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Past event

Voices of the unheard: diversifying approaches to capturing, understanding and positioning the voices of participants in language and literacy research

The aim of this event was to expand our understanding of how to capture and authentically represent the voices of participants in language and literacy research. Through this symposium we hoped to bring together researchers and practitioners to reflect on their experiences of navigating a range of issues including (but not limited to): 

  • Approaches to genuine co-production of data with participants;
  • Creative approaches to collecting data with multilingual participants (e.g. use of visual and multimodal tools);
  • Negotiating meaning alongside interpreters;
  • Negotiating cultural understandings of research ethics and the notion of informed consent;
  • Reflecting on the positionality of the researcher;
  • Authentically representing the voices of marginalised participants 

This online event took the form of a symposium with a series of short (10 min) presentations followed by time for questions and overall reflections. The aim was not necessarily to present the findings of research projects, but to focus on approaches to navigating particular methodological challenges in language and literacy research. 

17:00 Welcome & Introduction
17:05 Researching multilingually: challenges, solutions and opportunities
Maria Stewart, Ulster University
17:15 Casting the net wider, capturing a greater diversity of views
Jane Essex, University of Strathclyde; Lynda Dunlop, University of York
17:25 It doesn’t end with a signature: the evolving dynamics of consent in research with multilingual adolescents
Ronan Kelly, Queensland University of Technology
17:35 ‘Let our voices be heard’: design-based research with marginalised language teachers
Zehui Yang, University of Cambridge
17:45 Q & A
18:00 Event close

 

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Chairs and Speakers

Profile picture of Karen Forbes
Karen Forbes, Dr

Associate Professor in Education at University of Cambridge

Karen Forbes is an associate professor in second language education at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. Before completing her PhD in 2016, Karen taught modern languages in secondary schools in England and has also worked as an...

Profile picture of Barbara Skinner
Barbara Skinner, Professor

Professor in TESOL and Education at Ulster University

Barbara Skinner is a Professor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)and Education in the School of Education at Ulster University. Barbara lectures on a range of teacher education courses. She is involved with doctoral...

Profile picture of Jane Essex
Jane Essex, Dr

Senior lecturer in chemistry education at University of Strathclyde

Jane is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Her main work is in the field of Initial Teacher Education. Her research focus is inclusion in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and her research...

Profile picture of Lynda Dunlop
Lynda Dunlop, Dr

Senior Lecturer in Science Education at University of York

Lynda Dunlop is Director of Education for Environmental Sustainability at York, and a senior lecturer in science education. Her research is interdisciplinary, working across the social sciences, sciences and arts and humanities. Current studies...

Profile picture of Zehui Yang
Zehui Yang, Miss

PhD Student at University of Cambridge

Zehui Yang is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She is also a member of St. Edmund's College, University of Cambridge. She received a BA degree in English from Xiamen University and an MPhil degree in Education...

Profile picture of Ronan Kelly
Ronan Kelly, Dr

Lecturer, Learning and Teaching Development, Impact and Recognition at Queensland University of Technology

Ronan is a Lecturer in the QUT Academy of Learning and Teaching and the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. He is a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and coordinates professional development modules in learning and...

Profile picture of Maria Stewart
Maria Stewart, Dr

SEN Link Officer and Associate Lecturer at N/A

Dr Maria Stewart is a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Link Officer in the Education Authority Northern Ireland and an associate lecturer at St Mary’s University College Belfast. Her PhD researcher investigated home-school partnership for...

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