Work in progress

Greg Brooks

Within National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy

2003-07

(jointly with University of Lancaster and Institute of Education, University of London) A study of the impact of Skills for Life on adult literacy, language and numeracy learners

2005-07

1) Literacy and numeracy levels of 14 to 19 year olds

2) (jointly with University of Lancaster and Institute of Education, University of London) Effective and inclusive family literacy, language and numeracy

3) (jointly with University of Lancaster and Institute of Education, University of London)

‘Stepping Stones’ – how adult learners who are in provision not counting towards the government’s Skills for Life targets move into counting provision

4) (jointly with King’s College London)

Peer review of additional generic and workplace literacy and numeracy assessment tools

5) Evaluation of instruments for assessing the minimum core knowledge of literacy and numeracy required by generic further education teachers

Other projects

2006-07

(co-director with Prof. Gareth Parry and Dr Ann-Marie Bathmaker)

ESRC-funded study of contribution of dual-sector FE/HE institutions to widening participation in higher education

Evaluation for the Youth Justice Board of materials for teaching reading to young offenders

Ongoing

Writing book on The British English Spelling System

Freda Chapple

1. Theatre and Intermediality
A major research project with colleagues from universities in Europe, America, Israel and the UK. The research working group for the International Federation for Theatre Research is led by Freda Chapple and Chiel Kattenbelt from Utrecht University. The group is examining Contemporary Theatre in relation to the other media: cinema, television, music theatre, dance and the new technologies.

2. The New Literacies: Learning to Learn-on-Line
The design, and evaluation of learning HE critical and literacy skills and knowledge through the use of new technology.

3. Literature, the Arts and the WWW: a critical assessment of Hyperfiction currently available on the web

4. The New Literacies: Digital Literacy in curriculum design of English Studies in HE

5. English Studies and English Literature: are they the same? An investigation into perceptions of English Studies seen through the eyes of mature learners studying English Literature as part of an Inter-disciplinary degree.

6. Shakespeare's Women on the Russian and Soviet Screen: the Education of Soviet 'woman' through the cinematic image and theatrical performance

7. Constructions of male and female sexuality in contemporary Russian cinema

8. Learning Language through theatrical performance: visual, vocal and emotional literacy skills studied through theatrical performance. New area of research for development.

Julia Davies

Underpinning all my work is my interest in literacy and language and the way in which gender impacts upon these, often affecting measured achievement in schools.

1. New Technologies, Literacy, Identity and Popular Culture
I am exploring the role which new technologies play in the lives of young people and the way in which teenage girls in particular are harnessing new technologies to create new literacies, new ways of communicating with one another and exploring aspects of their identities. I employ a range of methodologies, including Discourse analysis techniques, Barthian textual analysis and on-line interviewing.

2. Expressions of Gender: Gender, Identity, talk and learning in the Classroom
I have explored in my PhD thesis, (Expressions of Gender) into the way gender impacts on the discourse styles of pupils involved in small group talk during GCSE English lessons, with particular reference to the under-achievement of boys.

The thesis looked at the relationship between language, gender, learning and achievement. Discourse Analysis, was the main methodology used. Related to this area of my work, I am about to embark on research in a local Comprehensive School looking at issues surrounding boys' achievement across the secondary curriculum. This will build on existing research and also create new avenues for further data collection and new writing. (The school has applied for funding from The Teacher Training Agency).
The work is innovative in the way in which it combines Discourse analysis, gender and language considerations and boys' achievement issues.

Peter Hannon

1. The REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) Project (co-directed with Cathy Nutbrown, also of the Literacy Research Centre). This project has sought to develop a preschool parental involvement in literacy programme and then evaluate it by a variety of methods, including parent, teacher and child views and a randomised controlled trial incorporating measures of literacy development at school entry.

2. Sure Start Research and Evaluation Project (with Jo Weinberger, also of the Literacy Research Centre). This five-year project, carried out in close collaboration with one Sure Start programme in Sheffield, aims to learn about the issues and outcomes of a community-focused programme for young children and their families.

Kath Hirst

1. Preschool literacy in bilingual Pakistani families

Evaluation, case studies, linking research, theory and practice.

2. Early Start evaluation

3. Family Literacy

4. Early intervention

5. Community based provision

Jackie Marsh

1. Using Web 2.0 in primary classrooms

In this project, I am working with primary teachers to explore the usefulness of Web 2.0 services and products for the learning and teaching of literacy

2. Evaluation of bfi Training Lead Practitioners in Media Literacy Project

The bfi is currently involved in training lead practitioners in over 35 local authorities in England to develop moving image education. This project, conducted with Dr Eve Bearne, is evaluating the outcomes of that initiative.

Cathy Nutbrown

1. Daring Discoveries: Arts Based Learning in the Early Years

In association with ‘darts’ [Doncaster Community Arts}
Funded by Creative Partnerships

This project is exploring the role of artists in residence in six pre-school settings in the UK. Film, still images and narrative show how children responded to interactions with artists, and the impact on their learning across the curriculum. The project is using Arts Based evaluation methodologies, within an analytical framework (ORIM-Arts) to illuminate arts based learning in terms opportunities, interaction, recognition and a model. The central focus of the evaluation is an analysis of children’s experiences in four key areas: Graphic representation, Movement, Sound and Music, Aesthetics. Parents, artists and early childhood practitioners involvement and perspectives are key to the evaluation.

Further details are available at

http://www.creative-partnerships.com/content/researchAndEvaluationProjects/71105/?version=1

Kate Pahl

1. 1. Artefacts and narratives of migration: Rotherham museum collections and the Pakistani/Kashmiri community of Rotherham. A one-year research project in collaboration with Ferham Sure Start, Ferham School, Creative Partnerships and Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham. Arts and Humanities Research Council small research award funded through the diasporas, migration and identities research grants fund. For more information see:http://www.diasporas.ac.uk/small_research_projects.htm

2. Creativity in learning. A two-year ethnographic study of the impact of a group of artists, Heads Together, on teaching and learning in Wilthorpe infants school in Barnsley, funded by Creative Partnerships, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley. For more information see:http://www.creative-partnerships.com/content/researchAndEvaluationProjects/71047/?version=1/

3. Effective and inclusive practices in family literacy, numeracy and language. Commissioned to write an international, peer reviewed research review of family literacy, numeracy and language provision, funded by CfBT and NRDC. For more information see: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/projects_details.asp?ProjectID=34

Andrey Rosowsky

1. Qur’anic literacy
This major research project explores the nature and role of Qur’anic literacy in the cultural, religious and linguistic practices of the British Muslim community.

2. The education of Asylum Seeker children
This project has involved the evaluation of the educational provision for asylum seeker children in a local authority.

3. The role of community literacies in the maintenance of minority ethnic languages
This project studies the use young British Muslims make of religious poetry and its importance in the formation of religious and linguistic identity.

4. The practical use of critical literacy in the secondary English classroom This project (with David Hyatt) is centred on the use by secondary English teachers of a Critical Literacy frame devised by David Hyatt and is an attempt to make critical approaches to literacy possible in regular English lessons.