School of Education Research Staff Profile

Karen Clarke

Name	Karen Clarke
Title	Associate Dean Learning & Teaching
Research group	Member: RiHE Cluster
Tel	01902 32 3242
E-mail	Use contact details at bottom of page

Developmental Work and research activity

Karen’s recent research has focused on language and communication development in young children and issues around teaching and learning in HE: embedding study skills in first year undergraduate modules, developing students’ reading and writing skills, and effective teaching and learning in HE. All these topics are influenced by a range of educational and socio-cultural factors.

Currently, she is examining the impact of specific interventions on children’s writing in a primary school; as part of the CETL award she is writing up some research with a colleague around developing students’ academic writing skills and with another colleague she is examining both student and lecturer perceptions of effective teaching for effective learning.

Together with other School of Education colleagues at the University she organised the ATEE conference in August 2007. She is an external examiner for the University of Derby and is a Fellow of the Higher Academy.

Key publications and materials developed

Siraj-Blatchford, I. Clarke, K. and Needham, M. (2007) The team around the child. (Co-Editor of book) Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Publishers; also chapter included: Collaborative working with parents.
2006, Childhood Education: The relationship between non-verbal communication and the development of language in young children.
Conference paper: Collaborative learning in HE, to be published in the Atiner Conference Book. (ISBN number to be notified). 960-6672-09-3 Research on Education; eds: Giannakaki, M.S., Papaanikops, G., Yiannis, P., Richards, J.K. (2006) ATINER Publishing.
Focused seminar groups in HE, Journal of Higher and Further Education, vol 29, no. 1, February 2005, pp15-23.
Post-16 learning Experiences in FE, The SLD Experience, Spring 1997.
Post 16 provision for SLDD (North Birmingham College), published report for Birmingham, LEA Autumn 1995.

Recent conference papers

Conference paper: Allan J, Clarke K & 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.
BILD Annual Conference, London 1999: Staff Training – the future in learning disabilities; European Inter-Community Schools Conference, Zurich 2000: Inclusion and the child with ADHD
Children in the City, National Children’s Bureau Conference, paper, ‘Improving learning for young children: does a Beacon school award make a difference?’ Birmingham, 7^th May, 2003
‘It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you do it’. Conference Paper BERA sig, May 2004
LEARN Conference, Nov 2005, Collaborative learning in HE; also presented at the Atiner Conference, Greece May 06.
Nurturing Supportive learning environments in HE through the teaching of study skills: to embed or not to embed?, Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, May 2007.

Recent Publications and materials developed

Clarke K & Smith R (May 2010) 'Engaging the Non-engaged Student', School of Education Research Conference 2010, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall.
Allan J, Clarke K & Jopling M (2009) Notions of Effective Teaching: An Exploration of Students' and Lecturers' Perceptions of First Year Education, Undergraduate International Journal of Teaching and Learning in HE.
Effective teaching in HE: perceptions of first year undergraduates presented at the First Year Experience, Gronigen, Holland, May 2009.
2008-09: Developing effective critical reading skills in HE (submitted as part of EdD work May 2009).
2007/08: Developing and evaluating materials for embedding writing skills ( July 08) To build on the effective teaching research proposal and title to be agreed.
Allan J & Clarke K, 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 (Accepted Oct 2006 Publication date to be announced).

Current development and research projects

Karen is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Education based around effective teaching. She is an advisor for CWDC for assessing qualifications for the new qualifications framework for the Children's Workforce.