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Our Alumni Share their Experiences
Our Alumni Share their Experiences
It’s always great to hear from our former students and catch up with their personal and professional developments. Where are you now? Email us your news at education@sheffield.ac.uk!
Charlotte Jackson - MSc Psychology and Education (Conversion)
I started my journey as a mature student at the University of Sheffield in 2015 and would never have dreamed at that point that I would be where I am now. Having previously served in the Royal Air Force, I decided upon leaving that I wanted to work towards a more stable future and go to university. I studied the BA Education, Culture and Childhood part time over five years, to fit in with my already busy life as a working Mum. This course opened up my mind to a whole new way of thinking, giving me a broad understanding of different perspectives relating theory, practice and research. Whilst studying the BA, I discovered a particular passion for psychology. This influenced my decision to continue my studies at the University of Sheffield and progress onto the MSc Psychology and Education (Conversion).
I started my journey as a mature student at the University of Sheffield in 2015 and would never have dreamed at that point that I would be where I am now. Having previously served in the Royal Air Force, I decided upon leaving that I wanted to work towards a more stable future and go to university. I studied the BA Education, Culture and Childhood part time over five years, to fit in with my already busy life as a working Mum. This course opened up my mind to a whole new way of thinking, giving me a broad understanding of different perspectives relating theory, practice and research. Whilst studying the BA, I discovered a particular passion for psychology. This influenced my decision to continue my studies at the University of Sheffield and progress onto the MSc Psychology and Education (Conversion).
After graduating with a BA and an MSc, I began working as a research assistant at Sheffield Hallam University. I am passionate about doing research for social good and feel privileged to be able to work closely with many different communities. I have worked on various projects exploring and addressing: the role of sports and physical activity in raising aspirations and enhancing the life outcomes of youths in diverse and underserved areas; older adults experiences of social prescribing and frailty prevention; older adults experiences of living in deprivation; and how robotics can enable people to remain fit and healthy within their own homes. I have also collaborated on research projects in partnership with/funded by organisations such as: Age UK, Diabetes UK, Voluntary Action Sheffield, Darnall Well Being, Westfield Health and Darnall Education Sports Academy.
I have recently been awarded a PhD scholarship at Nottingham Trent University to explore the intersections between previous sporting careers, neurodegeneration and families experiences of caring for their loved ones. I believe the fact that my PhD will not be primarily focussed on education, nor childhood, highlights just how versatile the BA course is. The skills and knowledge I learned underpin all of my research by enabling me to approach new challenges with critical thinking, logical reasoning and solid theoretical foundations.
I will always smile when I think of my time at the University of Sheffield as it holds a very special place in my heart. I met many amazing people who became and remain close friends. I am particularly grateful to my personal tutor, Dr Tim Herrick who was the first person to believe in me on my academic journey and has offered invaluable support throughout my time as a student at the University of Sheffield and beyond.
Jialing Li - PhD Education
I received my PhD from the University of Sheffield in October, 2023. Since then, I've had the pleasure of returning to the School of Education as a casual worker. My primary role involves supervising dissertations and leading (or co-leading) seminars for postgraduate students.
My time at Sheffield was exceptional. I really enjoyed conducting my PhD research project in the School of Education. My PhD research focuses on Childhood Studies, children’s play and teachers’ roles in early childhood education. My supervisors Dr Liz Chesworth and Dr Tianyi Wang have been super supportive and illuminating throughout my PhD journey. In particular, as a researcher who do the research with very young children, I have learned a lot from them regarding research integrity and ethics. After my graduation, they have been provided with ongoing supports in job applications, conference presentations and research publications. As an early career researcher, their support has been really helped in building my confidence and employability in the academic and job markets. The knowledge and skills I gained during my PhD now serve as the foundation for my research in early childhood education and inform my teaching of students from the School of Education.
The supportive environment extended far beyond my supervisors. As a former student and current casual worker in the School of Education, I've been very grateful for the endless help and assistance from the staff in PSS. Additionally, every colleague in the Early Childhood Education team has been incredibly welcoming. I have received tremendous help and guidance from my supervisor and Dr Christina Tatham during my HEA application process. I also vividly recall the encouragement and support I received from colleagues in the Early Childhood Education team at my first BERA conference presentation.
The School of Education is a truly warm and supportive community that values employability, research integrity, and impact. I'm incredibly proud to be one of the alumni of the School of Education at the University of Sheffield.
Dr Sophie Phillips - PhD Education
Dr Sophie Phillips, who undertook her PhD Education with the School between 2020-2023, has recently secured employment on a new innovative project co-led by academics and researchers in the School of Education and iHuman. Wellcome Anti-Ableist Research Culture (WAARC) is a Wellcome Trust Institutional Funding for Research Culture Award that will bring together academic, postgraduate (PGRs), early career (ECRs) and contract researchers and professional services colleagues to develop a suite of activities that centre disability and contest systemic ableism in relation to three Priority Areas: Environment, Development and Collaboration. Universities, funders and researchers are in the midst of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion revolution.
The recognition that university research cultures are exclusionary has now become part of everyday discourse and we are witnessing more and more interventions to promote positive research culture, policy and practice. Too often, however, disability and disabled researchers and research support colleagues are sidelined in EDI discourse and practice. WAARC addresses this omission.
We are thrilled that Dr Phillips will be co-leading this project in her new role as Research Associate of the Collaboration strand, starting in May 2024. In this role, Dr Phillips will promote more inclusive disability research activity at the University and explore how the Concordat To Support the Career Development of Researchers can more effectively support the needs and research aspirations of disabled researchers.
Mengzi Li - BA Education, Culture and Childhood
My years in Sheffield have been one of the best experiences of my life. Initially, I went to university with the aim of gaining a degree that would allow me to get a good job in the future, but in the three years, I have seen so many unforgettable sights and experienced so much that I can not explain in words how much I’ve been touched, which has made incredible differences to me — it has, for instance, transformed me from studying purely for grades and a degree to a real love of learning and my subject; and it also has transformed me from being isolated to being active and willing to interact with others. I believe that none of this would have happened without the support and help I received from many inspirational academics and the excellent teaching in the School of Education. These changes have been extremely valuable to me.
I am also always impressed by their total passion for the subject and for teaching. My tutors’ excellence in teaching and all the support they provided us with greatly encouraged me to think about and explore the nature of learning and truth. In the process, I have slowly learnt to constantly reflect on my thought processes and ways of thinking as I learn; to remain open to different perspectives and attempts; and to try to find the valuable parts of all ideas.
For me, studying was no longer a tool for chasing grades and degrees, but a bridge between my mind and the real world. I began to enjoy the daily process of developing my own ideas on different topics while learning about the results of countless academics exploring the world. Curiosity about the world and passion for my subject became the biggest motivation for my studies currently. As a result, in my final year, I rarely spent time worrying about the marks that would eventually be suggested for my assignments, as the sense of fulfilment and satisfaction that I gained from my studies became a reward that I aspired to more than a good grade.
My BA ECC journey has also brought about another valuable change in me — from being isolated to being positive and outgoing. Tim [Herrick, module lead] did everything he could to make students feel welcome, accepted and valued, and as a result I became less withdrawn and more willing to connect with those around me.
My journey at BA ECC and all the inspirational academics in the School of Education has taught me what a great subject education is and what an amazing profession teaching is. I would like to say to all my teachers: it is God’s grace to have met you all in my best years — I sincerely hope that one day in the future I will be as knowledgeable as you are and influence my students as positively as you have.
It's been a busy year for our students in the School of Education, here's some news from current students
It's been a busy year for our students in the School of Education, here's some news from current students
Anqi Shen - MA Digital Literacies, Culture, and Education
As a new student from China who commenced the MA in Digital Literacies, Culture, and Education at the University of Sheffield in Autumn 2023, the concept of digital literacy was relatively unfamiliar to me at the beginning. However, under the guidance of our esteemed faculty, I have developed a profound understanding of multimodal lifestyles and the rapidly evolving digital literacy in this digital age.
The interdisciplinary approach of our course has allowed me to analyse the content embedded in engaging digital media through a critical lens. We have used feminist theory to criticise characterization in Mulan and explored boundary theory in Harry Potter from a post- humanist perspective. This integration of complex theories with digital media that interests me has made the research process thoroughly enjoyable.
Visits to the National Videogame Museum have further enhanced my experiences by advancing our understanding of video game literacy. We have explored children's digital childhoods and maker spaces through a variety of media, obtaining a deeper understanding of the youth community.
One of the core questions we have explored is how the literacy landscape has changed for children and young people in the 21st century. By creating worlds in Minecraft, teens can explore and identify the differences between these virtual environments and the real world. The use of VR, AR, and XR technologies has immersed us in the swiftly progressing digital era, fostering skills in digital storytelling.
During our module on Researching Digital Childhoods, we engaged in a series of fascinating quantitative and qualitative research training sessions, laying a solid foundation for my future research endeavours. A variety of workshops have significantly boosted our creativity, and throughout this exploration of digital literacy, each of us has found a unique research direction that suits our interests.
This year in Sheffield has been the most creatively fulfilling period of my life so far, and I am excited to see where these new skills and insights will take me.
Outside of the classroom, our entire programme acts as one big family. A fun-filled picnic brought us all closer together. Frisbee with Dr. Fiona. Dr. Aneesh and his caring family and Professor Jennifer, who is always full of sunshine and warmth for all. I have another loving family in Sheffield.
At the same time, I, as a student representative of my programme, would like to thank the other staff members in the School of Education for all the help they have given us in every way. I have another loving family here at Sheffield, and each and every teacher has helped us in every way they can.
Tianzhe Chen- BA Education, Culture and Childhood
The BA course provides me with relevant knowledge and skills for my future Master's study and helps me learn more about how teaching and learning happens in a different education system. Before I started this course, education for me was just about teaching. Nonetheless, after becoming a BA Education student, I explored education from sociological, psychological and historical perspectives. By pursuing this BA degree, I found that my mind changed significantly, from just wanting to attain good grades to enter the master’s study to enjoying this learning journey and being critical towards educational topics.
During my first and second years of studies, there are many modules I enjoy significantly. For example, the EDU 206 Psychology and Learning communities.
This module helps me be aware of how the norms made by our society cause these autistic and ADHD students to face challenges in school. It also makes me think of as a future teacher, what I can do to support them. Our frequent discussions during this module allowed me to hear different voices from students from different cultures and age groups and helped me understand these topics better. I also enjoy EDU 209 Critical Issues in Teaching. This module helped me gain the ability to write lesson plans; by learning some interesting topics such as inclusive education and comparison education, I gained more interest in exploring the education field.
Some modules make me feel challenged, such as EDU 202 and EDU 203 related to research methods and research conduction. I have to spend several hours understanding the philosophical concepts and reading relevant literature. Although the learning process is tough, the tutors are all eager to help. They answered my questions via email quickly and explained things patiently. Even though I still feel confused about some concepts, this learning journey helped me gain some basic knowledge of how to do research, and I feel confident in writing the final dissertation.
Despite learning, the School of Education also provides many fascinating activities to increase tutors' and students' collaboration. I want to recommend Weston Park Walk here, it is a great activity to help me relax and talk with tutors and other students. I got to know some friends and the tutor who will instruct me in the summer research from this activity. If you are a newcomer, pay attention to the newsletter in your mailbox and take some time to participate in the activities held by the School of Education, I am sure you will benefit from these activities.
Now it is AI time, many people often argue that AI can replace teachers’ jobs because AI can grade students’ work and answer students’ questions perfectly. However, what I learned from this BA course equipped me with the ability to think from different students’ perspectives, to care about them and to be resilient to encounter any challenges in the teaching practice. These abilities cannot be replaced by AI and can prepare me to become a supportive teacher.
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