Education

Supervisors / contacts: Dr Gurpinder Singh Lalli

Following a survey of 1,234 higher education students across three UK based and one US based university, nearly 35% of students reported low or very low levels of food security and 41% of students were worried that their food would run out. Also found was poor levels of mental health and wellbeing which was found to be associated to food security. Students who lived alone were found to be experiencing low or very low levels of food insecurity compared to those students living with family members. A high reliance on ultra-processed food was also discovered, which was the main source of student diets (Defeyter, 2020). The research on food insecurity in higher education is limited and this PhD proposal offers an opportunity for a prospective student to build further evidence. The follow research questions, impact objectives and methodological focus has been designed, but the student will be able to shape and develop further.

Research Questions (RQ)

1. To what extent are students in the UK experiencing food insecurity in higher education?

2. How are universities responding to students who are food insecure?

3. How can existing university policy structures support students in today and in the future?

Impact Objectives (IO)

1. To understand food insecurity in higher education

2. To understand university responses of supporting students experiencing food insecurity

3. To co-create with universities, National Union of students and community groups to engage in dialogue for collaboration to around future strategies to inform policy decisions

Methodology: Mixed methods approach which combines a survey co-created with National Union of Students and ethnographic case study across UK universities

Defeyter, G., Stretesky, P., Long, M. (2020) Food Insecurity and Lived Experience of Students (FILES)

Supervisors / contacts: Dr Matt Smith, Dr Howard Scott

Whilst a lot of research has focused on marginalisation (Messiou, 2006; Mowat, 2015; Wilson, Heaslip & Jackson, 2018), and on digital and mobile learning (e.g., Traxler, 2021; Bygstad et al., 2022) in the UK and global contexts, very little has yet been concerned with drawing these elements together to explore how online, digital and mobile learning can support communities who find themselves at the margins of the larger societies around them for reasons of power, wealth, security, language, literacy, capacity, support, infrastructure etc. As the research on this, especially in the UK, is limited this PhD proposal offers an opportunity for a prospective student to explore how

marginalised communities can be effectively supported by online learning spaces and pedagogies. The following research questions, impact objectives and methodological focus have been proposed, but the successful applicant for this PhD will be able to shape and develop their trajectory and design further.

Research Questions (RQs)

1. Are there commonalities amongst marginalised communities’ learning needs, and to what extent can these be supported by digital and online learning?

2. What are the barriers to effective online learning faced by these communities, and what are the existing and potential solutions to these problems?

Impact Objectives (IOs)

1. To understand the barriers to effective online learning faced by marginalised and excluded communities in the UK.

2. To explore solutions to these problems; both those currently being trialled and horizon-scanning for future opportunities.

3. To engage in dialogue and collaboration with these communities and those running educational programmes with them to discuss future strategies to inform policy decisions.

Methodology: Mixed methods approach which combines a survey co-created with National Union of Students and ethnographic case study across UK universities

Bygstad, B., Øvrelid, E., Ludvigsen, S., & Dæhlen, M. (2022). From dual digitalization to digital learning space: Exploring the digital transformation of higher education. Computers & Education, 182, 104463.

Messiou, K. (2006). Understanding marginalisation in education: The voice of children. European journal of psychology of education, 21, 305-318.

Mowat, J. G. (2015). Towards a new conceptualisation of marginalisation. European Educational Research Journal, 14(5), 454-476.

Traxler, J. (2021). A Critical Review of Mobile Learning: Phoenix, Fossil, Zombie or…..?. Education Sciences, 11(9), 525.

Wilson, D., Heaslip, V., & Jackson, D. (2018). Improving equity and cultural responsiveness with marginalised communities: Understanding competing worldviews. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(19-20), 3810-3819.

Beyond compliance? A critical examination of the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in challenging school exclusions in schools in England.

Supervisors / contacts: Dr Stephanie Brewster, Dr Zeta Williams-Brown

The School of Education has a long history of working with SENCOs, delivering the mandatory training since its inception in 2009. SENCos in England are the only professionals in schools required – until now - to have a Level 7 qualification, the National Award for SEN Coordination. In 2023, the government is discontinuing the Award which will be replaced by a

National Professional Qualification, thereby losing the 60 Masters level credits that came with the previous qualification. Therefore, professional development for SENCos is very much entering a period of transition, offering both opportunities and challenges to the role.

While there are examples of research studies exploring the managerial and operational aspects of the SENCO role, there is relatively little literature on the moral and ethical dimensions of their work (Richards, 2022) in relation to enshrining inclusive education as outlined in the SEND CoP (2015) and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4. However, there are widespread concerns about the implications of the new qualification for equipping SENCos with the capacity to exercise ‘advocacy leadership’ (Done, Knowler, Richards and Brewster 2022). The key aim of this study is to explore the role of the SENCO in schools and their capacity to challenge exclusionary practices (Done, Knowler & Armstrong, 2021). Utilising an ethnographic methodology, the research will draw on theories of professional identity (Richards, 2022), inclusive education and exclusionary practices to offer the first in-depth exploration of the work of SENCOs in challenging school exclusions.

This study would be an important way of demonstrating the University of Wolverhampton’s commitment to supporting SENCO postgraduate professional development, providing a pathway all the way from ITE to postgraduate research. It would represent a significant offering in the form of a doctoral level qualification (thus professional equivalency with Educational Psychologists) and would be, to our knowledge, the first doctoral study in England to be aimed at working SENCos.

Done, E.J., Knowler, H. and Armstrong, D. (2021), ‘Grey’ exclusions matter: mapping illegal exclusionary practices and the implications for children with disabilities in England and Australia. J Res Spec Educ Needs. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12539

Done, E., Knowler, H., Richards, H. and Brewster, S. (2022) Advocacy leadership and the de-professionalising of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator role. Published online 31.12.22. British Journal of Special Education. 50(2) p197-218 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12449

Knowler, H, Richards, H and Brewster, S (Eds) 2023. Developing Your Expertise as a SENCo; Leading Inclusive Practice. St Albans; Critical Publishing.

Richards, H. (2022) “It was tough making sure it happened”: SENCo experience of the reality and risk of education and health care plan implementation. Educational Review, DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2022.2033703

Richards. H. (2022) Developing your identity, agency and voice. Chapter 1 in Richards, H. and Malomo, M. Developing your professional identity: a guide for working with children and families. Critical Publishing. ISBN: 9781914171536

The proposed supervisory team has strong professional and academic experience in the field of Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Studies, including a number of publications relevant to the role of SENCo’s, and delivery of professional development. They also have experience of doctoral supervision and completion. The proposed study is clearly situated within the team’s expertise and current research activities.

Supervisors / contacts: Dr Gavin Ward

Tracking student progress, particularly students from Global Majority back grounds is vital to closing long established attainment gaps in UK HE. Key to understanding gaps in student attainment, is analysing how student demographics, attainment and progression coalesce in university courses and associated areas of study. There is also a need to contextualise this quantitative analysis within students’ reported experiences of the learning cultures within their course community. This mixed method approach will play a vital role in ensuring the University of Wolverhampton achieves its ambition to be university of opportunity. The project will aim to establish a routine system of processing university held data, student survey data and exploration of student experiences. This will aid the establishment of a longitudinal research in this area of work.

Research impact will be at the forefront of this project. Findings developed from the research will support the senior leadership team in the School to make strategic decisions in relation to the management of teaching and learning. The PhD candidate will have scope to discuss the use of different methodologies that will enable the extraction and analysis of university attainment data and to explore learning cultures and student experiences of these cultures at a module, course, and school level. Completing this project will establish a skill set that will enable the candidate to demonstrate institutional impact through high quality research and the production of peer reviewed outputs.