What do you research and why?

I research teacher effectiveness in the ‘wild’!  I am especially interested in linking how teachers and students think in-the-moment with how the dynamics (or ‘vibe’) shifts in the classroom.  I do this research because I’m convinced that classroom teaching is super complex; but it’s also led by how the teacher thinks, decides, and reacts in each moment.  The best teachers are the ones who can guide and support students responsively, while staying true to their long-term goals: I want to understand how they do this!  

Do you have a preferred methodological approach and how do you decide on this? 

My preferred methodological approach is to be ‘multimodal’.  This means that I collect multiple, different kinds of data and align them with each other, to see how teachers ‘tick’ from moment to moment.  

What most excites you about the research you do? 

 What excited me most is to continually find teachers to be student-centred, in many different ways, in real-time — even in the smallest moments and in the most demanding classroom scenarios.  Teachers are fantastic! 

What do you hope your research contributes to your field or to society?

I believe my research shows how challenging the work of the teacher is, as well as how powerful it is when performed with passion and commitment.  

What’s next for you? 

I would run a new nationally-representative UK longitudinal study on the usage and effects of Early Childhood Education on children’s development and learning.   This would include robust assessments of quality and meaningful stakeholder engagement with all affected parties – from setting managers through to young children themselves.