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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingSingle, Co-Authored and Edited Books by Academic Staff in the Faculty of Education

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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingContribution by Academic Staff in Selected Edited Books

‘Go Ask Alice:The Image of the Child

in the SixtiesCounterculture’

Chapter by Peter Cook

‘Looking and ListeningFor Participatory

Practice in an EnglishDay Nursery’

Chapter by Paulette Luff

‘Spirituality’

Chapter byDr. Rebecca Nye

‘The Art of Wondering’

Chapter byDr. Rebecca Nye

‘Facilitating ReflectiveTeaching: Video-StimulatedReflective Dialogues as aProfessional Development

Process.’

Chapter by Ed Powell

‘Empowering Children andAdults: Play and Child-Initiated

Learning’Chapter by

Professor Janet MoylesAND

‘Bilingual Learners’Chapter by

Professor TheodoraPapatheodorou

‘Childhood Spirituality:Strengthening the Research

Foundation’

Chapter byDr. Rebecca Nye and

D. Ratcliff

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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingSelected Research into Student Learning in Higher Education

The Portfolio of Evidence: Opening the debate forWidening Participation Pedagogies*Professor Theodora Papatheodorou

“Learning?… the ability to learn through things you never thought you could do...” –Student anonymous

The Widening Participation policy has enabled many students from diverse and under- representedgroups to enter higher education. However, the implications of widening participation to highereducation pedagogy have not yet been explicitly acknowledged. The Portfolio of Evidence study aimedto address the following questions:

• What are the educational biographies, experiences and expectations of students with diverseeducational background and experience on entering university?

• Do the current and dominant higher education pedagogies serve them well?

The study has highlighted the need for higher education institutions to re-consider their pedagogiesand open the debate for a ‘widening participation pedagogy’ which reflects, meets and extends theexperience and expectations of diverse students in university. Our understanding of the role of contextualfactors in enabling human potential requires that higher education pedagogies are contextualised in studentexperience and expectations, in order to achieve academic excellence and personal growth and well-being.

*The research project was funded by a University Teaching and Learning Fellowship

Making Undergraduate Learning Visible:The role of module planning, formative assessmentand documentation*Professor Theodora Papatheodorou, Christine Such and Paulette Luff

This study aimed to investigate students’ perceived experience of their learning in selected Year Onemodules on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies programme, where module planning, formativeassessment and student documentation of their learning were introduced.

The key finding from this study raised questions about summative assessment. Via the processesadopted in this module it was revealed that students conceive their learning wider and broader inpurpose and scope; their reflections referred to both personal growth and ‘knowledge’ of modulecontent. Yet, summative assessment focuses primarily on the second. Further large scale researchis required around the central question what do we teach and learn in higher education and whatdo we assess?

*The research project was funded by a University Teaching and Learning Fellowship

Students Expectations and Experience of Learningin Higher Education: An International ProjectProfessor Theodora Papatheodorou and Paulette Luff (Anglia Ruskin University), Professor Anneli Niikko (University ofJoensuu, Finland), Dr Ludo Heylen (University of Leuven, Belgium), Dr Rozalina Engels (University of Sofia, Bulgaria)

Learning and teaching in higher education presents a wide range of issues and challenges, particularlyfor those who are educating student teachers who will be working with young children. The currentstudy was prompted by common interests and concerns reflected in the previous research, undertakenseparately by the participating researchers. In this research, involving respondents from four Europeancountries (Belgium, Bulgaria, England and Finland), we made use of a questionnaire designed to elicitstudent teachers’ expectations and experiences of their learning and assessment.

The findings from the pilot study have raised important methodological issues in conducting cross-cultural quantitative research. They highlighted the importance of negotiating and reaching sharedmeaning of terms and concepts used in the included items of the questionnaire. The latter is apainstaking process that requires interrogation of assumption taken for granted.

If you are interested in joining any of the above or other similar projects, please contactProfessor Theodora Papatheodorou at: [email protected]

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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingSelected Research into Student Learning in Higher Education

Story Playing for Emotional Literacy andLearning Support (SPELLS)*Professor Theodora Papatheodorou

This project focused on students’ understanding of literature about stories and emotionaldevelopment; the integration and interpretation of such literature into practical skills; andimplementation of these skills in settings with young children.

The key finding of this project revealed students’ awareness of the fact that supportingchildren’s social and emotional development is not straightforward. To their surprise, thestudents who participated in the project realised that their own self-awareness was animportant element in responding to young children’s unpredictable comments which neededan immediate, yet considerate and sensitive, response.

*A volunteer-student project

If you are interested in joining the above project, please contact Professor Theodora Papatheodorou at:[email protected]

Sketchbooks and Journals: a tool for challengingassessment?Paulette Luff and Dr. Gill Robinson

Aims of the study• To research the use and the value of sketchbook learning journals as a form of assessment

• To develop understandings of ways in which these can support and extend students’learning, within the context of a module about the early childhood curriculum

• To reflect upon our own practice and share our experiences with colleagues, in support ofour efforts to teach in order to make learning possible (Ramsden, 2004)

The researchA case study of groups of second year BA Early Childhood Studies students, taking a 24 weekCurriculum module, assessed via a sketchbook learning journal, in which students representedtheir thoughts about different aspects of the early childhood curriculum (philosophicalapproaches, environments and resources, adult roles, playful approaches to learning andcurriculum content). This was completed during two full semesters and submitted forsummative assessment at the end of the second semester. Most data collection activities wereintegrated with teaching: aspects of students' learning behaviour noted and discussed; focusgroup discussions conducted to improve understanding of participants’ experiences; analysisof the content of assessed work; plus four students took part in videotaped interviews.

Some findings• The sketchbooks encourage students to record and store information, thus creating a recordof the learning during the module.

• Students focus on the whole of their course and “construct their own synthesis of the coursematerial” (Park, 2003:193).

• Students’ ideas changed and became more sophisticated throughout the module

• Some students intend to continue working with this type of learning journal as a way ofdeepening knowledge in preparation for final year major project.

Selected referencesPark, C. (2003) ‘Engaging students in the learning process: The learning journal’, Journal ofGeography in Higher Education, 27 (2): 183-199.

Ramsden, P. (2004) Learning to Teach in Higher Education (2nd edn.) LondonRoutledgeFalmer.

If you are interested in joining any of the above or other similar projects,please contact Paulette Luff at: [email protected]

The Reggio Emilia Artists’ Project*Professor Theodora Papatheodorou and Pauline Loader

This is an applied research project introduced by the Essex EarlyYears Service with the main aim to inform creative pedagogies atcounty level. The project, being inspired and informed by theReggio Emilia preschools in Northern Italy, is led by an artist whoworks with Early Years practitioners and children in differentsettings to introduce appropriate learning experiences for youngchildren through art and project development.

The project is currently documented and monitored systematicallyby the artist and participants. The data collected will be analysedto articulate pedagogical principles and practices and exemplifythem in an output aimed at Early Years practitioners.

*Funded by Essex Early Years Services

If you are interested in joining this or other similar projects,please contact Professor Theodora Papatheodorou at:[email protected]

Forest SchoolsSara Knight, Pauline Loader and Christine Such

The aim of the project is to undertake a pilotinvestigation to discover whether there are positivecorrelations between children’s scores on theFoundation Stage Profile (FSP) and theirexperiences of Forest School during their earlychildhood education.

Previous research has indicated thatchildren’s development is enhanced by ForestSchool sessions, and we intend to measurethis effect by comparing results from theFoundation Stage Profile from settingsparticipating in Forest School with those whoare not. The research questions are asfollows:

• Is there a positive relationship betweenparticipation in Forest School and FSPoutcomes?

• How is the effect of Forest School shownacross the six areas of the FSP?

• Is there an association between the size ofany positive effect and the catchmentarea of the school (e.g. socio-economiccharacteristics and urban or ruralsettings)?

• Does the duration of the Forest Schoolexperience affect the results?

If you are interested in this area ofresearch, please contact Sara Knight at:[email protected]

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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingSelected Research Projects into Early Childhood Education

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Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TeachingSelected Research Projects into Early Childhood Education

Research into Godly PlayDr. Rebecca Nye

Godly Play is an innovative approach to spiritual development and experientialreligious education. It emphasises the role of the non-verbal communicationsystem, and seeks to enable process rather than product/outcome basedlearning. It represents a radically alternative pedagogy for most faith educationsettings, based on developing children’s capacity to question (‘wonder’) ratherthan reach ‘answers’, to tolerate difference rather than orchestrate consensus,and in which depth of learning is pursued rather than breadth of knowledge.

Dr Rebecca Nye has an ongoing research interest in the use of Godly Play inschools and Initial Teacher Training, and plans are being made to undertakecritical evaluation of how schools are interpreting this approach in collaborationwith colleagues in the school improvement service in Diocese of Chelmsfordand at St Martin’s College, Lancaster.

This builds on an earlier three year national project in primary schools in whichRebecca was a lead researcher and consultant. Visit:www.natsoc.org.uk/schools/gp/

A case study project to explore Godly Play’s impact on teachers’ attitudes tochildren’s spiritual development is currently being set up, with the assistance ofa Faculty of Education Early Years undergraduate student.

If you are interested in this area of research, please contactDr Rebecca Nye at: [email protected]

Intercultural Preschool Pedagogy: A three-country study (England, Greece and Germany)*Professor Theodora Papatheodorou (Anglia Ruskin University)Professor Kostas Dimas (Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, Greece)

The 21st century has found many countries and societies more diverse than everbefore. Mobility within and between many countries means that many minorityethnic groups are represented in Early Years settings posing many challenges andopportunities for all concerned, that is children, families, Early Years settings andpolicy makers. The Intercultural Preschool Pedagogy project aimed to explore:

• The experience of parents and children from minority ethnic groups in earlyyears settings.

• Early Years practitioners pedagogy in addressing diversity and implementingrelevant policy.

Key findings indicate that parents from minority ethnic groups see their arrivalat the host country as an enhanced cultural and educational experience for theirchildren. Overall, they report a positive experience from their children’sattendance in Early Years settings.

Early Years practitioners said that although policy guidelines have raised theirawareness about intercultural practices, these are not enough. Interculturalpractices go beyond recipes; they require understanding and appreciation of theexperience, dreams and aspirations of families and their children.*Led by the Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, Greece, and funded by the EU Archimedes II programme

If you are interested in joining this or other similar projects, please contactProfessor Theodora Papatheodorou at: [email protected]

Faculty of Education

Research in Education and TrainingProgramme of Research Events

Brown BagSessionsBrown Bag sessions are informalmeetings where individuals have theopportunity to explore their ideas forany scholarly and/or research activitythey wish to pursue. They can discussresearch questions, methodology,data analysis, systematic literaturereview and writing, and/or findco-researchers/authors.

For a taste of what has been arranged forthe current semester, please see theprogramme below:

Thursday 22 January 2009Ernest Ampadu‘An Investigation into the Teaching andLearning of Mathematics in GhanaianJunior High Schools’

Thursday 19 February 2009Sara Knight‘Researching Forest School for EarlyYears Settings’

Thursday 19 March 2009,12:00 – 1:00pm, Sawyers 002Grace Woodford‘Waltzing with Matilda: A Short Accountand Visual Presentation of the EnjoyableExperience of a First–Time ‘TravellingScholar’ to a Faculty of Education,12,000 Miles Away’

Thursday 14 May 2009,12:00 – 1:00pm, Sawyers 005Peter Cook‘Go Ask Alice: The Image of the Childin the 60s Counterculture’

Thursday 18 June 2009,12:00 – 1:00pm, Sawyers 002Naomi Lundgren

Research TrainingProgrammeOur Research Training programme isavailable to full-time and part-timeresearch degree candidates, otherresearchers, members of staff in theFaculty of Education and other Facultiesin the University. The programme hasbeen designed to address nationalrequirements and key aspects of theESRC research training guidelines. Withthe permission of guest speakers, thesesessions are streamed live on the internetand this has proven popular with ourremotely based students and colleagues.

This academic year, we have run anumber of interesting sessions on a varietyof topics and this promises to continuewith future sessions as listed below.

Thursday 22 January 2009Dr Rebecca Nye‘Issues of Perspective and How ThisShapes Your Research Design, Choiceof Methodology and Methods – Part 1’

Wednesday 11 February 2009Dr Rebecca Nye and Julie Scott‘Research Ethics’

Thursday 19 March 2009,4:30 – 6:30pm, MAB015Dr Daniela Mangione‘Spotlight on Research Methods:Case Study Methodology’

Thursday 21 May 2009,4:30 – 6:30pm, Sawyers 307Dr Rebecca Nye‘Spotlight on Research Methods:Designing, Conducting and AnalysingInterviews’

Thursday 18 June 2009,4:30 – 6:30pm, Sawyers 307‘Spotlight on Research Methods:Designing, Conducting and AnalysingQuestionnaires’

Research MattersSeminar SeriesResearch Matters seminars are structuredpresentations in which individualspresent their research findings orresearch in progress. This academic year,we have been fortunate to have a numberof expert speakers presenting sessionswhich have been both engaging andstimulating and these promises tocontinue for the remainder of the year.

Thursday 15 January 2009Dr Heather Geddes‘Attachment in the Classroom’

Thursday 18 March 2009,4:30 – 6:00pm, Sawyers 104Dr Pam Burnard, University of Cambridge,BERA SIG Creativity Convenor‘Pupil and Teacher Perceptions ofthe Nature of Artist Pedagogy and itsImpact on School Change’

Thursday 23 April 2009,4:30 – 6:00pm, MAB 014Dr Sara Hennessey, Lecturer in TeacherDevelopment and Pedagogical Innovation,Faculty of Education, University ofCambridge‘Professional Development ThroughPractitioner-Research Collaboration’

Thursday 14 May 2009,4:30 – 6:00pm, MAB 014Dr Rhona McEune, Centre for Researchon the Child and the Family, Universityof East Anglia‘Evaluation of the Laptops for Teachers’Initiative and the Impact of Informationand Communication Technologies onPupils’ Attainment’

Thursday 11 June 2009,4:30 – 6:00pm, MAB 014Dr Roberto Di Napoli (PhD, University ofLondon) Senior Lecturer in EducationalDevelopment, Imperial College London,CED (Centre for Educational Development)‘What’s in a Name? EducationalDevelopers in Europe’

The above sessions are organised by Research in Education andTraining in the Faculty of Education. For more information pleasecontact: Lauren Champs at [email protected]

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