School of Education Research Staff Profile

Professor Jo Allan

Developmental work and research activity

Jo is Associate Dean in the School of Education and is responsible for research, and knowledge transfer and is the director of CeDare. Jo’s research focuses on the professional development of educational practitioners and learning and teaching in higher education in a context of widening participation. These interests arise out of a long term exploration of the pivotal role that curriculum design and implementation have in improving the quality of learning and teaching.

Jo has considerable experience in supervising doctoral students where her expertise lies in curriculum design, assessment and advanced research methodology. She leads the School's research and development work in the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) which currently focuses on the innovative use of technology, maintaining  high retention rates, embedding writing skills into undergraduate modules and on research into conceptions of what counts as excellence in teaching in HE.

Key and recent publications and materials developed

• Allan J, Clarke Kand Jopling M, (2008) Notions of effective teaching: an exploration of students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of first year Education undergraduates, Proceedings of IASK (International Association for Scientific Knowledge) conference, University of Aveiro, Portugal May.
• Allan J, & Street M, (2007) The quest for deeper learning: an investigation into the impact of a knowledge pooling webquest in primary initial teacher training, British Journal of Educational Technology, 38 (6), 1102-1108.
• Allan J, (2007) Nurturing supportive learning environments in HE through the teaching of study skills: to embed or not to embed? International Journal of Teaching and Learning in HE, 19 (1).
• Allan J, & Bentley H, (2007) Student drop-out: an investigation into reasons for students leaving Bioscience programmes in one new university, over a period of five years, Journal for Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 8 (3) pp.40-46).
• 2002-2007, Student drop-out in bioscience programmes.
• 2006-7, CETL research in strategies to promote effective teaching.
• 2006-7, CETL research into embedding writing skills into undergraduate programmes.
• 2005-6, CETL research into creating supporting learning environments through the teaching of study skills.
• 2005-6, The use of webquests in initial teacher training.
• Rhodes CP, Nevill A, & Allan J, (2005) How will this help me? Evaluating an accredited programme to enhance the early professional development of newly qualified teachers, Journal of In-Service Education, 31(2), 449-464.
• Rhodes C, Nevill A, & Allan J, (2004) Valuing and Supporting Teachers: A survey of Teacher Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, Morale and Retention with an English Local Education Authority, Research in education, 71, pp. 67-80.
• Allan J, (2000) Does outcome-led design influence how students approach learning?  Capability 4(2), pp. 16-21
• Allan J, (1999) Learning outcome-led design: a model to promote narrow horizons or to emancipate the learner? in Rust, C. (ed.)  Improving student learning outcomes, Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff Development.
• Allan J, (1997) Learning outcome-led modular design: an analysis of the design features which influence students' perceptions of learning in Rust C, and Gibbs G, (eds.) (1997) Improving student learning through course design, Oxford: Oxford Centre for staff development, pp. 206-222.
• Allan J, (1997) Curriculum Design in Higher Education Using a Learning Outcome-Led Model: Its Influence on How Students Perceive Learning University of Wolverhampton, Ph.D Thesis.
• Allan J, (1996) Learning outcomes in higher education, studies in Higher Education, 21(1) pp 93-108.

Recent conference papers

• Allan J and Clarke K (2009) Notions of effective teaching: an exploration of students’ perceptions of first year education undergraduates European First Year Experience 4th Annual Conference, University of Groningen, Groningne, The Netherlands
• Conference paper: Allan J, Clarke Kand Jopling M, Notions of effective teaching: an exploration of students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of first year Education undergraduates,IASK (International Association for Scientific Knowledge) conference, University of Aveiro, Portugal 26-28 May 2008.
• Allan J, Adeghe A, Devlin D & Kirkham G  (2007)  Professional Challenges of Curricular Development for a European Leadership Programme. Symposium at the 20^th Annual World  International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement. Portoroz, Slovenia.
• Allan J & Clarke K (2007) Nurturing supportive learning environments in HE through the teaching of study skills: to embed or not to embed? 2^nd European First Year Student Experience Conference, Gỡtenborg, Sweden 9-11 May.
• Allan J (2007) An exploration into students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of what constitutes effective teaching in first year undergraduate modules in Education. 32nd ATEE conference, Telford, UK 27-29 August.
• Allan J & Clarke K (2007) Supporting first year undergraduates to succeed: is the teaching of study skills an anachronism? 32nd ATEE conference, Telford, UK 27-29 August.

Recent development and research projects

• Thompson D, Whitmarsh J, Southern E, Brewster S, Allan J & Emira M (2009) Access to Leisure Activities: The Perceptions of children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ADHD and their parents/carers. Report prepared for Walsall Primary Care Trust.