Overview
Research summary
I am currently in my final year of the Doctorate in Educational Psychology
I am currently carrying out research into adoptive parents’ perceptions of how schools support their children. I am using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to gather and analyse the lived experiences of adoptive parents.
In 2019 I carried out a small-scale project looking at ways of supporting and monitoring pupil well-being in primary schools.
in 2018 I was involved in a small-scale collaborative project which investigated the factors affecting implementation of the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme in schools.
Biography
- Undergraduate Education – I studied BSc Psychology at The University of Essex. My thesis was in the field of audio psychology and investigated the effects of captor tones in changing and masking auditory perceptions.
- Postgraduate Education – Following my degree, I studied for a PGCE in Primary Education at The University of East Anglia, specialising in Key Stage 1. I completed a MA in Education with the Open University in 2015. My dissertation investigated the effects of friendship on problem solving skills.
- Employment – I spent 6 years working as a primary school teacher, across the entire 4-11 age range. During this time specialised in teaching Music, Computing and Modern Foreign Languages. I took management roles in subject leadership and online safety co-ordination. As part of this role I delivered training to colleagues and parents.
Research
Research interests
- adoption,
- mental health and well-being in schools,
- attachment,
- trauma-informed practice in schools
I am currently carrying out research into adoptive parents’ perceptions of how schools support their children. I am using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to gather and analyse the lived experiences of adoptive parents.
Thesis
Adoptive parents' views of how schools support their children: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
My thesis aims to explore the lived experiences of adopted parents, specifically their experiences of interacting with schools. Research suggests that adopted children sometimes experience difficulties at school which may be related to their experiences prior to adoption. Research also shows that some school staff may be unaware that adopted children may continue to experience the impact of early childhood experiences after adoption. The findings of this research will hopefully be useful for educational psychologists as they work with schools to meet the needs of adopted children. It is hoped that it will also give adoptive parents an opportunity to share their experiences in a way that will benefit other families.
Supervisors
Publications
2020
- Clarke, A. 2020. The experiences of adoptive parents with their children’s education: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. DEdPsy Thesis, Cardiff University.