In the summer of 2024, the third cohort of Primary Education student teachers completed the degree programme and their research dissertations, that had benefitted from a fuller focus on research. As in previous years, we have selected the strongest dissertations to form a Primary Education Research Showcase.
We have not gone through a full process of editing as would be normal for an academic journal, but have preserved the reports in near original submission form. The student teachers were asked to proof-read their work again, but only address technical matters of spelling, grammar, unclear phrasing, referencing etc. Therefore, they are not perfect, but our intention is to preserve most of the authenticity of the original submission.
So, we have a selection of quality undergraduate research dissertations that are almost the same as the original submissions. There is a wide range of topics, all applicable to current primary school practice. We hope that current and prospective student teachers and tutors will find them inspiring and raise expectations of what can be done, whilst balancing the pressures of a dissertation and a final school placement. We hope that alumni, teachers and tutors, will also find them interesting and thought provoking for their own research and practice.
Research Dissertations
Jasmine Cooper – How does the geography of a classroom influence teaching and learning?
Megan Jaques – Should twins be educated together or separately through their early years education? What impact does it have on learning and behaviour?
Chelsie Russell – How does mindfulness – in particular yoga – impact children’s self-regulation within KS1?
Elise Safianyk – Reflective learning: Children’s views of their classroom environment as a tool to support independent learning
Rachel Simister – An Action Research Investigation into the Effects of Teacher-Led Strategies on Selective Attention During Teacher Input in the Primary Classroom, through an Inclusive Pedagogy Lens
Libby Smith – A comparative case study of the changing attitudes of gender to PE and sport.
Niamh Stinton – What are children’s opinions on practicing mindfulness in the classroom?
Ebony Bucknall – What prevents teachers from incorporating outdoor learning into their everyday teaching practice?