SFHEA, MCLDSC
Senior Lecturer
- About
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- Email Address
- r.k.shanks@abdn.ac.uk
- School/Department
- School of Education
Biography
I research school uniform, dress codes and appearance policies, in particular how school uniform can be made more affordable, comfortable and sustainable.
In 2020 I issued a policy briefing on the affordability of school uniform in secondary schools in Scotland and discussed this with politicians across Scotland. Following these discussions, the manifestos for the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021 of three political parties included a commitment to national guidance on school uniform. Since then introducing national guidance on school uniform has been included in the Scottish Government programme of government and a national consultation on school uniform took place in 2022.
I have worked in higher education, community education, the trade union movement and the voluntary sector. In higher education, I have been a law lecturer, worked in the University of Aberdeen’s former Centre for Lifelong Learning and I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Education.
In the late 1990s, I led the Trade Union Congress partnership project Bargaining for Skills, in the East and West Midlands regions in England, working with trade unions, employers, colleges and Training and Enterprise Councils. I have also been an adult education tutor and worked for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB) and a local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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- Member of the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society, and Rule of Law (CISRUL)
- School of Education Lead for Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity research
- Member of the University's Research Culture Task and Finish Group 2020-2022
- Mental Health First Aider 2020-
- Training Coordinator for the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie programme with Early Stage Researchers researching how political concepts are used in the world (POLITICO) 2018-2023
- Trustee of the Rocking Horse Nursery 2016-2023 (Chair of the Board of Trustees 2019-2022)
- Editor of the University journal Education in the North 2016-2020
- Member of the Aberdeen branch of the University and College Union (UCU) 2006-
- External Memberships
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- Associate Director and Hub Lead for Society and Welfare Hub Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) (Scotland's ESRC DTP) 2021-
- Editor of Human Rights Education Review 2021-
- External Examiner Nottingham Trent University, BA Education: Policy and Practice 2021-2025
- External Examiner University of Stirling, EdD Doctor of Education and MRes (Education) 2021-2023
- Co-convenor Network 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures European Educational Research Association 2017-2023
- Community Learning and Development Standards Council Registered Member and Approvals Panel Member 2014-
- Member of the Scottish Educational Research Association
- Member of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction
- Member of the British Educational Research Association
Prizes and Awards
Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (Advance HE)
Teaching Qualification Further Education/ BA Professional Development Team, 2021
- Research
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Research Overview
My research is currently focused on school uniform. I have produced briefings on the affordability of school uniforms and the school clothing grant in Scotland.
I also research professional learning and mentoring covering both formal and informal learning, in particular during teacher induction.
Children and young people's rights combine my legal and community work background and my interest in social justice.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Education.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Work-Based Learning
- Social Policy
- Education Policy
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
Professional learning
Co-Investigator of Measuring Quality in Initial Teacher Education (MQuITE)
Mentoring
University students mentoring school students
Children's Human Rights in Education
This includes Human Rights Education and young people and participation in decision-making.
Collaborations
I am a member of an international research network Children’s Human Rights Education which is being funded by the Swedish Research Council between 2021 and 2025. Thirteen members of the European Educational Research Association Network 25 aim to strengthen international collaboration in research into human rights education for children. Theory development, joint publications and funding applications are planned. The network also aims to find and invite researchers from regions that are underrepresented in children’s rights research.
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Education.
Current PhD Students
- Elise Boyle Espinosa - Education in the Islamic State, as part of the Politicoproject, lead supervisor with Prof Pamela Abbott and Dr Hanifi Baris
- Tracy Edwards - The Translation and Enactment of the Principle of Inclusive Pedagogy by Experienced Teachers, supervise with Dr Kirsten Darling McQuistanand Prof Mhairi Beaton
- Tomisin Fadamoro - Integration of Blended Learning into the Nigerian Education Curriculum: STEM Teachers’ Perception of the Learning Management System (LMS) Technology, lead supervisor with Dr John Mynott and Dr Martin Barker
- Touria Jouilla - Exploring student services in Further Education access programmes, lead supervisor with Dr Steph Thomson
- Tracy Robbie - Teachers and local authority youth workers: a new collaborative model for supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds?, lead supervisor with Dr Steph Thomson
Completed PhDs
2021 Annette Moir - Exploration of children’s awareness of their coping strategies and enhancement of their resilience skills
2020 David Di Domenico - Educators' views, experiences and approaches to cultural diversity: understanding pre-registration adult nursing education at a Scottish university
2020 Maryam Alnoaimi - Citizenship Education in the Kingdom of Bahrain: A case study exploring perceptions of school principals, senior teachers, teachers and students
2019 Ramona Statache - Business Social Media Use by Remote Rural Micro Tourism Enterprises in the Scottish Highlands
2019 Madhawi Alharbi - Using Mobile Games in Teaching English as a Foreign Language Vocabulary at a Saudi Female High School
2019 Khanchai Wongchana - Thai University Student and Teacher Perceptions of Studying Tourism through English Using a CLIL Approach
2017 David Johnston - A Socio-Cultural Perspective on 'Belonging'
2017 Geraldine Prince - Art-Making and the Interpretation of Cultures: Cross-cultural teaching and learning in Edinburgh and Dubai
Funding and Grants
In 2021 I received pump-prime funding for interdisciplinary research from the University of Aberdeen for work on the Affordability and Sustainability of School Uniform. This pilot study has investigated the impact of school uniform banks on the affordability and sustainability of school uniforms in Scotland.
Principal Investigator of BERA COVID-19 research: New teachers’ responses to COVID-19: building on Initial Teacher Education for their professional learning.
Co-Investigator of Measuring Quality of Initial Teacher Education (MQuITE) in Scotland funded by the Scottish Government 2017- A longitudinal study involving all higher education institutions that provide initial teacher education in Scotland.
Co-Investigator of EU Marie Curie COFUND grant (2018-22) Political Concepts in the World (POLITICO). The POLITICO PhD programme builds on the success of the interdisciplinary training provided by the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and the Rule of Law (CISRUL), which specializes in the global application of political ideas.
- Teaching
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Courses
- ED505P Using NVivo for Qualitative Data Analysis
Teaching Responsibilities
Course Co-ordinator for:
SX1011 Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities
ED505P Using NVivo for Qualitative Data Analysis
Non-course Teaching Responsibilities
NVivo training for staff and postgraduate students
Personal tutor
- Publications
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Page 1 of 7 Results 1 to 10 of 70
Informal coaching and mentoring and an 'informal turn' in teacher professional learning
International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in EducationContributions to Journals: ArticlesConclusion: ‘Looking back to look forward’
School Uniforms. Shanks, R., Ovington, J., Cross, B., Carnarvon, A. (eds.). 1 edition. Springer, pp. 157-164, 8 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5_11
- [ONLINE] https://link.springer.com/book/9783031329388
Introduction: The threads of school uniforms woven in/with/through countries
School Uniforms. Shanks, R., Ovington, J., Cross, B., Carnarvon, A. (eds.). Springer, pp. 1-11, 11 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5_1
- [ONLINE] https://link.springer.com/book/9783031329388
Pupil participation in secondary school uniform policies in Scotland
School Uniforms. Shanks, R., Ovington, J., Cross, B., Carnarvon, A. (eds.). 1 edition. Springer, pp. 67-80, 14 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5_5
- [ONLINE] https://link.springer.com/book/9783031329388
School Uniforms: New Materialist Perspectives
Springer. 167 pagesBooks and Reports: Books- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5
- [ONLINE] Details of the book. Publisher's website
The materiality and materials of school uniforms at a local and global level
School Uniforms. Shanks, R., Ovington, J., Cross, B., Carnarvon, A. (eds.). Springer, pp. 143-155, 13 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5_10
- [ONLINE] https://link.springer.com/book/9783031329388
Why do girls have to wear ties at school in the UK?
School Uniforms. Shanks, R., Ovington, J., Cross, B., Carnarvon, A. (eds.). 1 edition. Springer, pp. 117-130, 14 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5_8
- [ONLINE] https://link.springer.com/book/9783031329388
Blended learning: Gain for higher education
Higher Education Teaching and Learning conference - 2023Contributions to Conferences: PostersBeyond the Pandemic: Poverty and School Education in Scotland
Scottish Educational Review, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 238-264Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMind the gap: Teacher induction in Scotland
Teacher Education as an Ongoing Professional Trajectory. Mifsud, D., Day, S. (eds.). 1 edition. Springer, pp. 97-117, 21 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_5
- [ONLINE] Book information
