Exploring the pupil-teacher relationship in policy, popular discourse and teacher conceptualisations

About the project

About the Project The pupil-teacher relationship is known to be an influential force in the school experience (Looker & Kington, 2020; Looker et al, 2023; Whittaker, 2024). From the Department for Education (DfE, 2024a; 2024b) to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF, 2021), key policymakers and policy actors encourage teachers to exploit the potential within these relationships to improve pupil behaviour and pupil outcomes (Bennett, 2020; EEF, 2021; DfE, 2024a; 2024b; Ofsted, 2024). While this crucial relationship (or pedagogical relation) has a long history of research consideration (Nohl, 1933; Tiedeman, 1942), and while particular types of teacher-pupil relationships are associated with positive pupil outcomes (Skinner & Belmont, 1993; Lee & Loeb, 2000; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Blum, 2005; Cornelius-White, 2007; Bernstein-Yamashiro & Noam, 2013), little research has been conducted that explores how the nature of the pupil-teacher relationship has changed over time and how the discourses of policymakers’ and policy actors’ influence, and have influenced, our conception of these relationships. This project would seek to address how the pupil-teacher relationship is constructed in popular discourse. Further, it would explore how the popular discourse interacts with teachers’ constructions of their pupil-teacher relationships. In order to achieve this, it is anticipated that the study might include a desk-based examination of secondary data sources, such as policymakers’ and policy actors’ white papers, speeches and other texts (Spicksley & Kington, 2023), combined with primary data gathered from teachers using a range of qualitative methods. The study will contribute to our understanding of this vital classroom relationship and how policy discourses shape them, leading to the identification of implications for policy and practice. Supervisory team Director of Studies: Professor Alison Kington Supervisors: Dr Daniel Whittaker & Dr Ben Looker Research Group: Social Psychology of Education Application Process To begin the application process please go to: https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/ . The Interview All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams. Funding your PhD For information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/fees-and-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx During your PhD you can access the Research Conference Support Scheme to support the costs of presenting your research at an external conference. Research at the University of Worcester Research is central to the University’s mission to make a difference in everything that we do. We are committed to delivering excellent research which extends the boundaries of human knowledge but which also improves people’s lives by enabling better health outcomes, improving food security, developing environmentally sustainable solutions for crop production and socially sustainable solutions to our ageing population, enhancing public knowledge and understanding of the past and present. The University hence focuses its research around five high-level challenges facing society, locally, nationally and globally: Human Health and Wellbeing Sustainable Futures Digital Innovation Culture, Identity and Social Exclusion Professional Education The success of our research is reflected in our continuous improvement in external research assessment processes. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, the University saw a near 50% increase in the scale of its research and 12% increase in quality, building on its performance in REF 2014 when it was the UK’s most improved university in terms of Research Power, a combination of scale and quality. Research Degrees at Worcester Our research students are central to our overall mission for research. They are working at the cutting edge of their disciplines and driving forward the quality of our research whilst enriching our research culture. We are looking to increase our research student numbers as a strategic imperative. Our commitment to our students is reflected in the results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2023 in which we ranked 3 rd for overall research student satisfaction nationally. Key to our success in his area is the Doctoral School, a focal point for all our research students. It provides: day-to-day support for our students, both administrative and practical, through our dedicated team a Research Student Study Space with both PCs and laptop docking station a comprehensive Researcher Development Programme for students and their supervisors a programme of student-led conferences and seminars Widening Participation As part of its mission statement the University is committed to widening participation for its higher degrees. Although most candidates will have an undergraduate and/or a Masters degree, the University is happy to accept applications from candidates with relevant professional qualifications and work related experience. For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Prof Alison Kington: a.kington@Worc.ac.uk

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