Yvonne Skipper

Bio: Yvonne Skipper is an academic researcher from University of Glasgow. The author has contributed to research in topics: Thematic analysis & Psychology. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 22 publications receiving 206 citations. Previous affiliations of Yvonne Skipper include University of Kent & Keele University.

Is no praise good praise? Effects of positive feedback on children's and university students' responses to subsequent failures.

Abstract: Background. According to Dweck and colleagues, praise can be delivered using person (‘you are clever') or process terms (‘you worked hard'). Research suggests that giving people process praise after success can help them deal better with subsequent failures because it attributes outcomes to effort rather than fixed ability. However, research has thus far inadequately addressed how these types of praise compare to receiving no evaluative feedback. Aim. The aim of the present research was to examine the effects of person and process praise compared to a control group where only objective outcome feedback was given. Samples. In Study 1, 145 British school children aged 9–11 years took part. In Study 2, participants were 114 British university students. Method. In both studies, participants read three scenarios and were asked to imagine themselves as the main character. In each scenario, they succeeded in an educational task and received either person, process, or no praise. Participants then read two scenarios, where they failed at a task. Following each scenario participants evaluated their performance, affect, and persistence. Results. After one failure, participants who received person praise reacted most negatively on all dependent measures. However, those in the process condition did not differ significantly from those in the control group. Conclusions. These findings suggest that process feedback may not be inherently positive; instead person feedback seems particularly detrimental.

The influence of teacher feedback on children's perceptions of student-teacher relationships.

Abstract: Background Teachers can deliver feedback using person (‘you are clever’) or process terms (‘you worked hard’). Person feedback can lead to negative academic outcomes, but there is little experimental research examining the impact of feedback on children's perceptions of the student–teacher relationship. Aim We examined the effects of person, process, and no feedback on children's perceptions of their relationship with a (fictional) teacher following success and failure. Samples Participants were British children (145 aged 9–11 in experiment 1 and 98 aged 7–11 in experiment 2). Method In experiment 1, participants read three scenarios where they succeeded and received one of two types of praise (person or process) or no praise. Participants then read two scenarios where they failed. In experiment 2, participants read that they had failed in three tasks and received one of two types of criticism (person or process) or no criticism. Participants then read two scenarios where they succeeded. They rated how much they liked the teacher and how much they felt that the teacher liked them. Results Children felt more positive about the student–teacher relationship following success than failure. Type of praise did not influence perceptions of the student–teacher relationship following success or failure. However, person criticism led children to view the student–teacher relationship more negatively following failure and maintain this negative view following the first success. Conclusions Success appears to be important for developing positive student–teacher relationships. In response to failure, teachers could avoid person criticism which may negatively influence the student–teacher relationship.

'You're in this world now': Students', teachers', and parents' experiences of school transition and how they feel it can be improved.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Primary-secondary school transition is a major life event for 11-year-old children in the United Kingdom and can also be a stressful period for parents and teachers. However, most research focuses on the impact of transition on children’s academic performance and social well-being and we have a limited understanding of their emotional experiences in the lead up to and during the transition, from the perspective of key stakeholders: students, parents, and teachers. AIMS: To explore transfer students’, parents’, and teachers’ experiences in the lead up to and over the transition period, and how they feel it could be improved. SAMPLE: The sample consisted of 45 year seven students, 8 year seven parents, 8 year seven teachers, and 8 year six teachers, recruited from five primary and five secondary schools. METHOD: Students participated in face-to-face semi-structured focus groups and adults in asynchronous online focus groups. Transcribed audio-recordings were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Students, parents, and teachers were shown to navigate a similar process over primary-secondary school transition. All talked about managing their own and others’ emotions, relationships, and expectations. These were shaped by shared communication across primary and secondary schools and between the stakeholders, and impacted by how good transition provision was seen to be. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to understand the transition period from the perspective of students, teachers, and parents, to improve school transition. This information will allow us to design emotional centred support interventions that reflect these lived experiences.

Measuring adolescents’ beliefs in conspiracy theories: Development and validation of the Adolescent Conspiracy Beliefs Questionnaire (ACBQ)

Abstract: Four studies (total n = 961) developed and validated the Adolescent Conspiracy Beliefs Questionnaire (ACBQ). Initial items were developed in collaboration with teachers. An exploratory factor analysis (Study 1, n = 208, aged 11–14) and a student focus group (N = 3, aged 11) enabled us to establish the factor structure of a 9‐item scale. This was replicated via confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 (N = 178, aged 11–17), and the scale displayed good convergent (i.e., relationship with paranoia and mistrust) and discriminant validity (i.e., no relationship with extraversion). Study 3a (N = 257) further tested convergent validity with a sample of 18‐year‐olds (i.e., relationship with adult‐validated measures of conspiracy beliefs) and demonstrated strong test–retest reliability. Study 3b (N = 318) replicated these findings with a mixed‐age adult sample. The ACBQ will allow researchers to explore the psychological antecedents and consequences of conspiracy thinking in young populations.

Promoting writing amongst peers: establishing a community of writing practice for early career academics

Abstract: In the current research-focused climate, academics are facing increasing pressure to produce research outputs. This pressure can prove particularly daunting for early career (EC) academics, who are simultaneously attempting to master new teaching and administrative demands while establishing their own independent research trajectories. Previous reports suggest that academic writing retreats can be an effective way of increasing research outputs. Such retreats generally involve academics from a range of career stages and require expert facilitators. Through organising a series of structured writing events, this project aims to cultivate an enduring community of practice for academic writers. Reflecting on our EC retreat and subsequent writing days with academics from different career stages, we suggest that success hinged on three key factors: (1) A formal structure comprising bounded periods of intense writing, flanked by group reviewing and goal-setting; (2) Co-located writing with participants b...

Autoethnography : critical appreciation of an emerging art

Abstract: In this article, the author discusses how she applied autoethnography in a study of the design of hypermedia educational resources and shows how she addressed problematic issues related to autoethnographic legitimacy and representation. The study covered a 6-year period during which the practitioner’s perspective on the internal and external factors influencing the creation of three hypermedia CD-ROMs contributed to an emerging theory of design. The author highlights the interrelationship between perception and reality as vital to qualitative approaches and encourages researchers to investigate their reality more fully by practicing the art of autoethnography.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Abstract: Research indicates that there is likely to be an increasing demand for graduates qualified in STEM within the growing sectors of the Northern Ireland economy in the coming years. In addition, an Independent Review of Economic Policy in 2009 highlighted the important role of skills in raising productivity and competitiveness, and recommended that the local education system should make preparations to meet increased demand for STEM graduates.

Enhancing the quality of argument in school science: developing teachers' practice

Abstract: This article makes a case for why teaching about ‘ideas and evidence’ requires more attention t o the teaching of argument in school science. Based on research work at Kings’ College London conducted with local teachers, it outline s various practical methods and strategies b y which this might be achieved. The difficulties and obstacles are also explored. Why argument ? Contemporary science impinges directly upon man y aspects of people’s lives. Individuals and societies have to make personal and ethical decisions about a range of s ocio-scientific issues, such as genetic engineering, reproductive technologies and food safety, based on information available through the press and other media. Often accounts of ne w developments in s cience report contested claims. Evaluating such reports is not straightforward as it requires, for instance, the ability to assess whether the evidence is valid and reliable, to distinguis h correlations from causes or hypotheses from observations (Millar and Osborne, 1998). Within the context of a s ociety where scientific issues increasingly dominate the contemporary landscape (Beck, 1992; Giddens, 1999), there is an urgent need to improve the quality of y oung people’s understanding of the nature of scientific ‘argument’. Consequently, an important task for science education is to develop children’s ability to understand and practise valid ways of arguing in a s cientific context. They need to be able to recognise not onl y the strengths but also the limitations of s uc h arguments. In our work, then, we have sought to stud y whether the quality of y oung people’s ‘argument’ about scientific issues, and their critical capabilities, can be enhanced in science lessons. For instance, ca n the abilities to r eason, use and criticise argument within a scientific context be taught? And, perhaps more importantly, can these abilities be improved? This is what we are attempting to do in our project ‘Enhancing the Quality of Argument in School Science’ (EQuASS), funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council. First, it is important to point out that by ‘argument’ we do not mean the pejorative use of the word wit h its confrontational connotations. We mean the putting forward of r easons where claims are justified b y relating them to the dat a on which they are based. Evidence for any claim consists of at least tw o components – dat a and warrants. Warrants are essentially the means by which the data are related t o claims providing the justification for belief. Thus the claim that diversity of species is a product of random variation and selection by the environment was supported originally by Darwin’s data on the variety of finches’ beaks found in the Galapagos. The warrant was that each adaptation gave each species a competitive advantage that ensured their survival on a particular island. A s imple representation of a n argument is provided by Toulmin (1958) (Figure 1).