Staff Profiles

EdD: Investigating Complexity: co-teaching with Ian Summerscales.

Modules taught

EdD: Investigating Complexity: co-teaching with Ian Summerscales.

Supervision

Ma: Kirstie Mahoney - A study of children's views on characters and voices in popular children's fiction.

PhD: Polly Bell - Exploring the nature of creativity in relation to teaching and learning in primary school science with consideration of potential insights form the arts disciplines.

I am currently the post-doctoral research associate for a number of externally and internally funded projects. These were awarded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust and the Oxford Brookes Excellence Research and Impact Award scheme. The projects are:
- exploring the nature and influence of creativity-in-school-science: through the professional scientist’s perspective';
- examining the legacy of creative science teaching';
- considering science through storytelling approaches';
- theorising about the use of Ipads in primary science, and finally,
- examining the impact of the thinking, doing and talking randomised control trail'.

Research group membership

I also have the role of 'Research Convenor' for the Oxford Brookes School of Education and I am active member of (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) STEAM research group at Oxford Brookes University. Additionally, I convene the monthly writing group: ‘Think, articulate, edit….’, which takes place on the same university campus (Harcourt Hill).

Further information

STEAM@Brookes and ESERA summer school 2020 websites.

Journal articles

• Frodsham S, McGregor D, Wilson H, 'Young children’s views of creativity in science : exploring perspectives in an English primary classroom'
  Journal of Emergent Science (8) (2014) pp.31-41
  ISSN: 2046-4754
  Abstract The importance of creativity in the classroom has long been debated, as well as the ways in which it might be supported and evidenced in primary schools. This is despite the lack of a clear and universally agreed definition of creativity. Nurturing ingenuity and inventiveness in young children (and subsequently young adults) is essential, due to an unpredictable future (in life after school) with unknown challenges. Encouraging more creativity in the classroom requires the student to be an active thinker, recognise opportunities to be imaginative and utilise ways of being creative when appropriate. It is only by being attentive to the student’s social, historical and cultural understandings (voice and actions) that teachers may begin to appreciate what children understand by creativity in the classroom. However, it has been suggested that the current education system may be constraining teachers’ efforts to foster creativity but, despite this, some teachers have managed to embed creativity into their practice. The realisation of creativity in learning is of great interest, especially if the unforeseen challenges of the future are to be met. This study, based on a small sample of pupils in Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), in an Oxfordshire school rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, explores children’s views of creativity. It examines the opinions of these pupils and their perspectives of originality in and out of the science classroom. The findings suggest that young children can recognise and appreciate creative characteristics and how these might be utilised to further develop and augment individual creativeness, through generating original ideas, relating science to fresh contexts and thinking independently. 

Other publications

• Frodsham S, 'Developing creativity within primary science teaching. What does it look like and how can classroom interactions augment the process?'
  (2017)
• Frodsham S, 'Interpreting teacher observations (concerning creativity) through visual representations'
  (2015)

PhD thesis

Frodsham, S. (2018) ‘Developing creativity within primary science teaching. What does it look like and how can classroom interactions augment the process?’. Unpublished PhD thesis. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University.

Journal articles

McGregor, D,, & Frodsham, S. (2019) ‘Epistemic insights : Contemplating tensions between policy influences and creativity in school science’. BERJ. 45(4). P.770-790.

Frodsham, S., McGregor, D., & Wilson, H. (2014) ‘Young children’s views of creativity in science: exploring perspectives in an English primary classroom’, Journal of Emergent Science, (8), pp.31-41.

Paper presentations

McGregor, D. & Frodsham, S. (2019) ‘Scientists’ narratives of their school science experiences : Implications for policy and practice (so far)’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA), Newcastle, UK, September 10^th-12th 2019.

McGregor, D. & Frodsham, S. (2019) ‘Scientist views of scientific originality: Opportunities and constraints in school science’. Presentation at European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) conference. Bologna, Italy, 26^th-30^th August 2019.

McGregor, D. & Frodsham, S. (2019) ‘Storytelling and inquiry practical work in school science: why bother?’. Presentation at European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) conference. Bologna, Italy, 26^th-30^th August 2019.

Frodsham, S. (2019) ‘Graphical representations of creativity in the primary science classroom: Illustrating innovation and originality through three visual displays’. Presentation at Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) conference. Edinburgh, Scotland, June 6-8^th 2019.  

Frodsham, S. & Deller, C. (2019) 'Researching your practice from different perspectives'. Presentation at Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) conference. Edinburgh, Scotland, June 6-8^th 2019.   

Frodsham S. & McGregor, D. (2019) ‘School science: Scientists stories’. Presentation at The Association  for Science Education (ASE), Birmingham, England, Jan 10th 2019.  

McGregor, D., & Frodsham, S. (2018) ‘Learning through Storytelling: Reflections on its use as a science teaching practice’. Presentation at International Organisation for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE), Malmo, Sweden, August 13-17th 2018.

Frodsham, S. (2018) ‘Discussant: Learning Science Through Drama’. Presentation at International Organisation for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE), Malmo, Sweden, August 13-17th 2018.

McGregor, D., & Frodsham S. (2018) ‘Storytelling in Science: The impact of pedagogic variations’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA), Newcastle, UK, September 11^th-13th 2018.

McGregor, D., & Frodsham S. (2018) ‘Exploring views about the nature and influence of creativity-in-school-science: the qualified scientist’s perspective’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA), Newcastle, UK, September 11^th-13th 2018.

Frodsham, S. (2018) ‘Demonstrating Creativity-in-Learning Through Classroom Talk: Towards A Fresh Theoretical Framework’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA), Newcastle, UK, September 11^th-13th 2018.

Frodsham, S. (2016) ‘Generating representations of creativity in the primary science classroom’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference. Leeds, UK, September 14^th 2016.

McGregor, D., Bird J., & Frodsham, S. (2016) ‘Mixtures, maltesers and magnets : Augmenting the enquiry process through tablet technology in Primary Science’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference. Leeds, UK, September 12^th 2016.

Frodsham, S. (2016) ‘Teachers’ Perspectives on Creativity and ways it can be Supported and Developed in Primary School Science Lessons’. Presentation at Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) conference. Belfast, Ireland, June 11^th 2016.

Frodsham, S. (2015) ‘Interpreting pedagogical practices (concerning creativity) through visual representations of primary science lessons’. Presentation at European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) conference. Helsinki, Finland, 31^st August 2015.

Frodsham, S. (2015) ‘Interpreting science teacher’s practice (related to creativity) through visual representations of their actions’. Presentation at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference. Belfast, Ireland, September 16^th 2015.

Poster presentations

Frodsham, S. (2017), ‘Evidencing Creativity in Talk: Toward a Fresh Theoretical Framework’. Poster presentation at Association of Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference. Reading, UK, January 11^th 2016.

Frodsham, S. (2016), ‘Developing creativity through formative assessment for learning (AfL)’. Poster presentation at Association of Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference. Birmingham, UK, January 9^th 2016.

Frodsham, S. (2016) ‘Interpreting pedagogical practices (concerning creativity) through visual representations of primary science lessons’. Poster presentation at Association of Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference. Birmingham, UK, January 9^th 2016.

Frodsham, S. (2015) ‘Interpreting teacher observations (concerning creativity) through visual representations’. Poster presentation at Association of Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference. Reading, UK, January 10^th 2015.

Membership of professional bodies

Committee member on externally funded (European Science Education Research Association) ESERA summer school 2020 board.

Further information

@STEAMBrookes

@ESERA2020ss