Professor John Goldring

At the Manchester Metropolitan University Q-Step Centre, an important ethos is to empower community groups through their increased use of quantitative methodology and statistics. We have vast experience in developing and delivering bespoke training workshops that have helped community and third sector organisations upskill their workforce and be in a better position to demonstrate the beneficial impact their services have on their clients.

I have been involved in developing and delivering a range of training course outlined below:

IPCC: Community and stakeholder engagement in critical investigations. The training session focused on two key areas: Data analysis using freely available mapping apps and websites; and strategies needed to access hard to reach communities. Both sessions addressed the complex issues of how to better understand communities at a micro and macro level.

Measuring Impact in the Third Sector. As part of the ESRC Social Science Festival (2015), the Q-Step Centre delivered a one day workshop for third sector employees based in Greater Manchester who wanted to learn how to engage with statistical analysis techniques from which they would be able to better demonstrate the beneficial impact of the services they provide.

Working with Quantitative Evidence: The National Conference of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Great Britain. This was a one day workshop that introduced easy strategies for volunteers and third sector employees could collect and analysis simple descriptive statistics. A key focus was the importance of collecting data so that the impact of the services on offer could be better demonstrated.

British Red Cross: Introduction to Quantitative Analysis. The training sessions focused on statistical literacy and how employees could better collect, manage and analyse quantitative data. Key to this training session was to show how the organisations existing package (Excel) could easily be used to produce tables and charts.

Why do I teach?

Teaching Sociology is my passion. As a result of this, I use teaching methods that will promote a positive student experience. Teaching sociology allows me to develop new and interesting methods that encourage students to engage with difficult and complex materials. The Sociology Department provides a great support network to be able to do this. Together, we never shy away from difficult to teach subjects but rather, look for innovative ways to get the material across to students. See me in action:

https://youtu.be/UDrSoa-awUY

https://youtu.be/Q5FVWAWcu2E

How I’ll teach you

I like to challenge what is taken for granted when teaching in a bid to get students to take a voyage outside their worldview. Sociology is both complex and fast changing. I do not shy away from difficult material but rather, look for interesting ways to support student learning. My teaching is based on principles including Freire’s Conscientization, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Approach and Vygotsky’s social model of learning. Put simply, it is important to put the student in a context from which to support them in developing criticism skills.

My teaching style is: Challenging - Engaging – Reflective.

Why study…

I currently teach on all the core methods at all levels of study. Key to these units are how students put into practice what is taught and learnt. We find that some students want shy away from the quantitative element of research methods because it focuses on numbers and maths. This is a shame. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are essentially doing the same job in helping us make sense of the world in which we live. Importantly, they both use evidence as their base.

Postgraduate teaching

Unit Leader for:

• Statistics in Practice (Level 7) 

Subject areas

Sociology

Current PhD Supervision (working titles)

Adam Westall - Volunteers on Patrol: Voluntary Patrols and their Contribution to Community Safety (due for completion end 2019)

Anika Irischa Leslie-Walker - Women and Participation in Sport (due for completion 2021)

Simon Massey - The Aetiology of Maths Anxiety (due for completion 2019)

Nazneed Ismail - Making Students Count (due for completion 2020)

Carla Cordner - Care Leavers

Masters by Research Suppervision

Completed PhD Supervision

• Disabled Entrepreneurship: A viable route of opportunity for the disabled? Naheed Nawazesh RoniNaheed Roni - PhD Sponsor: University of Dhaka higher studies award + Self-funded

Potential PhD Supervision

I would be interested in supervising PhDs in the following areas:

• Constructions of Health and Illness
• Gay Men’s Health (beyond HIV)
• Late Modern Constructions of Men and Masculinity

In 2007, I received my PhD in 2007 from University of Salford. The research was funded by the NHS Fellowship scheme. The thesis is entitled ‘There’s More to Health than HIV: Social Capital and Health in the Gay Community’. I continue to be involved in research on gender, sexual orientation and health to explore how such discourses can combine to construct a limiting health experienced. A current focus is qualitatively investigating a group of Gay Married Men to capture and explore their experiences of health and marginality.

I am very interested in pedagogy. I try to link Bronfenbrenner ecological theory to Vygotsky’s Social Learning Theory and Freire’s notion of conscientization as the starting point to my teaching, learning and research. While working on a core 2nd year method unit, I am drawing on ideas from threshold concepts and concept testing that links in with the Pointing Clinking, HEA and now Q Step Centre research. I am hoping to put an end to the discursive hostilities between quantitative and qualitative approaches to reserach in a bid to bring a brighter researcher future where all stories are welcomed and valued.

My main research interests include:

• Social construction of gender
• Masculinities
• Sexual orientation
• Gay identities
• Gay men’s health
• Health discourses
• Health Literacy
• Expert Patient
• Notions of community
• Social capital
• Pedagogy
• Difficult to teach subjects

Current and former research activities 

• 2017 - An Investigation into the Support Needs of Online Sex Worker (for Manchester Action on Street Health)
• 2017 - Fathers Against Violence Evaluation Study – This was a student led evaluation of the impact of Fathers Against Violence
• 2016 - The Men’s Room – An Exploratory Study of the Growth of Online Male Sex Work in Manchester
• 2016 - Narratives of Need (sort and long report). Exploring the Barriers to Help-Seeking in Undergraduate Students
• 2015 - Cain, E., Goldring, J. E., Scott Jones, J., Watt, S., Simpson, N., & Massey, S. Saving Lives With Advice: The Impact of Advice on the Health and Wellbeing of Citizens Advice Manchester clients.
• 2013 - Q-Step Centre - Promoting Quantitative Skills in HE 
• 2013 - Co-investigator on Skills in Mathematics and Statistics in the Disciplines and Tackling Transition - Sociology - for the HEA
• 2012 - Jan 2015 Co-Investigator ‘No More Pointy-Clicky Numbers Stuff: building staff quantitative skills’ 2011-  MMU Research Grants ‘Exploring the Experiences of Gay Married Men’ –
• 2005 - Grant applicant and researcher ‘Health literacy & the Framing of Health Messages in the gay Community’
• 2001 - HDA ‘Young Men’s Health & Social Capital’ – Researcher
• 2000 - HDA Social Capital & Health - Researcher