School of Education Research Staff Profile

Maggie Leese

Developmental work and research activity

Maggie’s current research is based around her PhD study, focusing on the notion of “good enough” parenting in relation to family support services. This research is focusing on the changing identities of the mothers and the workers that support them and engages in a critical discussion about the needs of families termed “hard to reach”.

Maggie is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and she is researching the use of blended learning to support student engagement and the support needs of students making the transition to higher education.

Maggie has worked on a University wide project that focused on Higher Education’s response to the Every Child Matters agenda and the reform of the Children’s Workforce. As part of this project Maggie was involved in a regional research project that considered the experience of practitioners who are at the front line of service delivery.

Key and recent publications and materials developed

• Leese M (2010) Bridging the Gap: Supporting Student Transition into Higher Education. Journal of Further and Higher Education 34(2), pp 239-251.
• Leese (2008) Escalate Subject Centre Book Review - Angela Anning, Mog Ball (2008) Improving Services for Young Children: From Sure Start to Children's Centres, Sage
• Leese M (2008) Book Review – Coxhead (2007) The Last Bastion of Racism. (Accepted for Publication in British Educational Research Journal April 2008)
• Leese M (2009) "Out of Class - Out of Mind ? The use of a Virtual Learning Environment to encourage student engagement in out of class activities." British Journal of Educational Technology 40(1)
• Review for Escalate: Critical Practice in Working with Children. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmilan. (Sayer 2008)
• 2007, Book review for Sage publications; Early Childhood Education: society and culture.

Recent conference papers

• 2008 – 'Towards a ‘Virtual’ placement'. Conference paper given with Dr. Ben Andrews at ‘Telling eportfolio stories: The road to ‘stickiness’, University of Wolverhampton.
• 2008 – 'Supporting Families - Supporting Children'.  Paper presented at School of Education Research Conference
• 2008 – 'Support Needs of Excluded Families'. Paper given at 'Making it Real - Putting Policy into Practice for Interdisciplinary Working in Early Years and Education' Conference - University of Wolverhampton
• 2008 – 'Supporting Families - Supporting Children'. Paper given at Derby University Research Seminar
• 2007 - 'Putting Research into Practice'. Contributed research findings to paper delivered at Keel University by Children’s Centre Manager
• 2007 – 'Good Enough Parenting: Who Decides?' Paper presentated at British Educational Research Association Student conference

Current development and research projects

• 2009-2012, Longitudinal Study of the impacting role of Early Years Professionals. Maggie is a member of the Internal review Group for this project