PsychBites

This week we are joined by Dr Daisy Bloor and her research supervisor, Dr Rai Fayatte. Daisy and Rai talk to us about Daisy’s work, which aimed to collaboratively develop a guidebook to support young people displaying sexually harmful behaviours within a youth justice setting. Daisy explores the possible underpinnings of these behaviours and shares how she co-created a guidebook with a Youth Justice Service (YJS) to help caregivers deliver comprehensive sex education both within the YJS and at home. Her research highlights the power of collaboration and education in fostering understanding, empowerment, and positive change for both young people and their families.To access the full text, follow: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/empowering-change-enhancing-comprehensive-sex-education-for-indiv/Here is the link to the guidebook: https://1drv.ms/b/c/9b25f203317c3dd7/IQCeOjNsdIG4SJWlCF6HAEBnAYtf0dEzGeN5DTChoQljI_U?e=uVITkU Here is the link to the audit tool: https://1drv.ms/b/c/9b25f203317c3dd7/IQAluEzHkK4_SZIIyq8ISqC5AYvgjIRcMQN6T_tB2th2lR8?e=v0CVBFYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Hannah Lewis; Hannah talks to us about the innovative use of video game technology in the classroom for children aged 7–11 with dyslexia. Hannah discusses how her mixed methods research examined video games both as a tool to develop cognitive skills involved in reading and as a potential educational resource in schools. Her work highlights how interactive technologies can support learning, engagement, and wellbeing for children and young people with diverse needs.To access the full text, follow: https://figshare.cardiffmet.ac.uk/articles/thesis/Exploring_the_Use_of_Video_Games_as_an_Educational_Intervention_with_a_Focus_on_Training_Cognitive_Skills_Involved_in_Reading_for_Children_Aged_7_to_11_with_Dyslexia/24592734?file=43221399You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by our very own Dr Laura Chapman; Laura talks to us about how adults who experienced parental separation in childhood narrate their educational journeys. She discusses how her narrative inquiry highlighted themes of relationships, strengths and accomplishment, autonomy and agency, and identity. Laura reflects on how her research offers an alternative to deficit-based accounts by drawing on positive psychology and resilience, showing the diverse ways that individuals find growth and meaning through their educational experiences.To access the full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180333/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Brianna Bowen; Brianna talks to us about how Educational Psychologists can support families experiencing significant adversity and at risk of entering care. She shares how her grounded theory study highlighted the ways EPs can help families build belonging, resilience, safety, and healing—factors that can make a real difference in keeping families together, strong, and connected.To access the full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180062/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Jennifer Price; Jenny talks to us about how autistic secondary students experience sensory sensitivities in the school environment and how these impact their daily lives. She discusses how her study sought to amplify autistic students’ voices, using accessible methods to empower them to share their perspectives. Jennifer reflects on how the findings have been described as “a call to action” for those working in mainstream education, highlighting the urgent need to create sensory-informed school spaces.To access the full text, follow: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613251333860To view a summary of the research, follow: https://crae.ioe.ac.uk/it-just-feels-unnatural-being-here/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Rhiannon Warwick; Rhiannon talks to us about how Educational Psychologists and Social Workers in Wales view the role of the EP within multi-agency teams supporting care experienced children. Rhiannon discusses how she used a cultural-historical activity theory framework to explore these perspectives, shedding light on how EPs can work collaboratively within social care teams to support children more effectively.To access the full text, follow: https://explore.bps.org.uk/content/bpsecp/40/2/54 or https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143335/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

In this special episode, Laura, Owen, and Ellyn come together to catch up and reflect on the highlights of the fantastic EdPsy Festival of Educational Psychology.

This week we are joined by Alex Brownhill; Alex talks to us about embedding social justice principles within educational psychology services. Alex draws on their preliminary research titled ‘Massive changes through little conversations’, they explore how educational psychology professionals are currently enacting social justice in their work, their hopes for deeper integration of these principles, and the barriers and facilitators they encounter. This reflective discussion highlights the power of everyday conversations in shaping more equitable practices within education systems.To access Alex’s research follow: https://explore.bps.org.uk/content/bpsecp/42/1/15You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Jessica Pritchard. Jess talks to us about her research that aimed to explore the topic of children being exploited through County Lines in the UK, through a language-based enquiry. Jess’ study specifically investigated how professionals talk about children who are caught up in the cycle of exploitation, and what the significance of this might be.To access the full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/171059/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Daisy Bloor. Daisy talks to us about the challenges teachers face when delivering sex education to autistic learners. We discuss how sex education plays a vital role in helping young people understand relationships, navigate sexuality, manage rejection, and know where to seek support. Daisy’s research suggests that current sex education curriculums are not adequately tailored to neurodiverse learners, leaving them at greater risk and disadvantage in developing healthy, informed relationships.To access the full text, follow: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422222001743?via%3DihubYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr. Mary Stanley-Duke for part two of our episode about the Mediating Learning Support Approach (MeLSA). In part two of our conversation, Mary talks to us about the MeLSA’s experiences of training, the ‘what, where and whys’ of learning and what research has been conducted to explore MeLSA.For more information: Stanley-Duke, M., Wright, D., Cook, E., Reid, A., Cogan, O., Reese, S., Bull-Beddows, R., Sims, L. and Graves, F. 2022. The Psychological Foundations of The Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) Training Programme. Educational Psychology Research and Practice. 8 (1), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.8v1v7Wright, D., Stanley-Duke, M., Pennack-Thomas, J., Marquez, Vega, E. and Kalippen, P. 2023. “It’s Just a New Way of Looking at Learning”: Evaluation of the Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) Training Programme. Educational Psychology Research and Practice. 9 (1), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.8wqxvSwindon EPS commissioned a video, ‘Making the Most of MeLSA’ https://youtu.be/ztEfBKXYj70CPD opportunity with edpsy hosts:  edpsy hosts Dr Mary Stanley-Duke: Mediating learning - supporting children to get the most from every learning task - edpsy.org.ukYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Mary Stanley-Duke to explore the Mediating Learning Support Approach (MeLSA). In part one of our conversation, Mary explains the principles of mediating learning, outlines the structure of the MeLSA training programme, and shares how the project has evolved since its inception.For more information: Stanley-Duke, M., Wright, D., Cook, E., Reid, A., Cogan, O., Reese, S., Bull-Beddows, R., Sims, L. and Graves, F. 2022. The Psychological Foundations of The Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) Training Programme. Educational Psychology Research and Practice. 8 (1), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.8v1v7Wright, D., Stanley-Duke, M., Pennack-Thomas, J., Marquez, Vega, E. and Kalippen, P. 2023. “It’s Just a New Way of Looking at Learning”: Evaluation of the Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) Training Programme. Educational Psychology Research and Practice. 9 (1), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.8wqxvSwindon EPS commissioned a video, ‘Making the Most of MeLSA’ https://youtu.be/ztEfBKXYj70CPD opportunity with edpsy hosts:  edpsy hosts Dr Mary Stanley-Duke: Mediating learning - supporting children to get the most from every learning task - edpsy.org.ukYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Catherine Jones; Catherine talks to us about how autistic children and young people experience sensory rooms in schools and how these spaces can contribute to their wellbeing. Catherine discusses the findings of her team’s research, which highlight the importance of autonomy and demonstrate how sensory rooms can support pupil wellbeing by providing spaces that foster self-regulation.To access Catherine’s research, follow: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/jonescr10 and https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/wales-autism-research-centreTo access the sensory room guide, follow: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/psychology/research/impact/sensory-room-guide-supporting-the-learning-and-wellbeing-of-autistic-childrenYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Hannah Togneri; Hannah talks to us about how young people experience eco-anxiety and eco-awareness and how their concerns can lead to action in schools. Hannah discusses how she implemented a process called "linked co-operative inquiry" to connect the pupils and school staff, working together to address environmental issues, developing a new sense of connection amongst emotionally caring others in school.To access Hannah’s full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/152217/1/Thesis%20-%20Hannah%20Togneri%20-%201720282.pdfEP Reach Out Youtube Episode:  https://www.youtube.com/live/IXnZuqYgfAoEdpsy Blog: https://edpsy.org.uk/blog/2023/we-need-to-talk-about-climate-change/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Dan O’Hare; Dan talks to us about the evolving concept of evidence-based practice within the Educational Psychology (EP) profession. He discusses how traditional views on evidence-based practice, which soley rely on research evidence, have been criticised for being impractical and instead presents the growing advocacy for practices grounded in practitioner experience.To access Dan’s full text, follow: Evidence-based practice: a mixed methods approach to understanding educational psychologists’ use of evidence in practice - edpsy.org.ukYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

It’s a double milestone celebration this month as we turn 1 and hit an incredible 10,000 listens! In this special episode, we reflect on a year of podcasting—sharing our hopes for the pod, fun stats, and what we’ve learned along the way. Thank you to our fantastic guests and listeners for all of the support. Tune in to celebrate with us. Don’t worry, normal service resumes in two weeks!Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Gavin Morgan. Gavin talks to us about a survey conducted by the British Psychological Society which found that just over half of all educational psychologists say they feel unable to support children and young people with their current workload, signalling the devastating impact of years of underinvestment in the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) system, despite unprecedented demand. He brings attention to the BPS’s campaign which is calling for more educational psychologists in local authorities, to make sure every child has the support they need to thrive in their education.To read the full article, follow:Thousands more children’s education at risk of reaching crisis point due to workforce crisis, warns British Psychological Society | BPSHere is the link to the BPS’s socials: https://twitter.com/bpsofficialhttps://www.facebook.com/OfficialBPS/https://www.youtube.com/user/bpsmediacentrehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/british-psychological-society/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Alyssa M Alcorn for Part 2 of our episode about the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project. The LEANS participatory research project developed and evaluated a free curriculum for mainstream primary schools. LEANS introduces neurodiversity concepts to pupils aged 8-11 years and explores how this type of diversity impacts our experiences at school.Note: Dr Alyssa M Alcorn is now a lecturer at the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol. Alyssa’s work with the LEANS project was conducted whilst she was the Research and Impact Lead and visiting researcher at the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. To access further information on LEANS and download the free resource pack, follow: https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/leansAlyssa published a study exploring the impact of LEANS in school and this can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330241272186Find Alyssa’s social media on @a_m_alcorn0131 and the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre @SMRCResearch and #LEANSprojectYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Alyssa M Alcorn; Alyssa talks to us about the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project. The LEANS participatory research project developed and evaluated a free curriculum for mainstream primary schools. LEANS introduces neurodiversity concepts to pupils aged 8-11 years and explores how this type of diversity impacts our experiences at school.Note: Dr Alyssa M Alcorn is now a lecturer at the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol. Alyssa’s work with the LEANS project was conducted whilst she was the Research and Impact Lead and visiting researcher at the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. To access further information on LEANS and download the free resource pack, follow: https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/leansAlyssa published a study exploring the impact of LEANS in school and this can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330241272186Find Alyssa’s social media on @a_m_alcorn0131 and the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre @SMRCResearch and #LEANSprojectYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Abigail Wright; Abi talks to us about her research which explored the individual strengths of autistic children and whether they were more likely to show 'Theory of Mind’ when tasks were adapted to the children’s unique strengths, interests and areas of support, compared to a ‘standard’ task. Abi also gives us a brief insight into the exciting early years project she is involved in. To access to Abi's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/95513/1/PDF%20Abigail%20Tee%20final%20marked%20DEdPsy%20thessis%202016%20for%20ORCA%20upload.pdfFind Abi’s Instagram page at @psychedmumYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcastBluesky: @psychbites.bsky.social

This week we are joined by Dr Melissa Mel Morrison; Mel talks to us about her research which explored the perceptions of adolescent girls of the relationship between sports based extra-curricular activities and their wellbeing. Melissa hopes that her research will help to inform both educational settings and professionals to consider how they can broaden their approach towards supporting wellbeing.You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Dr Mollie Higgins; Mollie talks to us about her research which explored autistic pupils' experiences of school by asking them about their ideal and non-ideal type of school. The pupils described the type of school environment that would support their attendance, which provided useful ideas for adjustments and adaptations that might help neurodivergent students to attend school.  To access to Mollie's full text click here.You can also access Mollie’s Ed Psych Ed blog post here: Sharing EP Practice: EBSA and Autism - What Can Schools Do? (edpsyched.co.uk)Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Professor Stephen Rollnick. In part two of our two part special, Steve talks to us about the origin and foundations of Motivational Interviewing (MI), and what MI could look like when applied to schools. Here are some helpful links to find out more about MI, and the work of Professor Stephen Rollnick: https://www.stephenrollnick.com/https://www.micardiff.co.uk/BMJ Training Link:https://rmifamily.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/bmj-learning-modules-motivational-interviewing-in-brief-consultations/Book recommendations:Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational Interviewing, Fourth Edition: Helping People Change and Grow (G. Press, Ed. 4th ed.). Rollnick, S., Kaplan, S. G., & Rutschman, R. (2016). Motivational Interviewing in Schools: Conversations to Improve Behavior and Learning (T. G. Press, Ed.)Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Professor Stephen Rollnick. In part one of our two part special, Steve talks to us about the origin and foundations of Motivational Interviewing (MI), and what MI could look like when applied to schools. Here are some helpful links to find out more about MI, and the work of Professor Stephen Rollnick: https://www.stephenrollnick.com/https://www.micardiff.co.uk/Book recommendations:Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational Interviewing, Fourth Edition: Helping People Change and Grow (G. Press, Ed. 4th ed.). Rollnick, S., Kaplan, S. G., & Rutschman, R. (2016). Motivational Interviewing in Schools: Conversations to Improve Behavior and Learning (T. G. Press, Ed.)Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Dr Rachel Jones. Rachel talks to us about her research that explored the educational experiences of children with a chronic illness. Rachel also explored the experiences of parents whose children have a chronic illness. We discuss how this support might look when navigating the education system. To access to Rachel's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/151822/Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Dr Hannah Warnock; Hannah talks to us about some of the current practices in mainstream schools for supporting children and young people with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS). Hannah also discusses the experiences of parents whose children have TS, and what support in school looked like for them.To access to Hannah's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/151684/Hannah’s Tourette’s Action blog post: https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/news-638-an-exploration-of-support-for-children-and-young-people-with-tourette-syndrome-in-schools.htmlYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespodLinkedIn: psychbites-podcast

This week we are joined by Dr Molly Griffiths. Molly discusses her research which explored educational psychologists and trainee educational psychologists’ perceptions of Welsh-medium additional learning provision. Molly talks about the perceived benefits and challenges of Welsh-medium additional learning provision are and the barriers to and facilitators to this. To access to Molly's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/161981/Molly also wrote a blog on supporting Welsh medium children and young people with ALN on edpsy.org.uk which can be found here:https://t.co/rwBGkzjngdInstagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Vanessa Brown. Vanessa discusses her research which explored the current preventative and responsive practices undertaken by professionals working with young people who are at risk of becoming not in education, employment, or training (NEET). To access to Vanessa's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143304/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Tamasine Preece. Tamasine talks to us about her research that explored online activities carried out by adolescents and how these can be understood through a lens of digital self-harm. Tamasine discusses hot technology, identity development and talking to children and young people about their social media use. To find out more, follow: https://seewhatworks.co.uk/publications/Please be aware that today’s episode features some discussion of suicide and self-harm that some people may find distressing, so listener discretion is advised.  If you require support, follow: https://www.samaritans.org/wales/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

A little different this week! To round off our first season, in this episode we answer your questions  and have a chat about our personal experiences of getting interested in educational psychology and applying to the doctoral programme. We discuss the highs and lows, and everything  in between!You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Kelly Russell, Kelly talks to us about her discussions with primary school teachers related to sex, gender and sexuality. Kelly discusses the influence that heteronormativity may have in schools by influencing gender and sexuality norms and how educational psychologists might support teachers in dismantling this influence to ensure our schools are more inclusive for all.To access to Kelly's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/162711/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Lauran Eckloff, who talks to us about her research exploring pupil perceptions of wellbeing in the context of a wellbeing framework (namely PERMA). Lauran’s research aimed to understand what is important to young people and what reflections could be made in the context of the pandemic. To access to Lauran's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/144051/1/Lauran%20Eckloff.pdfYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Chloe Weaver. Chloe talks to us about her research on the use of reduced timetables as exclusionary practice for young people in Wales. Chloe explored how, when, and why reduced timetables are being used across Wales for young people who present with behaviours that can feel difficult to support.To access to Chloe's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/162372/To access the Welsh Government guidance ‘belonging, engaging and participating’ in which Chloe’s research informed the guidance on reduced timetables, follow: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-10/improving-school-attendance-guidance_0.pdfYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Owen Barry, Owen talks to us about his research about using virtual environments as a tool to help autistic adolescents transfer social skills they learnt in a classroom to a real life situation. To access to Owen's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/79398/For further information, take a look at the book: Educational Psychology Perspectives on Supporting Young Autistic People: Insights from Experience, Practice and ResearchYou can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Becky Lewis, Becky talks to us about her research on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Becky shares an insight into what support secondary school staff would like from educational psychologists to support young people with differences associated with OCD.To access to Becky's full text, follow: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143014/Further information can be found at: https://ocdaction.org.uk/  https://www.ocduk.org/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

This week we are joined by Dr Samantha Thomas, Sam talks to us about her experience with a reading dog, and how our furry friends could help us support emotional health and wellbeing in educational settings.To access Sam's full text: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/105042/You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod

PsychBites is the podcast for education professionals that aims to bridge the gap between educational psychology research and day-to-day practice with children and young people. Hosted by trainee educational psychologists Laura Chapman, Ellyn Berman-Jones and Lauren Bratton, each episode features a guest educational psychologist discussing their specialist area of research in a bite-size, digestible way that offers food for thought for all professionals working in education.You can find us at: Instagram: psychbitespodX / Twitter: @psychbitespod