Dr Rhian Barrance
Lecturer
- barrancer@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (029) 20688723
- 0.70, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
- Welsh speaking
Overview
I am Director of the WISERD Education Multi-Cohort Study and a Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, where I teach on education and sociology modules.
My research interests include children's rights, assessment and equity in education. I am also interested in children’s social movements and environmental action. I was recently an advisor on the Teach the Future's Curriculum for a Changing Climate: a track changes review of the national curriculum for England. I am currently working on a project on children and young people's activism in Wales with colleagues at Cardiff.
During my time at Cardiff I have completed two projects for the Children's Commissioner for Wales, including an evidence review on the human rights of children in Wales.
Prior to joining Cardiff University, I completed my PhD in Education at the Centre for Children's Rights, Queen's University Belfast. This was a mixed-methods project which used a children's rights approach to identify students' views and experiences of GCSEs and their reform in Northern Ireland and Wales. While completing my doctorate I worked as a Research Fellow on a University of Oxford and Queen's University Belfast project investigating the predictability of Leaving Certificate examinations in the Republic of Ireland.
Additional advisory roles:
- Trustee of Play Wales
- Advisor for Teach the Future's Curriculum for a Changing Climate: a track changes review of the national curriculum for England
- I represent Cardiff University on the Equity & Inclusion Collaborative Research Network which was established to support the Welsh National Strategy for Educational Research and Enquiry.
- I am on the editorial board for the Welsh Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences (Esboniadur Gwyddorau Cymdeithasol).
Biography
Education and qualifications
2012-2016: PhD Education, Centre for Children's Rights, Queen's University Belfast
2010-2011: PGCE Secondary English, Cardiff Metropolitan University
2008-2009: MA Medieval British Studies, Cardiff University
2005-2008: BA English Language and Literature, University of Oxford
Publications
2021
- Barrance, R. 2021. Tiering in the GCSE: a children's rights perspective. British Educational Research Journal 46(6), pp. 1210-1231. (10.1002/berj.3629)
2020
- Barrance, R. 2020. The right to protest: A children’s rights perspective on the school climate strikes. [Online]. British Educational Research Association Blog. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/the-right-to-protest-a-childrens-rights-perspective-on-the-school-climate-strikes
2019
- Barrance, R. and Elwood, J. 2019. National assessment policy reform 14–16 and its consequences for young people: Student views and experiences of GCSE reform in Northern Ireland and Wales. In: Isaacs, T. and Lamprianou, I. eds. Assessment Policy Reform. Oxford: Routledge, pp. 26-45.
- Barrance, R. and Holland, S. 2019. How well is Wales monitoring its fulfilment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child? A view from Dr Rhian Barrance and Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales. [Online]. wierd.ac.uk: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/how-well-wales-monitoring-its-fulfilment-convention-rights-child-view-dr-rhian-barrance-and
- Barrance, R. 2019. Why are primary school children in Wales so worried about tests?. [Online]. wiserd.ac.uk: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/why-are-primary-school-children-wales-so-worried-about-tests
- Barrance, R. 2019. Beth Nawr,2019 The survey results and analysis of the experiences and worries of children and young people in Wales and their priorities for the Children’s Commissioner.. Project Report. [Online]. Children's Commissioner for Wales. Available at: https://www.childcomwales.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/What-Now-Report.pdf
- Barrance, R. 2019. The fairness of internal assessment in the GCSE: the value of students' accounts. Assessment in Education 26(5), pp. 563-583. (10.1080/0969594X.2019.1619514)
2018
- Davies, A., Milton, E., Connolly, M. and Barrance, R. 2018. Headteacher recruitment, retention and professional development in Wales: challenges and opportunities. Cylchgrawn Addysg Cymru / Wales Journal of Education 20(2), pp. 204-224. (10.16922/wje.20.2.11)
- Connolly, M., Milton, E., Davies, A. J. and Barrance, R. 2018. Turning Heads: the impact of political reform on the professional role, identity and recruitment of head teachers in Wales.. British Educational Research Journal 44(4), pp. 608-625. (10.1002/berj.3450)
- Barrance, R. and Elwood, J. 2018. National assessment policy reform 14-16 and its consequences for young people: student views and experiences of GCSE reform in Northern Ireland and Wales. Assessment in Education 25(3), pp. 252-271. (10.1080/0969594X.2017.1410465)
- Barrance, R. and Elwood, J. 2018. Young people’s views on choice and fairness through their experiences of curriculum as examination specifications at GCSE. Oxford Review of Education 44(1), pp. 19-36. (10.1080/03054985.2018.1409964)
- Barrance, R. 2018. The human rights of children in Wales: An evidence review. Children's Commissioner for Wales. Available at: https://www.childcomwales.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The-Human-Rights-of-Children-in-Wales.pdf
2017
- Barrance, R. 2017. WISERD GCSE Series – Part 3: Is tiering fair for all students?. [Online]. wiserd.ac.uk: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/wiserd-gcse-series-part-3-tiering-fair-all-students
- Barrance, R. 2017. WISERD GCSE Series – Part 2: Should internal assessment be used for GCSEs?. [Online]. wiserd.ac.uk: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/wiserd-gcse-series-part-2-should-internal-assessment-be-used-gcses
- Barrance, R. 2017. WISERD GCSE Series - Part 1: Should all GCSE students be assessed the same way?. [Online]. wiserd.ac.uk: Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/wiserd-gcse-series-part-1-should-all-gcse-students-be-assessed-same-way
- Barrance, R. 2017. Climate change and poverty are as much of a threat as terrorism for many young people. The Conversation 2017(27 Mar)
