I started my career as a maths teacher in the further education sector before moving on to a career in educational research and university teaching. I am particularly enjoy now being in a position where I can help support the careers of others, e.g. through my MSc Research Methods and collegial mentoring.

• I am programme director for the MSc Research Methods with pathways in education, human geography, international development and planning, property and environmental management pathways.
• This degree is one of very few recognised by the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership, which is the body that oversees ESRC doctoral scholarships for the North West of England.”
• As SEED Associate Director in Research Methods, I lead school initiatives in doctoral research training.

• I have always been interested in developing research methodologies and methods that sit alongside my research projects. For example, I have recently published a paper that applies cluster analysis to an initially qualitative data set    and I am currently working on a paper that uses participants’ concept maps as the foci of interviews to reveal students’ financial subjectivities.
• I run courses for University of Manchester Research and Development unit in using NVivo for qualitative and mixed-methods research.
• I also run a longer summer school course in using NVivo for methods@manchester.

• My research takes advantage of the diversity and interdisciplinary culture of The University of Manchester to undertake research in a broad range of areas cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
• My most recent research examines the financial literacy self-efficacy of millennial students and builds on my earlier research in financial literacy with younger students e.g. my paper on a situated learning approach to measuring financial literacy self-efficacy of youth.
• Application of sociocultural theories e.g. here.
• Developing robust research tools eg see here.

• I have also researched in these areas:
  • understanding student decision making around choosing STEM subjects;
  • children's literacy;
  • inclusive education for children with special educational needs such as visual impairments and Down’s syndrome e.g. for ESRC, Nuffield Foundation and DfES.

• As  a former Educational Pathway Lead for the NWSSDTP and institutional lead for UoM's educational research pathway, I have managed strategically the annual ESRC scholarship competitions, including standard and CASE scholarships for the whole pathway (i.e. for the HEI’s in the DTP.
• . Under my leadership, I implemented innovative support mechanisms for CASE scholarship applicants and actively expanded the educational research pathway cooperation across DTP institutions.

I have supervised 15 PhD students to completion and currently have four PhD students who are researching in the following areas: the experience of familial cares of people with dementia, children's understandings of human rights, Chinese shadow education.

These projects are based on a wide range of methods: phenomenology, autobiography, case study, narrative methods, visual methods, dramaturgy and mixed-methods, surveys and Q-sort. Projects have a consistent emphasis on identity and cultural factors; a mix of policy and practice-based research, and attention to marginalised groups. I have four current students.

Total funding awards £1,200,000 (£400,000 as lead PI).

• I provide courses on NVivo  for methods@manchester, and to UoM Researcher Development Unit for PGRs across the univresity.
• My current teaching for Manchester Institute of Education includes:
  • *EVDV70001 Research Literacy & Design.*
  • *EVDV70012 Qualitative Research Approaches.*
  • *EVDV70032 Independent Study in Research Methods.*
  • *EVDV72000 Dissertation.*
  • EVDV70042 Using NVivo for qualitative and mixed-methods research
  • UCIL 20001/20002 Leadership of Learning.
  • * Unit director.

I tend to use interactive, students centred methods much of the time.

• Interested potential PhD students please email me, [email protected].
• Consultancy work considered.