Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

I did my MSc in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University so I already knew the faculty and staff quite well. I was offered the chance to conduct research at a field site in Indonesia, so returning to Oxford Brookes University for my PhD seemed like a natural fit. My first impressions were that everyone was very welcoming and incredibly supportive. The facilities available to students have improved immensely since I undertook my Master’s degree, so I am excited to have returned to the new site at Headington.

Having previously studied at Oxford Brookes, I felt that the Department of Social Sciences was the best place to return for my PhD. The staff are all leaders in their research fields, and although I have worked in my field for a long time, I knew that I could learn from them and increase my skillset. I needed a    team that understood the location and situation I was heading into, spoke the language, understood the culture and religion, and could provide long-distance support for me in the field; Oxford Brookes University could provide all of this. I also love the community-feeling of the primate group and the networking opportunities with the MSc course alumni. I am grateful for the support I have received from the University despite being thousands of miles away in the middle of the rainforest!

Before starting this PhD, I managed a long-term orangutan research site in Indonesia. This involved managing staff, students and volunteers, organising data collection and general camp running. I learned so much from that role and was given many different opportunities such as presenting at an international conference and appearing in a National Geographic program about orangutans. I was given the chance to learn more about data collection in the field and more about the logistics and responsibility of running a remote field site. I developed as a person, scientist and mentor.

I instantly felt at home when I started my PhD and the new facilities at Headington are fantastic. We now have a great postgraduate library, bigger and better study areas, and the ability to acquire licence software and download remotely. The postgraduate team are supportive and helpful, and it has been easy to contact different departments and staff for assistance.

Previous research has highlighted that orangutans are able to exist within mixed agroforest landscapes; however, the extent to which this affects their health remains largely unknown, as is the number of orangutans that reside within these landscapes. Given the current situation however, it appears that orangutans are struggling to survive long-term in these disturbed areas. In 2012, research led by Prof Serge Wich advised that where forest is converted to plantation, over time over 95% of the original orangutan population is lost.            

Exactly how great apes alter their behaviour in reaction to altered landscapes and their inherent risks remains uncertain but is of paramount importance for the long-term survival of animals whose ranges comprise of such habitats. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate whether and how the survival prospects of orangutans could be improved in these areas. This interdisciplinary study seeks to quantify this decrease by looking at disturbance (an oil palm concession) and the western Bornean orangutan sub-species. 

This project has been designed in conjunction with International Animal Rescue (herein known as YIARI) in West Kalimantan in Indonesia. YIARI has been working in the PT Kayung Agro Lestari oil palm plantation for several years and have been taking data on the orangutans that live in two forested areas in this plantation. It is rare that access is given to work in such a controversial landscape; however YIARI have been given permission for research to be undertaken in this concession.            

This research is important as very little is known about orangutan movements within oil palm; we know they exist but we do not know the extent of their behavioural plasticity in these areas. We need to examine if conflict exists in this plantation and explore mitigation strategies if necessary. Most importantly from this research, we need to understand how orangutans utilise this habitat and the implications for their continued survival if access to this area were to change.            

Research Objectives

Objective 1: Determine space-use patterns of orangutans in oil palm to examine movement and habitat utilisation.

Objective 2: Examine orangutan behaviour regarding activity budget and dietary composition in relation to food availability.

Objective 3: Quantify how important continued access to this oil palm concession is for this orangutan population using data regarding crop-foraging, dietary composition and oil palm shoot loss.

Objective 4:  Assess whether there are any orangutan-human interactions within this plantation and assist with options for conflict mitigation.

Anticipated Results

It is expected that this project will be one of the first of its kind to shed light on orangutan behaviour in a monoculture. It will provide information on activity budget, nutrition and movements. Currently we do not know how much of the plantation orangutan utilise, or indeed whether they potentially live in the plantation. At this time, the anticipated results are that orangutans move within the plantation but we do not know the extent. Therefore, this project will fill in the gaps in our knowledge. 

Implications of this project

First and foremost, it will be the completion of my PhD. I also hope to publish this study in a number of journals, as well as presenting my results at international meetings. In terms of orangutan conservation, the implications of this project will be important and far reaching. The training we will continue to offer staff within the plantation, with regards to a no-kill policy, corridor-creation and conducting research, will be invaluable if we are to empower local people to look after their wildlife. I will be evoking with the plantation owners on best practice guidelines for use in their plantation, which can then be rolled out to their other sites, as well as the potential to work with other companies. From a research perspective, this project will shed light on an aspect of orangutan life that has rarely been studied on a long-term basis. We will be able to begin to answer questions as to the scale of which orangutans rely on this landscape, how important connectivity is and how they are modifying their behaviour to cope with this change in environment. If orangutans are not coping in this environment, we can begin the work into mitigation strategies - looking into policies in order to protect these apes. 

Given the sensitive nature of my project, I really struggled to get funding to study in an oil palm plantation. As I am a self-funded student, I got to a point in the field where I would be unable to pay my second-year fees. Receiving this scholarship was amazing and took a huge weight off my shoulders. It allowed me to reallocate my own money in the field so that I could purchase more equipment such as a new GPS, compasses and watches for the staff. Without this scholarship, I don’t think I would have been able to continue my field work or pay my programme fees.

I love being a research student. I relish a challenge, and nothing is harder than creating a project and self-funding it. I enjoy the social aspects of being a student; meeting like-minded people with great experiences that they can share and advice they can impart.            

As you can imagine, working in the field comes with a plethora of issues. However, because I had already worked in a similar area of Indonesia for several years and had such a strong team at Oxford Brookes University, I never felt like any of these issues couldn’t be resolved quickly. There are always delays with the permits you need to conduct research, the weather is always problematic, and working in a foreign country produces problems of its own. With help from Oxford Brookes University and my previous work, my project evolved to meet these challenges and present solutions that kept all stakeholders happy.              

The research training has been nothing short of fantastic. The inductions really set me up for what to expect from Oxford Brookes University and what they expected from me. Now I am back from the field, I can undertake training in software that is relevant for the analysis of my data. There is also the possibility of 1-to-1 sessions with different advisors which I think will be hugely beneficial for me.

At the moment, I am focusing on analysing my data and writing my thesis. I will also be presenting my work at an international conference soon and I am hoping to present at more over the next year. On completion of my PhD, I hope to publish my work and pursue a career in the environmental sector. Working with an oil palm company has really opened my eyes to the role that businesses play in conservation and the environment, so I am considering moving into this as a potential field.

I am a British citizen, but I grew up on the East coast of Canada on Prince Edward Island. Since coming to the UK ten years ago, I have lived all over England, including Canterbury, Leeds, Cambridge and of course, Oxford.

I originally heard about Oxford Brookes when I was considering my first master’s programme. Upon finishing my honours BA in Anthropology (Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada), I wanted to become a primatologist and looked into the world-renowned Primate Conservation MSc at Brookes. Taking the full spectrum of my research interests into account (e.g. human-nonhuman animal relationships; traditional ecological knowledge; wildlife conservation; environmental education; climate change), I decided to pursue a MSc in Environmental Anthropology (University of Kent), followed by a second MSc    in Biodiversity and Conservation (University of Leeds). However, I have always retained a passion for primates, and have been involved in some research in this area, so it seemed quite poetic when my doctoral studies led me here.

I was impressed by the disciplinary coverage of my supervisory team, and the support I felt they would be able to provide throughout an interdisciplinary project. Professor Kate Hill is my Director of Studies and Professor Jeremy MacClancy is my second supervisor. I also have access to Professor Stephen Redpath as an external supervisor at the University of Aberdeen if I have any questions about raptor ecology. Having supportive supervisors is key to doctoral success, as those relationships provide the foundation that underpins your progress. I was also a 150 Studentship recipient and was extremely grateful to be granted the financial support to continue with my academic aspirations. Without funding, I would have had to continue to put doctoral studies on hold until grant funding could be obtained.

Prior to my PhD, I was a research assistant at the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, as part of a team investigating children’s perceptions of environmental change in four Cambridgeshire schools. I was also an intern at the UNEP-WCMC (United Nations Environmental Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre) in their Ecosystem Assessment Division (also in Cambridge).          

Before taking up my posts in Cambridge, I had been working as an educational assistant at an elementary school in Yukon, Canada, and volunteering with the charity Neotropical Primate Conservation in La Esperanza, Peru. 

I have always been passionate about research and had carried out several smaller-scale degree projects by the time I arrived at Brookes. In my capacity as a research assistant, I was primarily involved in the fieldwork side of things, documenting my colleagues’ activities while developing and leading some of my own. It had been about three years since I had finished my last masters, so it took me a little while to acclimatise into a very different type of degree programme, but I was very much looking forward to devoting myself full time to a topic that encompassed so many of my research interests and carrying out long-term fieldwork.            

When doing library research, it is of great benefit to have access to the Bodleian Library, in addition to all the resources at Brookes. However, as Oxford Brookes largely comprises an undergraduate student population, it can be easy for PhD students to sometimes feel underrepresented, regarding more specific graduate training or the level to which we feel included and communicated to in terms of university services and information sharing. As many PhD students will attest, doctoral research can be a very isolating process at times and lacking a cohort in the same way other degree programmes do can contribute to that. Happily, I think these areas are receiving more attention with the recent development of the Doctoral Training Programme and the increased research training activities that are being offered and promoted through this initiative. It is a really positive step, and I am looking forward to taking full advantage of those opportunities during the rest of my time at Brookes.  

The Red Kite Reintroduction Programme was initiated in 1989 and has since been recognized as one of the most successful conservation programmes ever carried out in Britain. However, in recent years print media stories have suggested that the bird’s popularity might be fading in certain areas. My project looks at the social aspects of the red kite reintroduction and people’s relationships with these birds. By exploring people’s perceptions of red kites in both urban and rural, high and low density red kite areas, I wanted to get a better understanding of how people feel about red kites.            

From the onset, this project has been conceived as an investigative exploration, as opposed to a hypothesis driven study. Hence my aim has been to identify the dominant themes arising from people’s narratives about red kites, as well as understand how they fit into people’s relationships with, and willingness to tolerate, wildlife in general.            

By conducting this research, I wanted to uncover the key factors shaping people’s constructions of red kites, and, in so doing, shed light on the bird’s social carrying capacity (Needham et al. 2011) – otherwise known as wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity (Organ & Ellingwood, 2000).            

This project is the first of its kind to examine human-red kite relations in the UK and will make an intellectual contribution to ongoing discussions in human-nonhuman animal studies, animal geography, conservation biology and wildlife management. In addition, this research has practical applications for future conservation through its recommendations.

Several other reintroductions have taken place in the UK in recent times (e.g. great bustards, sea eagles, Eurasian beavers, and pine martens), and with a number of ‘rewilding’ proposals currently being set forth, namely involving the reintroduction of wolves and lynx, there is now an even greater need to understand people’s tolerance capacities towards wildlife. For reintroductions to continue successfully, the human dimensions need to be better understood. Therefore, in addition to having wider implications, the findings of this study will contribute valuable insights into local human-red kite interactions and further assist conservation activities in the UK.            

How has the Santander scholarship helped your research project and progression of your research degree programme?

The Santander Scholarship for Continuation Fees has provided me with continued financial support after my initial three-year studentship concluded at the end of January 2018. The writing-up period can be a difficult time and having less financial pressure has certainly helped.           

It was very important to me to have the opportunity to bring both my disciplinary backgrounds together for my PhD. Having a project that allows me to delve into so many of the topics I am interested in, while also discovering new areas for myself, is great. The burgeoning interdisciplinary field of anthrozoology is a very exciting place to be because you feel that you have the chance to really make a difference and explore complex dynamics from different angles. Of course, your PhD is really a beginning of sorts, so I am excited to see what the future may hold.            

Specialising in human-wildlife relationships and interactions, at the intersection of anthropology and conservation, and having the opportunity to make an original contribution to my field is a very fulfilling thought. From a young age, I always wanted to make some small positive difference in the world. Impact is something that is very important to me, and if my research influences how something is approached in the future, that will be the biggest reward. I want my research to contribute to knowledge, but I also want it to be applied so that both animals and people can coexist in a shared landscape that is mutually beneficial to both.          

Doing all the preliminary research as part of expanding your research design, and exposing yourself to new bodies of literature and ideas, is very exciting during the first phase of the PhD. You feel like anything is possible. The next stage, the fieldwork stage is, for me, the most enjoyable. It’s why we do what we do. The immersion process can come with challenges, but is also very rewarding, and it is exciting as you begin to see patterns emerge and start to unravel and interpret your data. The final stage of the PhD, the writing-up stage, is arguably the hardest. Even when you are passionate about a subject, after several years sometimes the motivation that is required to make sense of everything you collected during fieldwork can be difficult to muster, as it can be very overwhelming. All PhD students struggle with this. It is well documented. It is very easy to get overwhelmed with everything you have to do, and I think it helps if you can remind yourself of why you are doing it.             

During the first seven months of my PhD I was very much immersed in preliminary research and carrying out all the tasks I needed to do in order to begin my fieldwork in a timely manner. This period was followed by approx. a year and four months of fieldwork. I spent most of this time living ‘in the field’, away from the university, my supervisors and colleagues.            

Now that I am based in Oxford again, I can see how the Doctoral Training Programmes are being developed further and the additional opportunities opening up to research students. With workshops and seminars being offered through the Graduate College and Careers, as well as our individual faculties, I Iook forward to learning even more transferable academic skills that will serve me well in the future.            

However, with several doctoral training programmes happening in different faculties, I think it would be wonderful to see more cross-faculty communication and collaboration. I believe it would be a great asset to research students, and faculty research development as a whole, if information   about the different approaches and research tools being taught in doctoral training sessions across the university were more readily advertised to students outside each faculty. I know I have benefited from attending sessions on qualitative coding and analysis hosted through the Business School for instance, which I only found out about through some independent investigation. Colleagues have also expressed interested in attending valuable sessions hosted through our faculty (Humanities and Social Sciences) which they did not know about. With so many resources available, I feel it would be hugely beneficial to make the most of them collectively - and who knows, some very innovative projects could come out of it!            

During the first year of my undergraduate degree, I knew that I would go on to pursue a doctorate, with the goal of one day becoming a lecturer or professor. I love teaching and have been very grateful to my supervisor for giving me the opportunity to teach several lectures during the course of my PhD. Since I have always been involved in less mainstream research areas, I really enjoy having the opportunity to introduce new topics to students, and expose them to new perspectives. If one or two students come up after teaching a class and say, ‘you made me think about this in a different way’, that’s what it is all about.            

Positive change can come about by students having access to new ideas and alternative ways of thinking and relating to the world around them.

Because of this, they might think more critically about relationships and associations they took for granted. It might expand their worldview or influence their career path. As humans, it is important to have our assumptions challenged. It helps us grow.            

While I am still interested in pursuing an academic career, I am also receptive to research and teaching opportunities that lie outside of academia.

I have worked at Oxford Brookes for a number of years as a professional services member of staff.  I joined the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2013 and became familiar with the research undertaken by academic staff in the School of History, Philosophy and Culture. Inspired by the work done in the School, I worked for a time to create a research proposal which was accepted by the department and I enrolled as a part-time research student in September 2015. Since beginning my studies at Oxford Brookes, I have been impressed with the support that is available to ensure that students get the most out of their studies. My supervisory team have been incredibly supportive and the training and events organised by the faculty and by the University have been very useful as I settled into my studies.

Between October 1963 and July 1964, ten defendants were tried under the General Laws Amendment (Sabotage) Act and the Suppression of Communism Act.  Amongst the ten, there were several prominent campaigners against the apartheid regime, including Nelson Mandela. This trial was widely observed, and condemned, across the world and was the subject of UN Security Council Resolution 190, demanding the release of all persons convicted or being tried for opposition to apartheid.        

My work examines both the international diplomacy and international campaign movements that surrounded the Rivonia trial in South Africa by completing detailed archival research of government bodies and various campaign organisations. I will utilise these records in a way informed by recent developments in the field of transnational history.  I have chosen to examine the diplomacy of the US and the UK with South Africa, as these counties traditionally had a close relationship, sharing histories that are linked through colonialism and trade. I have visited various archives in both countries to view primary sources.        

The campaign movements for racial equality that connected South Africa to the US and the UK are significant.  Many of the leading activists fighting the apartheid regime at this time were internationally known figures and were inspired by, or had links with, political leaders and activists in other countries, including both the US and the UK. Nelson Mandela, defendant number one in the Rivonia trial, did not visit the United States until after his release in 1990, but in his autobiography, he states that he was inspired in his youth by Americans such as W.E.B Du Bois, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr. He did, however, visit the UK in 1962 and met with leaders of the Labour and Liberal Parties, as well as others involved in the anti-apartheid movement. Many anti-apartheid activists fled to the UK and carried on with their work in the Anti-Apartheid Movement, while activists in the US frequently viewed their civil rights struggle as part of a wider movement for racial justice.          

I am keen to explore to what extent the Rivonia trial acted as a rallying point for campaigning groups to focus on, as well as an event that officials in the Governments of the US and the UK had to respond to, and I hope to find examples of where these two worlds collided. To do this I will be looking for connections between the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and the British Government on this issue, and lobbying by campaign groups: for example, the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured Peoples, the American Committee on Africa and International Defence and Aid Fund, among others.        

How has the Santander scholarship helped your research project and progression of your research degree programme?

Being awarded a Santander scholarship has been greatly beneficial for my studies. I have been fortunate enough to win funding for some of the necessary travel to archives during the course of my studies, but some of this I have had to cover out of my own resources. Being awarded this scholarship has eased the financial burden I face, leaving me free to undertake further necessary trips to gather vital information for my research project.          

I have been studying now for three years and I have really enjoyed my time working on my project. I have nearly completed the information gathering phase of my research and I am shortly to begin my writing up. I am looking forward to this stage as it will bring together all of the work that I have completed in my last few years of study.        

The greatest challenge I have faced as a part-time student is managing my time effectively around working in a full-time job. It is sometimes difficult to sit down and study after a busy day in the office, but I manage this by setting myself small, frequent deadlines so that I have targets to work towards. This, as well as still maintaining a keen interest in my topic, has kept me motivated. Meeting a deadline also means that I can treat myself to time away from my studies, allowing me to do something else and then come back to it after a week or two, feeling refreshed and ready to begin again.        

I first heard about Oxford Brookes in 2014 after moving to Oxford to study for a Masters. The University kept popping up whilst I was working and studying elsewhere.

I knew that I loved Oxford and wanted to move back. Upon reaching out to the University about my idea for a research project, I had an extremely supportive and positive reception by my then proposed supervisor (this was particularly pleasing having studied the works of the proposed supervisor on an earlier course). With this collaboration, I gained a sense of being cared about and empowered rather than being a mere cog in the workings of a large institution.

I was particularly reassured by having an open and honest conversation during the interview. The interviewer was transparent from all angles and realistic about studying at Oxford Brookes University; this was very refreshing!

Immediately prior to commencing my PhD I was geography teacher in inner-city London, a challenging environment perfect for honing time management. I have also worked in construction for a safeguarding organisation within local government and remain a director of a performing arts organisation and an awarding body. 

When I have time, I like to volunteer with the world’s largest youth movement, which has led me to represent their interests in the European Parliament. I have created training modules, led regional growth, and made lots of friends. I have also had the privilege to volunteer in the Cabinet Office via the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme run by the Royal Commonwealth Society and University of Cambridge. This involved finding inspirational volunteers and mentoring people around the world in leadership, non-formal education, and youth empowerment.             

As the only new student to be reading for a PhD in Education, it at first seemed a little lonely due to a lack of companionship. Nonetheless, my supervisory team have been fantastic, and while both supervisors have significant roles within the University, they always find time for me. Indeed, the staff and other research students at the University have always been friendly and willing to offer their help, be it administrative or academic.

It has been a nice experience settling into being a research student. I would advise other students to make sure that there are interactions with other research students and to make the effort to find a routine that works.

I am researching the extent to which universities’ interactions with their students reflect or embody the ‘soft power’ of the state as distinct from their own wholly autonomous actions as education providers. To that end, my research explores how student behaviours and practices are influenced by universities.

My PhD explores how the ‘traditional’ three-year full-time undergraduate student (FTUG) experience is influenced and shaped in response to contemporary state restructuring, and the impact upon student behaviours and practices in higher education (HE) in England (Morrissey, 2013; Sanchez et al., 2015). The research will examine how HE, and the role of those working and studying within it, is changing in the light of the reorganisation of funding, fees, and student number allocations in England. It explores how this context creates a fundamental ambivalence whereby students are increasingly positioned as consumers whilst simultaneously being subject to a growing number of influences and ‘nudges’ which aim to shape and ‘script’ student behaviours

My PhD highlights how the context of ambivalence is experienced and understood by FTUG students, with additional insights drawn from other stakeholders in the HE ‘network of power’. Drawing upon qualitative data from empirical research, the project will utilise a Foucauldian post-structuralist biopolitical framework to map ‘where’ and ‘how’ interactions occur within and across the ‘networks of power’ in modern HE (Foucault, 2010).
I will offer new empirical knowledge on the reorganisation of HE at a time of state restructuring, and intensified concerns about (in)security and sustainability of the HE sector. It will also develop a theoretical understanding of how, in times of change, individuals understand their ‘role’ in HE at a moment in time; in particular, how one ‘becomes and knows what it is to be a student’.

My PhD is thus a response to calls for better understanding of what it means to ‘become’ and be a FTUG in the contemporary HE sector in England; and how students and staff roles are governed, particularly with the reorganisation of funding and fee structures (Gorman, 2012; Ball, 2013). This will provide greater awareness of the ethical implications of HE biopolitics, and uncover the ‘networks of power’ involved in the relationship between the state, universities, and students. I seek to offer an impactful contribution to the debate about the operation, reorganisation, and governance of HE amid state restructuring driven by austerity measures.

I love the stimulation and debate that can be had when critically engaging with the literature, formulating the project that I truly have ownership of. Speaking with supervisors and being guided rather than directed provides a more horizontal experience within the University, one that is exciting, stimulating, and more enriching. It has been great to meet research students and learn about their projects, and to hear just how passionate they are about it. The research student community is a friendly and welcoming one!

One particular challenge can be the lack of structure to a PhD. As there are no modules or regular lectures attached to it, there is sometimes a risk of losing motivation. To overcome this, I have engaged in a range of sessions to develop my skills, which has provided a loose structure. 

Another challenge has been readjusting to student life; the transition from teacher to student has been an interesting thing to do. Giving up a job (even a pressured one) can sometimes make you question the decision, but, for me, these things are all about good planning and staying true to the bigger picture; about the dream and desire to do my own research and contribute to the knowledge economy.

The research training at Oxford Brookes is a good starting point for research students and certainly provides a link between Masters and the MPhil level. There are a raft of options to explore and to introduce you to methods from other disciplines, which provides a useful insight and new avenues to explore. One of the most useful things about this training is to have a space for discussion about the methods with other students.

There is also a good deal of other training to help with career development and personal development. For example, the Associate Teachers course, which helps students prepare for lecturing at the University, was a very positive experience and helped to provide me with another avenue for enrichment both social and academic.

After completion, I would like to put my new skills and knowledge to work in the world of business (in particular, taking up a more active role in the education organisations of which I am a Director). In addition, I would like to further work with the charity supporting people with a rare brain disease while also maintaining a part-time engagement in and with the University contributing to the academic community.

My daughter came to Oxford Brookes for her first degree so I was aware of it before starting my PhD.

I had recently worked with Professor Deb McGregor on a project related to science inquiry and was keen to have her as my supervisor. Previously our paths had crossed through our mutual membership with the Association for Science Education (ASE) and I also followed her to Keele University many years ago, where I did my master’s degree about the management of effective education and learning.    

I am currently supported by a studentship that is jointly funded by both Oxford Brookes and the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) which is financed by Astra Zeneca.  

Directly prior to starting my PhD at Oxford Brookes I was a Research Associate at Kings College London working as part of the UK team on a large European funded project SAILS (http://www.sails-project.eu/).  My role included helping to prepare secondary teachers to teach science through an inquiry approach and be more confident and competent in the assessment of their students’ learning through inquiry and formative assessment pedagogies. 

As a mature student, I have had the opportunity to be part of many interesting experiences and roles including being a nurse and midwife prior to becoming a primary teacher. Interestingly these two careers overlap a lot in terms of transferable skills and knowledge, although I have not had to deliver a baby in school yet!  

My research is stimulated by a desire to understand how science inquiry is described and practiced by teachers following the current English National Curriculum for Science. It hopes to identify pedagogical approaches used at the top end of primary (Year 6) and the start of secondary schooling (Year 7) which might identify common principles and practice that might support more effective transition from primary science education to secondary science education.

I love learning about new things, and find reading the literature, attending conferences and seminars very absorbing, sometimes too much and I forget to write anything down. I find Twitter very useful in terms of learning about useful ‘people’ to follow and resources and strategies to keep my PhD writing on track.

I find people very friendly and supportive. Once I understand what I don’t understand I know who I can contact and receive specific direction or support. My two supervisors are always on hand to shine a light when I find myself in a dark corner.

I would love to be part of a research team and work on projects around science, education, inquiry, creativity and assessment, which involves being in the classroom and working with teachers and their pupils.