School Research Conference 2013
Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:31:00 BST
The annual School research conference was held on 6 March 2013 for researchers both in the School and across the University. There were contributions, presentations and posters from students of the Schools of Computing and Engineering and Human and Health Sciences.
The public lecture: Everyday ethics in community-based participatory research
The public lecture was delivered by Professor Sarah Banks, Co-Director of the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action at Durham University.
She explored a range of ethical issues that arise in community-based participatory research, drawing on literature and examples from practice. It’s is an increasingly popular research methodology that aims to mobilise local and indigenous knowledge of people based in communities of place, identity and interest. Whilst many of the ethical challenges are common to social research generally (informed consent, anonymity, issues of ownership of data and findings), the dynamic, complex and value-based nature gives them particular prominence.
The lecture drew on two recent studies of ethical issues, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the UK research councils ‘connected communities’ programme’. The first is a scoping study based on a literature review and the deliberations of an action research group of community partners and academics from Durham and Newcastle Universities (Durham Community Research Team, 2011). The second is a study bringing together community and university partners from four previous projects to develop ethical principles and guidelines and share and write up case studies and case examples of ethical issues (National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, 2012).
Research presentations: The breadth of education research
The event gave an opportunity for EdD and PhD students researching in the education subject area to present their work to a ‘friendly’ audience and receive informal, constructive feedback. The range of topics presented demonstrates the breadth of education research both in the School and across the University. The diverse research presentations made during the day included;
- How do experienced teachers recently appointed to a new school respond to collaboration between a ‘New-style Academy’ and a ‘New Trust’ school? Dr Bob Butroyd
- Rapport and friendship in teacher relationships with learners Dr Bob Butroyd
- Building relationships with students in the online environment Sue Folley
- Whose night off? An exploration of the issues involved in youth work on Friday and Saturday nights; Lyn Boyd
- Surfing the edge of chaos: Professional identity constructs of senior leaders in children and young people’s services; Ceri Daniels
- Young people's experiences of working in the private sector; Dr Ron Thompson, Dr Lisa Russell and Dr Robin Simmons
- Improving schools through a culture of high expectations: schools’ academic press and student achievement in effective and less effective high schools in Jamaica; PhD student
- Why do people choose the teaching profession in Pakistan?; PhD student
- Identifying personal concepts of good practice in early years; Mary Dyer, EdD Student
- The scientist in fiction - How do primary school children engage with fictional representations of science and scientists?; PhD student
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the flipped classroom and peer instruction: Case studies in hospitality management and the sciences.
- The role of scholarly activity in the development of a higher in further education culture
- Raising reading achievement among a small group of Year 8 boys: Two case studies.
- The impact restorative practices, particularly peer mediation, have on pupil behaviour
- Monitoring the progress of history students in the short, medium, and longer term.
- Exploring the invisible : Bernstein and learning through social networks; Cheryl Reynolds, PhD student
- An investigation of the experiences of newly graduated English language teachers in their first years in Libyan schools; a case study in post-conflict Tripoli; PhD student
- Tales from the Cardioverse; PhD student
Professor James Avis was pleased with attendance and commented on the value of the seminar presentations, benefitting both presenters and attendees.
