Staff Profile
Professor Simon Gibbs
Professor of Inclusive Educational Psychology and Philosophy
- Email: simon.gibbs@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6575
- Fax: +44 (0) 191 208 5651
- Address: School of ECLS, Room 1.56KGVI
King George VI Building
Newcastle University
Queen Victoria Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
Introduction
My initial professional experience of education was as a Maths teacher working in comprehensive schools and, briefly, a secondary modern school. It was there I saw at first hand the effects on children and staff of the arbitrary labelling of children who had 'failed' the 11 plus. My subsequent training and career as an Educational Psychologist stimulated interests in children's development, how children acquire the skills that are required for reading, and how the beliefs and attributions of teachers are involved in the way children's learning is structured and managed. Along the way I have been fortunate to have worked with many brilliant and interesting people. These have helped me gain experience of how to facilitate learning, organisational development and leadership.
These issues continue to underpin my professional and academic interests. My primary aim is to improve children's experiences of education. This is underpinned by the question: 'What do we need to do to help young people (especially) become human beings who can be with, cooperate with, respect and support each other?' and the necessary corollary missions to promote inclusion and oppose discrimination and segregation. My research activity, therefore, seeks to provide greater understanding of the relationships between educational structures, policies, beliefs and practices that enable / disable teachers from developing inclusive approaches to education and learning. In line with this, with my colleagues in the Doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology team in Newcastle we seek to train applied psychologists for work as agents of positive change in organisations such as schools and with teachers, parents, children, and other professionals.
Background
With a first degree in Pure Maths and Chemistry I taught maths in secondary schools in Hertfordshire and Derbyshire for 13 years. While working in Derbyshire I studied Counselling and Human Relations before taking a degree in psychology and qualifying as an Educational Psychologist at Nottingham University.
On completion of my training I was fortunate to gain a post as an Educational Psychologist in Hartlepool. While there I studied for a PhD under the supervision of Professor David Wood. From 1997 to 2007 I was a Senior Educational Psychologist in North Yorkshire.
I started working at Newcastle University in 2000 and was Director of Initial Training in Educational Psychology (the Doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology) from 2007 - 2017.
Current Roles and Responsibilities
- Professor of Inclusive Educational Psychology and Philosophy.
Topics of Concern and Research
- The ethics (or otherwise) of education
- Educational psychology
- Inclusion
- Philosophy of Education
- Teachers' Well-being
Please note I am not at present in a position to supervise any new doctoral candidates.
Qualifications
- BSc, (Pure Maths and Chemistry)
- DipEd (Pastoral Care and Counselling),
- MEd (Human Relations),
- MA (Child Psychology, Educational),
- PhD (Phonological Awareness: Influences and Associates in the Context of the Development of Word Reading in Young Children)'
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Memberships
- Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society;
- Member of the Association of Educational Psychologists;
Informal Interests
Mountains, reading and music.
Google scholar: Click here.
Research Interests
Teachers' beliefs and wellbeing;
The philosophy and purpose of education;
The effects of categorising and labelling;
Inclusive education;
Dyslexia.
Current Work
I am currently examining the ethical status of what passes as education in schools.
However, Please note I am not at present in a position to provide supervision for any new/additional doctoral candidates.
Postgraduate Teaching
DAppEdPsy
- Gibbs S. Inclusion – or what might be the future of education. In: SENDCos & Inclusion. 2021.
- Gibbs S. It could take some time… but do we know where we want to go with education? Part 2 A philosophical perspective on aspects of education in Britain. DECP Debate 2022, (181), 12-18.
- Barrow W, Gibbs S, Kendall P, Resing W, Roffey S. Education and Social Justice: Introduction. Educational & Child Psychology 2021, 38(2).
- Gibbs S. It may take a while… but do we know where we want to get to with education? A brief partial history of education. DECP Debate 2021, 80, 7-11.
- Gibbs S, Elliott J. The dyslexia debate: life without the label. Oxford Review of Education 2020, 46(4), 487-500.
- Gibbs S, Beckman JS, Elliott J, Metsapelto RL, Vehkakoski T, Aro M. What’s in a name: the effect of category labels on teachers’ beliefs. European Journal of Special Needs Education 2020, 35(1), 115-127.
- Gibbs S, Elliott J. Submission to the House of Commons Education Committee’s Inquiry into the support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. London: House of Commons Education Committee, 2019.
- Strahan née Brown C, Gibbs S, Reid A. The psychological environment and teachers’ collective-efficacy beliefs. Educational Psychology in Practice 2019, 35(2), 147-164.
- Powell B, Gibbs S. Behaviour and Learning: The Development of Staff Efficacy in One School. International Journal of Whole Schooling 2018, 14(2), 63-82.
- Gibbs S. Immoral Education: The Assault on Teachers’ Identities, Autonomy and Efficacy. Abingdon: Routledge, 2018.
- Gibbs S. Inclusion and Teachers’ Beliefs in their Efficacy. In: Rycroft-Smith, L; Dutaut, J-L, ed. Flip The System UK: A Teachers' Manifesto. Oxford: Routledge, 2018, pp.127-138.
- Gibbs S. The assault on teachers’ identities, autonomy and efficacy or Can education in a troubled world help us in becoming human?. In: DECP Annual Conference 2018: Education and Well-Being – The Well-being of Education?. 2018, Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront: The British Psychological Society.
- Gibbs S. The Immorality of Education: A position paper for Educational Psychologists. Educational and Child Psychology 2018, 35(3), 86-96.
- Gibbs S. Written submission by Dr Simon Gibbs, Reader in Educational Psychology at the University of Newcastle, in response to Health Committee’s inquiry into the role of education with respect to children and young people’s mental health.. London: DfE; DoH, 2017. Submitted.
- Gibbs S. Written submission by Dr Simon Gibbs, Reader in Educational Psychology at the University of Newcastle, in response to Health Committee’s inquiry into the role of education with respect to children and young people’s mental health.. 2017. In Preparation.
- Gibbs S, Papps I. Identifying the costs and benefits of educational psychology: a preliminary exploration in two local authorities. Educational Psychology in Practice 2017, 33(1), 81-82.
- Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, Greenhalgh T, CATALISE-2 consortium, Consortium members include, Gibbs S, Law J, McKean C, Stringer H. Phase 2 of CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2017, 58(10), 1068-1080.
- Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, Greenhalgh T, CATALISE consortium, Consortium members include, Gibbs S, Law J, McKean C, Stringer H. CATALISE: A Multinational and Multidisciplinary Delphi Consensus Study. Identifying Language Impairments in Children. PLoS One 2016, 11(12), e0168066.
- Barrow W, Gibbs S, Lumsdon D, Parker R, Peters B. Does it matter if psychologists are unrepresentative?. The Psychologist 2016, 29(2), 84-84.
- Cole R, Resing W, Gibbs S. Neuroscience and Educational Psychology. Educational and Child Psychology 2016, 33(1), 5-7.
- Gibbs S, Atkinson C, Woods K, Bond C, Hill C, Morris S, Howe J. Supervision for School Psychologists in Training: Developing a framework from empirical findings. School Psychology International 2016, 37(4), 410-431.
- Peters B, Lumsdon D, Parker R, Gibbs S, Parker R. Educational Imbalance. Psychologist 2015, 28(5), 343.
- Woods K, Atkinson C, Bond C, Gibbs S, Hill V, Howe J, Morris S. Practice Placement Experiences and Needs of Trainee Educational Psychologists in England. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology 2015, 3(2), 85-96.
- Gibbs S, Lauchlan F. Practising Psychology in Challenging Times. Educational and Child Psychology 2015, 32(4), 1-6.
- Dunsmuir S, Leadbetter J, Gibbs S. Supervision. Educational and Child Psychology 2015, 32(3), 6-7.
- Gibbs S, Elliott J. The differential effects of labelling: how do 'dyslexia' and 'reading difficulties' affect teachers' beliefs. European Journal of Special Needs Education 2015, 30(3), 323-337.
- Gibbs S. The study of 'reading difficulties' as a phenotype of psychology. The Psychology of Education Review 2015, 39(1), 32-34.
- Gibbs S, Barrow W, Parker R. Child Development and Attachment. In: Pattison, S; Robson, M; Beynon, A, ed. Handbook of Counselling Children and Young People. London: Sage, 2014, pp.7-18.
- Gibbs S, Bodman S. PhAB2 Primary: Phonological Assessment Battery 2nd Edition Primary. 2014. GL Assessment.
- Gibbs S, Miller A. Teachers’ resilience and well-being: a role for educational psychology. Teachers and Teaching : Theory and Practice 2014, 20(5), 609-621.
- Gibbs S. A context for cognitive education: Teachers’ beliefs. In: International Association for Cognitive Education and Psychology (IACEP 2013). 2013, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Gibbs S. Psychological research that transforms educational practice. In: BPS Annual Conference. 2013, Harrogate, UK: British Psychological Society.
- Gibbs S. Psychological Research that Transforms Educational Practice. BPS North-East Branch Newsletter 2013. Submitted.
- Gibbs S. Educational Psychology and Teachers' Resilience. In: 3rd World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership. 2012, Brussels. Submitted.
- Gibbs S, Miller A. Educational Psychology and Teachers' Well-being. In: British Psychological Society Education Section. 2012, Open University, Milton Keynes.
- Gibbs S, Powell B. Teacher efficacy and pupil behaviour: The structure of teachers’ individual and collective beliefs and their relationship with numbers of pupils excluded from school. British Journal of Educational Psychology 2012, 82(4), 564-584.
- Gibbs S, Miller A. Teachers' resilience and well-being: A role for educational psychology. In: British Psychological Society Division of Educational and Child Psychology. 2012, Stratford on Avon.
- Gibbs S, Lauchlan F, Dunsmuir S, ed. Teachers' Well-being. British Psychological Society DECP, 2012.
- Lauchlan F, Gibbs S, Dunsmuir S. Teachers' Well-being. Educational and Child Psychology 2012, 29(4), 5-7.
- Elliott J, Gibbs S. The dyslexia debate. In: Adey, P., Dillon, J, ed. Bad Education: Debunking Myths in Education. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University, 2012, pp.263-278.
- Critchley H, Gibbs S. The effects of positive psychology on the efficacy beliefs of school staff. Educational & Child Psychology 2012, 29(4).
- MacKay T, Gibbs S. Health and educational psychology: The interface. Educational and Child Psychology 2011, 28(4), 5-6.
- Gibbs S, Elliott J. Dyslexia: a categorical falsehood without validity or utility. Advances in Learning and Behavioural Disabilities 2010, 23, 287-301.
- Gale I, Gibbs S. Children with severe, complex and enduring needs. Educational and Child Psychology 2009, 26(4), 5-8.
- Gale I, Gibbs S, ed. Children with severe, complex and enduring needs. Leicester: BPS/DECP, 2009.
- Elliott J, Gibbs S. Does dyslexia exist?. In: Cigman, R; Davis, A, ed. New Philosophies of Learning. Chichester: WileyBlackwell, 2009, pp.475-491.
- Elliott JG, Gibbs S. Does dyslexia exist?. Journal of Philosophy of Education 2009, 42(3-4), 475-491.
- Duff FJ, Fieldsend E, Bowyer-Crane C, Hulme C, Smith G, Gibbs S, Snowling MJ. Reading with vocabulary intervention: evaluation of an instruction for children with poor response to reading intervention. Journal of Research in Reading 2008, 31(3), 319-336.
- Gibbs S. Teachers’ beliefs about inclusion. Action for Inclusion 2008, 26, 14-16.
- van der Aalsvoort D, Crane C, Gibbs S. The development of literacy: Implications of current understanding for applied psychologists and educationalists. Educational and Child Psychology 2008, 25(3), 6-7.
- Gibbs S, Gardiner M. The structure of primary and secondary teachers' attributions for pupils' misbehaviour: a preliminary cross-phase and cross-cultural investigation. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 2008, 8(2), 68-77.
- Rack J, Snowling M, Hulme C, Gibbs S. No evidence that an exercise-based treatment programme (DDAT) has specific benefits for children with reading difficulties. Dyslexia 2007, 13(2), 97-104.
- Gibbs S. Teachers' perceptions of efficacy: Beliefs that may support inclusion or segregation. Educational & Child Psychology 2007, 24(3), 47-53.
- Hatcher PJ, Hulme C, Miles JNV, Carroll JM, Hatcher J, Gibbs S, Smith G, Bowyer-Crane C, Snowling MJ. Efficacy of small group reading intervention for beginning readers with reading-delay: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2006, 47(8), 820-827.
- Hatcher PJ, Goetz K, Snowling MJ, Hulme C, Gibbs S, Smith G. Evidence for the effectiveness of the Early Literacy Support programme. British Journal of Educational Psychology 2006, 76(2), 351-367.
- Lincoln N, Gibbs S, ed. Neuropsychology. Leicester: British Psychological Society, 2005.
- Gibbs S. The interaction of vocabulary and short-term memory in predicting phonological awareness: A comparison of dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 2005, 5(2), 62-67.
- Gibbs S. Phonological Awareness: An investigation into the developmental role of vocabulary and short-term memory. Educational Psychology 2004, 24(1), 13-25.
- Gibbs S. The skills in reading shown by young children with permanent and moderate hearing impairment. Educational Research 2004, 46(1), 17-27.
- Gibbs S. Do Pictures make a difference? A test of the hypothesis that performance in tests of phonological awareness is eased by the presence of pictures. Educational Psychology in Practice 2003, 19(3), 219-228.