Research Overview

I am a lecturer in the Educational Research Department. I am also Programme Director for the Education and Social Justice MA and Director for Internationalisation.

My research focuses on the nature and experience of life course transitions for neurodivergent/disabled learners, with particular emphases on education and employment. I am also interested in how belonging in higher education is theorised and experienced by disabled staff.

I typically draw on qualitative, and where possible inclusive, methodologies to uncover rich data from among hardly reached groups. I am engaged in a range of ongoing collaborations in the UK and internationally and I am Principal Investigator for the following projects:

STEPS: School Transitions across Education for Pupils with SEN/D (Sir Halley Stewart Trust) in the United Kingdom, engages with young people with SEN/D making the transition from primary to secondary school. Our data, resources, and training have been developed using participatory methods and aim to improve outcomes. These include 3 animations and a toolkit made with/for neurodivergent young people:

How are you feeling? | What is Year 7 like? | What helps with Transition?

Free School Transition Toolkit for young people with SEN/D

AJOLI: Autism JOint Local Initiative, Uganda (Joy Welch Fund) has three phases which include working with communities across three regions of northern Uganda to screen for autism; understanding how autism is understood by community members through qualitative interviews and focus groups; and developing participatory resources that can be used to reduce stigma and exclusion among communities.

IDEA: Indonesian Disability-Inclusion for Education and Accessibility, Indonesia (British Council) has delivered an environmental scan of universities' disability-inclusion offer across Indonesia; interviews with disabled students and focus groups with HE stakeholders; and good practice guides for disabled students / staff, infographics, and policy briefs to inform Government departments.