Research
This is an exciting time to be a researcher at Edge Hill University. As a young research institution we are committed to developing our research portfolio, and this means giving our academics the time, resources and support to produce world class research. We actively encourage our academics to explore new research ideas and to develop specialist areas of expertise. We are building a reputation for exciting, unique and above all, respected research that can be used to inform decision making in a multitude of areas and make a genuine difference to people’s lives.
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Research at Edge Hill University A Great Place to Develop your Research Career Research Centres Support for Research
Research in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Research Profiles: ProfessorLars McNaughton Dr James Renton Karen Lauke Dr Ruxandra Trandafoiu Dr Dave Putwain Professor Richard Parrish Gabriella Torstensson Dr Iain Lindsey Research in the Faculty of Education Research Profiles: Professor Martin Ashley Dr Susan Graves Fiona Hallett Professor Tim Cain Lisa Murtagh Dr Damien Shortt
Research in the Faculty of Health and Social Care Research Profiles: Professor Barbara Jack Dr Jeremy Brown Dr Anne Coufopoulos Dr Mary O’Brien
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Research at Edge Hill University A History of Innovation
When Edge Hill College opened in 1885 it was the first non-denominational teacher training institution in the country. It was a hotbed of political thinking with links to the Suffragette movement and later became one of the first colleges to offer teacher training as a degree course.
For over 125 years Edge Hill has been an institution that has thrived on a spirit of innovation, a commitment to social justice and belief in educational inclusion for which the University became renowned and which continues to this day in our research, teaching and learning. The issues may have changed but the drive to understand them and apply what we know to improve things remains.
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A Great Place to Develop Your Research Career Edge Hill is a university with ambition. We encourage our staff to pursue research excellence in new topics, alongside areas of internationally recognised expertise, in a range of established research areas. Our academics are delivering innovation, shaping practice and influencing policy in areas as diverse as sports law, environmental change, creative arts, business and end-of-life care. We are at the forefront of emerging academic fields such as evidence-based practice in health and social care and practice as research in performing arts and media. We were also among the first to focus on new academic subjects such as operating department practice and paramedic practice.
A solid foundation The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) demonstrated that we produce excellent research and half of our research outputs were judged to be of ‘quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour’, with elements of world leading research in Nursing and Midwifery and History. We are now expanding on the breadth and depth of research we undertake, and are anticipating a significantly enhanced performance in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). There is a thriving research culture at Edge Hill, with an emphasis on mutual support and knowledge sharing. Academics benefit from both formal and informal mentoring and networking opportunities, and there are regular research seminars, conferences and public lectures across all Faculties. It is a vibrant environment in which cross-discipline and collaborative research can flourish.
Research with impact There is a growing recognition that higher education institutions have a vital role to play in fostering economic prosperity, quality of life and cultural enrichment of society. At Edge Hill our focus has always been on applied research that has a tangible impact in the real world. Engaging with external organisations ensures that our research continues to meet the needs of the private, public and voluntary sectors and that our teaching is grounded in both practice and the latest thinking in the discipline. Our research is helping to improve professional practice in the health, education and social care sectors by identifying best practice in service design and delivery and seeking to influence policy making. We are also contributing to the development of those workforces through the provision of high quality Continuing Professional Development that raises standards and keeps thinking and skills fresh.
We also have many knowledge exchange projects taking place across a wide range of other disciplines including management and business, computing, sport and media, and have a growing portfolio of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with support in place to help with funding and implementation.
Research Centres
We have a growing number of Research Centres that bring together staff with similar research interests to work collaboratively on some of the biggest challenges facing society today.
Centre for Learner Identity Studies (CLIS) CLIS seeks to bring together new and continuing researchers and scholars from education and other disciplines interested in matters surrounding learner identity. Its broader aim is to explore and critique the contexts that give rise to who, or what, learners conceive themselves to be, and the teaching and learning conditions that can affect identity formation and transformation. The core mission of CLIS is to understand learners better through funded and consultancy projects. Key projects include: • Creating a network of European university and NGO partners to better understand the effects of new technologies on inter-generational relationships • A study into the vocal identity of boys, with particular focus on singing in schools • An evaluation of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project • A Teacher Education Research Network (TERN) project looking at embedding policy on integrated working into professional education programmes • Developing an Education Ethics Forum for teacher educators. www.edgehill.ac.uk/clis
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The Centre for Public Policy and Professional Practice The Centre for Public Policy and Professional Practice is a new research initiative designed to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in the shifts in public policy and their impact on professional practice, particularly in the education, health and social care sectors. The Centre reflects long-standing strengths of Edge Hill University and focuses on research that has direct application to the practice of professionals in these areas. The Centre includes a policy trials unit (PTU) that provides systematic evaluation and research into the impact of policy change in health, social care and education. Academics are working with professionals in these sectors to assess how and where the impact of policy change will be felt and how best practice can be developed within the new policy environment. The PTU will complement the new clinical trials unit (CTU), set up to evaluate changes in clinical practice areas in palliative care, orthopaedics and reproductive medicine in partnership with clinicians in Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust respectively.
Centre for Sports Law Research The Centre for Sports Law Research is engaged in funded international consultancy for both public and private bodies on issues relevant to the legal regulation of sport. The Centre has a particular expertise in the relationship between sport and European law, but is also engaged with questions on both global and national levels. Headed by Professor Richard Parrish, the Centre has produced reports and expert advice for a number of bodies, including the European Parliament, the European Commission and the House of Lords. Staff have authored numerous publications and journal articles and regularly deliver papers at professional and academic events worldwide. Key projects include: • Acting as Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Inquiry into Grassroots Sport and the European Union • A study for the European Commission on the equal treatment of non-nationals in individual sports competitions • A report for the European Parliament on the Lisbon Treaty and European Union sports policy • A report for European Commissioner Vassiliou on EU Priorities in the Field of Sport Reports for the European Commission on social dialogue in professional football, cycling and basketball. • Expert advice to the governments and sports bodies of Albania, Belarus, Turkey and the Ukraine. www.edgehill.ac.uk/law/research/cslr
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Support for Research
At Edge Hill we offer outstanding, dedicated support for academics at all stages of their careers to help them achieve their research goals. We have a comprehensive research capacity building programme, which is mapped onto the Virtual Researcher Development Framework. We also have particular strengths in helping practice-based professionals new to higher education to develop a research profile. Whatever your background, whether you are a novice researcher or a well-established academic, our Research Support Office (RSO) provides all the information, support and guidance you need to take your research forward.
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Financial support Our commitment to nurturing and supporting research excellence is reflected in our generous REF Investment Fund, which can be accessed by all research-active staff. There are no strict rules around what it can be used for – if you have a genuine proposal that will help you realise your research potential and is likely to produce REF-quality research outputs, we will consider it. The REF Investment Fund has been used in the past for a wide range of activity from buying time out from teaching to carry out approved research projects to attending conferences or developing interdisciplinary seminars. We have three deadlines a year for internal funding applications so we can be as flexible and responsive as possible to the needs of our research community.
Practical support The RSO provides expert advice on making applications to external funders. The latest grants are posted on our wiki – and we send you an alert when something appropriate to your needs becomes available. We can also help with Full Economic Costing (fEC) and with submitting applications via the Research Councils’ Je-S system and other electronic submission processes, including those used by the NHS. The University subscribes to Research Professional (researchprofessional.com) to help keep you up-to-date with research news and funding opportunities. Staff development Edge Hill has a wide range of opportunities for researchers to develop their individual research capacity. We have a mentoring and training programme which, as well as providing one-toone support and guidance, also includes practical research development workshops led by internal and external experts. These can offer support with anything from reviewing grant applications to developing a research project to enhancing research skills.
The Graduate School Established in 2010, the Graduate School is the focal point for postgraduate research at Edge Hill University. As well as providing training opportunities for students and early career researchers within a discipline-specific context, the Graduate School also offers a comprehensive training programme for all PGR supervisors. Anyone new to Edge Hill, or to PhD supervision, receives an induction course covering all aspects of the supervision process, while more experienced staff benefit from annual refresher workshops to keep them up to date with the latest developments in doctoral study. The Graduate School also organises an annual series of weekend training sessions open to all staff and research students within the University. These cover a diverse range of topics from the concept of originality in doctoral and post-doctoral research to research ethics.
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Research in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is home to a large and diverse group of disciplines with a track record of excellence in research, much of which crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Historians at Edge Hill University produce world-class research outputs, as measured by the Research Assessment Exercise 2008. Currently, Edge Hill is jointly leading an AHRC-funded research network with Manchester University, involving colleagues at the London School of Economics and Warwick University, studying President Obama’s administration in the context of American civil rights history, black leadership and protest. Other academics working in history are organising international conferences around, and publishing on, the Middle East, modern and contemporary French and Italian history and crime and imprisonment.
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Excellent research is underway in psychology on aspects of addiction, cognition, memory, health and exercise psychology and educational development. The postgraduate community includes one PhD student funded by Alcohol Research UK, one of only three such awards made across the UK in 2012. Research in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity concentrates on exercise science, therapies and rehabilitation as well as work around child abuse in sports contexts. Research in the Geographical and Biological Sciences spans the disciplines of biology, ecology, climatic and environmental change, geology and geography. This work is supported by high quality laboratories for biology, chemistry, physics and geology, with specialist ICT facilities. The University has an extensive network of relationships with relevant environmental organisations and other universities in the UK and overseas.
Academics in computing are actively engaged in cutting edge research and focus on developing theoretical advances and practical solutions in different areas. This includes a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) funded project on Assistive/Smart technology for the elderly and a collaborative project on identifying issues in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This is recognised as one of the key weather prediction systems worldwide, used by the US Air Force, the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and other similar agencies. Other research interests and projects focus on 3D visualisation, cloud computing, mobile applications and developing computer assisted teaching and learning tools on which academics regularly publish and organise international events. The research community in the creative and performing arts and humanities includes British Academy-funded work in English language and literature, as well as exciting developments in film studies (including film making), animation, media, dance, drama, sound and music. Graduate activity in these areas is underpinned by an MA in Creative Writing and an MA in Humanities. The Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story, which champions work by both students and published authors, has established itself as a major event in the literary calendar.
Academics working in the disciplines of sociology, social history, criminology, management and law have agenda-setting interests in human rights, police powers, disasters and emergency planning, conflict resolution and post-conflict relations, media and telecom regulation and the study of early childhood. The Centre for Sports Law Research has achieved international recognition for its cutting edge expertise, providing specialist advice for parliamentary select committees in the UK, the European Commission and the European Parliament. Colleagues in the Business School undertake internationally recognised research examining technical, normative and governance dimensions of contemporary work practices. In depth empirical research in the fields of performativity, identity, disability and technology, and comparative accounting and corporate governance frameworks feature strongly. Academics in this area have established research collaborations with colleagues at the Universities of Essex, Lancaster and Liverpool. The Business School is developing a niche profile for research and knowledge exchange in public policy practice and the voluntary sector. Professor George Talbot Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences
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Research Profile
Lars McNaughton
Professor of Exercise Physiology Research Interests: The ways in which naturally occurring substances can affect and influence sporting performance and recovery. Research Work: Lars is currently working with colleagues from the University of Hull on two projects: one is looking at the body’s production of heat shock proteins and how these can influence athletes’ acclimatisation process when competing in countries with different climates. The other is studying the impact of sodium bicarbonate on performance and recovery. Lars has published more than 200 papers in the UK and abroad, presented at numerous international conferences, and is a Fellow of the British, Australian and American Associations for Sport and Exercise Science. He joined Edge Hill’s Department of Sport and Physical Activity in 2011. “I was a teacher before I entered academia, so helping people to become better at what they do has always been central to my career. As a researcher my work is about helping athletes and others improve their performance through technique, nutrition and training. As a tutor I am able to draw on my research to help students better understand how the body responds to, and is affected by, exercise.
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I did my PhD with a research academic with a worldwide reputation so it seemed only logical to progress further and try and add to the body of knowledge in exercise physiology. However, I’ve found that the more questions you answer, the more questions you generate – but I love what I do and I can’t imagine not being research active. I am enjoying working in an institution that is still developing its research outputs. There is lots of scope and potential for Edge Hill to excel in Sport and Physical Activity and I want to be part of that excellence. I’ve been extremely encouraged by people’s attitudes to enhancing the University’s research actvity. There is an openness to change and people are very supportive and genuinely interested in each other’s work. Edge Hill is a great place for early career researchers to learn about research, and for more experienced researchers to share their knowledge and help the next generation to succeed.”
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Research Profile
Dr James Renton
Senior Lecturer in History Research Interests: Western imperialism in the Middle East, Zionism, Arab nationalism, the origins of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict, racism and Orientalism. Research Work: James was recently awarded an AHRC Fellowship and funding towards a monograph on the West and the concept of the Middle East. Other research projects include a coedited collection of essays on the comparative study of Antisemitism and Islamophobia in European history, British rule in Palestine, and the relationship between Zionism and the West. James’ first book was long-listed for the prestigious Longman/History Today Book of the Year Prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London. “People often assume the conflicts in the Middle East are as old as time but I don’t subscribe to that view. My research focuses on investigating the twentieth-century origins of the political challenges that face the region, and, in particular, the role of the West.
A lot of policies relating to the Middle East are based on historical misconceptions, so I think it is the job of academics to engage with policymakers to open up a dialogue that could influence the direction of policy. We’re at a very important juncture in Middle Eastern politics and it is vital that the West does not make mistakes in the future based on the old, erroneous assumptions of the past. I also think it is very important to try to bring these issues to the attention of the wider public – through the media – to create a better understanding of the nature of the conflict, the way the West has contributed to problems in the past, and how things might change for the better in the future. Since my arrival at Edge Hill in 2007, I have received a great deal of support for my research, which has made a tremendous difference. Along with access to funds to stage conferences and lecture series, researchers receive significant teaching relief, research cost contributions and extensive guidance when preparing bids for external funding. I have also found support staff at the University to be extremely helpful and enthusiastic about my work, which is very encouraging.”
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Research Profile
Karen Lauke
Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound Design Research Interests: The relationship between, and fusion of, sound design, sound art and experimental composition practices. Research Work: Cities of Sound, an audio-visual installation exploring environmental sound from different international locations, which premiered in Liverpool, and Copper Vibrations, a multichannel performance piece that featured in the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival. Karen has also worked in partnership with Salford City Park Rangers to reproduce a piece entitled Memories Unearthed as part of a project highlighting the historical industries of Salford, and is currently working in collaboration on an audio-visual project commissioned by Picton Castle in South Wales. Karen curated the UK National Sound Design Exhibit at the Central School of Speech and Drama in Cardiff, assisted in the curation of the 3rd International Composition and Sound Design Exhibition at the Prague Quadrennial 2011, and will be designing the upcoming UK sound exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She recently collaborated on an Arts Council England-funded project set in Victoria Baths in Manchester which examines audience responses to live experiences. “My research interests stem from my split role as musician, sound artist, composer and sound designer. I am interested in exploring the conceptual and technical sides of the music and theatre industry – seeking out their cross-overs and commonalities and, ultimately, creating something new and distinctive.
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My research is driven by a desire to be at the forefront of some of the most innovative developments in sound, and taking the resulting experiences back into the classroom, giving my students a broader view of potential approaches in conceptualising and realising their ideas. The students I teach are helping to create the sound of the future. I find Edge Hill University an extremely stimulating academic environment to work in. I regularly collaborate with colleagues involved in visual theatre, scriptwriters, scenographers and dancers. We often share our practices with one another, debate best practice and present work to one another in forums and research symposiums. My colleagues are essential in encouraging me to develop both personally and academically. The University has always supported my research, giving me the opportunity to further develop my practice, take part in relevant conferences and symposiums, and to present my work at a national and international level. Without the continued support and understanding for the arts at Edge Hill I would not be able to achieve the level of success I have.�
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Research Profile
Dr Ruxandra Trandafoiu Senior Lecturer in Communication
Research Interests: Communication and national identity, diasporic communication, online social networks, transnational cultures, the post-communist transition and European Union politics. Research Work: A British Academy-funded project looking at the way in which the Romanian diasporas in Western Europe and North America construct an online presence, negotiate migrant identities and use online social networks to initiate political action. Ruxandra’s next projects are co-editing a book on music, migration and tourism and working with colleagues from the University of Liverpool on a mini project analysing EU border security with reference to the Gypsy expulsions from France in 2010. She will also be working with a colleague from Colorado State University to develop a project on diasporic art. “I had planned to become an artist and had been to art school, but in 1989 when the communist regime fell in Romania, like many fellow East Europeans I became necessarily political.
We live in a complex multicultural world still scarred by nationalist extremisms, ethnic discrimination and the social, political and economic exclusion of minorities. I believe that research can change us, and implicitly society, for the better. Research may make us aware of injustice, but more importantly it changes the way we think about ourselves and others and this, hopefully, will make a difference to the way we treat each other. Edge Hill University is a good choice for someone fresh from a PhD, with limited teaching experience. It gave me the opportunity to grow slowly into the lecturer that I am now, in a supportive environment. Over the last few years, research at Edge Hill has become more rigorous and outward looking and I personally welcome its new intensity and competitiveness. The University is also part of a fantastic cultural setting in the North of England – warm and welcoming, even for cultural aliens like me. In terms of my research, this geographical area, with its multi-ethnic outlook, offers plenty of inspiration.”
A period as a journalist covering Transylvania’s subsequent ethnic tensions sparked an interest in nationalism and ethnicity and I returned to academia to do an MPhil and then a PhD in nationalism and media. My current research is about producing a political critique of the way current elites manage (and lamentably fail) processes of identity formation and immigration.
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Research Profile
Dr Dave Putwain
Senior Lecturer in Psychology Research Interests: The psychological factors that influence and, in turn, are influenced by learning and achievement, particularly psychological theories of motivation, self-competence beliefs, fear of failure and the classroom environment. Research Work: Dave has carried out extensive research into the effects on students of exam pressure from parents and teachers. He has recently completed projects on the role of resilience in the transfer from primary to secondary school, secondary teachers’ use of fear and efficacy appeals and the role of the psychological contract in undergraduate students’ academic performance and satisfaction at university. He is currently working with colleagues from the University of Wales on how achievement related goals, emotions and confidence change in the first year of undergraduate study, and with the University of Manchester on two projects – a comparison of motivations and worries of English and Chinese students in the final year of compulsory schooling, and trialling an attentional bias modification protocol on test anxiety and achievement in pupils taking their GCSEs. “I was a teacher for nine years before I went into academia. As a psychology graduate I’d always been interested in the psychology of teaching and the psychological factors that affect learning behaviour. What makes children achieve? Why do some children enjoy learning and some not? I decided to do a PhD to try and answer some of these questions, and ended up with more questions – which I’m still trying to answer.
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My work on exam stress received quite a lot of media coverage and sparked debate among practitioners and parents. Findings from this research has had a real impact on teaching practice by providing advice to schools and families over how best to manage the anxiety experienced by pupils in the period around important exams. My research necessarily influences my teaching, and vice versa, as I am literally practising what I research on a day-to-day basis. I see my research in action every day. My research informs, and is informed by, my teaching of educational psychology, but it also helps me support my students’ own achievement. What I like about Edge Hill is that you have the space to develop as a researcher and this element of personal development is integral to departmental research strategies”.
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Research Profile
Professor Richard Parrish Sports Law
Research Interests: Sports law, with a particular focus on the impact of the EU on sport. Research Work: Richard was one of two UK academics invited onto the European Commission’s select Group of Independent Sports Experts, to advise on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty’s provisions on sport across all 27 member states. He also acted as Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords inquiry into the Lisbon Treaty and sport, and is also an expert advisor for the EU’s TAIEX programme, having provided advice to the governments and sports bodies of the Ukraine, Albania, Belarus and Turkey on the approximation of European laws relevant to sport. Richard has recently completed two further major reports for the EU: one for the Commission concerning discriminatory practices in European sport; the other for the European Parliament on the Lisbon Treaty and EU sports policy. He is the author of four books on EU sports law and has delivered papers on the subject worldwide. At the same time I’m also looking to inform the choices made by those responsible for organising sport, and public bodies such as the Government and the European Union who exercise regulatory control over sport. An example is the work I recently undertook for the EU and the House of Lords on the future of EU sports law and policy following the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. In this respect, it is extremely gratifying to see the University’s Centre for Sports Law Research having a genuine impact on UK and European sports policy.
Edge Hill is a university that supports research and encourages research led teaching. This philosophy enables the academics to shape national and international debates while providing its students with day to day access to this expertise in the classroom. For example, appearing on the reading list of our International Sports Law module are six major EU sports reports authored by members of the Centre for Sports Law Research. Our students also benefit from our professional connections within sport. Guest speakers have included Director of Manchester United FC Maurice Watkins and Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Gordon Taylor OBE.” He is currently part of a European Commission research team with the universities of Liverpool and Loughborough looking into the compatibility of UEFA’s home-grown player rule with EU law. “As a researcher in the specialist area of sports law, it is important that my research helps underpin the academic discipline while also informing professional practice. Sports law is now taught on many law degrees, including two undergraduate modules here at Edge Hill University and as part of our new postgraduate LLM in International, Business and Commercial Law, so it is vital that the discipline develops a body of high quality literature.
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Research Profile
Gabriella Torstensson
Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies Research Interests: Educational development and management in developing countries; comparative cultural perceptions of childhood; children’s agency and identity development. Research Work: Gabriella is working with international colleagues on a comparative research project exploring the impact of cultural contingent perceptions of childhood on policy borrowing and transfers between countries. She is a member of the Botswana Educational Research Association, the Royal African Society, the Nordic Educational Research Association, the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society, and the Association for the Study of Primary Education. Gabriella also sits on the editorial board of the international journal Education 3-13 and is the reviews editor for the International Journal of Art and Design Education. “My interest in cultural influence on policy transfer, dissemination and implementation began when I was working in Southern Africa while studying international relations and development studies. Since then both my professional work in early years and my studies have contributed towards my research interests. After my first degree in Nursery and Early Years Education, I worked as a volunteer with preschool teacher training in rural communities in Botswana. Since then I have worked within early years and primary education as a teacher, Advanced Skills Teacher, head teacher and international consultant in a range of countries, while at the same time studying for my degrees. 26
My MBA in Education Management dissertations focused on policy development, dissemination and actualisation process from the ministerial to the school level, while my PhD thesis explored the impact of HIV/AIDS on the educational system in Botswana. All of my experience and knowledge feeds into my research which, in turn, directly influences my teaching, allowing me to draw on a wide range of anecdotes and data within my lectures. Edge Hill not only has excellent facilities for researchers, it offers a lot of potential for cross-discipline and collaborative research. My area of interest has a lot of synergy with education, public health and psychology, and I am looking forward to exploring the possibilities for collaboration in the future.”
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Research Profile
Dr Iain Lindsey
Senior Lecturer in Sports Development Research Interests: Sport policy and development. Research Work: A piece of funded research for UK Sport evaluating a project involving UK and Ghanaian students aimed at developing proposals for the sustainable manufacture of sports equipment in Ghana. Iain is also undertaking a three-year Comic Relief funded evaluation of a sport and men’s health programme in Southampton. He has also received funding from the Leverhulme Trust to undertake collaborative research on sustainable development in Tanzanian and Ghanaian sport. He is currently co-authoring two books and is also a member of the UK Sport Technical Advisory Group for their Beckwith International Leadership Development programme. “I was enthusiastic about moving to Edge Hill because of the strength of sport within the University and the presence of others in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity with similar research interests to my own.
Much of my research is applied in nature and this has involved developing new methodologies to gather data and disseminate findings, for example through the use of text messages and video presentations. This way the research may have greater value to sports development practitioners in the Global South. One of the best parts of my job is demonstrating to students the difference sports-based programmes can make to people and communities, particularly when we are able to take them out to developing countries to experience it first hand. Research into sports development in Africa at Edge Hill University is quite different to the majority of work in this field in that we are collaborating with African institutions. Our research is not rooted in the Global North; it is locally focused and informed by African voices. It’s great that, through our research, we can offer students an alternative view and give them a much broader understanding of the subject.”
I have three particular areas of interest within the field of sport policy and sport development: the role of partnerships as part of sport policy making and delivery systems; the use of sport for development in Global South locations; and the sustainability of sport development programmes. I’m interested not just in the practice of sport itself, but also in how involvement in sport can contribute to wider social development, particularly in the Global South. Sport can help to promote health issues, for example, or build leadership capacity, which has implications far beyond sport. 29
Research in the Faculty of Education The Faculty of Education has a vibrant research culture led by a team of experienced researchers who support and drive forward the Faculty’s ambitions. A team of three professors and two readers is responsible for liaising with Heads of Area to ensure that research active staff are supported in meeting publication targets. The focus is on practice-based research that supports the creation and dissemination of new knowledge centred on what works in the professional practice setting, why it works and applications in different contexts.
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The Faculty is at the forefront of educational policy development and is actively engaged in schools partnerships that bring research into the classroom. One leading example is the co-sponsorship with St Helens College of The Sutton Academy in St Helens, an initiative that aims to explore and demonstrate the extent to which teacher education and education research can be integrated with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of teaching and outcomes for young people.
We also play an active role in subject knowledge development in teaching, with strengths across the curriculum and age phases. In addition, the Faculty has a reputation for research into issues of gender and masculinity in education, particularly boys’ engagement with education and the impact of male role models in teaching. This forms part of a wider research agenda around widening participation and educational inclusion of disadvantaged groups including those with Special Educational Needs.
The Faculty aims to maintain expertise in teaching and consultancy through the use and promotion of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This is reflected in recruitment policy which aims to redress the methodological expertise imbalance in social sciences. It has been particularly successful in achieving large scale business development contracts such Every Child Counts, Mathematics as an Additional Specialism and the national SENCO and dyslexia awards. Several staff are engaging in critical reflection and theorizing in these areas through the University’s Practice Based Research Initiative. Robert Smedley Dean of Faculty of Education
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Research Profile
Professor Martin Ashley
Head of Research, Faculty of Education and Director of the Centre for Learner Identity Studies Research Interests: Boys' singing and the transition from primary to secondary school; the connection between boys singing and educational achievement; and the impact of male role models on boys' concept of identity and masculinity. Research Work: Widening Young Male Participation in Chorus, a major Arts and Humanities Research Councilfunded knowledge transfer project in collaboration with the National Youth Choir. This work explored the question of why boys don't sing and informed the Sing Up Britain campaign – a £40m Government drive to increase singing in all British schools. Martin's latest project, Are We the People?, is a collaborative project with the University of Queensland looking at attachment behaviour and role modeling within the context of gender equity and the boys' achievement debate. Martin is currently developing accreditation for the UK school singing workforce, including a new MA (music education) with choral conducting or classroom pedagogy strands. “The failure of young males to engage in education is a global problem. From my background in teaching, I began to realise that singing is a good barometer for testing boys' achievement in school – put simply, in schools where there is a culture of boys singing, they tend to be more engaged in education and achieve more. I am interested in why that is, and what other factors influence boys' educational attainment. The starting point for much of my enquiry is the belief that the arts play a singularly important role in the full development of boys.
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Good research in education has to have an impact. My research into boys and singing has generated a rewarding level of interest from academics and practitioner communities across the world and is starting to influence international teaching practice. The University allowing me to take up a Visiting Professorship at the University of Queensland, where I am undertaking collaborative research with the School of Music, has given me an excellent opportunity to extend my research into singing and to work with a wider range of educational leaders, teachers and boys. It has also led to wider collaborative research into the key features of identity that affect boyhood and the role of positive male role models in the classroom and in the home. Support for research has been generous and the opportunities for the start-up of new projects are always positive. This is due to the allocation of funds through the 2008 RAE, but also to the considerable success of the Faculty of Education in generating income through business development.”
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Research Profile
Dr Susan Graves
Programme Leader, BA (Hons) and FdA Professional Development Research Interests: The development of skills for the wider school workforce, particularly in terms of Teaching Assistants (TA) and Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA). Research Work: Susan’s doctoral and subsequent research has focused on perceptions of the HLTA role and its impact on pupil attainment. She has had several articles published on the subject and has presented at teaching and learning conferences across the UK and Europe. Susan was also the project manager responsible for implementing HLTA status in Merseyside and Cheshire. “Before moving into higher education I worked in further education, helping teachers and lecturers improve their skills through CPD courses, so I’ve always had an interest in the development of skills and how that impacts on teaching and learning. My current research is concerned with the development of the school workforce in the context of wider public sector reform, and how that reform works in practice in the classroom. Since the introduction of Higher Level Teaching Assistants, the boundaries between teachers and support staff have become less clear – it creates an interesting new dynamic in schools that’s fascinating to study.
There hasn’t been that much research into the impact of HLTAs in schools and, as the role has developed under the current government, it will be interesting to see how it intersects with the teacher role in the future. My research looks at the ambiguities and challenges of the role and will, hopefully, highlight good practice that can be implemented across the sector. This research has led to another project looking at the use of technology and virtual environments in skills development. It’s very difficult for TAs and HLTAs to be released from schools to attend courses, so online learning will become increasingly important. I’m interested in the impact that has on learner identity. Edge Hill has allowed me to progress my research through the REF, and this had given me the foundation to bid for external funding. The University has a growing reputation for education research – I am proud to contribute to this expertise and hope to shape policy and practice for the wider school workforce in the future.”
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Research Profile
Fiona Hallett
Reader in Education Research Interests: Academic literacy in higher education and inclusive education, particularly relating to special educational needs. Research Work: Fiona’s most recent research activity ranges from academic journal submissions on inclusive and ethical research and the teachers’ Code of Conduct, to invited presentations at international conferences in the UK and Spain. Her involvement in the Teacher Education Research Network has resulted in a research project with University of Manchester, which has generated a British Educational Research Association (BERA) symposium and the development of four co-authored publications. In 2009 she was appointed to the European Educational Research Association (EERA) Council as lead convenor of the ‘Emerging Researcher’s Network’, developing research activity among new researchers across Europe. Fiona is also joint Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Special Education. “Since I started at Edge Hill in 2004 I’ve been given a wealth of opportunities to engage in research. I have also had the opportunity to mentor a number of colleagues new to research which has been extremely rewarding.
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More recently I have benefited from institutional support to develop research funding bids and have submitted a major bid to the EU around academic literacy, which involved 16 partners from across, and beyond, Europe. I have also submitted a bid to the British Academy to develop collaborative research with the University of Johannesburg around Inclusive Education and have been invited to take part in a further EU bid as a partner. My research is driven by a desire to understand pedagogic practice in all sectors of education; an interest that began when I was a classroom teacher undertaking a Masters degree at Edge Hill. One of the benefits of engaging in research at Edge Hill is that we are constantly encouraged to analyse our own practice alongside our substantive area of expertise. This culture of enquiry has resulted in my being able to pursue complementary research activities without being limited to a particular ‘specialism’. It is this intellectual freedom that makes Edge Hill an exceptional environment for academic endeavour.”
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Research Profile
Tim Cain
Professor of Education Research Interests: Practitioner research, particularly in music education. Research Work: Tim’s current work focuses on the importance of teachers’ Action Research, teacher-led research that seeks to improve practice by understanding it. He has recently undertaken an EU-funded project about mentoring in Initial Teacher Training in Slovenia. This was followed by a project in Croatia, funded by the British Council, to help education advisors use action research to change teaching practice in those countries. Tim was Educational Consultant for Backtracks and Pitch Fever – two series of educational music programmes for Channel 4 and, in 2009, received the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) Award for research in teacher education.
Having been both a teacher and a trainer of teachers – simultaneously for many years – I have a deep understanding and passion for teaching and learning. I’m interested in the theory of teaching; why teachers do what they do, why some people make intuitively good teachers, their thoughts and motivations. To me, teaching is about so much more than delivery; it should be an interactive process with continual learning on both sides. For me research is all about engagement in the teaching and learning process and the continual thrill of learning new things. Edge Hill is probably the best place in the UK to be an educational researcher at the moment. My aim is to establish a professional practice research centre to build on existing expertise in the Faculty of Education and further develop Edge Hill’s growing reputation for education research.”
“I was originally a musician and then a music teacher, so I’ve always had a love of music. I started working with trainee teachers at Kingston University and Bath Spa University and this is when I became aware of the importance of mentoring to students’ progression. This really sparked my interest and I went on to do a PhD into Initial Teacher Training mentoring at the University of Southampton.
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Research Profile
Lisa Murtagh
Research Fellow in the Centre for Learner Identity Studies Research Interests: Formative assessment for learning in primary schools and at undergraduate level; the transition to higher education. Research Work: Lisa has recently implemented a pre-programme module to prepare teaching students for school based training and assessment that is currently being rolled out across undergraduate Initial Teacher Training programmes. She is also piloting a participative workshop for Open Days to manage expectations of teacher training assessment to both potential students and parents, and has presented the findings of this trial at the Teacher Education Advancement Network conference and will be presenting further on this theme at the forthcoming British Educational Research Association conference. “As a former teacher, I’ve always been interested in the way students progress through school. But it was the publication of Black and Wiliams’ work on assessment for learning that prompted me to develop my understanding further and undertake a PhD focusing on formative assessment. From a student perspective if formative assessment is done well it can have a major impact on their achievement. They have more ownership of the assessment process and are actively involved in their own learning, which makes for greater co-operation in the classroom and more incentive to succeed.
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I’ve since been supported by Edge Hill to broaden my research focus to explore the transition to higher education, which is particularly important for those students who have been out of education for a while. This has led to a pilot project to include practical assessment workshops at Open Days, and also to the introduction of an optional pre-programme module for part-time students to help prepare them for academic life. The results so far show that feedback gained during the pre-programme module is having a real impact on the academic performance of those students. What I love about my research is that it is embedded in my day-to-day teaching, it’s not divorced from practice. My research is enhancing Initial Teacher Training by supporting students before and during their programme, and is also giving the next generation of teachers an assessment toolkit to use in the classroom.”
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Research Profile
Dr Damien Shortt
English Subject Study Coordinator and Research Fellow, Centre for Learner Identity Studies Research Interests: Ethics and morality in the teaching profession. Research Work: A collaborative project with the University of Manchester which aims to analyse the implicit morality of the General Teaching Council for England’s Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers. Damien also works closely with school teachers as part of a funded project aimed at helping them undertake research and facilitating their attempts at enhancing their own, as well as their institution’s, practice. “All teachers are bound by a Code of Conduct but there are differing opinions about its relevance or impact as a piece of legislation. What I and, through my teaching, my students, are interested in is how it relates to day-to-day teaching practice. Do teachers refer to it? Are they influenced by it? Are they even aware of it? Is it fit for purpose?
After completing that project, I became a research fellow in the Centre for Learner Identity Studies and was able to use the teaching remission associated with that post to develop a research project investigating the impact of codes of conduct in the teaching profession. These opportunities to focus on research have helped my development enormously. In my relatively short career at Edge Hill, which began in the same year as it gained university status, it has been exciting to see and be involved in the rapid development of a research culture that now ranks favourably alongside, or exceeds, that at other institutions.”
As a former teacher myself, I am interested in the ethics of teaching and how the role of the teacher sits with the modern preoccupation, particularly in the media, with children and their welfare. Edge Hill University provides plenty of incentives for new researchers to undertake research and develop as an academic. Within a year of joining I was given the opportunity to take a 20% reduction in teaching commitments to pursue my research into the use of wiki software as a developmental tool for student writing.
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Research in the Faculty of Health and Social Care The Faculty of Health and Social Care has made a major investment in developing research capacity over the last few years. It has a growing national research profile, demonstrated by its performance in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise where 65% of the work submitted was judged as being internationally significant. The research portfolio of the Faculty continues to develop through the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre. Established for just over five years, the Centre aims to enhance research and scholarship within the Faculty, underpin knowledge exchange activities, and engage with the evidence-based practice agendas of local health care providers.
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Research is structured around three broad themes – long-term conditions, inter-professional education, and children, young people and families – and aims to address the national health and social care agenda. One major area of research is around the needs of unpaid carers looking after the terminally ill. This has resulted in a major grant from the National Institute for Health Research’s Research for Patient Benefit Programme to identify the needs of carers and ensure that those caring for the dying are given the best support.
Other major studies are looking at the needs of people living with motor neurone disease, the chronic health problems of long-term illicit drug users, an evaluation of a local hospice at home service, and exploring the training needs of junior doctors. One of the projects, Discussing Sexual and Relationship Health with Young People within a Children's Hospital, was commended in the Nursing Times Awards 2010.
In addition to major projects with national funding the Faculty has expertise in undertaking a variety of small scale research initiatives such as service evaluations and other practice-based research which is externally commissioned to meet the needs of a variety of NHS and social care partners. Seth Crofts Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Care
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Research Profile
Professor Barbara Jack
Head of Research and Scholarship, Faculty of Health and Director of the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre Research Interests: Palliative care in the UK and Africa. Research Work: An ongoing major project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s Research for Patient Benefit Programme, looking at the personal experience of caring for someone during the last year of life. Barbara was previously seconded to the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute where part of her work included evaluating the impact of the Liverpool Care of the Dying Pathway. She is the newly appointed Chair of the executive committee of the Palliative Care Research Society, and was one of the first appointed mentors of the Royal College of Nursing Academy of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Research. She is also an invited member of the Hospice Volunteer Association that is providing training for volunteers in developing countries, and is a Visiting Professor at Hospice Africa. “Through my clinical background as a registered nurse, I had a lot of contact with terminally ill patients in a hospital setting. Palliative care as a specialism was still in its infancy but I could see its value from my own experiences and it sparked an interest in the development of end-of-life care. Everyone should have the right to die with dignity and without pain, and it is this notion of a ‘good death’ that has influenced the direction of my research.
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My recent research has focused on the role of unpaid carers in palliative care – how they affect, and are affected by, what happens during a patient’s last year of life. Carers can play a pivotal role in whether or not a patient experiences a ‘good death’ but there is currently no routine support in place for carers. If we can develop a method of identifying factors carers find particularly stressful which then triggers appropriate and timely support, it would have a positive impact both on the patient’s last year of life and on the carer’s subsequent bereavement process. Death is a certainty; unfortunately, a good death currently isn’t. Knowing that I am contributing to the evidence base for good palliative care, including the support of family carers is very rewarding and a key driver in undertaking this research. Edge Hill has fully supported me in the development of this stream of applied research and provided opportunities to build upon my early work and to expand the research into sub-Saharan Africa. This has been invaluable, and when I see the impact of my research on patients’ families and healthcare professionals in Africa, it gives me a great sense of pride in working for such a supportive organisation.”
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Research Profile
Dr Jeremy Brown
Senior Lecturer in the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre Research Interests: Postgraduate medical education, particularly the transition in medical careers, work based assessment and case study research. Research Work: Given his expertise in transitions in medical careers, Jeremy was asked by the British Medical Journal to write an editorial on the durability of medical speciality choice, commenting on the impact of findings from a long-term study by Oxford University into the career destinations of cohorts of medical graduates. Jeremy manages a programme of research work in collaboration with the EPRC and Mersey Deanery – an organisation responsible for the facilitation, commissioning and management of postgraduate medical and dental education in Merseyside and Cheshire. He identifies topic areas before designing, co-ordinating and implementing research studies that focus on educational aspects of the medical and dental professions, with his study findings presented internationally and published in peer reviewed journals. His current work includes an investigation into the effectiveness of multi-source feedback in specialist medical training. He has published more than 25 peer-reviewed papers and is a reviewer for a number of academic journals.
As a rapidly developing university, Edge Hill is committed to broadening its research profile. This makes it a good place to be a researcher; not only are you encouraged in your own development, but your research success is noted and celebrated in a vibrant and exciting academic environment. The University has good formal and informal support networks across Faculties. The Research Support Office has proved invaluable, particularly for their expertise in external grant applications. But it’s the informal connections with like-minded colleagues that are most important. I have received a lot of help from others while I’ve been developing my research career, and now I have the opportunity to share my experiences and support new scholars at the start of their research journey.”
“I’m interested in what drives doctors, what their motivations are to progress in their careers. It’s a very tough profession and a fascinating area to research. We’re very fortunate in the EPRC to be able to undertake research in some specialised areas, and we have a strong track record of attracting large research grants to support this.
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Research Profile
Dr Anne Coufopoulos
Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Health Research Interests: Postgraduate medical education, the links between nutrition and inequality and nutrition and mental health, focusing on homeless women and their children and other marginalised groups; workplace interventions to improve diet and diet-related health. Research Work: Anne has developed and delivered nutrition training to over 150 Liverpool City Council support workers, following her extensive research into homelessness, nutrition and health. She was subsequently invited to become part of the council’s Homelessness and Health Steering Group and contributed to the development of its Homelessness Strategy in 2008 on how to improve nutrition to the city’s homeless population. She has published international research that focuses on infant and young child feeding in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Currently, Anne is working with Merseyrail on a knowledge exchange project that utilises her dietetic skills to deliver innovative interventions for the company’s workforce. These include nutrition workshops, sample diets and advice on heart health and eating habits and shift work. Anne is ‘nutrition adviser’ on a number of local and national projects, such as the Stakeholder Advisory Panel for the Association for Nutrition’s projects, Nutrition and Health Inequalities Project: Improving Capacity, Confidence and Competence in Nutrition across the Workforce and an initiative looking at the health of ex-seafarers in Liverpool.
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“My interests are rooted in ‘real world research’. My final year dissertation during my undergraduate degree explored Charles Murray’s underclass theory in relation to teenage pregnancy, and this sparked a passion which I have followed ever since. To me, it’s important that research has direct impact and the potential to make a difference, particularly for those groups in society often marginalised. As a registered dietician and academic, my research helps to inform policy at a local, national and international level. I always try to ensure that my research, teaching and professional practice work alongside each other so that the research remains relevant and the teaching and learning experience for my students is enhanced. Edge Hill is a good place to work and undertake and research. Since joining the Faculty of Health and Social Care I have had the opportunity and encouragement to broaden my research interests to explore nutrition and mental health, alongside my work on nutrition and inequality. I have colleagues who are always willing to exchange ideas, there is a vast array of resources to hand and I have the opportunity to be mentored through the Faculty’s Evidencebased Practice Research Centre. This guidance from professors in health research, and working as part of a multidisciplinary team, is enabling me to shape and enhance my research profile.”
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Research Profile
Dr Mary O’Brien
Senior Lecturer in the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre Research Interests: End-of-life and palliative care, focusing on nonmalignant illness, particularly neurological conditions, including motor neurone disease (MND). Research Work: As part of a team, and with NHS partners, Mary completed one of the first studies funded through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) stream in the North West exploring health, social and palliative care provision for people with MND. Mary is also part of a team that has been awarded RfPB funding to ascertain the needs of informal carers looking after family members with advanced progressive illnesses in their last year of life. She is on the editorial board of the British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, and a member of the panel of experts for a number of NIHR funding schemes and a member of the national MND Clinical Studies Group. Mary has published extensively and has presented her work worldwide.
End-of-life care for malignant and non-malignant illness and carers’ needs are high on the NHS agenda at present. During my nursing career I met and cared for many people affected by MND and witnessed the impact the condition has not only on people diagnosed with the illness but also on their families and friends. My research feeds into the debate on how care should be organised and provided during terminal illness and at the end of life. Having received encouragement and support during my early research career, I feel it’s important to be supportive of the next generation of researchers. I enjoy acting as a mentor to new researchers and using my experience to help postgraduate research students work towards higher degrees. As a research-active member of staff I welcome the support I receive and I am excited by the opportunities available to me to develop my research interests.”
“I didn’t set out to be a researcher. I am a qualified nurse and spent many years working in the NHS, latterly as a Specialist Nurse for motor neurone disease (MND). I got the chance to work on research studies and clinical trials in MND and enjoyed it so much that I did an MA in Health Research at Lancaster University to understand what research was all about. Then I got ‘the bug’ and wanted to start doing my own research.
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An Award-Winning Campus
Edge Hill University is situated in West Lancashire close to the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. The 160-acre landscaped campus, featuring a lake, is a fusion of high tech and heritage with award-winning, sustainable modern buildings alongside stunning examples of original 1930s art deco architecture. In the last decade we have invested more than £130 million in the campus with a further £200 million earmarked for capital projects by 2020. This investment has provided staff and students with a state-of-theart learning, teaching and research environment with facilities and accommodation that are among the best in higher education. Recent additions to the campus include a £13.5 million Student Hub and a £14 million Faculty of Health and Social Care building, featuring simulated wards and an operating theatre for realistic clinical skills training, plus a 900-seater auditorium, and an £8 million Business and Law School, complete with bespoke library and moot room. The campus also boasts a new Arts Centre with two public theatres and a media centre that includes a working television studio with industry-standard equipment.
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Edge Hill University St Helens Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 4QP United Kingdom +44 (0) 1695 585171 edgehill.ac.uk