Meet our Team

I have taught research methods to undergraduate sociologists at MMU for over ten years.  It was through this experience of teaching, that I began to appreciate the barriers to learning that students face when learning quantitative methods.  In 2011, my colleague Dr John Goldring and I were awarded a grant by the ESRC to upskill teaching staff as a means to improve student learning of QM.  In 2012, we were commissioned to write a report for the HEA on student difficulties with QM, specifically in relation to numeracy.  This work laid the foundations for the work we do within the Q-Step Centre, with its focus on excellence in the teaching and learning of QM.

My enthusiasm for pedagogic practice and methodology combined four years ago when I began teaching on the methods courses in the Sociology Dept. at the MMU. Throughout my academic career, I have developed innovative pedagogic practice to promote student learning and success. This has always begun by adopting the student centred approach that recognises the diversity of abilities and learning styles in our students. I value a social capital model in all my practice and therefore see teaching and learning as a partnership between students and tutors. I have also been involved in several research project with my colleague, Dr Julie Scott Jones. These have been an ESRC project that focused on supporting colleagues in developing their quantitative analysis competencies; an HEA project that explored the experience of maths and the transition from FE to HE; and the Q-Step Centre project that focuses on promoting the use of quantitative approaches in our student body and beyond.

I have developed expertise on quantitative methods especially in survey design, testing reliability and validity of data collection instruments, multivariate analysis of data, and research with children and young people and their subjective well-being from the research I did in the Third Sector for almost 6 years and  Higher Education for over 2 years. Prior to joining the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University, I designed, developed, and taught courses on quantitative methods for both undergraduate and postgraduate students in sociology for over 4 years. In teaching quantitative methods, I use real life examples from my own research. I believe this is crucial to explain the relevance and correct application of statistical techniques in social research which otherwise can be abstract and alien to many learners. I am currently providing expertise on quantitative methods and subjective well-being to a European Commission funded project called:

MYWEB (Measuring Youth Well-Being).

My expertise lies in pedagogic research and in particular, teaching research methods.  I have 15 years, experience teaching quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and data analysis at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  Students can sometimes arrive at university with a negative mind-set regarding numeracy and this can create a barrier to learning.  My philosophy in teaching research methods and in particular, quantitative methods is not to rush the process, to recognise the different learning styles of our students, to design innovative ways of making numbers accessible and above all, to bring statistics alive through ‘real life’ application.

I have a great interest in experiential learning and applied research, and have ten years' experience supporting MMU students in their applied research, which has mainly taken place in voluntary and third sector organisations. I enjoy using statistical materials in my teaching as a way of engaging students and challenging perceptions and preconceptions: embedding statistics as a means of encouraging statistical literacy. As the Q-Step in the Community Lead, I work to develop partnerships with community organisations, engaging students in ‘real-life’ research. I value the opportunity to provide a ‘win-win’ outcome for both students and partner organisations. 

I have over 15 years experience in conducting applied criminological research in the public, private, academic and voluntary sectors. During that time I have managed and contributed to numerous small and large scale, multi-method evaluations for a wide range of funders - including the Home Office, the Youth Justice Board, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Ministry of Justice. I have extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, and have taught both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

I graduated in 2014 with a first-class degree in Criminology and Sociology from MMU. Since graduating, I have been the Q-Step intern, primarily responsible for coordinating MMU’s Numeracy Support project. Prior to becoming a student at MMU I worked predominantly in the public sector, most recently working with offenders, both young and old. I am now senior researcher for the MMU Q-Step Centre.

‘I am a healthcare researcher and specialise in the engagement of older people who have long-term and complex health conditions. My doctoral work explored the process of engagement and modelled the factors that influence and change health behaviour. In particular, my work explored the journey of service users through a Falls Prevention Service (NHS) and identified a number of ways that their engagement could be better supported. My healthcare research has also been supplemented by my work as a Health Improvement Practitioner (NHS) and council funded care work in the community. With a strong background in sociology I have since been able to develop innovative research projects and community-based interventions, that aim to support users engagement with physical activity and other health promoting behaviours.’

I have a passion for teaching quantitative research methods and a strong interest in the Sociology of Education. My current research explores how classroom experiences and parental influences can impact children's attitudes towards mathematics. I also coordinate MMU's numeracy project, which aims to help all students improve their numeracy skills needed for both their courses and lives outside of university.

'My area of research lies in the Sociology of Education, and more specifically in ‘engaged learning’ and 'transformation'. I have a passion for making an impact on student learning, student engagement and application that goes beyond the classroom, where students from a diverse range of backgrounds feel confident in their abilities to apply their academic and technical skills in the real world. I also teach social research methods in the Department of Sociology, and specialise in quantitative methods.'