Pedagogy, Language, Arts and Culture in Education
Research Interests and Projects
- Artists' practice and pedagogy
- Arts education (music, drama, art) and research related methodologies
- Childhood studies
- Children's musical composition and improvisation
- Children's representations of cities and distant plac
- Classics education
- Creativity (learning and teaching) in music and other areas
- Critical approaches to children's literature
- Critical approaches to media texts
- English literature
- English (as a secondary subject)
- Gender, education and research methodology
- Geography and environmental education
- History of education
- History of reading
- History of women's movement
- ICT and distance learning
- Language and literacy policies
- Literary and biographical studies
- Music education and digital technology
- Music in children's lives and adolescent engagement
- New youth subcultures in the global city
- Pedagogies, pedagogic change and innovation
- Poetry for children
- Primary education
- Pupil voice
- Reading
- Screen media
- School curriculum
- Second and foreign language education
- Teaching of reading and writing
- Visual literacy
- Youth issues
Funded Research Projects
Primary Review (Esmee Fairbairn)
Professor Robin Alexander (Director), Christine Doddington (Associate Director) are leading a major review into primary education (2008). (Please click on links for further information - www.primaryreview.org.uk and www.robinalexander.org.uk).
Language Learning at Key Stage 3: The Impact of the Key Stage 3 Modern Foreign Languages Framework and changes to the curriculum on provision and practice (DCSF)
Michael Evans and Linda Fisher (co-directors); Ruth Levine and Caroline Filmer-Sankey (Research Associates)
Key Stage 3 has in recent years become an even more crucial period for foreign language learning than it has been previously in England. It is currently the only stage of compulsory language learning in this country and KS3 languages teachers will increasingly play a pivotal role in strengthening transition with KS2 and with KS4. This national, DCSF-funded study is examining the impact of the following policy initiatives on KS3 provision and practice in schools: the introduction of foreign language teaching in primary schools; KS3 Framework; Specialist Language Colleges; Languages uptake post - KS3. The study is also examining drivers and challenges to effective language provision and teaching at this level.
Language Education and Pedagogy in English and French-speaking Cameroon: a comparative approach to primary school teachers' perceptions (British Academy)
Edith Esch: Director
This project studies the significance of primary teachers views in the process of reproduction of language norms and ideologies. From a comparative perspective, it aims to document how far teachers thinking contributes to the educational situation in Cameroon where teachers are at the intersection of two conflicting traditions and conflicting models of multilingualism: a transitional view favouring the use of official languages in schools as the basis to national integration and economic development and the integrative view which places multilingualism at the heart of national integration with functional complementarity between languages.
Schools Classics Project
Will Griffiths, Director. Martin Dawes: Research; Verity Walden: Latin Learning Manager
The Cambridge School Classics Project (CSCP), established in 1966 with funding from the Nuffield Foundation and the Schools Council, is a research and development project to make the classical world accessible to as many students as possible. It aims to forge strong links with teachers and learners, advance the pedagogy of classics teaching, and create high quality, innovative teaching materials exploiting new technologies. The Project s recent research has included: the role of ICT to support students learning Latin with specialist or non-specialist teachers; storytelling in the primary classroom; access to Latin in UK secondary schools. Since 2000 the Project has helped over 400 schools introduce Latin and over 500 schools introduce Classical storytelling. For further information see www.CambridgeSCP.com
Curriculum Organisation (QCA)
During 2007 Dominic Wyse carried out a research project for the QCA which focused on curriculum innovation and particularly the allocation of time for learning.
Collaborative Research Projects
Core Conflict Competency in university education for the professions
International collaborative project - Morag Morrison (Cambridge, Faculty of Education) Professor Bruce Burton (Griffith University, Australia) Margaret Lepp (University of Gothenberg, Sweden) Co-directors.
The aim of this project is to construct a programme of teaching and learning in conflict management that will be widely applicable to graduate and undergraduate education world-wide. The programme will initially focus on core conflict competency learning in the discipline areas of the Health Sciences, Teaching and Criminal Justice. The successful outcomes will then be disseminated and applied to other areas of professional education. Academics from Griffith, Melbourne and Sydney universities will work with colleagues from Cambridge and Gothenburg to develop university courses and modules of study that will improve the competence of graduating students and post-graduates in managing conflict situations and experiences in their professional careers. It is anticipated that this increased conflict management competency will enhance the quality of teaching and learning on a range of professional degrees and improve the overall performance of early career professionals.
Words about Pictures: Pictures about Words
Morag Styles has been collaborating with Martin Salisbury from Anglia Ruskin Art School who runs the masters course in children s book illustration. We have run two seminar series involving students and staff from both our masters courses (children s literature in the case of the Faculty of Education) with speakers such as Quentin Blake and Charlotte Voake, as well as distinguished artists who teach at Anglia Ruskin, John Lawrence and James Mehew. Morag Styles and Martin Salisbury share a passion for the picturebook and are keen to learn from each others disciplines alongside our students. We have taught on each others courses and are working towards a joint funded research proposal.
Recent Books Published by PLACE Members |
|
| Music Education with Digital Technology John Finney and Pam Burnard |
 |
| Child-centred Education: Reviving the Creative Tradition Christine Doddington and Mary Hilton |
 |
| The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation David Whitley |
 |
| Teaching English, language and literacy Dominic Wyse and Russell Jones |
 |
| Changing Classics in School Bob Lister |
 |
| Meeting the Challenge: international perspectives on the teaching of Latin and Language Learning Bob Lister |
 |
| Creative Learning 3-11 and how we document it: What, How and Why? Anna Craft, Teresa Cremin and Pamela Burnard |
 |
| Reflective Practices in Arts Education Pamela Burnard and Sarah Hennessy |
 |
and
Lister, B (2008, forthcoming). 'Latin in Transition', in Arts and Humanities in Higher Education.
Esch, E., (2008), 'Autonomy ten years on: Clash or Crash?' In: Pemberton, R.et al.(eds.) Autonomy
Lawes, S., Evans, M. and Pachler, N. (2006) Modern Foreign Languages (Teaching School Subjects 11-19). London: Routledge.
Hickman R. (2008) (ed.) Research in Art Education: issues and exemplars. Bristol: Intellect.
Styles, M. (2006) Reading Lessons from the Eighteenth Century: Mothers, Children and Texts. Lichfield: Pied Piper Publishing.
Wyse, D., McCreery, E., and Torrance, H. (2008). The trajectory and impact of national reform: Curriculum and Assessment in English primary schools (primary review research survey 3/2). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
Book Launches
John Gray hosted an Evening Book Launch from 6pm on Wednesday, 20 February in Grantchester. John Finney presented Music Education with Digital Technology (co-author Pam Burnard is on study leave) and Christine Doddington and Mary Hilton presented Child-Centred Education: Reviving the Creative Tradition.
At the Lunchtime Book Launch, on 10 March, Michael Evans presented Modern Foreign Languages: Teaching School Subjects 11-19, and David Whitley presented The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation.
Children's Literature
Professor Maria Nikolajeva, Stockholm University led a well attended research seminar on 'the Harry Potter phenomenon on 29 January 2008.
Professor Perry Nodelman, Winnipeg University, led a research seminar on 'Clever Enough to do Variations: Sendak as a Visual Musician on 5th March.
Introductory meeting for PLACE PhD students
We would like to welcome our PhD students to the PLACE Academic Group. Dominic Wyse will lead an Introduction to PLACE for our PhD students and their Supervisors from 1.30-2.30pm on Tuesday, 18 March 2008, in GS1.
Recently Completed Research Projects
Pupil and Teacher Perceptions of the Nature of Artist Pedagogies and Their Potential Impact On School Change
Pamela Burnard and Mandy Maddock
The Robinson Report, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (NACCCE, 1999) and its key recommendations served as a 'call to arms' to school leaders, educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners to provide the kinds of creative and cultural education that young people need and deserve.
One strand of funded projects in the educational arena includes involving teachers, professional artists and young people working in participatory arts activities and in cross-disciplinary projects. This small-scale scoping study aimed to explore pupil and teacher views on the ways in which visiting artists worked in a large Sussex comprehensive school with specialist status in the performing arts, and to attempt to assess the value of these pedagogical encounters, and how their outcomes might relate to school change.
The study demonstrated that artists' pedagogies contribute to advancing pupil learning and can help pupils to regain confidence in their learning capacity. The visiting artists were seen as professionals with expert knowledge who came into the school in a joint quest for opening new ways of thinking, for improving standards, and of building new understanding of creativity. The artists offered new starting points, new learning relationships, new ways of being a learner and of learning. There was evidence that artist pedagogies contributed to perceived changes in pupils and teachers. The project has led to many published outcomes by Pam Burnard, Mandy Maddock and collaborating colleagues. For a fuller account of this research, please download the pdf.
Curriculum Innovation
In 2007 Dominic Wyse carried out a research project for the QCA which focused on curriculum innovation and particularly the allocation of time for learning. He is currently carrying out work with a school in the South West of England which is also innovating with curriculum organisation.