GLEA PGR Brochure

Centre for Global Learning: Education and Attainment (GLEA) Postgraduate Research

Research Coventry

discover more online www.coventry.ac.uk/research

Welcome to the Centre for Global Learning: Education and Attainment Welcome to the Centre for Global Learning: Education and Attainment (GLEA). GLEA is a university research centre that provides an inclusive and engaging environment to conduct impactful educational research. We work with national and international partners to look at sector-wide challenges, identifying opportunities to promote successful and transformational educational outcomes.

GLEA offers several different types of PhD study that will appeal to different learning styles, needs and personal situations. If you have an interest in our themes and a burning desire to explore an educationally relevant topic, we hope that you will find a suitable option to study with us. We look forward to welcoming you to contribute to the growing portfolio of research that we undertake.

Professor Lynn Clouder Academic Director

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About GLEA At GLEA, we aim to impact positively and ethically on teaching and learning across the higher education sector, and beyond, by engaging with high-quality research and influencing policy and practice.

Working with partners, we strive to develop educational innovation and excellence, exploring under exploited areas for development of new pedagogical insights and societal impact.

Our focus on sustainable development goal number four, 'quality education', underpins everything that we do to ensure that our research is impactful and leads to change.

Our diverse community of postgraduate PhD researchers are involved in investigating a range of issues, challenges and opportunities in the educational sector. Some PhD researchers are online, some are based here on our campus, with a mix of full-time and part-time - but all of them aim to influence a positive change. Our two main research themes are described on the following page.

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Research themes Our focus is around the interface of two main themes: ‘intercultural engagement and global education’ and ‘equity and attainment’.

Intercultural engagement and global education Researchers in this theme explore how higher education institutions are integrating an intercultural and global dimension into the purpose, functions, design and delivery of learning experiences, and the impact that this has on students. More generally, it requires looking at the role that intercultural dialogue plays in addressing global issues and inequalities within society.

Research areas within this theme include: ▪ interculturality in teaching and learning ▪ internationalising the curriculum; building capacity and quality into course design and pedagogical practices ▪ international collaborations and our capacity to influence transnational education in its broadest sense ▪ inclusive education ▪ decolonisation ▪ capacity building

Equity and attainment Our equity and attainment theme explores the systematic and strategic approaches to addressing differential student outcomes. The nature of this theme means that students from disadvantaged groups will be more represented and supported in higher education.

Research areas within this theme include: ▪ equity of attainment ▪ exploring the impact of policy ▪ measures and rewards in encouraging widening participation ▪ making education inclusive, particularly with regard to socioeconomic disadvantage, gender, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), disabilities and care leavers ▪ challenges and solutions in inclusive higher education and transitioning through primary, secondary and higher education, and into employment ▪ understanding literacy and language development in education ▪ supporting learners with special education needs throughout the learning cycle ▪ student mental health and wellbeing ▪ impact of COVID-19 on education

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Research environment GLEA promotes a supportive research environment that provides opportunity for critical thinking, reflective practice and rich discussions on research. Our thriving community of postgraduate researchers includes part-time, full-time, mature, UK and overseas students, all studying face to face and/or online.

PhD study at Coventry University is overseen by Coventry University's (the university) Doctoral College, which provides access to a wide range of learning opportunities and support throughout the student lifecycle from application through to graduation.

Our students are encouraged to work within the GLEA research offices, which are located in the White Friars building in the heart of Coventry city centre. Our offices are within easy reach of local public transport, and walking distance from the university library, student hub and other support services.

As well as the learning opportunities available to all students at the university, our students are able to access local activities. Which include: â–Ş Doctoral discussions: informal workshops led by our professor for postgraduate programmes. These sessions give students the opportunity to share best practice, discuss progress, work through challenges, and act as a source of support for one another. â–Ş Research seminars: delivered by experts in our field, whether they be internal researchers from the university, or speakers from the wider education sector. Recent seminars have covered topics including race inequality, challenges and support for care leavers, and higher education across global borders. These seminars give students the opportunity to hear from the experts in an environment where questions and debate are encouraged. â–Ş Coffee Connect: monthly sessions within GLEA to give students the opportunity for informal networking with our staff.

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Postgraduate research: what we offer Within GLEA, we provide opportunities to study PhDs in a range of different ways.

Undertaking a PhD with us will help you to explore some of the wider issues associated with equitable education and global learning and you can choose from a number of available opportunities.

Traditional PhD We welcome applications from suitably qualified self-funded or sponsored PhD candidates on projects that relate to our current research themes. Applications can be for part-time and full-time study, and we offer entry points in September, January and May.

PhD in Global Education Our online, part-time PhD in Global Education is designed to develop you into an educational researcher with a global outlook. Offering a flexible route of study, we have integrated a track to master’s by research which you can take if you do not wish to progress to the PhD. This programme is ideal if you are looking to undertake a PhD whilst working in an educational setting - wherever you are in the world. We will aim to develop your capability to work within a professional context with a knowledge of research that enhances your ability to see beyond the environment in which you work. You will have the opportunity to build up a substantial piece of original research that has real relevance to policy and/or practice.

We offer students entry points in January and September each academic year.

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Fully-funded cotutelle studentships Our joint PhD with Aarhus University, Denmark, offers students the opportunity to explore important issues in higher education.

Successful applicants will enrol at the university as their home institution and will spend between a third and half of their time at Aarhus University, depending on their research design. On successful completion, students will receive a PhD award from both universities.

The specific topic areas of these studentships are changeable (within the education theme), and are offered at specific points in the year where funding has been allocated. Studentship funding includes payment of fees and an annual stipend (dependent on successful progression through each year).

As a second year student at GLEA, I am part of a great community of PhD students and researchers. My research is motivated by my own personal history and experiences, asking the question: “How does it feel to be a Nigerian student of faith in UK HE?” I have lived in the UK since 2012, navigating it as a Nigerian student of faith. I have gained first-hand experience of issues which arise from living in and adapting to a foreign environment. Through my studies, I am exploring the reality of this for Nigerian students, providing a platform for us to express our thoughts through the use of documentary film. I enjoy being a student in GLEA, because I'm given the freedom to express myself creatively with my study.

Emmanuel Johnson “Identity, Belonging and Performance: A Study on Faith in Nigerian Student Experience” (Full-time, commenced September 2018)

"I'm a physiotherapy lecturer whose background is in teaching and supporting postgraduate international students on university-based, health-related courses.

Feedback from staff and students highlighted challenges for international students, particularly while on clinical placement. My PhD research aims to explore the experiences of international physiotherapy students on their journey to professional status.

As a student in GLEA, it is a real privilege to be part of such a knowledgeable, open and enthusiastic team. I have been encouraged and empowered to explore my research area creatively, which has diversified my learning and allowed me to develop my ideas in ways I hadn't expected."

Jackie Shanley “How can physiotherapy education support equitable learning success in culturally diverse students? Searching for answers through an examination of the attainment gap between home and international students” (Part-time, commenced September 2018)

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Find us on social media:

PGR enquiries E: globallearning@coventry.ac.uk Find us White Friars Street, Coventry, CV1 2DS www.coventry.ac.uk/GLEA

J1660-20 Š Coventry University.

@CovUni_GLEA