Research Interests
Within the area of Psychology of Education, I have a particular research interest in the application of psychological principles (theory, research, methodology, intervention / prevention) to each of the following areas of enquiry – either as separate fields of enquiry, or as is often the case, overlapping areas. Much of my published research in these areas can be accessed, free of charge, via the links on the publications page.
A different way to look at my research interests is through the lens of “inclusion in education and society”. Whilst educational inclusion is widely understood, there is not as much attention to educational and societal “exclusion“. Thus, whilst I focus on how we can enhance opportunities for learners to participate in the learning process (in and beyond the traditional focus on only issues related to teaching, learning, and assessment), I also focus on those learners who are being prevented from fully engaging in this fundamental right (e.g., those learners who are involved in bully / victim problems).
Put simply – society should not differentiate between any of us in terms of the educational opportunities that are made available to us. With this “equality of access”, there also has to be “equality of outcome” – further and higher education opportunities should be available equally for all of us – and personal decisions about work and participation in society should be similarly available to each and every citizen. We should all be afforded the opportunity to lead the lives of our own choosing – not a life that is restricted by societal attitudes, policies, or practices.
Psychology Applied to Education
Most of us think we know what the word “education” means. But, if we really think about it, we start to form questions like what is education for? and who is education for? Whilst many of my colleagues in education are interested in research projects related to pedagogy and the curriculum, I have a particular interest in the people who are involved in education – the pupils and students, their families and supporters, the educators, the wider school ecology (e.g., the Parents’ Association, the Board of Management, the local community), and the wider role of society in education (e.g., attitudes, prejudicial thinking, discriminatory actions).
My research interest in this area relates to the role of psychology in education – as opposed to educational psychology per se. That is, I am keenly interested in psychology for educators, and education for psychologists. This questions the linkages between psychology and education – whether at policy, research, academic, or practice levels. All of this is aimed at fostering psychologically healthy schools and classroom environments.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) / Disability
As a psychologist, I have an interest in how educators conceive and understand “Special Educational Needs (SEN)” and “Disability”.
For example, do all children not have a SEN? How are the “categories” of SEN constructed – are these just another means of “social control”? Are labels not just for jam-jars? Do victims of bullying not have a SEN . . . considering that the impact of victimization has directly (and repeatedly) been demonstrated to have a relationship with impaired educational attainment and lowered levels of health and well-being? How is SEN classified, assessed, measured, and resourced – and what impact does this have on children, families, educators, schools, and society? These are just some of the issues that I am interested in with regards to SEN.
What is it that we mean when we use the word “Disability“? From what I have seen, much of the basic thinking (and action) in education views Disability as a categorical variable – e.g., viewing all individuals who have the same Disability as being in the same “lumpy and clunky” category (e.g., physical disability, sensory disability, intellectual disability, blind / visually impaired, deaf / hard of hearing).
This approach is very much a sociological approach. I’m ok with sociology and I don’t like artificial boundaries between disciplines. But, as a psychologist, my lens on these issues is generally focused on the individual rather than the group.
Therefore, can we not (i.e., should we not) focus on the individual and personal experience? Of course, these require an understanding and exploration of important debates – e.g., should we use person-first or disability-first language – and who makes the choice?, medical model versus social model versus other models of Disability.
It’s not easy! But that shouldn’t stop us from trying to better understand the important issues.
Bully/Victim Problems: Links to Educational Attainment and Health and Well-being
Exploring the nature, incidence, correlates, intervention, prevention, and management of bully/victim problems in schools. This research is directed towards policy development and psychological interventions to reduce victimization, to increase psychological health and well-being, and to enhance educational attainment.
Rare Disease: 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome
Whilst education systems and educators are becoming more critically aware of the needs and requirements of children and young people with SEN / disability / intellectual disability, there is a dearth of attention being paid to the issue of rare disease. For some rare diseases, like 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, the manifestation of the micro deletion within each individual is variable – making a “one size fits all” approach to classification and resourcing difficult. But, is this not the case with other issues, such as dyslexia? I am also keenly interested in the issue of how children and young people with rare diseases are accommodated for in terms of their educational attainment and life / career aspirations.
Experiences of Bereavement, Separation, and Divorce
Whilst a regular and natural occurrence, the knowledge that we have regarding “normative” bereavement in schools is quite basic. There is a lot of attention paid to “critical incidents” in the school community, but everyone in the school community needs support and understanding when any bereavement happens. All too often the response of adults is well meaning, but not based on any evidence of what might actually work – or not! Schools and educators struggle with this issue. We have been exploring the personal experiences of school pupils who have experienced a bereavement and their subsequent educational and life outcomes.