Currently - Academic Director (of a portfolio of degrees and courses including: MSt English Language Assessment, and coaching qualifications). University of Cambridge.
Former Principal Lecturer in education at the University of Northampton (2014-2024)
This article takes the familiar subject of student stress and transports it to an unfamiliar sett... more This article takes the familiar subject of student stress and transports it to an unfamiliar setting – “gifted schools” in Vietnam. Research by Vietnamese academics into stress among Vietnamese adolescents, has so far largely been quantitative and has focused on identifying the nature of this problem within Vietnam’s high outcomes but high-pressure education system. This paper takes an alternative qualitative approach, focusing on accessing student voice and using this to understand the coping strategies that Vietnamese students develop. The focus on ‘gifted schools’, is because these highly selective institutions attain exceptionally high academic outcomes according to international comparisons but also consequently place upon their students very high expectations and an extremely high workload. It is also because these schools and their students were supportive in co-creating this study. Via the innovative use of text-based interview, a method that was co-designed in conversation with the participants, this article explores the coping strategies that these students have developed, and in the findings presents a story of how they have developed sophisticated and individualised strategies to cope with stress. This article therefore approaches this issue from a positive and empowering perspective in partnership with the participants in this study. As revealed in this study - the students emphasised the importance of self-reliance when finding strategies, accompanied by the need for self-definition of whether strategies are positive or negative. As one example: rumination, which in Western research is typically portrayed as negative was seen more positively by these Vietnamese students. However, despite the emphasis on finding their own solutions they also welcomed increases in formal mental health support. The results of this study have the potential to inform practice and also lay the groundwork for future research, particularly within the context of education in Vietnam but also within the area of student voice research more broadly.
A short journalistic style article on supporting students to adjust to academic expectations in t... more A short journalistic style article on supporting students to adjust to academic expectations in the UK.
This working paper comes from a series of related projects involving teachers and lecturers from ... more This working paper comes from a series of related projects involving teachers and lecturers from Vietnam, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. These have included projects on: empowering young women leaders, developing critical thinking and in this case on embedding sexual and social consent within the wider curriculum. All these interlinked projects have at their core the practice of young people working together using coaching strategies, especially peer-coaching (pp.18-23 please follow link).
This article investigates how social networks affect classroom culture in secondary schools. It c... more This article investigates how social networks affect classroom culture in secondary schools. It combines personal reflections from us as professionals, who have worked in schools and in universities in a range of different countries and contexts, with the use of research written over the last decade into this area. Stylistically this article is a conceptual article - it has a strong reflective element and its purpose within the wider academic and professional community is to generate discussion among professionals rather than to find definitive conclusions. Classroom culture is commonly divided into four dimensions: group attitudes and behaviours toward learning, group attitudes and behaviours towards interaction with peers, teacher attitudes and behaviours towards students and instruction, and parental behaviours towards children and the teacher. This framework underpins this article. Even though social networks play an important part in young students’ lives globally, most studies into the usage of social networks for education have been conducted at the level of higher education and only a few studies focus on school level. This paper therefore focuses on school level usage and possibilities. The paper concludes that whatever our views on social media, the reality is that Facebook and its many counterparts are part of current culture and are already being used by many teachers globally as learning tools. Given that they can have both negative and positive impacts on classroom culture and are becoming an inevitable part of many young students’ lives, schools have limited options. The first one is to ban social networks to make sure that there are no consequences, and this is the case in a wide range of systems and jurisdictions. However, other approaches, which can be a frequently found globally, include a managed approach to Facebook – with course, class or even teacher pages – often entirely separate to the individual teacher’s personal page.
This is a short piece of journalism that briefly explores some issues around teacher training in ... more This is a short piece of journalism that briefly explores some issues around teacher training in the UK.
This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the specific factors and conditions which shape inte... more This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the specific factors and conditions which shape international communities of practice as successful vehicles for their professional development. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with thirteen teachers in Poland who have extensive experience working in a wide range of international professional development settings. The findings indicate that teachers perceived international communities to be a unique platform for their professional development because they offered multi-layered topographies for professional growth; created space for the collective organisation of development activities in diverse, autonomous teams working on challenging topics; and allowed for sharing teaching stories, reflecting on practice, as well as feeling affirmed/affirming others. Based on the results, recommendations are made for future research and policies which enrich communities within and across schools by providing teachers with the flexibility to discover and build international communities.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International., 2021
This paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work i... more This paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work in developing twenty-first century skills. A total of 600 education professionals studying Master’s of Education programmes in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, and Romania – were surveyed. The findings have revealed that participants recognise the usefulness of twenty-first century skills for their (future) professional practice, and perceive dissertation/thesis work as a valuable foundation for developing these skills. This study offers practical implications for designers of Master’s of Education programmes and contributes to our understanding that this assignment is not only a formal requirement for obtaining a degree, but that it also serves as a pathway towards deepening students’ professional learning.
There are four main areas through which education can foster social cohesion, these are: curricul... more There are four main areas through which education can foster social cohesion, these are: curriculum design; an appropriate classroom climate of dialogue and respect; equal opportunities for all learners; and diverse school programmes that encompass the interests and experiences of the learning community. In this paper, by intersecting these concepts with the lead author's experiences as a student in Vietnam's primary and secondary public schools, we explore how social cohesion in constructed within the Vietnamese school system and the impact this has on student identity. Further focus is provided by analysing in-depth three fundamental aspects of the Vietnamese education system. These are: moral education; Vietnam's national rite of saluting the flag; and didactic, teacher-focused teaching. The latter section of the essay then critically evaluates some shortcomings associated with the teaching of social cohesion in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to add meaning to those cultural features of schooling that have been taken for granted by Vietnamese people and also to highlight the need to find a balance between social cohesion and individuality in the Vietnamese educational system, so that in future current flaws can be erased. This paper is a conceptual paper informed by research literature. However , it also embraces an auto-ethnographic approach and in doing so extends the parameters of academic writing within a Vietnamese context.
East European Journal of Transnational Relations, 2020
The purpose of this paper is to present how a selection of current school leaders in two countrie... more The purpose of this paper is to present how a selection of current school leaders in two countries, other than Poland, the country in which he lived, perceive the legacy of Janusz Korczak. These two countries are the United Kingdom and Canada. Its role is to present these interpretations for debate and discussion among other school leaders and practitioners, who claim inspiration from him worldwide. We have not suggested that there is a correct or incorrect way to interpret Korczak, rather we are simply interested in how current practitioners perceive his work. The first part of this article is a brief summary of key aspects from the life and works of Janusz Korczak that have entered educational conversation within the United Kingdom and the wider Anglophone world. This has often been through writings by and for teachers or books written for schools, rather than academic texts or even Korczak's original works. Key aspects of his life story presented here are: those years leading the orphanage 'Dom Sierot', and most especially the final months of his life in the Warsaw ghetto, and the last recorded events of his life, including his refusal to go to Theresienstadt and his ultimate death in Treblinka. We also present in this section, because of an expectation that schools may have engaged with these: his views on how societal structures being designed by adults disadvantage children; and his valuing of children’s voices and his views on the problematic nature of authority. This paper is a discussion of four linked case studies. Participants for this study were four school leaders, two from the UK and two from Canada. The schools they lead are schools that in public facing aspects of their schools, such as school webpages or public vision statements, refer explicitly to the influence of Janusz Korczak. The method of data collection used within this study was unstructured interview with school leaders. Through this process we discovered that there are commonalities in how his legacy has been perceived. These included, for all, intertwining his life and work and in doing so perceiving him as a role model for children and teachers. Other aspects of his influence focused on student voice, the breaking down of hierarchy and the enabling of creativity.
In this article we explore and discuss the benefits of and the challenges that arise when using q... more In this article we explore and discuss the benefits of and the challenges that arise when using qualitative methods to conduct research internationally. We firstly discuss the relationship that writers of qualitative studies have with their readers and the implications of this for writing style. This is then followed by an overview of different aspects of data collection design. Within this section we discuss research that we have conducted, as part of a variety of international projects, using two qualitative approaches: systematic documentary research and interview. We then focus on using interview as a research method. This discussion regarding using interviews is divided into two chapters. Firstly, we discuss issues of access and sampling, then the interview itself and the analysis of interview data. The final sections involve a discussion of ways in which validity and reliability can be contextualised within qualitative studies, and also a discussion on generalisability and the possibility of theory generation. We conclude with sections on ethics and possible future directions for international qualitative studies into teacher education.
The objective of this paper was to examine the meaning and function of “teachers knowledge”, both... more The objective of this paper was to examine the meaning and function of “teachers knowledge”, both as a foundational tool used by teachers as professionals and the ways in which such knowledge is acquired, shared, and bettered. To help guide this discussion, the paper reviews the literature on related topics whilst also providing other insights and recommendations for further research. The topics have been broken down into two main parts: conceptualising teachers’ professional knowledge; and the sharing of knowledge internationally. The second of these examines the history of the topic whilst also critiquing the methods and effectiveness of sharing strategies. We find that the ways professional knowledge have been defined in public discourse are often inappropriate for the specific context of teaching. Furthermore, we find that sharing experience and knowledge between teachers is a foundational concept yet not always a straightforward matter and knowledge/experience can be a very difficult thing to transfer between one another. These obstacles can be exacerbated when it comes to the sharing of knowledge internationally, as economic disparities between participating nations can be vast and differences in culture challenging to overcome. Some nations additionally struggle in their authenticity to learn from each other. Ultimately, it is clear that “teacher knowledge” is a concept that is an area in need of further research, particularly as education reforms and curriculum adjustments are of great concern to both developing nations and their wealthier counterparts.
The relationship between master’s thesis work and teachers’ professional development has rarely b... more The relationship between master’s thesis work and teachers’ professional development has rarely been explored empirically, yet. Drawing upon a larger study, this paper investigates how teachers who were studying for or who have recently graduated from Master of Education programmes offered in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, Romania – perceive the usefulness of dissertation/thesis work for their professional development and how they attempt to use their MA research results in their (future) teaching practice. Results suggest that although most respondents recognized their MA dissertation/thesis work as having a positive impact on their professional development by enhancing their professionalism, personal development and growth, and understanding the relationship between research and practice, they were less confident about the use of MA research findings in their (future) workplaces. These results are discussed in the context of current challenges regarding master’s level education for teachers, national governments’ educational policies, and the relationship between research, teachers’ practices and professional development.
This article is a case study of the knowledge that is exchanged by teachers when they are engaged... more This article is a case study of the knowledge that is exchanged by teachers when they are engaged in professional communities that extend beyond the workplace, including internationally. The participants in this study were all teachers from England and Macedonia. The data collection method was via interview. This data was thematically coded and used to build towards the development of a typography of the different forms of knowledge that may be shared by teachers within such communities. In the first half of this article different ways of defining the professional knowledge of teachers, as presented in a range of research, are explored and critiqued. The second half then explores the different forms of knowledge that the participants in this study perceived themselves to have shared as members of communities of teachers that extend beyond the workplace. Via this study it was found that the participants consistently problematised the possibility of directly transferring specific pedagogic strategies. However, stories about teaching were seen by all to be useful vehicles for enabling affirmation and for co-constructing professional purpose. It is argued that both of these outcomes are forms of professional knowledge in their own right. These findings have potential implications for policy and practice as they indicate that it may be significant for those organisations that support such networking opportunities to value and understand the significance of those forms of professional knowledge that are less concrete than the exchanging of specific classroom strategies alone.
The purpose of this article is to suggest a conceptual framework for understanding professional c... more The purpose of this article is to suggest a conceptual framework for understanding professional communities of teachers, specifically those communities that extend beyond workplace, and in some cases national, boundaries. The nature of the paper is a theory-building paper informed by a review of literature in this field. The literature that informed this paper is of two types: firstly, case study reports written by practitioners engaged in professional communities; secondly, academic papers that explore the nature of such communities. The use of the first of these genres means that the framework presented emerges from the experiences of teachers and other practitioners, rather than being imposed upon them. This article presents a conceptualisation of five aspects of professional communities. These are as follows: the ways in which teachers’ self-efficacy may be shaped by their perceptions of membership of a professional community; the boundaries of such communities; the challenges posed by recognising community membership, and also by individuality; and in the final section, the potential for knowledge-sharing within such communities. Its contribution to the wider academic debate is its potential to inform empirical research on communities that is currently taking place, by means of a wide range of projects, in universities across Europe and beyond.
In this journal 'CollectivED Issue 6' is a short working paper in which Dr Anna Cox and I describ... more In this journal 'CollectivED Issue 6' is a short working paper in which Dr Anna Cox and I describe the design of a structured conversation that we use with teachers in order to enable reflection. It starts on p.91.
As part of the revalidation process, midwives are required to undertake 35 hours of continuing pr... more As part of the revalidation process, midwives are required to undertake 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD), of which 20 must be ‘participatory’. Participatory learning includes any learning activity that involves interaction with other people, providing the opportunity to learn with and from each other. Participation can take place face-to-face such as attendance at a study day or conference; or virtually, such as an online discussion group using a social media platform. As oposed to a didactic methods, a participatory approach to ongoing professional development is more likely to lead to positive changes in practice and thus better levels of care. This article will look at the theory of CPD and compare CPD activities of midwives and teachers to consider how ‘teacher research’ might be adopted by midwives, with the potential for service improvement and better quality of care as a consequence.
This article takes the familiar subject of student stress and transports it to an unfamiliar sett... more This article takes the familiar subject of student stress and transports it to an unfamiliar setting – “gifted schools” in Vietnam. Research by Vietnamese academics into stress among Vietnamese adolescents, has so far largely been quantitative and has focused on identifying the nature of this problem within Vietnam’s high outcomes but high-pressure education system. This paper takes an alternative qualitative approach, focusing on accessing student voice and using this to understand the coping strategies that Vietnamese students develop. The focus on ‘gifted schools’, is because these highly selective institutions attain exceptionally high academic outcomes according to international comparisons but also consequently place upon their students very high expectations and an extremely high workload. It is also because these schools and their students were supportive in co-creating this study. Via the innovative use of text-based interview, a method that was co-designed in conversation with the participants, this article explores the coping strategies that these students have developed, and in the findings presents a story of how they have developed sophisticated and individualised strategies to cope with stress. This article therefore approaches this issue from a positive and empowering perspective in partnership with the participants in this study. As revealed in this study - the students emphasised the importance of self-reliance when finding strategies, accompanied by the need for self-definition of whether strategies are positive or negative. As one example: rumination, which in Western research is typically portrayed as negative was seen more positively by these Vietnamese students. However, despite the emphasis on finding their own solutions they also welcomed increases in formal mental health support. The results of this study have the potential to inform practice and also lay the groundwork for future research, particularly within the context of education in Vietnam but also within the area of student voice research more broadly.
A short journalistic style article on supporting students to adjust to academic expectations in t... more A short journalistic style article on supporting students to adjust to academic expectations in the UK.
This working paper comes from a series of related projects involving teachers and lecturers from ... more This working paper comes from a series of related projects involving teachers and lecturers from Vietnam, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. These have included projects on: empowering young women leaders, developing critical thinking and in this case on embedding sexual and social consent within the wider curriculum. All these interlinked projects have at their core the practice of young people working together using coaching strategies, especially peer-coaching (pp.18-23 please follow link).
This article investigates how social networks affect classroom culture in secondary schools. It c... more This article investigates how social networks affect classroom culture in secondary schools. It combines personal reflections from us as professionals, who have worked in schools and in universities in a range of different countries and contexts, with the use of research written over the last decade into this area. Stylistically this article is a conceptual article - it has a strong reflective element and its purpose within the wider academic and professional community is to generate discussion among professionals rather than to find definitive conclusions. Classroom culture is commonly divided into four dimensions: group attitudes and behaviours toward learning, group attitudes and behaviours towards interaction with peers, teacher attitudes and behaviours towards students and instruction, and parental behaviours towards children and the teacher. This framework underpins this article. Even though social networks play an important part in young students’ lives globally, most studies into the usage of social networks for education have been conducted at the level of higher education and only a few studies focus on school level. This paper therefore focuses on school level usage and possibilities. The paper concludes that whatever our views on social media, the reality is that Facebook and its many counterparts are part of current culture and are already being used by many teachers globally as learning tools. Given that they can have both negative and positive impacts on classroom culture and are becoming an inevitable part of many young students’ lives, schools have limited options. The first one is to ban social networks to make sure that there are no consequences, and this is the case in a wide range of systems and jurisdictions. However, other approaches, which can be a frequently found globally, include a managed approach to Facebook – with course, class or even teacher pages – often entirely separate to the individual teacher’s personal page.
This is a short piece of journalism that briefly explores some issues around teacher training in ... more This is a short piece of journalism that briefly explores some issues around teacher training in the UK.
This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the specific factors and conditions which shape inte... more This study examines teachers’ perceptions of the specific factors and conditions which shape international communities of practice as successful vehicles for their professional development. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with thirteen teachers in Poland who have extensive experience working in a wide range of international professional development settings. The findings indicate that teachers perceived international communities to be a unique platform for their professional development because they offered multi-layered topographies for professional growth; created space for the collective organisation of development activities in diverse, autonomous teams working on challenging topics; and allowed for sharing teaching stories, reflecting on practice, as well as feeling affirmed/affirming others. Based on the results, recommendations are made for future research and policies which enrich communities within and across schools by providing teachers with the flexibility to discover and build international communities.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International., 2021
This paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work i... more This paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work in developing twenty-first century skills. A total of 600 education professionals studying Master’s of Education programmes in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, and Romania – were surveyed. The findings have revealed that participants recognise the usefulness of twenty-first century skills for their (future) professional practice, and perceive dissertation/thesis work as a valuable foundation for developing these skills. This study offers practical implications for designers of Master’s of Education programmes and contributes to our understanding that this assignment is not only a formal requirement for obtaining a degree, but that it also serves as a pathway towards deepening students’ professional learning.
There are four main areas through which education can foster social cohesion, these are: curricul... more There are four main areas through which education can foster social cohesion, these are: curriculum design; an appropriate classroom climate of dialogue and respect; equal opportunities for all learners; and diverse school programmes that encompass the interests and experiences of the learning community. In this paper, by intersecting these concepts with the lead author's experiences as a student in Vietnam's primary and secondary public schools, we explore how social cohesion in constructed within the Vietnamese school system and the impact this has on student identity. Further focus is provided by analysing in-depth three fundamental aspects of the Vietnamese education system. These are: moral education; Vietnam's national rite of saluting the flag; and didactic, teacher-focused teaching. The latter section of the essay then critically evaluates some shortcomings associated with the teaching of social cohesion in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to add meaning to those cultural features of schooling that have been taken for granted by Vietnamese people and also to highlight the need to find a balance between social cohesion and individuality in the Vietnamese educational system, so that in future current flaws can be erased. This paper is a conceptual paper informed by research literature. However , it also embraces an auto-ethnographic approach and in doing so extends the parameters of academic writing within a Vietnamese context.
East European Journal of Transnational Relations, 2020
The purpose of this paper is to present how a selection of current school leaders in two countrie... more The purpose of this paper is to present how a selection of current school leaders in two countries, other than Poland, the country in which he lived, perceive the legacy of Janusz Korczak. These two countries are the United Kingdom and Canada. Its role is to present these interpretations for debate and discussion among other school leaders and practitioners, who claim inspiration from him worldwide. We have not suggested that there is a correct or incorrect way to interpret Korczak, rather we are simply interested in how current practitioners perceive his work. The first part of this article is a brief summary of key aspects from the life and works of Janusz Korczak that have entered educational conversation within the United Kingdom and the wider Anglophone world. This has often been through writings by and for teachers or books written for schools, rather than academic texts or even Korczak's original works. Key aspects of his life story presented here are: those years leading the orphanage 'Dom Sierot', and most especially the final months of his life in the Warsaw ghetto, and the last recorded events of his life, including his refusal to go to Theresienstadt and his ultimate death in Treblinka. We also present in this section, because of an expectation that schools may have engaged with these: his views on how societal structures being designed by adults disadvantage children; and his valuing of children’s voices and his views on the problematic nature of authority. This paper is a discussion of four linked case studies. Participants for this study were four school leaders, two from the UK and two from Canada. The schools they lead are schools that in public facing aspects of their schools, such as school webpages or public vision statements, refer explicitly to the influence of Janusz Korczak. The method of data collection used within this study was unstructured interview with school leaders. Through this process we discovered that there are commonalities in how his legacy has been perceived. These included, for all, intertwining his life and work and in doing so perceiving him as a role model for children and teachers. Other aspects of his influence focused on student voice, the breaking down of hierarchy and the enabling of creativity.
In this article we explore and discuss the benefits of and the challenges that arise when using q... more In this article we explore and discuss the benefits of and the challenges that arise when using qualitative methods to conduct research internationally. We firstly discuss the relationship that writers of qualitative studies have with their readers and the implications of this for writing style. This is then followed by an overview of different aspects of data collection design. Within this section we discuss research that we have conducted, as part of a variety of international projects, using two qualitative approaches: systematic documentary research and interview. We then focus on using interview as a research method. This discussion regarding using interviews is divided into two chapters. Firstly, we discuss issues of access and sampling, then the interview itself and the analysis of interview data. The final sections involve a discussion of ways in which validity and reliability can be contextualised within qualitative studies, and also a discussion on generalisability and the possibility of theory generation. We conclude with sections on ethics and possible future directions for international qualitative studies into teacher education.
The objective of this paper was to examine the meaning and function of “teachers knowledge”, both... more The objective of this paper was to examine the meaning and function of “teachers knowledge”, both as a foundational tool used by teachers as professionals and the ways in which such knowledge is acquired, shared, and bettered. To help guide this discussion, the paper reviews the literature on related topics whilst also providing other insights and recommendations for further research. The topics have been broken down into two main parts: conceptualising teachers’ professional knowledge; and the sharing of knowledge internationally. The second of these examines the history of the topic whilst also critiquing the methods and effectiveness of sharing strategies. We find that the ways professional knowledge have been defined in public discourse are often inappropriate for the specific context of teaching. Furthermore, we find that sharing experience and knowledge between teachers is a foundational concept yet not always a straightforward matter and knowledge/experience can be a very difficult thing to transfer between one another. These obstacles can be exacerbated when it comes to the sharing of knowledge internationally, as economic disparities between participating nations can be vast and differences in culture challenging to overcome. Some nations additionally struggle in their authenticity to learn from each other. Ultimately, it is clear that “teacher knowledge” is a concept that is an area in need of further research, particularly as education reforms and curriculum adjustments are of great concern to both developing nations and their wealthier counterparts.
The relationship between master’s thesis work and teachers’ professional development has rarely b... more The relationship between master’s thesis work and teachers’ professional development has rarely been explored empirically, yet. Drawing upon a larger study, this paper investigates how teachers who were studying for or who have recently graduated from Master of Education programmes offered in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, Romania – perceive the usefulness of dissertation/thesis work for their professional development and how they attempt to use their MA research results in their (future) teaching practice. Results suggest that although most respondents recognized their MA dissertation/thesis work as having a positive impact on their professional development by enhancing their professionalism, personal development and growth, and understanding the relationship between research and practice, they were less confident about the use of MA research findings in their (future) workplaces. These results are discussed in the context of current challenges regarding master’s level education for teachers, national governments’ educational policies, and the relationship between research, teachers’ practices and professional development.
This article is a case study of the knowledge that is exchanged by teachers when they are engaged... more This article is a case study of the knowledge that is exchanged by teachers when they are engaged in professional communities that extend beyond the workplace, including internationally. The participants in this study were all teachers from England and Macedonia. The data collection method was via interview. This data was thematically coded and used to build towards the development of a typography of the different forms of knowledge that may be shared by teachers within such communities. In the first half of this article different ways of defining the professional knowledge of teachers, as presented in a range of research, are explored and critiqued. The second half then explores the different forms of knowledge that the participants in this study perceived themselves to have shared as members of communities of teachers that extend beyond the workplace. Via this study it was found that the participants consistently problematised the possibility of directly transferring specific pedagogic strategies. However, stories about teaching were seen by all to be useful vehicles for enabling affirmation and for co-constructing professional purpose. It is argued that both of these outcomes are forms of professional knowledge in their own right. These findings have potential implications for policy and practice as they indicate that it may be significant for those organisations that support such networking opportunities to value and understand the significance of those forms of professional knowledge that are less concrete than the exchanging of specific classroom strategies alone.
The purpose of this article is to suggest a conceptual framework for understanding professional c... more The purpose of this article is to suggest a conceptual framework for understanding professional communities of teachers, specifically those communities that extend beyond workplace, and in some cases national, boundaries. The nature of the paper is a theory-building paper informed by a review of literature in this field. The literature that informed this paper is of two types: firstly, case study reports written by practitioners engaged in professional communities; secondly, academic papers that explore the nature of such communities. The use of the first of these genres means that the framework presented emerges from the experiences of teachers and other practitioners, rather than being imposed upon them. This article presents a conceptualisation of five aspects of professional communities. These are as follows: the ways in which teachers’ self-efficacy may be shaped by their perceptions of membership of a professional community; the boundaries of such communities; the challenges posed by recognising community membership, and also by individuality; and in the final section, the potential for knowledge-sharing within such communities. Its contribution to the wider academic debate is its potential to inform empirical research on communities that is currently taking place, by means of a wide range of projects, in universities across Europe and beyond.
In this journal 'CollectivED Issue 6' is a short working paper in which Dr Anna Cox and I describ... more In this journal 'CollectivED Issue 6' is a short working paper in which Dr Anna Cox and I describe the design of a structured conversation that we use with teachers in order to enable reflection. It starts on p.91.
As part of the revalidation process, midwives are required to undertake 35 hours of continuing pr... more As part of the revalidation process, midwives are required to undertake 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD), of which 20 must be ‘participatory’. Participatory learning includes any learning activity that involves interaction with other people, providing the opportunity to learn with and from each other. Participation can take place face-to-face such as attendance at a study day or conference; or virtually, such as an online discussion group using a social media platform. As oposed to a didactic methods, a participatory approach to ongoing professional development is more likely to lead to positive changes in practice and thus better levels of care. This article will look at the theory of CPD and compare CPD activities of midwives and teachers to consider how ‘teacher research’ might be adopted by midwives, with the potential for service improvement and better quality of care as a consequence.
A short presentation on student voice and improving practice in EAL teaching and assessment. Pres... more A short presentation on student voice and improving practice in EAL teaching and assessment. Presented at the Cambridge Chinese Education Forum (2024).
Practitioner research constitutes a significant genre of research within the field of education a... more Practitioner research constitutes a significant genre of research within the field of education and maintains a notable presence in healthcare, social care, and other professional fields where academic and professional aspects intersect. This presentation starts by examining the evolving and contested definitions of practitioner research in the broad educational landscape. It contextualizes these definitions within the framework of approaches developed at the University of Cambridge over the past 40 years and also highlights the significant contributions to this research genre made by post-1992 universities. This presentation then focuses on the current situation and further potential for practitioner research in English language assessment specifically, highlighting the benefits and insights gained from this methodology. Practitioner research is often linked to student voice research and the potential for this within the specific genre of English Language Assessment is also discussed. The whole presentation is linked, via examples, to the vision and experiences of those teaching and studying on the Masters in Studies in English Language Assessment programme at the University of Cambridge. The presentation concludes by asserting the critical future role of practitioner research in bridging theoretical and practical domains, and in fostering a deeper understanding of and continuous improvement in educational assessment practices.
Kaleidoscope Conference - University of Cambridge, 2024
This paper is an exploration into the experiences of Vietnamese university students' in the UK - ... more This paper is an exploration into the experiences of Vietnamese university students' in the UK - in developing independent learning skills. The focus on Vietnamese students is apposite because the Vietnamese student community is one of the five largest national communities of students in the UK. Also, Vietnam is a country which appears high up in international comparisons such as PISA but from which students still report challenges when travelling to study at university level. The paper begins with an exploration into current research in this area. In this section the factors that affect the development of independent learning skills for students in higher education are explored. The research that informs this comes from a broad range of international contexts. Following this the findings from our study, which focused specifically on Vietnamese student experiences, are presented and discussed. The study used a mixed methods qualitative and quantitative research approach - through conducting an online survey followed by online interviews. The data collected by both methods provided us with information about the students’ experiences, the difficulties which university students face during self-study processes, and how they overcome them. Furthermore, we also explored students' expectations of lecturers in guiding the practice of their independent learning skills. It emerged that students are keen to develop their independent study skills and show creativity when developing their own self-development strategies. However, they still express a need for university-based interventions. This study is relevant for students and for practitioners in universities in the UK.
Guest Presentation - University of Languages and International Studies Vietnam, 2023
This presentation focuses on ways in which we can support teachers to become confident leaders wi... more This presentation focuses on ways in which we can support teachers to become confident leaders within their own classroom space. Through a series of activities and discussions – we explore what is meant by reflection and how reflection can be a structured process leading to concrete change. We look at the underpinning pedagogy and theory behind this as well as engaging in practice.
University of Durham - (2022) Imagining Better Education for a Better World. , 2022
This conference presentation was presented at the University of Durham, Imaging Better Education ... more This conference presentation was presented at the University of Durham, Imaging Better Education for a Better World Education Research Conference (October 2022).
University of Northampton Learning and Teaching Conference, 2022
This poster summarises a study into how Vietnamese students apply critical thinking when studying... more This poster summarises a study into how Vietnamese students apply critical thinking when studying in the UK. The participants were all Vietnamese students at one UK university. This study was a qualitative longitudinal study involving successive focus groups three months apart. In these, the participants were asked to share their critical thinking experiences in Vietnam and discuss how they used this understanding in the UK. They also shared their personal experiences of the difficulties of studying here and how they overcame them. These students also gave very insightful suggestions to the university for improving teaching methods in the future. We discovered that it is simplistic to see Western teaching styles as more universally discursive than in Vietnam. We also discovered that lecturers are valued as sources of validation of students' knowledge and facilitators of discussions as much or more than presenters of knowledge. The participants informed us that discursive activities and written tasks facilitated critical thinking and that more interactive sessions based on and focused on prompts were greatly appreciated.
This presentation focuses on the challenges of designing, and the potential design of effective C... more This presentation focuses on the challenges of designing, and the potential design of effective CPD for teachers. These slides are for a workshop delivered for a delegation of school leaders from India. It was delivered at the University of Bath. The series of workshops this formed part of were supported by the British Council.
Internationalization of higher education in fostering innovation ecosystem in the VUCA world (Conference Hanoi, December 2021), 2021
As colleagues and co-writers we have been engaged in a range of projects that have an internation... more As colleagues and co-writers we have been engaged in a range of projects that have an international or comparative dimension. In this short discussion document we briefly describe the opportunities and challenges posed by trying to do values driven research within an international context.
Cambridge University Kaleidoscope Conference, 2021
This paper takes the topic of student stress and coping methods and transports it to an unfamilia... more This paper takes the topic of student stress and coping methods and transports it to an unfamiliar and previously unresearched setting – “gifted schools” in Vietnam. Students’ stress coping strategies are a largely untouched subject in Vietnam, especially within the setting of “gifted schools.” These schools, which aim to pick the academically strongest students place a particularly heavy workload upon students. The research that informed this paper had two stages. Firstly, a slightly modified DASS-21 survey was used to quantitatively gauge the level of stress faced by students within gifted middle and high schools in Bien Hoa City. Secondly, a range of students were selected for qualitative interviews in order to further explore the methods by which students address their stress. The interviews also involved asking the interviewees to share the policies they would enact, were they the leaders of their schools and thus this paper gives a voice to students, something that is lacking within the Vietnamese education system. As a practitioner and teacher educator based in Vietnam, the results of this study have helped to lay the groundwork for changes in our understanding of student stress and of practices that can help to alleviate this. This paper fits with the theme of this conference as within Vietnam students’ voices are rarely accessed. Rarely do they get the opportunity to ‘speak back to power’. In this way this paper begins to push forward our understanding of student empowerment within Vietnamese culture and society.
This paper explores the potential and challenges of using peer-coaching as a method for empowerin... more This paper explores the potential and challenges of using peer-coaching as a method for empowering the young people we teach and work with. It presents the findings from two distinct but related peer-coaching projects. These projects involved young people aged 16-25, studying predominantly, but not exclusively, in the United Kingdom and in Vietnam. The first of these inter-connected projects was focused on Vietnam. It involved the delivery of a series of peer-coaching workshops entitled ‘empowering emerging women leaders’, to students and young professionals aged 16-25. The theme and the method of delivery of this ongoing project is innovative within the context of education in Vietnam. However, during the pandemic the online workshops rapidly gained an international dimension, as young women from other nations joined. The impact of this upon the design of the workshops and thereby on the peer-coaching process involved is also discussed in this paper. The second project involved a long view exploration into the practices and pedagogy of teachers, of students aged 16-18, who use peer-coaching, interweaved with arts-based approaches, as part of their established teaching repertoire. This second project involved gathering these teachers reflective accounts as part of a co-researching community. At the heart of this paper are the stories of teachers finding ways to disrupt power structures within teaching spaces in order to empower students. As such it also presents alongside these teachers’ viewpoints on the significance of peer-coaching, specific practice approaches that they use in order to enable empowerment.
“Children in history dignity and restrictions conference - University of Bialystok, 2021
This presentation is a summary of an article with the same title co-written with Hien Quyen Van a... more This presentation is a summary of an article with the same title co-written with Hien Quyen Van and Ivy Yong Zhao. The purpose of the article (and presentation) is to present how a selection of current school leaders in two countries, other than Poland, the country in which he lived, perceive the legacy of Janusz Korczak. These two countries are the United Kingdom and Canada. Its role is to present these interpretations for debate and discussion among other school leaders and practitioners who claim inspiration from him worldwide. We have not suggested that there is a correct or incorrect way to interpret Korczak rather we are simply interested in how current practitioners perceive his work. The first part of this article is a brief summary of key aspects from the life and works of Janusz Korczak that have entered educational conversation within the United Kingdom and the wider Anglophone world. This has often been through writings by and for teachers or books written for schools, rather than academic texts or even Korczak’s original works. Key aspects of his life story presented here are: those years leading the orphanage ‘Dom Sierot’, the community that he built there and most especially the final months of his life in the Warsaw ghetto and the last recorded events including his refusal to go Theresienstadt and his ultimate death in Treblinka. We also present in this section, because of an expectation that schools may have engaged with these: his views on how societal structures being designed by adults disadvantage children; and his valuing of children’s voices and his views on the problematic nature of authority. This paper is a discussion of four linked case studies. Participants for this study were four school leaders, two from the UK and two from Canada. The schools they lead are schools that in public facing aspects of their schools, such as school webpages or public vision statements, refer explicitly to the influence of Janusz Korczak. The method of data collection used within this study was unstructured interview with school leaders. Through this process we discovered that there are commonalities in how his legacy has been perceived. These included, for all, intertwining his life and work and in doing so perceiving him as a role model to children and teachers. Other aspects of his influence focused on student voice, the breaking down of hierarchy and the enabling of creativity.
Cambridge University (Kaleidoscope) Education Research Conference, 2020
Practicing teachers who are engaged in research, because of this dual identity, are at a nexus wh... more Practicing teachers who are engaged in research, because of this dual identity, are at a nexus where theory, practice and policy meet. Their perceptions of the potentials and challenges of linking theory, policy and practice are distinct and significant. Therefore in this paper we explore ways in which those teachers, who are engaged in research, interpret their own intersectional identities in one of the most culturally diverse area of the UK, namely: the towns of the Midlands. We frame this presentation around two conceptual journeys. Via the first of these we present a discussion of how their multiple-identities have shaped their professional journeys. Via a second proposed framework we then discuss their reasons for conducting research, the ways these emerged from their professional and personal identities and how they have managed the roles of teacher and researcher, including the methods and paradigms that they are drawn to. The paper concludes by addressing the implications and importance of understanding the identity, motivations and contributions to understanding of teacher-researcher in regions where classrooms are places of global interaction. This includes discussion of their plans or methods for dissemination and how they place themselves within the wider academic community.
(Please note this was an interactive panel discussion. This abstract is therefore a record of the event rather than a paper).
Leadership is traditionally conceived as being focused on an individual: a named positional leadi... more Leadership is traditionally conceived as being focused on an individual: a named positional leading voice, functioning at the top of a hierarchical structure. This person makes decisions, improves school culture and has influence on student’s achievement (Berg, 2020). However, there are other conceptions that embrace a more informal and mingled approach to understanding leadership (Jana, 2017). These alternative approaches to leadership explicitly focus on the potential of non-positional leaders. This research focuses on this alternative perception of teacher leadership. Specifically it focuses on the leadership of subject and homeroom teachers. The research presented in this paper is the outcome of a small case study: in which a qualitative and deductive method has applied to the data collected from five teachers who exercise leadership in their classroom. The participants are five teachers who are subject and home-room teachers at ‘Olympia School’ Schools who as charismatic teachers represent different types of leadership. These non-positional teacher leaders have diverse methods of taking control of students’ behaviour and of leading change for students in their class. They work with students engaging them in these processes and influencing them. They lead students to develop their abilities and also create an environment: which includes creating a positive classroom culture, a positive working environment and a living community; all these elements establish the style of a teacher’s educational leadership. One challenge of understanding non-positional, teacher leadership though; is that although all teachers are leaders in their classroom these teachers do not fully acknowledge, even to themselves, which types of educational leadership they are using, and what the advantages and disadvantages of these types are. This research therefore offers a potential conceptual framework which clarifies the type of educational leadership teacher leaders use: its factors, advantages and shortcomings. Secondly, it also digs deeply into the environmental context in Vietnam in order to interpret how this may affect teacher leadership. It concludes by proposing a model that teachers can use to reflect and then make the necessary changes to be the best leader possible; within
Cambridge University Kaleidoscope (Education Research) Conference., 2020
This workshop will enable an exploration into the challenges and issues that emerge when a writer... more This workshop will enable an exploration into the challenges and issues that emerge when a writer uses their position as a researcher to tell the story of a population that does not have access to publication and distribution. Through a series of prompts and provocations that will facilitate group discussions it will explore debates that researchers engage with when ‘telling the stories of others’. These include the power relationship, the potential responsibility to engage in on going dialogue with participants, the primacy that may or may not be given to the participants own voices, and the implications that these and other factors have on the writer’s ability to assert and develop their own authentic voice and interpretation. Although applicable to writing about excluded and marginalised groups, the workshop takes a broader view. It acknowledges that researchers engaging in publication have a unique voice and therefore that even research into frequently researched populations such as teachers and school leaders involves tension between giving voice to others and presenting a writer’s own interpretation. Examples used in the prompts and provocations will focus on published research by early career researchers to enable a specific focus on how relatively recent doctoral and masters’ students addressed these issues in their first publications. The workshop will be driven by a series of linked prompts and discussion activities, concluding with a plenary in which some common understandings and agreed differences in viewpoint emerging from the workshop will be addressed.
Wolfson College (Cambridge University) Education Society., 2020
This presentation is the slides from a short talk given to Wolfson College Education Society. It ... more This presentation is the slides from a short talk given to Wolfson College Education Society. It was on the theme of practitioner research and included as an example the research project: 'is my University white?'
Keele University 'Tackling Inequalities Conference'. , 2019
This co-written paper is presented by students and academics at the University of Northampton, wh... more This co-written paper is presented by students and academics at the University of Northampton, who have worked together as community of study, writing and practice when exploring the issues addressed. The focus of this paper is the teaching, curriculum and wider university culture in the UK, the extent to which different factors within universities have led to the ‘BME attainment gap’, and possibl ways of addressing this.
In popular media and political debates the ‘attainment gap’ most usually refers to differences in the percentage of Black or ethnic minority students achieving a first or upper second class (2.1) degree, compared to the percentage of White students achieving these. The NUS emphasises that this attainment gap is an indicator of inequality, showing that the UK is becoming more, not less, unequal, despite an established diverse population. However, this paper explores perceptions of postgraduate and undergraduate students, focused via the case of one specific UK university in order to create a wider more holistic picture.
Despite, perhaps because of, the increasing diverse culture at UK universities, there is growing concern regarding the issue of equality and equity. Th BME attainment gap has highlighted the need to develop inclusive practices and strategies in these Higher Education institutions, specifically in relation to the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) population. However, these practices can only effectively be developed if there is an understanding of current circumstances and practices. Therefore this paper enquires into whether the current student experience at UK universities is distinctly ’white’ and therefore inherently exclusivist. It also moves beyond the class room to explore the student experience as a whole.
Literature within this field often indicates that the causes of this attainment gap are very complex and multifaceted. Initial explanations often explained it in terms of the ‘deficiencies’ of the students themselves. These explanations focus on factors such as: socio-economic status, entry qualifications, lack of cultural capital and so on. However, this perception essentially shifts the blame and responsibility on to the individuals, rather than the institution. Creating a need to ‘fix’ the student. However, this explanation is problematic. There is the implied risk of deflecting all responsibility onto the student. Alongside this, there is emerging and increasing evidence of a disconnect between end of school attainment for BME students which has seen the attainment gap close or disappear among several demographic groups whilst there is a continuing gap at university level. As well as this universities are selective institutions. It therefore remains unclear why students with the same entry qualifications should perform differently over a relatively short three year period, post childhood. A sub theme within this paper therefore is whether universities can potentially learn from what seem to oftentimes be the more successful strategies of schools when addressing these same issues
This is undoubtedly a complex area but what is clear, whilst not absolving students of all responsibility, is that this issue is beyond the control of individual students. Indicating that there needs to be an institutional ‘fix’ focusing on the processes and practices taking place in these Higher Education institution. There also needs to be a shift towards research into the entire student experience in these institutions. This research furthermore needs to look into the micro context, that contributes to the underlying messages being taught through student encounters. Thus, this paper is concerned with developing a contextual understanding of the parallel relationship between the social and academia influences on BME student’s university experiences and also begins to identify the barriers which prevents BME students’ engagement with the hidden curriculum at Northampton University.
The research presented is in a relatively early stage. Therefore although tentative conclusions are reached the focus is also on positionality and methodology. This includes discussion regarding the challenges and opportunities presented when conducting researching within our own places of work or study. Rather than focus exclusively on the conclusions to these studies which are still emerging this paper links these experiences together and explores the ethical, positional and methodological challenges faced by these students and the ways in which they are being resolved. It concludes by addressing the potential for research to link theory to practice by being a vehicle for student and workplace voice.
International collaboration is perceived as a necessary practice for teachers in order to develop... more International collaboration is perceived as a necessary practice for teachers in order to develop and/or extend their global and cultural perspectives on the teaching and learning process. It is argued that within the international space, teachers are able to explore specific problems/topics and gain a new perspective from their fellows who work in different countries and educational traditions. During the past two decades, the call for international experiences for teachers in many European countries has been met with an increasing number of initiatives that link teachers from different countries. These are offered and funded by national and local governments, non-governmental organisations and via European Union projects on mobility. Beyond the importance of international collaboration in changing teachers’ views on different aspects of teaching and learning processes, little is known regarding the extent to which and in what ways the projects or initiatives that bring teachers together in partnerships or communities across national boundaries contribute to teachers’ professional development and to their local environment. The study presented in this paper, which has been framed within the concept of communities of practice, aims to firstly explore teachers’ experiences of collaborating internationally and the potential impact these experiences have on teachers’ themselves, their students and schools; and to secondly gain a deeper understanding of the possible mechanisms at play in the interaction between teachers’ engagement in international activities and their students and schools.
A keynote in three parts:
1) My own story: teacher, school leader, teacher researcher, academic, ... more A keynote in three parts: 1) My own story: teacher, school leader, teacher researcher, academic, university faculty leadership. How practice has shaped my research. How research has shaped my practice. 2) Positioning the different ways schools and teachers engage with research and how that in turn potentially positions academic researchers. 3) Looking forward: changes in schools and universities and what this mean for research and researchers, concluding with some thoughts on where a PhD graduate qualifying today may be working over the next 20 years as both school and university sectors change.
This thesis is an exploration into the motives Middle Eastern teachers have for linking with Brit... more This thesis is an exploration into the motives Middle Eastern teachers have for linking with British schools via the ‘Connecting Classrooms with the Middle East Programme’. The Connecting Classrooms Programme is run by the British Council. This thesis begins with a literature review placing the Connecting Classrooms Programme within the context of international comparative educational research. This literature review was then used to design a deductive framework for the research into this area. The research consisted of a small-scale exploratory case study. The case study had three stages. The first stage was collecting field notes at the Connecting Classrooms Conference, which took place in Kuwait in April 2009. The second stage was five interviews. Four of these were with Bahraini teachers who coordinate this programme within their schools and one was with a member of the British Council Bahrain. The final stage was sending this thesis to the participants for comments. The boundaries of this case study were that all the interviewees came from just one country involved in this partnership (Bahrain) and all currently coordinate this programme in the schools they work in. This is an exploratory case study into a previously unresearched area and as such I have not attempted to reach broadly applicable conclusions. However, I outline a framework of motives that may act as a starting point for further research into the Connecting Classrooms Programme and into international collaboration between teachers generally. In my conclusion I suggest areas for possible further research building from this initial study. This research was conducted as part of the Cambridge University, Schools University Partnership in Educational Research.
This dissertation explores the types of professional communities that are built when teachers wor... more This dissertation explores the types of professional communities that are built when teachers work in initiatives that, in various forms, link them to teachers from other countries. In doing so it explores the types of knowledge that may be exchanged by the building of these communities and the value that teachers put upon these different forms of knowledge. Therefore, this study is situated in the broad theoretical context of discussions related to the building of professional communities but explores this within a specifically international context. The most significant findings that this dissertation identifies are: that the teachers involved built the professional communities that are most important to them in more exploratory ways and with more agency than is suggested by other related research, and in connection to this that those professional communities that the participants attached most significance to were consistently alternative to the immediate workplace. It was also found that whilst the teachers involved in this study problematised the possibility of directly transferring specific classroom strategies, stories about teaching were seen by all to be useful vehicles for exchanging other forms of knowledge, for enabling affirmation and for co-constructing moral purpose. These findings have potential implications for policy and practice as they indicate that structures that focus exclusively on developing communities within schools may need to be enriched by those that provide teachers with the flexibility to discover and build communities in alternative ways too. The primary data collection method used when conducting this research was interview. The participants who were interviewed came from two countries, namely England and Macedonia. This entirely qualitative approach is positioned within an interpretivist paradigm. However, it is argued that contributions to theoretical debates regarding the nature of professional communities can still be made.
This paper's focus is on how Vietnamese university sojourners in the UK are prepared for intercul... more This paper's focus is on how Vietnamese university sojourners in the UK are prepared for intercultural communication via their language learning. It is conceptually positioned within models of teaching intercultural competence. However, it explores the learning experiences of students rather than focusing on teaching practices from the teachers' perspective. In this way it gives students voice, which is innovative within research within a Vietnamese context. The study consists of a survey of seventy students, followed by in-depth interviews with five from this group. The majority of these students, once in the UK, engaged with the university community, and the wider local community through friendships and study spaces. However, they also faced challenges with intercultural communication. The paper concludes by asserting that one aspect of English language education in Vietnam needs to be helping teachers find strategies for enabling and empowering those Vietnamese who travel to study.
'Imagining Better Education: Conference Proceedings 2022 (University of Durham), 2023
This paper is an exploration into teachers' perceptions of raising climate change awareness among... more This paper is an exploration into teachers' perceptions of raising climate change awareness among secondary students in England. The paper starts with the presentation of a summary concept framework of teachers' views on teaching about man-made climate change, based on previous research. This is followed by an exploration, into the views of four current teachers working in schools in England. This is based on four interviews. This interview data is presented to provide insights from teachers' voices, about teachers' understanding of, and attitude towards climate change education. The paper also specifically explores teachers' attitudes towards student activism. The conclusion reached is that teachers are aware of the importance of climate change education and supportive of student activism, possibly increasingly so, but find challenges with bringing this into the classroom. These challenges come from a pressurized curriculum and limited resources.
The Palgrave Handbook of Teacher Education in Central and Eastern Europe, 2022
This chapter starts by presenting and exploring the historical changes in North Macedonia’s teach... more This chapter starts by presenting and exploring the historical changes in North Macedonia’s teacher education system since 1990, before linking these forward to the legacies they have left today. It identifies how teachers in the past were trained to be sources of information, but have now become facilitators in the processes of creating knowledge and developing skills. We argue that this current, broader role of the teacher means that there is now a need for more deliberate investment in teachers’ self-improvement. We conclude by suggesting that support for teachers that affirms, builds communities, and enables autonomy could be the most productive next step for improving teacher quality in North Macedonia.
Quality of Education: Global Development Goals and Local Strategies. , 2019
This paper is based on the findings from three related studies into the perceptions of teachers f... more This paper is based on the findings from three related studies into the perceptions of teachers from Macedonia of the extended professional communities that they belong to. All these studies involved as participants teachers who can be defined as globally engaged, extended professionals. By this we mean teachers who were engaged of their own volition in communities of professionals that extend beyond the school that they work in. The nature of the communities that these teachers have engaged in is varied: ranging from formally created initiatives run by universities, to NGO led training and development projects to self-generated online communities of teachers. The research that the two writers have conducted and which is referred to in this article has explored the motives that teachers have for engaging in such communities, the ways engagement shaped their professional identity, the forms of relationships built, and the affordances and obstacles these teachers faced.
Erasmus+ SUP4PCL Case Studies: Leading Change through Peer Communities of Learners: A Case Study between Egypt and The United Kingdom (University of Alexandria and University of Northampton). , 2020
The “School and University Partnership for Peer
Communities of Learners (SUP4PCL)” is an ERASMUS+... more The “School and University Partnership for Peer Communities of Learners (SUP4PCL)” is an ERASMUS+ funded project. It established partnerships between a number of Egyptian and European Educational institutions to create Professional Communities of Learners (PCLs). Each Egyptian University was twinned with a European partner university. In this case, Alexandria University (AU) was twinned with the University of Northampton (UON). During the lifetime of the project, AU formed a team to lead the project’s work packages. This team formed a core PCL that worked closely with a parallel team from UON. This case study set out to explore and examine the process of the PCL’s formation, evolution and development and aimed to capture variables that impacted the establishment and sustainability of PCLs within the Egyptian context.
This talk starts with the ideas of Janusz Korczak (1878-1942), a pioneering advocate for children... more This talk starts with the ideas of Janusz Korczak (1878-1942), a pioneering advocate for children's rights. It then discusses the influence his practice and ideas had on the writing of the UN General Assembly’s Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the subsequent UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – signed by no fewer than 196 countries, and first ratified in 1989. The talk then focuses in on findings from an ongoing project into how children in UK schools respond to the philosophy and practice of Janusz Korczak, and to the UN Convention itself.
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Papers by James Underwood
(Please note this was an interactive panel discussion. This abstract is therefore a record of the event rather than a paper).
In popular media and political debates the ‘attainment gap’ most usually refers to differences in the percentage of Black or ethnic minority students achieving a first or upper second class (2.1) degree, compared to the percentage of White students achieving these. The NUS emphasises that this attainment gap is an indicator of inequality, showing that the UK is becoming more, not less, unequal, despite an established diverse population. However, this paper explores perceptions of postgraduate and undergraduate students, focused via the case of one specific UK university in order to create a wider more holistic picture.
Despite, perhaps because of, the increasing diverse culture at UK universities, there is growing concern regarding the issue of equality and equity. Th BME attainment gap has highlighted the need to develop inclusive practices and strategies in these Higher Education institutions, specifically in relation to the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) population. However, these practices can only effectively be developed if there is an understanding of current circumstances and practices. Therefore this paper enquires into whether the current student experience at UK universities is distinctly ’white’ and therefore inherently exclusivist. It also moves beyond the class room to explore the student experience as a whole.
Literature within this field often indicates that the causes of this attainment gap are very complex and multifaceted. Initial explanations often explained it in terms of the ‘deficiencies’ of the students themselves. These explanations focus on factors such as: socio-economic status, entry qualifications, lack of cultural capital and so on. However, this perception essentially shifts the blame and responsibility on to the individuals, rather than the institution. Creating a need to ‘fix’ the student. However, this explanation is problematic. There is the implied risk of deflecting all responsibility onto the student. Alongside this, there is emerging and increasing evidence of a disconnect between end of school attainment for BME students which has seen the attainment gap close or disappear among several demographic groups whilst there is a continuing gap at university level. As well as this universities are selective institutions. It therefore remains unclear why students with the same entry qualifications should perform differently over a relatively short three year period, post childhood. A sub theme within this paper therefore is whether universities can potentially learn from what seem to oftentimes be the more successful strategies of schools when addressing these same issues
This is undoubtedly a complex area but what is clear, whilst not absolving students of all responsibility, is that this issue is beyond the control of individual students. Indicating that there needs to be an institutional ‘fix’ focusing on the processes and practices taking place in these Higher Education institution. There also needs to be a shift towards research into the entire student experience in these institutions. This research furthermore needs to look into the micro context, that contributes to the underlying messages being taught through student encounters. Thus, this paper is concerned with developing a contextual understanding of the parallel relationship between the social and academia influences on BME student’s university experiences and also begins to identify the barriers which prevents BME students’ engagement with the hidden curriculum at Northampton University.
The research presented is in a relatively early stage. Therefore although tentative conclusions are reached the focus is also on positionality and methodology. This includes discussion regarding the challenges and opportunities presented when conducting researching within our own places of work or study. Rather than focus exclusively on the conclusions to these studies which are still emerging this paper links these experiences together and explores the ethical, positional and methodological challenges faced by these students and the ways in which they are being resolved. It concludes by addressing the potential for research to link theory to practice by being a vehicle for student and workplace voice.
1) My own story: teacher, school leader, teacher researcher, academic, university faculty leadership. How practice has shaped my research. How research has shaped my practice.
2) Positioning the different ways schools and teachers engage with research and how that in turn potentially positions academic researchers.
3) Looking forward: changes in schools and universities and what this mean for research and researchers, concluding with some thoughts on where a PhD graduate qualifying today may be working over the next 20 years as both school and university sectors change.
Communities of Learners (SUP4PCL)” is an ERASMUS+
funded project. It established partnerships between a
number of Egyptian and European Educational institutions
to create Professional Communities of Learners (PCLs).
Each Egyptian University was twinned with a European
partner university. In this case, Alexandria University
(AU) was twinned with the University of Northampton
(UON). During the lifetime of the project, AU formed
a team to lead the project’s work packages. This team
formed a core PCL that worked closely with a parallel
team from UON. This case study set out to explore and
examine the process of the PCL’s formation, evolution
and development and aimed to capture variables that
impacted the establishment and sustainability of PCLs
within the Egyptian context.
Full paper will be uploaded at a later date.