It provides models (Umbrella of Social Justice, Wheel of Inclusion, Reflecting Window of Prejudice, CAB), principles, and practical approaches that teachers may find useful when delivering social justice and inclusive education to children.
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Rethinking Concepts of Special Educational Needs and Disability in the Primary ClassroomThis paper examines the outcomes of a disability awareness programme aimed at rethinking concepts of special educational needs and disability (SEND) with children aged eight to nine years old. Designed specifically for this research study, the work was undertaken in a mainstream primary classroom in England. Although research has been undertaken in this area, it is limited and often focused on children’s friendships. Drawing upon a disability studies in education lens, the study contributes to the literature through its use of interactive methods to elicit and deconstruct children’s thinking. The findings suggest that many children continue to hold deficit perceptions about SEND, rooted in medical model perspectives. However, carefully designed programmes which enable children to consider first-person experiences, and encourage the deconstruction of ableist discourses, can promote more flexible understanding and progressive attitudes towards SEND in childhood.
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How is inclusion defined on the early childhood level in China, Germany and the UK: a systematic literature reviewIn the international context, including children with diverse needs and backgrounds in early childhood settings is at the heart of education policy and planning. Nevertheless, a lack of a consistent and clear definition of inclusive education will leave the concept wide open for different interpretations and sometimes misinterpretations, which potentially leads to exclusionary practices in the name of inclusion. Our study examined how early childhood inclusion is defined in China, Germany and the UK. Peer-reviewed studies between 2000 and 2020 were systematically examined under the framework of the four dimensions of inclusion of ‘access, acceptance, participation and achievement’. 15 studies were selected that showed various aspects of the definition. Discussions on the inconsistent and tokenism definition of inclusion from various stakeholders are presented. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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What is the relationship between resilience and perceived levels of workplace stress among middle leaders in education?According to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there has been a 36.5% rise in reported cases of work-related stress between 2018/19 and 2019/20, to over 822,000 individual cases. Europe stress-related absence was second only to musculoskeletal disorders, with estimated work-related stress costing European companies 20 billion euros per year and accounted for nearly 60% of lost working days. This paper focuses on the under-researched area of stress among middle leaders in education. While it is widely reported that teachers face high levels of stress, as a result of organisational pressures, there is a paucity of research on middle leaders. This paper considers whether there will be a significant negative relationship between self-reported levels of resilience and self-reported levels of stress amongst 61 middle leaders. The two sets of data were subjected to cross-correlational quantitative analysis to establish the strength of the relationships between each of the six dimensions of resilience on perceived stress. Among the findings, a key result was that the question in the title was answered, namely that high resilience results in low stress in middle leaders in education. However, it was more nuanced than this and there were factors such as levels of peer support and an individual’s perception of their future which did contribute to a reduction in perceived levels of stress. The findings suggest that senior leaders in education have a greater impact on middle leaders’ levels of resilience and perceived levels of stress than they may think.
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To what extent do principals of further education colleges display similar leadership traits?Principals of further education colleges continue to operate in a policy context driven by reductions in funding, increasing diversity among the student population and escalating centralised control. This has meant that principals are required to rely more on their skills as decision makers and problem solvers than they have every needed in the past. At the same time, external inspection has continued to highlight the importance of leadership in enabling students to achieve the best possible outcomes, yet as Fink (2010) argues the role of the principal is becoming increasingly unattractive. In order to combat a shortage of individuals pursuing principalship positions, organisations are developing their own leadership development programmes; however, little is known about the behaviours that these programmes should be developing. This paper reports the findings of a series of leadership and psychological assessments conducted with principals within the UK. It suggests that despite the organisational and political challenges facing institutions principals demonstrate a largely homogenous set of behaviours which could be used to frame future leadership development programmes.
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“Out of the mouths of babes” – capturing young children's perceptions of disability through the use of diversity dollsThis study utilises diversity dolls to elicit children’s perceptions of visual disabilities. The study which involved 20 participants aged between six to seven years old suggests that although many children have positive attitudes towards peers with physical disabilities, attitudes are often grounded in the deficit medical model, with concepts related to medical causes, assistive devices, social consequences, and dependency. The study contributes to the literature through its use of a child-centred research method, which enabled children to offer their innermost thoughts that might have otherwise remained hidden. Some of the comments gathered were derogatory, particularly with regards to facial features, and without disability awareness education children risk carrying negative and hostile views into adulthood. Methods which unearth children’s core belief structures about disability provide an important foundation on which early years practitioners can build intervention programs to critically examine social inequalities and deconstruct problematic discourses, helping young children to develop positive attitudes towards disability.
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Associate Teachers' perceptions of reciprocal teaching and learning in Physical Education lessonsPhysical Education (PE) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes are responsible for preparing teachers who can address the needs of an ever-changing and increasingly diverse student population. This paper analyses associate teachers' (ATs) use of the reciprocal approach and the perceived impact on students' learning and social inclusion in PE lessons. Questionnaires and group interviews with 23 ATs were used to explore the impact of the reciprocal approach. Thematic analysis was then used to interrogate the data and identify patterns of response. The findings revealed that ATs valued the reciprocal approach for its impact on students' motor skills and understanding. Moreover, the ATs identified an effect on inclusion and language development, particularly for English as an Additional Language students. These findings have implications for providers of ITE as the distinct features of the reciprocal approach helped ATs to develop their practice and address the needs of their students.
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Children’s participation in research: tensions and dilemmas around ethical practiceAre young children respected and cared for or overlooked by the practitioner or researcher’s personal goals in research? Are issues, related to ethics in relation to children’s consent and participation in research lost in translation especially in terms of expectations and interpretation in different cultural contexts. This paper explores the diverse perspectives of issues around ethics related to research with young children in early years settings.. It questions the perceived tensions around adults’ decisions about children’s participation in research. The issues related to children’s voice, gatekeepers of consent, participation, power and children’s rights will be discussed and the extent to which they influence the decisions which adults make about children’s participation in any research.
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Evaluating an Institutional Response to Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): Applying Kotter’s Change Model and Sharing Lessons Learned for Educational DevelopmentSince the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, there has been a dawning understanding in the higher education sector of ways Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools can challenge the traditional roles of academic teaching staff (e.g., Chan and Tsi, 2023) and support learning by students. For example, Mike Sharples in Sabzalieva and Valentini (2023) identifies ten roles that ChatGPT can play which would all support student learners. Media and sector concern has focused on whether GenAI use by students would disrupt the integrity of degrees and awards and there is a good deal of debate on how to adapt assessment, learning outcomes and curricula to reflect and reward unique human competences associated with a discipline or subject and embrace students’ use of GenAI. Educational development colleagues have been at the vanguard of leading higher education provider reactions and responses to the widespread availability and capabilities of GenAI. This case study reflects on a year of action to lead teaching staff and students as well as institutional policy and practice through a series of steps to enable rapid, proportionate and robust change. We apply Kotter’s (1996) eight stage change model to reflect on the activities, achievements and challenges to date. We do not purport to have finished but rather can see, one year in, that increasingly activity is more embedded into structures, routines, the practice of others, and our work as educational developers. We reflect forward too on the ways we will act next to ‘make change stick’ and on our own personal, professional journeys as educational change leaders, all of whom were new appointments in the educational development centre. We chart how we have been able to innovate and to lead complex educational change at pace.
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Enabling collaborative lesson researchIn this paper, we interrogate and justify the design of a local project that used collaborative design research in a secondary school in England. As authors, we represent teachers and teacher educators engaged in design research, whereby we acknowledge the difficulties implicit to university and school collaborations within a performative culture. Our analysis recognises the struggle for research‐informed professional judgement in the decision‐making and actions of educators that are situated in schools. A professional learning project is analysed to position teachers and teacher educators as practitioner researchers. In this respect, Stenhouse's work provides an analytical framework that is both a lens through which to interpret the nature of collaborations, as well as a methodology that allows us to understand the way in which we navigate the gap between educators' aspirations and the curriculum design and teaching within the project. The collaborative design research project was stimulated by an aspiration to make trigonometry accessible to low prior attaining pupils in a secondary mathematics classroom. This provides a stimulus for understanding the conditions that enable collaborative lesson inquiry and to question whether it can provoke raised aspirations for young people in inclusive classrooms. This allows us to understand the work of teachers as researchers and research users in an increasingly messy teacher education context. We interrogate the potentially problematic connection between research and practice within collaborative inquiry, as we understand how we enable research that is “held accountable for its relevance to practice” because “that relevance can only be validated by practitioners” (Stenhouse, 1988, p. 49).
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Teaching the LessonIn this book chapter, the role of the mentor working with beginning teachers is discussed, as they teach their first mathematics lessons. Primarily we will consider how to support the beginning teacher with a structured and collaborative start to their classroom experience and how to allow them to explore different approaches to teaching and designing mathematics lessons. Supporting early teaching experiences involve planning the lesson, managing the emotional and practical aspects of the classroom and helping the beginning teacher to reflect on their teaching and the learning of students in order to use the experience constructively. The development of a range of pedagogical approaches, such as ways of building on prior knowledge, modelling and explaining mathematical ideas, providing feedback, supporting struggling students and asking questions that prompt students to think about mathematics also need to be considered. Initially, beginning teachers can be very concerned about whether they can respond to unforeseen events, including how they gain and maintain the students’ trust and cooperation. These features are addressed in this chapter.
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The Building BlocksIn this book chapter, I discuss models of professional knowledge that apply to mathematics teachers and illustrate this with ways that beginning mathematics teachers can develop their knowledge. This includes: • Specialist pedagogical knowledge for teaching mathematics • Beliefs about how mathematics is learned and taught • Mathematics teacher orientations • Connecting representations of knowledge in mathematics • Professional learning within a collaborative community of mathematics teachers. Learning to teach mathematics is a complex challenge for teachers and especially beginning teachers who bring with them a set of beliefs, experiences and dispositions that will influence their teacher identities, their beliefs about the classroom and how they behave as teachers. Within the context of learning to teach mathematics, beginning teachers will also encounter perspectives on the classroom from teacher educators in school and in other organisations such as the institute of higher education. Thus chapter addresses these aspects of learning to teach mathematics.
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Playing with EkphrasisA second edition of the poetry that used ekphrasis as a method to investigate the tension between community and the individual
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Bumblebees like jazzPoetry, to encourage and enthuse the primary school teacher to share their musical loves, and others.
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Mini-museums as a nexus for storytelling and pedagogyThis research project aimed to explore the potential of storytelling pedagogies in educational settings, and to assess the feasibility of creating mini-museums in schools. Through the involvement of two primary schools in the Northwest of England, the project was able to collect primary data and refine plans for the introduction of artefacts and storytelling methods in other schools. The research assistants conducted interviews and used the 'Crazy 8' sketching technique to collect information about typical users, preferred type of product, preferences regarding colour schemes and visual design, typical contents, accessibility aspects, access and security issues, and other requirements specific to the school.
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Perspectives of TimeA poem in repsonse to the All Our Relations project funded by Malmö Theatre Academy and Lund University. The work was undertaken in Eastern Sweden over the course of several days working on eco-pedagogical approaches.