Social Psychology of Education Research Group

The Social Psychology of Education Research Group, led by Professor Alison Kington, is based within the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester.

About the group

Founded in 2016, the Social Psychology of Education Research Group brings together colleagues interested in the importance of social and learning interactions, relationships and identities across all phases of education, in both formal and informal settings.

With a membership of more than 30 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

Social Psychology of Education draws on social psychology, as well as work in sociology and education, in order to better understand how people behave and interact. As a field of study, this provides a framework by which we can explore how teachers, practitioners and students identify and inter-relate within educational contexts.

In turn, our research, which is cross-disciplinary in its theoretical and methodological approaches, presents crucial insights into the dynamics within schools and classrooms, and how these aspects of classroom life impact on the effectiveness and retention of practitioners, and the quality of children’s school experiences.

The Social Psychology of Education Research Group was formed to share research and good practice amongst a wide range of academics, and we have partners in a number of professional fields and third sector organisations as well as in local government.

In the UK, we work with educational practitioners to identify reasons why teachers decide to remain in the profession, exploring the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, classroom relationships and interactions, and individual and collective efficacy. We have also been working with pupils and ITE trainees to examine the ‘Implicit Pupil-Teacher Social Contract’ and the impact of this on early career teachers’ experience in the classroom.

Internationally, our research and consultancy work has involved collaborations with colleagues in Europe, Asia and the US. For example, we are partners in a project (led by Hope College, Michigan) investigating cross-cultural variations in teachers’ organisational citizenship behaviours and how these affect outcomes such as psychological wellbeing, strain, and job satisfaction in seven countries.

In addition, we have recently completed a longitudinal study (led by University of Groningen, Netherlands) which examined teacher and pupil perspectives of factors associated with teacher effectiveness.

Members

Professor Alison Kington (Research Group lead) is responsible for driving forward the strategic vision of the Research Group and oversees the various activities undertaken.

Louise Beattie

Laura Bedford (PhD student)

Yvonne Cashmore - Research project team

Dr Sarah Davis

Isobel Dawes (PhD student) - Research project team

Dr Mandy Duncan

Kimberley Hibbert-Mayne - Research project team, Membership (co-ordinator), Impact team

Kate Howen - Research project team

Lynn Johnston

Elena Lengthorn

Dr Ben Looker - Research project team (strand lead)

Matthew Martin (PhD student) - Research project team

Shaun McInerney

Dr Rachael Paige

Charlotte Ross - Research project team

Dr Alexandra Sewell

Dr Marie Stephenson – Research project team

Nicola Summers - Research project team, Impact team

Julie Sutton - Impact team

Andrew Taylor - Research project team

Thomas Weaver - Research project strand lead

Daniel Whittaker - Research project team

Associate Members

Name	Affiliation
Dr Ed Baines	Institute of Education, UCL
Dr Branwen Bingle	Community Support Officer, Wychavon
Dr Karen Blackmore	Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UW
Dr Scott Buckler	Droitwich High School
Dr Amy Bywater	Faculty of Education, Health & Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton
Dr Yanping Fang	National Institute of Education, Singapore
Dr Neil Gilbride	Associate Dean, Ambition & Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UW
Dr Alison Gisby	School of Psychology and Counselling, Open University
Dr Sarah Kellett	Educational Psychologist, S. Kellett Psychology Ltd
Dr Ariel Lindorff	Department of Education, University of Oxford
Prof Ridwan Maulana	Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Dr Berenice Mahoney	School of Psychology, UW
Penny Paske	PhD student, School of Psychology, UW
Dr Alison Prowle	Institute of education, UW
Emma Rossiter	PhD student, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UW
Prof Pam Sammons	Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford
Dr Kathryn Spicksley	School of Education, University of Glasgow
Prof Andrew Townsend	Head of Department of Education, University of Swansea
Dr Maxine Watkins	School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham

Current Projects

Factors influencing teacher identity and retention in coastal schools.
Self-funded PhD studentship
(Matthew Martin, PhD student – supervised by Prof Alison Kington, Dr Ben Looker & Dr Karen Blackmore)

Cross-cultural variations in teachers’ organisational citizenship behaviours with outcomes such as psychological wellbeing, strain, and job satisfaction.
Funding: Hope College, Michigan (Prof Alison Kington, Dr Blaire Morgan & Isobel Dawes (PhD student))

Influence of peer relationships on collective teacher identity.
Funding: UW fully funded PhD studentship
(Isobel Dawes, PhD student - supervised by Dr Karen Blackmore & Prof Alison Kington)

Teacher Positionality in Careers Education.
Unfunded (Kim Hibbert-Mayne & Charlotte Ross)

Impact of home-schooling during lockdown on children’s friendships.
Self-funded PhD studentship
(Laura Bedford, PhD student – supervised by Professor Alison Kington, Dr Ben Looker & Dr Karen Blackmore)

There’s no Place I’d rather be! The influence of motivation, self-efficacy and relationships on teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession.
Unfunded (Prof Alison Kington, Dr Ben Looker, Dr Karen Blackmore, Tom Weaver & colleagues in the SPoE Research Group)

The impact of the ‘Implicit Pupil-teacher Social Contract’ on trainee teachers’ sense of self-efficacy when developing positive pupil-teacher relationships.
Unfunded (Dr Ben Looker, Kimberley Hibbert-Mayne & Prof Alison Kington)

The Role of Friendships at Primary School for Siblings and Non-siblings.
Unfunded (Prof Alison Kington)

The Role of Primary School Staffrooms on Primary Teachers Working Lives.
Unfunded (Prof Alison Kington & Dr Karen Blackmore)

Primary School Teachers’ experiences of Secondary Traumatic Stress.
(Penny Paske, PhD student – supervised by Dr Blaire Morgan, Dr Berenice Mahoney & Prof Alison Kington)

The influence of school nurse practice on student wellbeing.
(Emma Rossiter, PhD student – supervised by Prof Alison Kington & Dr Blaire Morgan

Recent Outputs

2024

Blackmore, K. and Hatley, J. (2024). Close to practice research as a means of rethinking elements of student–teacher's classroom practice. The Curriculum Journal, 1-19.

Cashmore, Y., Castle, E., Mahyub, B. and Moustafa, Ahmed (2024). Nurturing Futures – The Importance of Careers Education. Teaching Business and Economics, 28(1), 8-11.

Duncan, M. (2024). Reflecting on Global Childhood Poverty. In: Developing as a Reflective Early Years Professional. A Thematic Approach (Third Edition). Critical Publishing: St Albans.

Duncan, M. (2024). The Reflective Professional Within a Workforce in Crisis. In: Developing as a Reflective Early Years Professional: A Thematic Approach (Third Edition). Critical Publishing: St Albans.

Frearson, A. and Duncan, M. (2024) An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Teachers’ Lived Experiences of Working with Traumatised Children in the Classroom. Journ Child Adol Trauma. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-024-00614-9

Kington, A. and Looker, B. (Eds) (2024). Education Science: The Nature, Quality and Dynamics of Teacher-pupil Relationships. MDPI

Sewell, A. and Kington, A. (2024). The impact of Synaesthesia on children’s school experiences: Mapping the field for use in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. Final project report, Worcester: UW.

Sewell, A., Kington, A. and Davies, S. (2024). Review protocol for a systematic literature review of the impact of Synaesthesia on children’s school experiences: Mapping the field for use in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. IDESR - International Database of Education Systematic Reviews

Sewell, A. and Thacker-Smith, D. (2024) Childhood bereavement: The role of school leadership in developing inclusive learning environments. Impact, 20. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/childhood-bereavement-the-role-of-school-leadership-in-developing-inclusive-learning-environments/

Whittaker, D. (2024). ‘Alone in a Crowd’: Teacher-Level and Pupil-Level Hidden Curricula and the Theoretical Limits of Teacher–Pupil Relationships. Education Sciences, 14(5), 477-488.

2023

Blackmore, K. and Ronningsbakk, L. (2023). Let us explain everything: pupils’ perspectives of the affordances of mobile technology during primary science inquiry. Frontiers in Education, 8 (116845).

Blackmore, K. and Rønningsbakk, L. (2023). Editorial: Women in STEM Education. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1-3.

Cashmore, Y. and Castle, E. (2023). Why is sustainability important in Business? Teaching Business and Economics, 27 (3), 20-21.

Duncan, M. (2023). How can early years practitioners support the care of young children living in poverty? International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 10(2), 3-7.

Kington, A., Maulana, R. and Ko, J. (Eds) (2023). Effective teaching: Measurements, antecedents, correlates, characteristics, and links with outcomes. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA.

Looker, B. and Kington, A. (2023). The Self-efficacy of Non-specialist physics teachers. Final report. London: Ogden Trust

Looker, B., Kington, A., Hibbert-Mayne, K., Blackmore, K. and Buckler, S. (2023). The Illusion of Perspective: Examining the dynamic between teacher effectiveness and self-efficacy. In: Maulana et al (Eds), Effective Teaching around the World: Theoretical, empirical, methodological and practical insights. The Netherlands: Springer

Looker, B., Kington, A. and Vickers, J. (2023). Close and conflictual: How pupil-teacher relationships can contribute to the alienation of pupils from secondary school. Education Science. 13(10), 1009.

Kington, A., Maulana, R. and Ko, J. (Eds) (2023). Effective teaching: Measurements, antecedents, correlates, characteristics, and links with outcomes. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA.

Maulana, R., Kington, A. and Ko, J. (2023). Editorial: An Introduction to the Special Topic on Effective Teaching: Measurements, Antecedents, Correlates, Characteristics, and Links with Outcomes. Frontiers in Education. 8: 1170854.

Maulana, R., Kington, A., Ko, J., Feng, X., Helms-Lorenz, M., Looker, B., Blackmore, K. and Hibbert-Mayne (2023). Observing Effective Teaching Behavior in the Netherlands, England, and the United States using the ICALT observation instrument. Frontiers in Education. 8: 1068938.

Ross, C., Hibbert-Mayne, K. and Woodward, D. (2023). Health Education: Informed Choices About Health, Physical Activity and Sleep. In: Developing Quality PSHE in Secondary Schools and Colleges. Secondary Classroom Practice. Bloomsbury: London.

Spicksley, K. and Kington, A. (2023). Uniting teachers and resisting policy discourse through Critical Language Study: a role for initial teacher education? British Journal of Educational Studies. 1-19.

Spicksley K. and Kington, A. (2023). Written evidence submitted to the Education Select Committee Enquiry on Teacher Recruitment, Training and Retention (TTR0088).

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 Social Psychology of Education Research Group are skilled academics with a track record of informing policy and practice through our high-quality research. We provide applied research expertise and advice on all aspects of problem identification and research-based solutions. 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 Professor Alison Kington for more information and a discussion of your needs.

Current Opportunities

PhD Opportunities

Approaches from self-supporting PhD students are accepted all year round. Please contact Professor Alison Kington to express an interest along with an outline of your research ideas. In addition, we are currently offering two self-funded studentships based in the Social Psychology of Education Research Group in the following areas:

Exploring the Pupil-teacher Relationship in Policy, Popular Discourse and Teacher Conceptualisation

School Leaders' Decision-making in Complex Organisations

Visiting Researchers

The University of Worcester runs a scheme for Visiting Researchers. The scheme is aimed at postdoctoral researchers currently based at another (normally overseas) Higher Education Institution, although it may be extended to PhD students if appropriate. SPoE welcomes the opportunity to host visiting researchers, particularly when this will complement research activities of the group. Please contact Professor Alison Kington to express an interest along with an outline of the research you would like to pursue.

Contact

For more information, please contact the Research Group lead: