Textbooks are an important aspect of students' school lives and the representation of scientists in textbooks is a proxy for the representation of who can do science. This study investigated the names of scientists and other people mentioned in four commonly used textbooks in the three education systems in the UK and Republic of Ireland (England,…

This article examines young children's conceptualisation of the images they encounter within the familiar environments of the home and community settings, focusing on case study data from two, 4-year-old children. The data discussed are taken from a study involving a group of children aged 4-5 years. A participatory mapping approach was adopted,…

This paper uses ethnography to explore an outdoor, arts-based intervention run by Urban Wilderness, in partnership with an English primary school. Urban Wilderness are a not-for-profit organisation which aims to connect children and young people from disadvantaged areas to locally accessible nature. Over the course of three afternoon workshops,…

This study explores student voice practice from a student's viewpoint. Within England, United Kingdom (UK) student voice initiatives can manifest themselves in many ways, for example: surveys, councils, governors, representative groups, committees and student bodies such as the National Union of Students. The young people that took part in this…

This study explored nursery practitioners 'slowed down' documentary photography in everyday moments. The enquiry draws on Documentary Photography, Visual Sociology and Early Childhood and entails a novel application of the theoretical concept of 'presence' (Senge, P., C. O. Scharmer, J. Jaworski, and B. S. Flowers. 2008. "Presence: Exploring…

As environmental awareness grows, so do questions about the environmental impact of photography, in particular traditional film development and processing, which includes the use of plastics, gelatine and other environmentally harmful chemicals notwithstanding water usage and waste. Pioneering practice and research into sustainable alternatives to…

Schools in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, funded by a Royal Society Partnership Grant, engaged in an animal behaviour project with a researcher at the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. The pupils used camera traps to conduct wildlife surveys and investigate behavioural responses in European badgers ("Meles meles"). The…

A contemporary concern about children's loss of contact with the natural world accompanies an ongoing urbanization and their reduced independent mobility. Children are becoming increasingly reliant on adults in accessing outdoor play and this is giving rise to more such experiences being shared. This research has explored the contemporary…

Started in north-east England in 2015, MammalWeb aims to improve our knowledge of British mammals through the use of motion-sensing camera traps. Fundamental to the project is the involvement of local communities and individuals who act as citizen scientists. They contribute to the collection and analysis of the camera trap photographic data.…

Young people's engagement with urban public space has been facing a number of obstacles that reflect a lack of understanding of their needs, values and priorities. The emergence of digital devices and social media as integral elements of youth culture adds further urgency to the need to understand how young people themselves visually articulate…

Child mental health is a growing concern for policymakers across the global north. Schools have become a key site for mental health interventions, with new programmes aimed at promoting 'resilience', through which children may maintain or regain mental health during adversity. As one of the first studies to explore the early impact of intensive…

This article exemplifies the advantages that researchers have if they apply visual methods and in particular photo-elicitation to qualitative research. The research context is post-compulsory education with the field of study being a new vocational degree programme, and the theoretical content of the article draws on the work of Goffman, alongside…

Community-centered approaches can be effective ways to engage communities and improve their health and well-being. The Grange is a community-led, multifaceted, and dynamic intervention incorporating a community hub and garden, that took place in a small area of the North-West of England, characterized by high levels of deprivation and poor health.…

Previous research suggests that students can use exploratory talk to support their thinking and learning. However, students' own perspectives on such talk, and whether/how they value it, are rarely sought. Thirty 12-year-olds and their teacher used Talk Factory on an interactive whiteboard and iPads to support exploratory talk in English lessons…

Early language is important because it provides the foundations for reading, for writing, for social development-- for learning in every subject. Increasingly, research makes the link between early oral language skills and future education progress. Therefore, the growing challenge of children starting school unable to speak in sentences could not…