Research Overview

My main research interest is in the preparation of student teachers for social justice and inclusion.  I also have a keen interest in phenomenology (the study of lived experiences and the meanings individuals attribute to these experiences).

Current Research

Scottish Council of the Deans of Education (SCDE) Attainment Challenge Project:  Developing pedagogies that work for Pre-Service and Early Career Teachers to reduce the Attainment Gap in Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing.  This project aims to equip early career teachers (final year ITE and induction year) to work effectively to improve engagement and attainment in schools serving pupils from SIMD 1-40 backgrounds.  Eight Schools of Education across Scotland are involved in this project funded by Scottish Government for a duration of three years. 

As part of the above SCDE project, along with Dr Dean Robson, Dr Peter Mtika and Mrs Lindsay MacDougall, we are researching, Experiences of Induction Year Teachers in High Poverty Context Schools.  This project aims (i) to surface the enablers and barriers to Induction year teachers’ enactment of Inclusive Pedagogy, in high poverty context schools and (ii) to examine how these different influences shape Induction Year teachers’ responses to the difficulties faced by children and young people living in poverty and deprivation. 

The Scottish Universities Inclusion Group (SUIG) Mapping Project.  This project aims (i) to provide a comprehensive picture of inclusive pedagogy in initial teacher education across Scotland; (ii) to be able to respond to requests regarding the preparation of teachers to teach children with a range of Additional Support Needs; and (iii) to consider the ways in which inclusive pedagogy underpins initial teacher education.  Eight Schools of Education across Scotland are involved in this project. 

Along with Dr Kirsten Darling-McQuistan we are, Exploring teacher educators’ enactment of inclusive pedagogies in Initial Teacher Education.  This project aims to investigate in what way(s) teacher educators promote inclusion/inclusive pedagogy in Initial Teacher Education.  

Collaborations

Peter Mtika , Archie Graham, Dean Robson, Lindsay MacDougall.  University of Lapland, UArctic Thematic Network: Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity. An Asset-based Approach to Exploring Probationer Teachers’ Lived Experiences of  Learning to Enact  Inclusive Pedagogy in Schools Located in High Poverty Environments. Online Webinar,28^th October 2020.

Archie Graham, Dean Robson, Peter Mtika, Lindsay MacDougall, Kevin Stelfox.  Northern Alliance Promoting Equity Week.  Exploring Probationer Teachers’ Enactment of Inclusive Pedagogy in Schools Located in High Poverty Environments.  Online Seminar, 29th September 2020.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2019 Annual Conference, Theme: Social Justice and Inclusion.  Dean Robson, Peter Mtika, Lindsay MacDougall, Archie Graham.  Experiences of Induction Year Teachers in High Poverty Context Schools.  Thursday 21st November 2019.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2019 Annual Conference, Poverty Network.  Archie Graham, Dean Robson, Peter Mtika, Lindsay MacDougall.  Supporting Student Teachers to enact Inclusive Pedagogy: Exploring the Experiences of Student Teachers and Induction Year Teachers in High Poverty Context Schools.  Wednesday 20h November 2019.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2019 Annual Conference, Symposium hosted by
The Scottish Universities Inclusion Group (SUIG).  Archie Graham & Kirsten Darling-McQuistan.  Initial Teacher Education in Scotland: Mapping Inclusive Pedagogy.  Wednesday 20h November 2019.

Archie Graham and Kirsten Darling-McQuistan. Academic paper presentation  at School of Education Seminar: Exploring teacher educators’ promotion of educational inclusion in Initial Teacher Education.  University of Aberdeen, 23rd October 2019

Archie Graham & Kirsten Darling-McQuistan.  Invited paper: PROMISE project (an ERASMUS + project 'Promoting Inclusion in Society through Education: Professional Dilemmas in Practice’) Exploring teacher educators’ enactment of inclusive pedagogies in Initial Teacher Education: Edge Pedagogies. University of Aberdeen, Tuesday 24th September 2019.

Academic paper presentation at ATEE 2019 Annual Conference, Theme: Research into Practice.  Archie Graham and Kirsten Darling-McQuistan.  Exploring teacher educators’ enactment of inclusive pedagogies in Initial Teacher Education.  Wednesday 14th August 2019.

Peter Mtika, Dean Robson, Archie Graham, & Lindsay MacDougall.  School of Education, University of Aberdeen Seminar Series: Preparing student teachers to support pupils in schools with high numbers of pupils living in social and economic disadvantage:  insights from a mixed methods study’.  MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen.  Wednesday 6th March 2019.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2018 Annual Conference, Theme:  Social Justice and Inclusion.   Lindsay MacDougall , Dean Robson, Peter Mtika, and Archie Graham. Developing supportive classroom pedagogies for pupils in poverty: Student teacher perspectives. University of Glasgow, 21st November 2018.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2018 Annual Conference, Theme: Latest developments in policy and research in addressing the impact of poverty on school education.  Peter Mtika, Dean Robson, Archie Graham, & Lindsay MacDougall. Student teacher perspectives on knowledge(s) and skills for working in schools with pupils predominantly classified as socio-economically disadvantaged: a mixed methods study. University of Glasgow, 23rd November 2018.

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2017 Annual Conference, Theme: Professional and Vocational Learning (including teacher education and higher education).  Graham, A., MacDougall, L., Mtika, P. & Robson, D. (2017) ‘Anybody can be affected by poverty’:  Student teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of poverty and its impact on children and young people. University of the West of Scotland, Ayr, 22nd November 2017

Academic paper presentation at SERA 2017 Annual Conference, Poverty and Education Network Symposium1: New Policy and Research in the impact of poverty on education in Scotland: Addressing the impact of poverty. Robson, D., MacDougall, L., Mtika, P., Graham, A. (2017).  Researching student teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward children living in poverty in Scotland: insights from a mixed methods pilot study.  University of the West of Scotland, Ayr, 23rd November 2017

Dr Archie Graham, Dr Peter Mtika, Dr Dean Robson & Lindsay MacDougall.  School of Education, University of Aberdeen Seminar Series: Student teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of poverty and its impact on children and young people.  MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen.  Wednesday 17th May 2017.

Dr Joan  Forbes, Dr Archie Graham, Lynne Shiach & Anne Valyo.  School of Education, University of Aberdeen Seminar Series: An interactive café: Children’s experiences and expressions of poverty.  MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen.  Wednesday 24th June 2015.

Dr Joan Forbes & Dr Archie Graham. School of Education, University of Aberdeen Seminar Series paper: Pedagogical, inter/professional, and socio-cultural transformations. Locating research at the centre: conceptualizing an innovative transdisciplinary and transprofessional THEORY SPACE. MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen.  Wednesday 18 December 2013.

 Dr Joan Forbes, Dr Archie Graham & Professor Christopher Fynsk. Invited paper at Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) University of Aberdeen seminar series: The Teacher in public: (re)engaging the disciplines. Interdisciplinary working and the development of future ‘public intellectuals’: Promoting the THEORY SPACE ‘across-Schools’ agenda. Medico-Chirurgical Hall, CLSM, University of Aberdeen. Wednesday 26 June 2013 (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/seminars/2750/).

Dr Joan Forbes & Dr Archie Graham. Invited paper: Aberdeen Forum for the Child (a University of Aberdeen/Robert Gordon University collaborative research group). Childhood research at the intersections: social theory applied. The THEORY SPACE ‘across schools and institutions’. University of Aberdeen, Wednesday 19 June 2013 (pm).

Professor Lani Florian & Dr Archie Graham.  Invited paper at The Philosophy of Inclusive Education Day Conference, Jointly organised by the BERA SIGs for The Philosophy of Education and Inclusive Education, Hosted by TheoryLab, School of Education, University of Stirling. Is Inclusive Pedagogy governed by rules?   University of Stirling, 5th November 2012.

‘Philosophical perspectives on the future of teacher education – 3’  Sponsored by The Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain and the Centre for the Philosophy of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London.  April 24th – 26th 2012.

Research Symposium supported by the Society for Educational Studies and the Oxford Centre for Sociocultural and Activity Theory Research: What and how do teachers learn from experience? Rewley House, Oxford, 23rd – 25th October 2011

Collaborative Assessment Project between the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council, Apr 2010 – May 2011

Writer of exemplar material for Religious Observance, Assemblies for Primary Schools, Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2007

Scottish Teachers for A New Era, working group, 2004 – 2007

Centre for Modern Thought