In the summer of 2023, the second cohort of Primary Education student teachers completed the degree programme and their research dissertations, that had benefitted from a fuller focus on research. As for 2022, 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
Eve Jones – How does a small village primary school facilitate parental involvement in their child’s education and wider school life?
Chloe O’Donnell – What do school staff perceive to be the most effective strategies to manage low-level disruption?
Eadie Cyphus-Fell – What is bullying and how should it be approached in school? A case study of teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions in a typical primary school.
Ruth Crompton – Homework, help or hindrance? A Case Study investigating teachers’ perspectives of homework in a mainstream primary school.
Hannah Beckett – Understanding perspectives on play and learning experiences outdoors across EYFS and KS1.
Molly Entwistle – Teacher and pupil attitudes towards Learning Outside the Classroom: influences on primary writing.
Grace Thrower – How does implementing mindfulness techniques into the primary classroom affect the children’s engagement levels?
Megan Purton – What makes a good Art and Design Curriculum? A grounded theory exploration of perspectives from Primary student teachers.
Hollie Sparham – Student-teacher and teacher perceptions on the use of visual strategies to support academic language in different groups of learners.
Belle Caswell – Can mindfulness strategies support children’s wellbeing and promote engagement in learning within a mainstream classroom?
Isabel (Izzy) Haigh – How does the use of carefully selected book resources influence children’s awareness of diverse cultural backgrounds?
Willow Hawkins – What impacts attitudes to reading in a Year 2 class in a large suburban school?
Ella Wright – How can the use of mindfulness techniques promote self-regulation in Year 1 pupils?
Isabelle (Issy) Stead – How can teachers improve or promote the conversation around mental and emotional health in primary school?