Dr Pamela Woolner
Lecturer in Education

  • Email: pamela.woolner@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 222 5470
  • Address: Room 2.55 KGVI
    School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences
    King George VI Building
    Newcastle University
    Queen Victoria Road
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU

Introduction

My initial degree was psychology, with the first year as a mathematics/psychology joint honours student. After an MA (Philosophical Issues in Psychology), I completed a PGCE in secondary mathematics and taught in various north-east schools.  My PhD (2004) brought together my background in psychology with my experiences of teaching and learning mathematics. I considered the potential of teaching approaches which emphasise either visual or verbal understanding and the impact on learners who might favour one or other mode.

More recently, my interest in investigating the learning environment provided by schools has involved the more active participation of users (including students, teachers, non-teaching staff and the wider community). Participatory research approaches, which I have developed with colleagues in the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT), use a range of visual and spatial activities to both engage and empower participants in sharing their experiences and knowledge.  

Currently I am Degree Programme Director for the EdD and teach on a range of ECLS and HaSS modules, mostly centred on research methods.  In this role, I draw on my on-going research experience as a member of CfLaT.

Research Interests

My current research interests centre on understanding and developing the learning environment. This includes examining the historical and research background to recent developments in school buildings, and investigating the participation of users (including students, teachers, non-teaching staff and the wider community) in the design process. I have become increasingly interested in how visual techniques, including photo elicitation and mapping activities, can facilitate such participation.

Other Expertise

I help to support action research undertaken in CfLaT partner schools and by teachers involved with a number of current projects. My background is that of a quantitative researcher, and one of my roles is to provide assistance with quantitative methods and analysis.

Current Work

I am currently working on a number of CfLaT projects: 

Exploring the fitting of practice to context at Oakfields Community College

Exploring Independent Learning (in KS5 and HE)

Review of the role of atitudes, aspirations and behaviours in educational attainment (for JRF) 

Postgraduate Supervision

Current:
Hajah Haji Bungsu (IPhD) Threshold concepts in learning in agriculture

Roger Handyside (PhD) 

Jaswinder Jutla (EdD) A comparison of expectations and experiences of secondary science trainees on two distinct Initial Teacher Training courses; the Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) and the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP)

Carl Towler (PhD) The role of diagrams in mediating the comprehension ability of Year 7 children identified as poor comprehenders.

Sarah Whyte (EdD) How does an emotional intelligence intervention affect children in a British international school?

Previous supervisions:
Sheila McCarter (Doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology [DAppEdPsy]) How Conceptualisations of Learning are revealed by the use of Carpet Space in Primary Schools

Esteem Indicators

• Invited reviewer for ESRC research grants proposals
• Invited reviewer for British Educational Research Journal, Learning Environments Research, International Journal of Research Method in Education, Teaching and Teacher Education and Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education (and other UK and international journals).
• Invited to present expert evidence to the BCSE Great Schools Inquiry, addressing the question ‘What evidence is there of the link between school buildings/environments and educational achievement and broader outcomes for young people?’ (London, Nov 2009)
• Advisory Group member for EPSRC funded project, ‘Designing New Schools – putting people at the heart of the process’, based at the School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, directed by Dr Rosie Parnell. Steering Group member for HEFCE funded project ‘Innovative, effective, enjoyable? Creating the evidence base to deliver productive academic workplaces’, based at the Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, directed by Prof Simon Austin.
• Invited to make presentations about school design to Local Authority Education Committee (Northumberland County Council, 2005), CABE (London, 2006), an inter-disciplinary conference of professionals and academics, Designing and Managing Learning Environments (London, 2007) and to architects and educationalists as part of a series of interdisciplinary lectures (Nottingham Univeristy, 2009).

Funding

Evaluating the Role of the Artist in Building Schools for the Future, September 2005 to July 2006: £7,000 (Arts Council England North East).

Facilitating participation in the design process at Seaham College, February 2007 to April 2008: £5,126 (Durham County Council)

Exploring the fitting of practice to context at Oakfields Community College, February 2011 to June 2011: £10, 000

Projects

Postgraduate Teaching

I am involved in the planning and teaching of two ECLS research methods modules: 'Research Strategies and Methods' (EDU8095) and 'Research in Practice (EDU8995).  My teaching input on these modules has varied but often includes mixed methods design, quantitative methods and visual methods.  In addition I teach on the ECLS modules 'Investigating Learning' (EDU8033) and 'The policy and practice of assessment' (EDU8035), as well as the HaSS module 'Qualitative Methods and Critical Analysis in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS8004).