This paper presents quantitative and qualitative findings from an interdisciplinary research project exploring student teachers' positive perceptions of people on the autism spectrum. The set of findings reported in this paper asked 704 student teachers from one university in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262) to write down…

This mixed methods study, which is located in England investigates the capacity primary school teachers have to lay a foundation for pupils' engagement in active lifestyles through the delivery of quality Physical Education. The outlook is not positive as the study reveals low self-efficacy rates in the sample's ability (n181) to teach quality PE,…

Young people and educators in the UK have called for changes in the education system to better prepare learners for a future shaped by climate change and our collective response to the climate crisis. This research explored both reported climate education practices and future outlooks through a questionnaire completed by 16-18-year-old secondary…

Educators' attitudes are a key factor in the practices they enact, their expectations for pupils, and outcomes for pupils. For newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking children, education is known to play a crucial role in the settling-in process. This study uses survey data (n = 295) and case studies of 17 educators at two schools in England to…

Police forces in England and Wales have faced ongoing difficulties of engagement with minority communities leading to a loss of confidence and trust in policing. The paper reports on the results of a project to improve relations with communities with Humberside Police, UK by implementing key ideas relating to procedural justice that consider how…

In contrast to the field's predominant focus on teacher-led talk in reading contexts, this study considers child-led relaxed conversations about texts. It examines what is afforded by the occurrence of such relaxed book talk and how this is enabled with young children in school. Data are drawn from a co-participative study with four teachers in…

Public perceptions of mathematics in England are often of a remote inaccessible academic discipline, and disaffection with the subject is a widespread problem. Results from a multi-method study of post-16 students in vocational education in England show however how students' experiences of mathematics after their transition from school to…

Purpose: Concerns about psychological well-being (PWB) in doctoral students have grown in recent years. The purpose of this study was to explore qualitatively doctoral students' perceptions of factors that promoted their PWB during the doctoral journey. Design/methodology/approach: Nine recent doctoral graduates at an English university…

The role of flow experience in a group creativity task, contemporary dance improvisation, was explored through qualitative content analysis. Our focus was upon the creative process itself, rather than upon creative outcomes. Six dancers took part in an improvisation workshop, reflecting on their creative practice and any associated flow. We…

The global expansion of English has raised a call for English-language teachers around the world to frame English as an international language (EIL). This is especially true in rapidly developing contexts such as China, where teachers are expected to prepare learners to engage effectively in intercultural interactions. As such, the present study…

This paper presents an exploratory study of English and Swedish teachers' perspectives on the role of parents in year one children's learning of number. Drawing on the results of semi-structured interviews, data from each cohort were analysed independently to ensure the cultural integrity of any response categories and the results of this process…

This longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study investigated affective forecasting as a moderator of positive intergroup contact effects among adolescents. We also examined a novel mediating mechanism that underlies this effect, namely accuracy of perceived outgroup willingness for intergroup contact. Three annual waves of survey data were used…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper, based upon research carried out between a university and a Local Authority (LA) in the Midlands, UK, is to explore the phenomenon of head teachers working collaboratively across clusters of primary schools, or inter-collaboration. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study approach was taken and the…

Despite extensive interest in the needs of autistic pupils in education, there seems to date to have been no focus on the needs or attitudes of teachers who are autistic. This paper reports on the case study of an autistic trainee teacher during his Initial Teacher Education (ITE) year undertaking a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at…

Shared reading with young children has a positive impact on a range of areas including language development and literacy skills, yet some parents face challenges in engaging in this activity. While much is known about the benefits of shared reading, the barriers to it are poorly understood. The research presented here draws on in-depth interviews…