bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wholist-Analytic style and context as variables in metalinguistic performance: A follow-up study of adult native speakers
Authors: Zhang Meng , Noyes Jan M.
Published: January 2023

The Wholist-Analytic (WA) cognitive style reflects how a person views information, either globally or in parts, and it is suggested this may relate to the maintenance of attentional control. A study is reported in which 42 adult native English participants were given a timed, metalinguistic task and asked to correct grammatical and spelling errors in a set of English texts. The texts were manipulated to be either semantically correct or absurd. It was deduced that the semantically absurd texts would require a higher level of attentional control in linguistic processing because participants needed to avoid paying attention to the ‘distraction’ from the meanings. This study with native speakers, in contrast to a previous study carried out by the authors with second language speakers, did not reveal a main effect of WA cognitive style. This difference between native and second language speakers is interesting and may help us to understand further the function of the WA cognitive style and establish a distinction between domain-general innate attentional control ability (i.e. WA style) and domain-specific nurtured attentional control skills.
Supporting playful drawing in Foundation Stage settings
Authors: Ring Kathy
Published: January 2023

The work of Kress (1997) and Pahl (1999) shows the young child using drawing as one of a range of interrelated modes across which they make and transform meaning. Kress’s interest in a broader view of literacy, which takes account of young children’s ‘multi-modality’, recognises young children’s use of what is to hand within the environment. For Pahl (2002) young children’s drawings, as part of their free-flowing ‘text’ making in home settings, is lost to adults, subsumed under the heading of ‘play’.

Ring’s (2003) small-scale longitudinal study of seven young children drawing across home and pre-school/school settings takes a socio-cultural approach to drawing. It shows how the routines and rituals within settings can both enable and discourage young children’s use of drawing as a tool for making meaning. Supported by Howard’s (2002) study of the cues young children use to distinguish between ‘play’ and ‘work’, this article draws attention to the importance of practitioners in Early years Foundation Stage settings ensuring young children have experiences of drawing that they perceive to be playful.

The article uses data extracted from Ring’s (2003) study to analyse one child’s changing perceptions of the usefulness of drawing as a tool for carrying and representing meaning. It contrasts ‘playful’ and ‘workful’ approaches to provisioning and interaction taken by adults as the child moves across home, pre-school and school. The article highlights the importance of Early Years Foundation Stage practitioners’ better understanding of playful drawing as a tool for making meaning and transforming thinking. This requires an examination of their role in creating an environment in which playful drawing can flourish.
Epistemological problems in establishing an evidence base for classroom practice
Authors: Issitt John , Kyriacou Chris
Published: January 2023

The recent emphasis on identifying an ‘evidence base’ for classroom practice has generated a series of systematic reviews of the best available research evidence in an attempt to identify best practice in promoting positive learning outcomes for pupils. Drawing on our recent systematic review of research on classroom dialogue in mathematics lessons, commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), we have identified a number of epistemological problems which: (i) place limitations on how far such research findings actually generate useable and convincing ‘evidence based knowledge’ regarding classroom practice; and (ii) place limitations on the extent to which ‘evidence based knowledge’ can interface with ‘practitioner knowledge’. We suggest that there are two contrasting versions of the ‘evidence base discourse’: an eclectic version, where the research analysed encompasses findings from all types of research approaches and the synthesis is interpreted by teachers and others in a way that ‘informs’ rather than ‘directs’ their decision-making; and an RCTs-privileged version where studies using a randomised control trials (RCTs) design are privileged over other types of studies as providers of ‘best evidence’ and the synthesis forms the basis for governmental and school level policies concerning which practices teachers should be directed to make use of. In the light of our analysis we conclude that the evidence base discourse needs to align itself close to the eclectic version.
Towards a more inclusive Higher Education system: Celebrating success?
Authors: Pumfrey Peter
Published: January 2023

In 1998 the UK Government stated that its policy would be to make Higher Education (HE) more inclusive. A target of 50 per cent of 18- to 30-year-olds were to be experiencing HE by 2010. Students from groups that had previously been under-represented in HE included young people from semi-skilled or unskilled family backgrounds and from disadvantaged localities, and people with disabilities. This research focussed on changes in the numbers and academic standards of disabled and non-disabled students who successfully completed a first degree at a UK HEI over the 10-year period.

In line with Government policy, over the years from 1998/99 to 2007/08, in relation to students successfully completing a first degree, the challenges of making HE in the UK more inclusive are apparently being constructively addressed by HEIs. Between 1998/99 and 2007/08, the absolute numbers of students with disabilities successfully completing UK first degree courses has increased annually. First degreeacademic standards appear to have been maintained. The incidence and percentages of first class honours degrees awarded have risen annually for both non-disabled and disabled students.

In considering the above findings and the validity of the argument and evidence adduced in relation to the effects of Government HE policy on practice in HEIs, informed caution is essential. The question mark in the title directs the reader towards the controversial nature of non-explicit assumptions concerning the nature, extent and modifiability of students’ inter- and intra-individual differences in the attributes involved in successfully completing a first degree.
Work in Progress: The role of brand trust in the individual decision process towards the use of new technologies: An empirical investigation
Authors: Planing Patrick , Vignali Claudio , Dean Aftab , Britzelmaier Bernd
Published: January 2023

The aim of this paper is to present the current work in progress of the author’s research on the role of brands in the individual decision process towards the use of new technologies. Most contemporary research published in the field of innovation acceptance is based on a model originally developed in the field of psychology during the 1960s, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). In the TPB model behaviour is determined by intention which in turn is determined by three fundamental factors, the Attitude toward the Behaviour, the Subjective Norms and the Perceived Behavioural Control. These fundamental factors, in turn, are moderated by a set of background factors, which depending on the context of the study range from demographic or socio-economic variables to more abstract constructs as brand ownership. In the curse of this empirical research it will be tested whether brands have an influence on belief formation towards new technologies by moderating the attitudinal beliefs in the TPB model. Literature review suggests that greater brand trust reduces the perceived risks associated with an innovation and thus strengthens the intention to use a new technology. This relationship, however, currently lacks a convincing empirical verification.
Special Edition article: Teaching emotional intelligence and emotional self-efficacy in higher education
Authors: Pool Lorraine Dacre
Published: January 2023

Emotional intelligence is a widely researched topic with established associations between health, well-being and work-related outcomes. The concept of emotional self-efficacy is a relatively recent, but potentially important, addition to the emotional intelligence literature. Despite the interest in this area there are very few empirical studies that demonstrate it is possible for people to increase their levels of emotional competence. The study discussed in this paper involved the design, delivery and evaluation of an undergraduate teaching intervention that aimed to do this. The findings showed that it is possible to increase emotional self-efficacy and some aspects of emotional intelligence ability. Providing students in higher education with opportunities to develop their competence in this area will be beneficial both for their experiences whilst at university and their future employability as graduates entering the workforce.
Special Edition article: Targeted mental health provision for children with behaviour difficulties in primary schools: Results of a national randomised trial
Authors: Deighton Jessica , Patalay Praveetha , Belsky Jay , Humphrey Neil , Vostanis Panos , Fugard Andrew , Fonagy Peter , Wolpert Miranda
Published: January 2023

There is increased interest internationally in embedding mental health in schools and targeting those most at risk of problems, with particular interest in reducing behavioural difficulties. Findings from a national randomised controlled trial involving 8172 children, aged 8 to 10, from 266 schools in 65 Local Authority areas across England indicate that pupils with clinically significant behavioural difficulties at baseline report fewer such problems a year later if they attended schools randomly allocated to receive targeted mental health support than if they did not. These findings have implications for the development of effective intervention models in primary schools to prevent and ameliorate behavioural difficulties.
Annual Conference 2013 paper: Impulsivity in secondary school pupils: Issues and recent research findings Work in progress
Authors: Gott John
Published: January 2023

Previous studies have shown that high levels of impulsivity are often associated with negative educational and social progress. A study is underway examining the effects of impulsivity in adolescence in the context of secondary education in England. Teacher perceptions are initially being sought, to be followed by parent and pupil perceptions. A future stage will involve tracking pupil progress and will investigate links with these perceptions. It is hoped that this will lead to implications for management and prevention of negative outcomes.
Annual Conference 2013 paper: Six-year-old children considered failing in maths
Authors: Betenson Julie
Published: January 2023

This study confirmed that children as young as 6-years-old can already be deemed as failing in mathematics and considered a range of factors which may be contributing towards that judgement. These included the core number sense, connections between symbolic and non-symbolic representations of number, mathematical language used in the home, memory, anxiety and relative young age of the pupil in their year group. Case studies of four children formed the basis of the study. Thematic analysis conducted on the data revealed lack of understanding, weak memory and behavioural aspects as the main themes to explain the pupils’ difficulties with maths attainment. Intervention led to different outcomes depending on the profile of the individual pupil. The apparent progress of pupils indicates that targeted intervention concentrating on reinforcing connections between finger gnosis, numerosity and symbolic number patterns appear to have positive effects on these children’s learning, leading to greater confidence and enhanced understanding.
Beyond formal assessment in inclusive classrooms: The complex relationship between teacher beliefs and teaching
Authors: Woolfson Lisa
Published: January 2023

For inclusive educational policies to be successful teachers need to support their implementation in the classroom, in terms of their beliefs and instructional practices. But what do teachers believe about teaching and learning in children with special needs and disabilities in inclusive classrooms? This position paper considers this question. Possible ways forward will be suggested to encourage teacher beliefs that better support effective inclusive instructional practices.
The cyberbullying of schoolteachers by pupils: The perceptions of university students of education at a Brazilian
Authors: Kyriacou Chris , Zuin Antônio
Published: January 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the views of university students of education at a university in Brazil regarding the cyberbullying of schoolteachers by their pupils.

Design

A 30-item questionnaire was developed with a five-point response scale labelled from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

Methodology

The questionnaire was completed by 168 university students. Before completing the questionnaire, the university students watched an audio-visual recording in which a schoolteacher snatched a mobile phone from a pupil, who was using the mobile phone to have a conversation during a lesson, and then threw the mobile phone to the ground with such force that it smashed. This recording was a genuine piece of cyberbullying of a teacher by pupils that was widely shared on social media.

Results

The results indicated that the vast majority of the university students felt that the cyberbullying of schoolteachers by pupils is a big problem that needs to be addressed by schools. The university students felt that schools can reduce such behaviour by having a clear procedure on how to deal with cases against teachers; encouraging discussion of cyberbullying; highlighting its effects on teachers; and encouraging bystander pupils to denounce such behaviour.

Conclusions

These university students think that the cyberbullying of schoolteachers by pupils is a big problem and that schools need to do more to address this problem.
Embedding compassionate micro skills of communication in higher education: Implementation with psychology undergraduates
Authors: Harvey Caroline , Maratos Frances , Montague Jane , Gale Maggie , Gilbert Theo , Clark Karen
Published: January 2023

Many students struggle with group-based assessments. The pedagogic approach of the ‘compassionate micro skills of communication’ (CMSC) aims to equip students with the skills necessary to work effectively in group settings. To this end, students studying on a core psychology module involving group-work, received structured CMSC learning in seminars. Following its implementation, analysis of data from four student and one staff focus groups, using thematic analysis, indicated support for the pedagogic approach. Four themes emerged: the use of CMSC for addressing unhelpful group behaviours; employing helpful group behaviours; enhancing inclusivity; and areas for CMSC improvement and roll out. Quantitative data collection is still on-going and will be reported elsewhere. However, our preliminary analysis of the qualitative data provides good support for utilising a CMSC pedagogic approach in Higher Education regarding both its efficacy and potential positive impact.
Rethinking engagement with learning for neurodiverse students
Authors: Bailey Julie , Baker Sara T.
Published: January 2023

As we reform university teaching post-pandemic, we urgently need to know how best to meet the needs of all our students. By better understanding their experience, we can remove the barriers to inclusion for autistic and neurodiverse students. Building on existing conceptualisations of learning engagement, this study adapts engagement for neurodiverse students by reviewing conceptualisation and operationalisation of this metaconstruct for appropriateness and capacity to reflect the characteristics, complexity, and context of students’ learning experiences. The adapted engagement framework supports the design of more appropriate instruments to measure the engagement of students with their learning activities. This in turn supports research that reflects the importance of context and has the potential to inform inclusive teaching practice.
Perceptions of decolonising the curriculum: A preliminary Reddit forum study
Authors: Brewer Gayle , Hendrikse Calanthe
Published: January 2023

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at all levels of education. Central to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives has been decolonisation of the academic curriculum. There has, however, been little exploration of perceptions of decolonising the curriculum. In the present study we investigated perceptions of decolonising the curriculum using the popular online forum Reddit. We included both initial posts and replies (22 initial posts, 37 posts including replies) collected in July 2022. Inductive thematic analysis revealed four themes: Redundant, Exclusion and Replacement, Value, and Ulterior Motives. Given the paucity of research addressing this issue, findings should guide subsequent research in this area and inform practice e.g. when communicating the process and consequences of decolonising the curriculum.
Why Lesbian Women “choose” not to Parent? A qualitative study
Authors: Walter-Brice Alison
Published: January 2023

Summary

Through a process of discourse analysis this paper presents concepts and beliefs taken from two of four themes illuminated by lesbian women who were asked why lesbian women choose not to parent as opposed to having children?
The role of brief therapies in PTSD and associated disorders
Authors: Wake Lisa
Published: January 2023

As understanding increases in neuroscience and the developing brain, links can be made between these theories and the brief therapies. This paper summarises the range of approaches that exist within brief therapy for the management of longer term conditions that may arise as a result of post traumatic stress disorder that developed early in life. The longer term effects of trauma in childhood can result in depressive or anxiety states, as well as attachment disorders, that can cause problems in relationships as an adult. Therapies reviewed are Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Ericksonian Therapy, Neurolinguistic Psychotherapy (NLPt), Provocative Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), Self Relations Therapy and Solution Focussed Therapy (SFT).

Most brief therapies operate from a principle of reframing the subjective reality of the client and providing a focus on the future as an effective way of engendering change. The paper considers the potential for neurological repair, growth and ongoing development of the individual in therapy. The paper summarises Schore’s (2003) 21 principles of therapy to aid repair of affect regulation and how each of these principles are provided by some of the brief therapies.

In conclusion, all of the brief therapies offer the potential for psychological repair, growth and affect regulation. Each of them, to a greater or lesser extent, are using theories within neuroscience to assist change. For some therapies such as EMDR and NLPt this is a deliberate and planned approach to therapy, for others it is occurring although the therapies do not claim to be using neuroscience to affect repair.
The flawed nature of evidence-based psychotherapy
Authors: Marzillier John
Published: January 2023

‘How to improve psychotherapy outcome? Follow the evidence.’

(Norcross & Lambert, 2011, p.13).
The context of public service reform in the neo-liberal economies
Authors: Birchmore Terry
Published: January 2023

‘Compared with 20 – or even 10 years ago – the average professional’s work is nowadays much more likely to be costed, audited, used as an input for performance indicators, subjected to explicit budgetary or workload ceilings… and/or included within the scope of patient satisfaction surveys. In these senses then, the previous conception of individualistic professionalism has been progressively replaced… the contemporary ethos is much more one of the professional as a member of a team, and beyond that, of an employing organisation. The presumption is that the individual professional will be subject to the rules, plans and priorities of that organisation (as well, perhaps, as the increasingly codified guidelines of the profession itself).’

(Harrison & Pollitt, 1994)

‘To take an evidence-based approach and show preparedness to collaborate with outcome measurement and generally com ply with clinical and social care governance requirements. To present reports and research to a high clinical and academic standard.’

From job description of an NHS Trainee Child Psychotherapist post.

‘The principal distinction in the law of persons is this, that all hum an beings are either free or slaves’.

Gaius, the Roman Jurist, approximately AD 160.
To stand sitting! Bi-cultural dilemmas in a large group in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Howard Teresa von Sommaruga
Published: January 2023

The large group often reveals what a society has tried to forget. In 2007 the Aotearoa New Zealand Psychotherapy Association took the unusual step of deciding not only to have a large group but also to make it the central experience at their annual conference in Napier. This paper reflects on my experience as conductor and focuses on projective processes that brought buried aspects of the colonial history of Aotearoa New Zealand to the surface.

The aim of the conference was to provide an opportunity to ‘Weave our living stories together’ as a way of encountering the bicultural history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The whole experience touched some deep and painful places. As I worked with the material in the months afterwards, it became clear that this large group gave some clues about what Volkan has called ‘the chosen trauma’ (Volkan, 1997, p.48). Strong feelings connected to what Mäori, the indigenous peoples, ‘thought they gave and what the coloniser claimed’ have been unconsciously transmitted through the generations (Walker, 1990, p.96). The original ‘abyss’ of misunderstandings inextricably linked to the Treaty of Waitangi live on as if in a shadow to everyday life2. At the time, remnants of this history could only be enacted. Three years on, thinking, talking and some understanding has been able to replace what was too distressing to contemplate at the time.
Rational and Winnicottian wellbeing ‘at work’
Authors: Edwards Michaela , Crump Norman
Published: January 2023

The idea that that the wellbeing of employees should be of concern to managers and employers has long been considered within management thought. From the paternal ideals of the 19th century social reformers to the current purveyors of happiness in the workplace, the need to mediate the demands of constantly increasing pressure on productivity has generated many organisational effects. This paper highlights the conflicts triggered when management seeks to assist teachers to become more efficient and productive as strategic human resources, rather than professional teachers and educators involved in the production of the next generation of citizens.

Following a year-long study into staff relationships within a school1this paper develops a line of analysis using the concept of the ‘good enough mother’ (Winnicott, 1971) to highlight a site of conflict. It is suggested that a lack of understanding by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the school toward the support sought by the teachers involved in ‘front line’ work with pupils is part of this conflict situation. The focus by the SLT on wellbeing techniques to assist the teachers toward a more rational ‘bottom line’ set of outcomes has the effect of increasing the distance of understanding between teachers and managers.
Bitter sweet: Reflections on the training therapy experience
Authors: Butler Carolyn , Carlyle Jo-anne
Published: January 2023

The training therapy experience has been a subject of interest and controversy since the time of Freud and his own self-analysis. This study explored therapists’ experiences of the training therapy to see if there are any differences compared to a non-training therapy. Methodology: An online survey was used together with a convenience sample of five semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using simple descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Findings:The results suggest three significant benefits and one drawback. The benefits relate to being in the client role; support alongside clinical work and a model of apprenticeship. The drawback is a concern with confidentiality. This concern can hinder the working through of both positive and negative transferences for fear of the impact on the training and future career of the trainee.

Discussion:The disadvantage stems from the perennial power imbalance in the therapeutic dyad. This is exacerbated for trainees who may have to experience short–term turbulence for long–term functioning and stability as a practitioner.

Recommendations:Further research is proposed regarding training analysts, and how the power imbalance of the therapeutic dyad can affect their work with candidates. Additionally, the benefits of personal therapy, which can deepen clinical work, are recommended for all those working in mental health.
Running a group for educators
Authors: Fogel Joan , Moller Belinda
Published: January 2023

‘Why do we become teachers? To do it better than was done to us? The idealism, idealisation of the role… saviour… competition with our own former teachers (and parents?)’
How did I get here? A narrative exploration of arriving at talking therapy in a neuro-rehabilitation setting, co-written by a young adult patient and her therapist
Authors: Walling Jess , Molden Helen
Published: January 2023

Aims

This narrative case study explores some of the themes and process behind the referral process in a neuro-rehabilitation multidisciplinary team (MDT) outpatient setting. It aims to give a central focus to the patient experience, in this case, Jess, one of the co-authors, who at 19, experienced a life-changing spinal injury causing paralysis and pain in January 2017 while she was in her first year at university. Jess is doing well with her recovery, back at work part-time, and started back at university in September 2019.

Methodology

The data was gathered through two interviews held to reflect specifically on what life was like in the run up to coming to talking therapy services as an outpatient and the impact of that first session. The interviews were facilitated by, Helen the other co-author, a counselling psychologist and integrative psychotherapist, and the participants were Jess, and her referring physiotherapist and occupational therapist. The data was then analysed thematically by Jess and Helen.

Findings & Discussion

Five themes were identified: 1) The point when ….I knew that I needed a bit of extra help, even though I didn’t really want to… 2) How this ‘different kind of conversation’ might fit in with the rest of rehabilitation, 3) Could this be the right time ‘to open the box …?’ 4) The moment when it felt like talking therapy might be OK and 5) How starting talking therapy began to change things. Jess’s experience and reflections provide a client-centred view as to the added value psychotherapy can bring within a physical healthcare MDT setting. The findings also support existing evidence that it is less the therapeutic approach or modality that is paramount, but the fit of the therapeutic relationship that counts (Norcross, 2002; Cook et al., 2017). The authors offer this piece of work for wider discussion within the context of practice-based research, promoting the voice of the client experience within talking therapy discourse. It also fits with the wider objectives of embedding co-production with the BPS Experts by Experience initiative. The authors present a summary with reflections and learning points in the conclusion.
Assessment, meaning and learning: a response to issues raised by George Brown
Authors: McDowell Liz
Published: January 2023

“Let’s face it – you’ll never be asked again to sit and write everything you know about a subject in half an hour, will you?”
Professional psychologists’ education in Russia
Authors: Karandashev Victor N.
Published: January 2023

This paper describes the current education of professional psychologists in Russia. In the university system there are three initial types of education leading to a specialist degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master of psychology degree. The most common type is the five year education leading to the specialist degree. Specialist education is mostly generic but specialisms (majors) are available in 16 different fields of psychology. Students also study general humanities and socio-economic disciplines, mathematics and general science, general professional disciplines, and other specialisms.

Education in the system of pedagogical universities and other higher pedagogical institutions leads to the award of specialist degrees in educational psychology.

It is possible to continue professional psychological education in Russia through postgraduate study leading to the degree of Kandidat of Psychological Sciences (equivalent to a PhD degree). The highest qualification in professional psychology is the degree of Doctor of Psychological Sciences.

There are two main programmes for students who have completed their initial studies in disciplines other than psychology, and there are many further additional qualification and re-qualification programmes for professional psychologists.

Psychology teaching in Russia has three different types of curricula depending on whether the goal of psychological education is to provide a training in professional psychology, a training for professionals in other disciplines or training for school teachers. This paper focuses on the psychological education of professional psychologists.
Education and training for psychology in Europe: an overview
Authors: Lunt Ingrid
Published: January 2023

In this article I attempt to give an overview of education and training trends in European countries. This is a complicated task, since the countries of Europe differ considerably in their traditions of education and training for psychology. It is, however, possible to identify some patterns and broad regional trends. Directives of the European Union aim to facilitate free movement of professionals between member states of the Union, and to require individual states to develop procedures for judging equivalence of qualifications. EFPPA, the European Federation of Professional Psychologists’ Associations, a Federation of 28 European psychologist organizations, has carried out some work to compare university curricula in different countries; there is a commitment within the Federation to move towards European titles, and to consider the development of a European Diploma. These issues are discussed.
Using lecture notes on the internet as learning support materials for lectures: Student and staff perspectives on note-taking
Authors: Sutton Pamela
Published: January 2023

Research shows that students are aware of the importance of taking notes in lectures, and lecturers are aware of their responsibility to aid this process by presenting clearly structured lectures and providing learning support materials. With advances in technology, these materials are being increasingly provided via the internet. The present study aimed to assess, through questionnaire and interviews, staff and student perceptions of the effectiveness of both handouts, and lecture notes on the internet, in terms of students’ notetaking during lectures and their learning in general. The study showed that the majority of students made use of the internet facility. They were aware of effective styles of note-taking and used the learning support materials in an effective way by supplementing these with additional information provided during their lectures. The lecturers were similarly keen to provide students with the opportunity to do this. The students were, however, keen to be given as much information as possible.
Teaching Granny (and Grandpa) to suck eggs: Psychology and the practicing teacher
Authors: Upton Penney
Published: January 2023

This paper argues that psychology has an important role for practicing teachers. Firstly, it is important that they keep their knowledge of best teaching and learning practices updated; psychology is a continually evolving field of research and whilst some traditional aspects may remain compelling even today, others are no longer seen as valid, thus updating of the knowledge gained during initial training should be seen as essential for all practicing teachers. Secondly, the current emphasis on evidence–based teaching and the need for teacher–led research, highlight a need for understanding the research methods used in education, which again psychology at postgraduate level can deliver. Finally the challenges of teaching psychology to practicing teachers are discussed.
The academic performance of mature and traditional–entry psychology students at Keele University: A replication study
Authors: Larkin Derek , Hartley James
Published: January 2023

In this study we report the findings that we obtained when we repeated a study conducted approximately 10 years ago. In the initial study we found that mature students did as well as traditional–entry ones in first–year essays and examinations. However, they did less well initially when writing laboratory reports. In this replication study these results were reversed. This time our mature students did as well as the traditional entry–ones on their laboratory reports, better than the traditional–entry ones at essay writing, but worse on their examinations. Some possible causes for these findings are discussed, and the paper concludes by examining the final degree performance (some two years later) of these two groups of students. Here there were no significant differences between them.
Starter for 10 or playing at psychology?
Authors: Ravenscroft Lesley
Published: January 2023

According to Lusted (1986:3) pedagogy is ‘…the transformation of consciousness that takes place in three agencies - the teacher, the learner and the knowledge they together produce’. Surely, that is what we, as educators, are aiming for? Raymie McKerrow (1989, p. 91) states that critical rhetoric serves to ‘de-mystify and connect’ individuals with knowledge through a subjective and engaged discourse. Vivan Burr (1998, p.4) suggests that it is through interaction we construct knowledge. It is in this spirit that I offer the idea of sharing activities that have engaged students with psychology and the psychological way of thinking, either as ‘starters’ or extension activities. Diverse student populations, classroom limitations and institutional constraints notwithstanding, I believe we have much to present to each other and we may find ideas for activities that suit our pedagogies and allow for the co-construction of knowledge with students through experience.
Investing in assessment: The role of formative assessment in teaching psychological research methods
Authors: Jones Tim
Published: January 2023

The role of formative assessment is widely acknowledged to promote student learning, provide teachers with an early indication of student performance (Boston, 2002) and has direct links to student retention (Yorke, 2001). The dominance, however, of summative assessment in higher education (Milton, Pollio & Eiuson, 1986) frequently prevails. This paper investigates the role of formative assessment in teaching psychological research methods to undergraduate students both as a method of increasing deeper learning and as a vehicle to reduce anxiety, and build confidence in a traditionally challenging area of teaching. An idea for engaging students with research design and affording the opportunity to provide formative feedback is presented alongside initial student feedback.
Our teachers and what we have learnt from them
Authors: Sander Paul , Williamson Stella
Published: January 2023

In this contribution to the Widening Participation Special Issue of Psychology Teaching Review we consider our experiences in education as people who can’t spell using an auto-ethnographic methodology (Sparkes, 2007), specifically, evocative auto-ethnography (Anderson, 2006) and guided by a social constructionist approach to identity (Burr, 1995). We consider how we have become the people we are through the ways others have responded to the Dyslexic or Dyslexic type aspects of ourselves. We start with Paul ruminating about life in education as a terrible speller1. We then move on to explore Stella’s experiences as a Dyslexic student and on into the early days of her academic career. We finish conversationally by questioning each other about the significance of our experiences and their implications both for education and the social construction of identity. The overall aim of this article is to ask teachers who are intolerant of poor spellers to take a more supportive approach, mindful of the impact they can have. We also seek to support University students who suffer at the hands of their teachers and important others on account of their Dyslexic type symptoms. The students will know who they are as they will have been labelled so many times but we do worry that the teachers may not be able to identify themselves, such are the power relations inherent in the social construction of identity (Phoenix, 2007).
Widening participation in psychology: Student perspectives through analysis of interviews on how an interest in psychology may be met for as many as possible
Authors: Winter Liz
Published: January 2023

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teaching staff and students associated with a longstanding Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology course. Participants were invited to give their views upon why a declining number of people from ‘wider participation’ or ‘socially disadvantaged’ backgrounds come forward to register and seek a qualification or simply satisfy their thirst for studying psychology at a good level. After transcription and analysis the themes that emerged are considered and their implications for widening participation in the undergraduate study of psychology discussed. The results provide preliminary data for comparison with more mainstream degree level programmes. An attempt to define and distinguish between widening participation and students of a socially disadvantaged background is made through students’ interpretation of these concepts. The seeming lack of support for open-access, first level qualifications in psychology that offer part-time study to support educational or personal development alongside employment and other personal commitments are discussed.
Transitions and the development of expertise
Authors: Hallam Susan
Published: January 2023

The 29th Vernon–Wall Lecture presented at the Annual Meeting of the Education Section of the British Psychological Society, Preston, November 2009.

This paper explores the relationships between the development of expertise and transitions. It sets out what we know about the development of expertise, changes in the brain as expertise develops, and how transitions between different learning contexts and the challenges that they present may impact on developing expertise. It sets out a series of propositions concerning the way that transitions may impact on expertise, the evidence supporting the propositions, and the educational implications.
Psychology in India
Authors: Sushma B. , Padmaja G.
Published: January 2023

Psychology forms the basis of every human activity. The scope of psychology is increasingly widening in various economic, political, social, cultural and technological aspects. Though the application of psychology is extending to various aspects of life, it needs to be indigenised to address the dynamic needs in the various socio–economic contexts to make the subject highly relevant to the contemporary society. The present article explores the development of psychology in India in various fields in this context.
Reflections on 50 years of teaching psychology
Authors: Hartley James
Published: January 2023

There have been great changes in the numbers of students studying psychology atdegree level in the UK since 1961 – the year I graduated. And, similarly there have been great changes in what is taught – with an everwidening set of theoretical developments and practical applications. Nonetheless, despite these developments, Iargue that the teaching of psychology has not altered very much in its approach during the last 50 years. Lectures, tutorials, lab classes and essay–type examinations still dominate the timetable.
The Value Paradox – inducting undergraduate university students in a time of austerity
Authors: Jones Tim , Upton Penney , Wilkinson Dean J.
Published: January 2023

The challenges facing UK higher education are both well documented and controversial; however, pitted against this context is the requirement for psychology departments to provide an increasingly rich and diverse university experience for students, whilst ensuring progression and retention remain centralto undergraduate provision. Despite the recognition that induction is of upmost importance in ensuring a successful transition from pretertiary to higher education, many universities are faced with changing budgets in the post-Browne era (Browne, 2010) across all aspects of academic life. Such a challenge presents departments with a unique paradox since student expectations continueto rise as the dominance of consumerism reaches fruition, whilst budgets continue to decrease. In acknowledging the importance of induction for both the overall student experience and for retention, the University of Worcester designed and successfully implemented an induction programme on a considerably reduced budget. A satisfaction questionnaire was completed by 136 undergraduatestudents inducted in 2011 and the results compared to those of 87 students from 2010 (where the induction budget was considerably higher). The results indicate similar levels of satisfaction and engagement with induction activities and whilst an off-site activity remains key to the success of induction, suchan activity doesn’t have to present considerable expense. This paper providesan overview of designing an induction programme on a reduced budget, presentssatisfaction results from undergraduate students who completed induction in both 2010 and 2011, and presents suggestions for best practice in the design of induction events for psychology undergraduates.
Is online Patchwork Text Assessment a panacea for assessment practices in higher education?
Authors: Upton Penney , Taylor Charlotte
Published: January 2023

Although assessment is acknowledged as being of central importance to the student learning experience, assessment practices have been consistently highlighted as one of the weakest features by the Quality Assurance Agency and identified by many as a crisis within higher education. This paper explores theuse of Patchwork Text Assessment within a level 6 undergraduate psychology module and considers the potential of this method for enhancing the learning experiences of psychology undergraduates, facilitating the process of self–reflection and allowing students to make explicit the nature of their learning ‘journey’.
Influences on personal understanding: Intentions, approaches to learning, perceptions of assessment, and a ‘meeting of minds’
Authors: Karagiannopoulou Evangelia , Entwistle Noel
Published: January 2023

Using a case–study approach, interviews with four final–year psychology students showed different approaches to learning and varying experiences of teaching in courses assessed through open–book exams. Analysis of their experiences, supported by previous research findings, provided insights into the reasons for the contrasting approaches being adopted. Some students reported misperceptions of the purpose of the open–book format and failed, but a changed perception of the assessment, later on, made them more aware of having to adopt a deep approach. In other cases, perceptions of teaching, and of the tutor, played an important part in the students’ readiness to develop a personal understanding, bringing in both cognitive and affective influences. In our sample, we found evidence that teaching–learning experiences involving feelings of acceptance and encouragement, with mutual respect of each other’s thinking and reasoning, could provide students with the freedom and confidence necessary to develop academically valid, personal understandings through a ‘meeting of minds’. Where such respect and encouragement was lacking, the pursuit of personal understanding was curtailed, and passing exams seemed to become the main concern.
How can iPad apps enrich postgraduate psychology research?
Authors: Kucirkova Natalia
Published: January 2023

In this short Opinion piece, I outline how iPad apps can facilitate theory development, data collection, data representation and dissemination of postgraduate psychology research. I reflect on how apps supported my own postgraduate research practice and how one particular app – Our Story – enriched the individual stages of my research enquiry. I argue that iPad apps are part of an emerging metaphor according to which postgraduate psychology is a dynamic and iterative research process, rather than a linear static model
To what extent is mathematical ability predictive of performance in a methodology and statistics course? Can an action research approach be used to understand the relevance of mathematical ability in psychology undergraduates?
Authors: Bourne Victoria J.
Published: January 2023

Research methods and statistical analysis is typically the least liked and most anxiety provoking aspect of a psychology undergraduate degree, in large part due to the mathematical component of the content. In this first cycle of a piece of action research, students’ mathematical ability is examined in relation to their performance across different assessments. A maths test, including only com onents relevant to psychological research and analysis, was designed and subsequently completed by 427 students. Factor analysis revealed three distinct facets: understanding of mathematical procedures; interpretation of findings; and understanding the semantics of mathematics. Only the procedural and interpretative factors were predictive of overall course performance. Higher scores on both factors predicted better performance on multiple choice questions assessment and an unseen exam, whereas only the interpretation factor predicted performance on a critical thinking assignment and a lab report. The findings are considered with a view to developing another cycle of action research that more actively involves students.
Teaching psychological research methods through a pragmatic and programmatic approach
Authors: Rosenkranz Patrick , Fielden Amy , Tzemou Effy
Published: January 2023

Research methods teaching in psychology is pivotal in preparing students for the transition from student as learner to independent practitioner. We took an action research approach to re–design, implement and evaluate a module guiding students through a programmatic and pragmatic research cycle. These revisions allow students to experience how diverse psychological methods can be united within a programme of research, whilst working as collaborators. In three sequential studies, researching the same topic, the module integrates qualitative methods with psychometric scale development and finally, hypothesis testing.

The evaluation highlighted that students developed a diverse range of transferable skills, but experienced uncertainty associated with the research process and anxiety attributed to the less definitive guidance provided by staff. Interestingly, the reflection prompted by the evaluation methods facilitated student appreciation of this process and its value in preparing them for their final year project.