The Psychology of Education Research Group, led by Dr Ben Looker, is based within the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester.
About the group
Founded in 2016, by Professor Alison Kington, the Psychology of Education Research Group brings together colleagues interested in the importance of the psychology behind social and learning interactions, relationships and identities across all phases of education, in both formal and informal settings.
With a core membership of academics, research students and practitioners, we produce research that not only contributes to knowledge generation within the academic community but also informs policy and practice and maps onto the University’s Areas of Challenge of Professional Education, Human Health & Wellbeing, and Culture, Identity & Society.
Our Focus
Psychology of Education is a multidisciplinary field concerned with understanding how people think, behave, develop and interact within educational contexts. Our research draws on psychological perspectives alongside work in education and related disciplines to explore the experiences of pupils, teachers, practitioners, leaders and families.
Building on our established expertise, the Psychology of Education Research Group focuses on social, cognitive, developmental and organisational perspectives. This enables us to investigate educational experiences from multiple angles while retaining our strength in understanding relationships, identities and interactions within schools and other educational settings.
Our research uses qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches to explore how relationships, identities, school cultures and individual differences shape educational experiences. Key areas include teacher and pupil relationships, professional identity, wellbeing and retention, peer relationships, inclusion, neurodiversity, belonging and engagement.
We work closely with schools, practitioners, professional organisations and policy partners to ensure our research informs educational practice, professional development and wider decision-making. Our research has a strong international dimension, with collaborations involving colleagues in Europe, Asia and the US. Partnerships include the University of
Groningen, the National Institute of Education in Singapore and the Education University of Hong Kong, alongside international comparative work on teaching quality, teacher wellbeing and professional relationships.
We also work in consultancy and advisory roles with a range of schools and multi-academy trusts. Please contact Dr Ben Looker, for information about what we can offer.
Associate Members
| Name | Affiliation |
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Dr Branwen Bingle
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Community Support and University of Worcester
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Dr Karen Blackmore
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Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UW
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Dr Scott Buckler
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Droitwich High School
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Dr Amy Bywater
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University of Wolverhampton
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Dr Neil Gilbride
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Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UW
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Dr Sarah Kellett
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Educational Psychologist
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Dr Naomi-Anne Lee
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University of Worcester
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Dr Ariel Lindorff
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University of Oxford
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Prof Ridwan Maulana
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University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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Dr Alison Prowle
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University of Worcester |
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Dr Kathryn Spicksley
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University of Glasgow
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Prof Andrew Townsend
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University of Swansea
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Dr Maxine Watkins
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University of Birmingham
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Current Projects
Staffrooms in Schools: The role staffrooms play in schools
There’s No Place I’d Rather Be: How motivation, self-efficacy, and relationships contribute to teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession
Tales From the Watershed: How mid-career teachers construct their sense of professional identity
My Sibling Project: Friendships in early years for siblings and non-siblings
In-Place Tourettic Expression: Exploring where people with Tourette’s Syndrome feel comfortable to express their tics.
Postgraduate Research Projects
Influence of peer relationships on collective teacher identity – Isobel Dawes, PhD Project
Impact of home-schooling during lockdown on children’s friendships – Laura Bedford, PhD Project
Primary School Teachers’ experiences of Secondary Traumatic Stress – Penny Paske, PhD Project
The influence of school nurse practice on student wellbeing – Emma Rossiter, PhD Project
Featured Outputs
Kington, A., Looker, B., Dawes, I., Weaver, T. & Blackmore, K., (2026). The Social and Emotional Dynamics of Teachers' Peer Relationships. Frontiers in Education, 11. pp. 1–20.
Looker, B. with Kington, A. (2026) The Emergence of Critical Realist Grounded Theory. Routledge, London.
Bywater, A., Kington, A. & Blackmore, K. (2026). Quality in Teaching Across a Career: The Use of Personal Constructs Within a Fully Integrated Mixed Methods Design. International Journal of Multiple Research Methods, 17(1).
Malli, M., Whittaker, D. & Phoenix-Kane, D. (2026) When Tourette syndrome is reduced to a debate about offence, clinical care suffers. The BMJ, 392(s473), pp. 1–2.
Lengthorn, E. et al. (2025) Sustainability and Climate Change Education in Teacher Education: a survey report. Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, London.
Researcher Development
Our commitment to knowledge transfer and exchange is being delivered through three strands of work:
i) research development workshops,
ii) research seminars, and
iii) public engagement events.
Details of forthcoming events will follow shortly.
Impact Team
The Impact Team combines the expertise of those involved in empirical research, members of staff who have vast experience of working in educational settings, alongside our extensive practitioner networks. The aim is to extend the scope and reach of our work through a targeted programme of impact activities linked to our research.
Consultancy
Members of the Psychology of Education Research Group are skilled academics with a wealth of classroom and leadership experience in a variety of school settings. We have a track record of informing policy and practice through our high-quality research and are committed to ensuring our research has a positive impact on education professionals, children and parents.
If you are looking for research support within an educational context, we can offer bespoke consultancy services, including:
- Guidance on practitioner research and enquiry
- Intervention design
- Research evaluation
- Continuing professional development and training
- Expert advice on research practice and strategy
- Policy analysis and development
Please contact Dr Ben Looker for more information and a discussion of your needs.
Contact
For more information, please contact the Research Group lead: