Josiah Lenton

PhD Research

Experiencing Conflict On and Offline: A Peer-led Approach to Conflict Resolution Across Digital and Physical Space.

My PhD research explores young people’s experiences of day-to-day social conflict, in both online and offline environments, and aims to develop innovative and effective peer-led approaches to supporting conflict resolution, by responding to the concerns of young people and empowering them to handle conflict well. 

This research is being carried out in partnership with CRESST, a nationally leading charity in the area of young people's conflict resolution.

The research questions of the project include:

• how children experience conflict, and conflict resolution, on and offline;

• how digital and cultural practices and resources can be appropriately integrated into peer-led conflict resolution;

• how a sociomaterialist approach may inform the study of young people’s experiences of conflict resolution;
  and

• what new approaches to conflict resolution education may emerge through consideration of young people’s online worlds.

Other Research

• Jul 2021-Mar 2022: Evaluation Officer ("Evaluating Children’s Internet use in the Philippines" with Dr Fiona Scott and Dr Anna Weighall), The University of Sheffield.

• Mar 2021-May 2021: Researcher ("XR Stories; Literature Review" with Dr Becky Parry), The University of Sheffield.

• Oct 2018-Sep 2019: Casual Senior Researcher ("Creating Digital Texts for Assessment - Undergraduate Students' Technical and Communicative Experience", with Dr Roberta Taylor and Dr Chris Bailey), Sheffield Hallam University. 

Full CV available on LinkedIn

Education and Teaching

• 2021-Present: Sheffield School of Education, University of Sheffield.

  • From May 2021-present, I co-designed and arranged a number of seminars as part of a collaboration between the SSoE, iHuman, and CRESST.

    • The first of these (May 2021) explored young people's experiences of online conflict. Presenters included myself, Carolyn Leary (programme director, CRESST), and Claire Mead (programme manager, National Videogame Museum.)

    • The second (June 2021) focussed on masculine and non-binary identities, violence, and young people’s worlds. Presenters were David Duriesmith (Department of Politics, Sheffield), Aneesh Barai (SSoE, Sheffield), and Tim Archer (Faculty of Education, Cambridge.)

  • In April 2022, I facilitated an interdepartmental data analysis workshop, run by the School of Education for the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering Education (MEE). As part of a team of four, I helped to design and implement a workshop for colleagues in MEE about conducting qualitative research and data analysis.

  • I designed and produced learning materials for the University's FutureLearn MOOC "Teaching Digital Literacy: Videogames and Education" in 2021-22, and mentored participants on the course after its launch in September 2022.

• 2018-Present: Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University.

  • I have led modules on the following courses: 

    • FdA Education and Learning Support
      FdA Education - Early Years

      • 2021-22: Teaching and Learning 

    • BA (Hons) Education Studies
      BA (Hons) Education Studies with Autism, Disability, and Special Educational Needs

      • 2021-23: Experiencing Spaces; Embodying Education (L5)

      • 2022-23: Policy and Politics in Education (L4)

      • 2022-23: Placement 3: Reflecting on Personal and Professional Development (L6)

  • I've also taught on modules on the following courses:

    • BA (Hons) Primary Education (5-11) with QTS

      • 2022-23: Enhancing the English and Digital Literacy Curriculum (L6)

  • Since 2018, I've supervised 28 undergraduate research projects across the following courses to completion:

    • BA (Hons) Education Studies.
      BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling.
      BA (Hons) Education Studies with Autism, Disability, and Special Educational Needs.
      BA (Hons) Education and Learning Support (top-up).
      BA (Hons) Education - Early Years (top-up).

  • I have provided assessment marking and moderation for a number of modules within the SIoE. 

Full CV available on LinkedIn

Publications, Presentations, and Resources

• Fry, D., Owen, J., Lenton, J., and Unwin, R. (2023). Conflict Coaching in the United Kingdom: Youth Leading a Transformative Approach to Conflict. Chapter 10 in Carter. C. C., and Dhungana. R. K. (eds.) Educating for Peace through Countering Violence: Strategies in Curriculum and Instruction. London: Routledge. Available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003383468/educating-peace-countering-violence-candice-carter-raj-kumar-dhungana 

• Lenton, J. (2021) Identifying and Navigating Conflict in Video-Games. Presentation at iHuman Seminar; Young People’s Experience of Online Conflict, University of Sheffield, 10th May 2021. [Online] Available at https://eu-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/d88d3bd0bbb449e9bf4a5fbbb9b8aa3a 

• Lenton, J., and Taylor, R. (2019) Multimodal Academic Writing in HE: Students’ Perspectives on Creating Screencasts as an Assessment Task. Presentation at SRHE International Research Conference 2019, Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales, 13th December 2019. [Online] Available at https://srhe.ac.uk/arc/conference2019/abstracts/0384.pdf 

• Taylor, R., Lenton, J., and Bailey, C. (2019) The Craft of Writing a Multimodal Text. Presentation at UKLA 55th International Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, 12th July 2019.

• Taylor, R., Bailey, C., and Lenton, J. (2019) Students Making Screencasts: Undergraduate Students’ Experience in Creating Screencasts for Assessment Purposes. [Online] Adobe Spark. Available at https://spark.adobe.com/video/vYsdgnDWXdn8u 

• Lenton, J (2018) Pupil Voice and Participation: The View from the Staff Room. Presentation at SIoE Postgraduate Research Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, 31st May 2018.

• Lenton, J. (2017) Unwillingly to School?: Democracy and Freedom as Curriculum. Presentation at SIoE Curriculum Design and Innovation, Sheffield Hallam University, 12th November 2017. [Online] available at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nG6hOkFhGf_qOyp_q2RE43GSKwdRgAJTJlup2Sd-7Ws/edit?usp=sharing 

• Lenton, J. (2017) The Literature Review and the Construction of the Classroom. Presentation at SIoE Education and Childhood Undergraduate Research Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, 29th March 2017.

• Lenton, J. (2016) The Importance of Critical Literacy in the Digital Age. [Online] Screencast Presentation, 27th December 2016. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLORg09yknU 

• Lenton, J. (2016) A First Day: Space, Place and Autoethnography. [Online] Wordpress, Experiencing Spaces Embodying Education 2016. Available at https://experiencingspaces.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/a-first-day-space-place-and-autoethnography-final/