RSS 1.0Education
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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Constructions of agency in children’s cultural and linguistic brokering practicesConstructions of children’s agency have been an influential and dominant arena for discussion since the emergence of the ‘new’ paradigm of childhood in the 1990s. Cross-disciplinary studies recognise the different social, cultural and temporal influences upon perceptions of childhood and acknowledge the impact of such constructions on how children’s agency is understood and realised. Many of the definitions of agency reflect Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states the child’s right to be involved in decisions affecting them. However, as with other articles of the convention, Article 12 is prone to subjective adult interpretation predicated on assumptions of competence and capability, and subject to the same uneasy tension between participation, protection and provision which characterises the convention more broadly. Furthermore, the presumed relationship between children’s involvement in decision making as an indicator of agency is misleading. This paper argues that children’s agency is a poorly defined concept, whose lack of clarity contributes to children being constrained as active change agents within and beyond contexts which directly affect them. Using the context of child language brokers, the paper argues that despite offering children the ‘socio-culturally mediated capacity to act’ brokering practices frequently take place in response to adult-determined objectives, rather than in contexts freely chosen by the child, potentially compromising their agentic potential. This paper draws upon the findings from Crutchley’s doctoral thesis which used Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method to explore the retrospective narratives of adults who assumed the role of cultural and linguistic brokers during their childhoods.
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Editorial: Journal of Further and Higher Education Jan 2025As the incoming new team of Editors (Professor Anastasia Christou and Dr Steve Lambert) and Deputy Editor (Dr Rosalind Latiner Raby) we feel particularly energised to see the Journal of Further and Higher Education thrive as an endeavour of interdisciplinarity and critical pedagogy that aligns with the aims and scope of the journal and helps to widen the field of Further and Higher Education related themes.
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Why did they leave? Exploring the reasons why former physics teachers left teachingTeacher retention is a major challenge, and in subjects, such as physics, where there is already a shortage of teachers, the problem is exacerbated by a high rate of attrition. This research examines the experiences of former physics teachers, asking why they left teaching for reasons other than retirement. Eleven former physics teachers from state-funded schools in England engaged with this study, providing quantitative data regarding their careers and reasons for leaving teaching. Of this group, nine participated in interviews to explore their personal experiences and motivations for leaving teaching. The findings revealed that the participants felt that issues originating in school senior leadership was the most significant factor in their decision to leave teaching, with accountability, autonomy, workload, well-being, and salary all being major contributors.
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Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the experiences of physics teachers in their first five yearsThe recruitment and retention of physics teachers in England is an ongoing problem and one that has yet to be adequately addressed. Focusing on physics teachers in their first five years of service, this research examines issues around job satisfaction and their expressed likelihood of remaining in the teaching profession. A quantitative methodology was adopted, using a survey with a mixture of questions covering issues regarding job satisfaction and likelihood of remaining in teaching; 95 eligible responses were returned and analysed. Analysis indicated that around 25% of the sample teachers were very dissatisfied with their job, and 77% said that they had considered leaving teaching; 31% were seriously considering leaving. Correlational analysis indicates that the most significant factors negatively impacting the satisfaction of physics teachers in their first five years were planning workload and having to teach out of specialism. Suggestions are made as to how these factors can be addressed using approaches to planning and timetabling.
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Where are the physics teachers? Challenges and opportunities in retaining physics teachersIt is common knowledge that recruiting and retaining teachers across all subjects is increasingly challenging, but we know that for physics it is especially so. We know that too few teachers are entering the profession, but this is compounded by the number leaving, taking away valuable expertise and affecting opportunities and outcomes for students. In physics, the situation is exacerbated but there are actions that schools can take to improve retention of their physics teachers and maybe even help in recruiting new ones.
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Understanding Hinduism: A Guide for TeachersThis book explores the beliefs and practices of Hinduism as a lived religion and engages with Hindu beliefs and practices, including the concepts that form the central beliefs of Hinduism, and the expression of these beliefs in worship and daily life. The book uses the authentic voices of practicing Hindus to highlight differences in the ways Hinduism is understood and lived in different circumstances. The diversity of Hindu expression is one of the complex elements of Hinduism, and it is also one of its strengths. This book makes this diversity the centre of its exploration. Each chapter enables the reader to consider the concepts and how they can be taught in the classroom. The author also provides suggestions for activities that could be utilised within the classroom to help others to understand the richness and vibrancy of Hinduism.
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Understanding Buddhism: A Guide for TeachersBuddhism is often the religion that teachers have the least confidence in teaching despite being the sixth largest religion in the UK and being commonly regarded as one of the six major religions to be taught in schools throughout the country. This book explores the beliefs and practices of Buddhism as a lived religion in the UK. This book engages with Buddhist beliefs and practices and provides students and teachers with the confidence to address misconceptions and recognise the importance of beliefs in the lives of believers, in a way that will enable readers to go forward with confidence. Aspects of Buddhism explored include the concepts that form the central beliefs of Buddhism, and then the expression of these beliefs in worship, daily life, and the ethics of Buddhists in the modern day. Each chapter includes authentic voices of believers today and provides opportunities for the reader to consider the concepts and how they can be respected and taught and in the classroom. The book forms part of the Teaching Religions and Worldviews series of guides, each one designed to build teachers' confidence and expertise in teaching a different religion or worldview in the classroom..
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Breaking Down Barriers and Inequalities for GirlsPresentation delivered on 8th March 2024 as part of an International Women’s Event held by St. Mary’s College, Kerala, India.
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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.
