I am a member of the Learning, Pedagogy and Diversity Research Cluster. Originally trained as a teacher, I taught in pre-prep, primary and middle schools. After studying ‘The Ethnography of Educational Settings’ as part of my Masters degree, I trained as an educational ethnographer whilst I was an ESRC research Fellow at the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (University of Warwick), for three years. Later on I carried out my PhD studies as an ESRC funded student at the University of Bristol, during which time I was also affiliated with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India. My PhD was a childhood ethnography on the social influences on children’s learning in India. More recently I undertook training in visual ethnography which I now use in my research with children.

I have conducted ethnographic research with children in England, Japan and India and also researched in Ghana. My research interests are in qualitative research methodology especially the use of visual methods, educational quality, the study of pedagogic relations and child socialisation, early childhood learning and development and the social influences on young children’s learning, especially fathering, Theoretically I draw on the works of both Bernstein and Vygotsky. My research on fathering includes: facilitating practitioner development for better father involvement; pedagogic relations between educational settings and fathers; and young children's perspectives of father involvement in the home learning environment. I previously made a film 'Father’s Friday', in collaboration with our local authority. The UK leading children’s charity 'The Daycare Trust' which was commissioned to report to the UK government on parental participation in the early years, highlighted the film and the report as a case study. The ‘Fatherhood institute’ also featured the film on their website and in training activities.

I am currently leading an international project funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme entitled ‘Using Digital Visual methods in Cross Cultural Research with Young children: the case of paternal engagement in home learning environments’.

Membership

• International Society for Cultural Activity Research (ISCAR)
• Organisation Mondiale Pour L'Education Prescolaire (OMEP) - International NGO for Early Years
• European Early Childhood Education Research Association
• Training, Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children (TACTYC)
• British association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE)
• Early Years Sector UG and Foundation Degree Network UK
• Educational Relationships Cluster – Department of Education 

Research interests

I would welcome informal contact from prospective doctoral students interested in the following topics

• Children’s Learner identity
• Pedagogic relationships and learning
• Child Poverty and Education in India
• Education Quality
• Early Childhood Learning and Development
• Comparative Education and Early Childhood
• Applying and Developing Post Vygotskian Theory
• Cultural Historical Activity Theory and Development Work
• Ethnography and Education
• Visual Methods in Research
• The Study of Childhood
• Fathering
• Children's Transitions and Early Years Education

Case study

Public engagement with research case study