Understanding transitions using a sociocultural framework

Transitions have traditionally been characterised as forms of change. These may either be inner changes (new beliefs or developmental growth) or the physical move from one place to another (see Erikson, 1975), such as the move from primary to secondary school. This theoretical paper will argue that transition can be best understood using a sociocultural framework, which links human thought and action to social and cultural situatedness (Zittoun, 2006). Using ideas underpinned by Vygotsky (1978) we will present three frameworks for addressing sociocultural transitions: (i) the notion of consequential transitions (Beach, 1999); (ii) symbolic transitions and identity rupture (Zittoun, 2006); and (iii) Communities of Practice transitions (Wenger, 1998). We will borrow examples from research on educational transitions from primary and secondary school contexts through to Higher Education in order to demonstrate that transitions are about a change in self-identity born out of uncertainty in the social and cultural worlds of the individual. Implications for educational practitioners involved in supporting young people undergoing transitions will be discusse

Working with students as partners in pedagogic research: staff and student experiences of participating in an institutional bursary scheme

This case study presents a discussion of an institutional bursary scheme (called URB@N), in which students work in partnership with staff on learning and teaching research projects. The collation of evaluative evidence over several years (via student reflective accounts, annual feedback surveys from staff and students, observations and reflections from scheme coordinators and qualitative interviews with staff and students who have participated) suggests that this model provides a valuable and impactful approach to staff/student partnership working to facilitate educational enhancement. Also discussed are emerging challenges, highlighting some of the difficulties associated with implementing effective partnership models

URB@N: the story so far

The URB@N Scheme (Undergraduate Research Bursaries @ Northampton) has been running at the University of Northampton since the 2008/9 academic year, and has grown into an embedded, institutionally recognised scheme. URB@N involves undergraduate students working as researchers alongside staff on pedagogic research projects which investigate various aspects of the student experience. In this paper, I will discuss the underpinnings behind URB@N, and how it aligns with current agendas in higher education landscape around the notion of staff-student partnerships (Little, 2011). I will also explore staff and student experiences of participating in the scheme, based on evidence gained from participant feedback, student reflective accounts, and a selection of interviews with staff and students who have been involved. The data gathered so far presents an array of beneficial outcomes, with positive impacts being identified for staff, students and the university as a whole. Some of these benefits include research and employability skills, access to the student voice, authentic data, increase in research activity, and enhancement of the student experience through the implementation of project outcomes. There are however some challenges for schemes such as URB@N, which I will consider in terms of potential barriers for staff and students working in partnership

Editorial

An introduction to this re-launch edition of the journal by the new members of the editorial tea

Helping children to get along: teachers’ strategies for dealing with bullying in primary schools

This brief report describes a small scale qualitative interview study with primary school teachers in England, investigating their perceptions of bullying and strategies to prevent and manage it. Findings showed that much intervention work was situationally dependent, with teachers making subtle judgements about when and how to intervene. Prevention and intervention work centred on empathy development, and teaching children skills to help them nurture effective social relationships. We suggest that this holistic approach to bullying enables teachers to address multiple agendas aligned towards promoting children’s social and emotional learning

What is this thing called bullying? Using sociocultural framing to interpret research on defining school bullying

In this theoretical paper, we re-examine some of the empirical literature that has studied definitions of school bullying, and offer sociocultural theorising as a useful underpinning to interpret it. Research exploring how young people and teachers perceive school bullying has indicated that definitions are inconsistent. This includes the characteristics of an incident that equate to a definition of bullying, and also the type of behaviours encompassed by the term bullying. Using Wenger’s (1998) Community of Practice framework, and Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological System approach, we will argue that bullying is contextual, based on situated relationships between individuals operating in various communities and settings. Therefore it is to be expected that the way bullying is conceived and articulated will vary between groups, and in different situations. This has educational significance in terms of how bullying is interpreted and managed in school

Early applied experience: helping first-year students to bridge theory-practice gaps

This case study reports on a first-year module on developmental and educational psychology, where we have included a volunteering placement in an education setting as part of the required activities. Students are asked to identify and organise an educational volunteering opportunity, which subsequently forms part of their module assessment. The aim of the volunteering is to help them gain valuable experience in education settings which contributes to employability skills and CV development; alongside helping them to build links between theory and practice. The structure of the module, and activities for them to complete in relation to their volunteering, encourage them to reflect on the observations and experiences they have made, and consider how these compare and contrast to psychological theory and research in the field of developmental and educational psychology. This experience at year one is built upon by further (and more extensive) volunteering opportunities in years two and three. These opportunities reflect the progression of students – moving from more descriptive tasks in year one (relating observations to theory) to critically reflective tasks in year three (evaluating a service or provision) - thus enabling the students to gain extensive educational experience, whilst also demonstrating their ability to apply the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world settings. Not only is this useful for their learning, but also for their ongoing career development when they graduate

Undergraduate Research Bursaries at Northampton (URB@N): an institution-wide initiative where students work in partnership with staff on learning and teaching projects

This case study reports on the URB@N scheme (Undergraduate Research Bursaries @ Northampton) at The University of Northampton, where undergraduates work in partnership with staff on pedagogic research projects. The scheme is described, along with examples of previous projects and experiences of staff and students in order to show the impact of the scheme, and evidence of 'making change' to the student experience

Psychology of education: Theory, research, and evidence-based practice

A Book Review of the 'Psychology of education: Theory, research, and evidence-based practice' by Dr Janet Lord (SAGE Publications Ltd, London