Helen Walkington | Oxford Brookes University (original) (raw)
Papers by Helen Walkington
Journal of Geography in Higher Education
In this paper we draw attention to the attributes and values which equip geographers to engage in... more In this paper we draw attention to the attributes and values which equip geographers to engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. We begin by summarising key characteristics of geographers in higher education, synthesized from academic literature. We support our summary with comments from past editors of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education offered in answer to the question: 'What is it about the geographer's identity or modes and styles of research that helps you to undertake productive enquiry into teaching and learning?' We purposely select three papers from the journal in order to highlight the distinctive (though not exhaustive) nature and range of higher education scholarship that has been undertaken by geographers. These case studies enquire into fieldwork pedagogies, teaching-research links and inclusive student-faculty partnership. We summarise the key elements of these papers and inter-weave the voices of the authors as accompanying narratives explaining the intent and approach to their research, and examining how it is shaped by their identities as geographers. We consider the issues in higher education that geographers are likely to embrace in the future and conclude by reflecting on what this means for the individual and for the discipline.
Higher Education Studies
This paper proposes ten salient practices of research mentoring activity in high school settings ... more This paper proposes ten salient practices of research mentoring activity in high school settings for teachers and technicians based upon survey and interview findings from 96 English and Scottish high school teachers from STEM disciplines, working in research collaborations with scientists. Mentoring high school research provides career development, with teachers identifying new aspects to their professional roles including ‘teacher researcher’, ‘teacher scientist’ and ‘teacher mentor’. This study suggests the potential for using the ten salient practices to initiate individual teacher reflection and wider professional development, and, a way of framing and disseminating effective practice across the school sector.
Studies in Higher Education
This paper contributes to research on teaching excellence by extending the current body of litera... more This paper contributes to research on teaching excellence by extending the current body of literature pertaining to mentoring pedagogies in undergraduate research settings across diverse social, institutional and disciplinary contexts. Our data comes from in-depth interviews with 32 international faculty who have received excellence awards for undergraduate research mentoring. The data reveal a freedom – control dialectic, illuminating the ways in which expert mentors negotiate the desire to create opportunities for students to experience freedom and creativity in research, yet maintain control over the topic, quality and outcomes. The research findings reveal a defining characteristic of award- winning mentors as an ability to establish and sustain a sense of challenge, while maintaining meaningful engagement and a sense of achievement amongst students. The findings show the importance of tailoring practice to the needs of particular student groups, and there are implications for institutional resourcing, as well as mentor training and development.
International Journal for Academic Development
Eric Hall is a professor of exercise science at Elon University. His primary research interest is... more Eric Hall is a professor of exercise science at Elon University. His primary research interest is in the area of physical activity and mental health, as well as, the impact of concussions in student-athletes. Additionally, he is interested in the role of mentorship in high impact practices. At his institution he has received awards for his mentorship and scholarship.
International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology, 2017
Graduate Employability in Context, 2016
Higher Education Research & Development, 2016
There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference d... more There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers, despite the growing number of such conferences internationally. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge of the learning gains from these conferences, and reveals a student driven learning process, a multidisciplinary signature pedagogy.. It presents the results of 90 in depth interviews with student conference participants conducted over three consecutive years of a multidisciplinary National Conference of Undergraduate Research (2012-2014). This paper uniquely captures the student voice on their perceived learning gains from this experience. The results reveal that some students co-create a pedagogy of Foucauldian reciprocal elucidation, through a sense of 'unfinishedness', allowing them to reflect on their own learning in the light of divergent perspectives, questions and frames of reference. Bidirectional exchange of ideas and insights enabled students to ask and answer questions that transformed each other's thinking, allowing them to arrive at understandings they could not have achieved by themselves. The opportunity to present research in an authentic setting beyond disciplinary and institutional contexts developed students' skills and confidence, giving additional value over and above the recognised benefits of engaging in research. The undergraduate research conference is framed as a threshold experience for the development of selfauthorship. Significant implications for practice include supporting constructive dialogues between students and the creation of authentic and professional multidisciplinary contexts for sharing research.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 2016
Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016
Area, 2016
In this paper we examine contemporary academic working lives, with particular reference to teachi... more In this paper we examine contemporary academic working lives, with particular reference to teaching-only and teaching-focused academics. We argue that intensification in the neoliberal university has significantly shifted the structure of academic careers, while cultural stories about those careers have not changed. We call for academics to re-examine our collective stories about standard academic career paths. Challenging the stories and making visible the ways that they create and multiply disadvantage is a crucial step in expanding the possibilities for academic identities and careers. The paper begins by describing teaching-focused academics within the context of the wider workforce. We then draw on narratives of those in these roles to illustrate the processes that (re)inscribe their marginalisation. We uncover the gendering of the teaching-focused academic labour market. We end the paper by suggesting interventions that all academics can take and support to address the issues we highlight.
Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 2015
This paper identifies salient practices of faculty mentors of undergraduate research (UR) as indi... more This paper identifies salient practices of faculty mentors of undergraduate research (UR) as indicated in the extensive literature of the past two decades on UR. The well-established benefits for students involved in UR are dependent, first and foremost, on high-quality mentoring. Mentorship is a defining feature of UR. As more and different types of colleges and universities strive to meet student demand for authentic scholarly experiences, it is imperative to identify what effective UR mentors do in order to ensure student engagement, quality enhancement, retention, and degree-completion. We offer an original analysis of the literature on UR mentoring in which we identify 10 significant "lessons learned," or evidence-based practices of effective UR mentors that apply broadly across disciplines, students, institutions, and mentoring approaches.
Innovations in Science Education and Technology, 2013
Reflective Practice in Geography Teaching, 2000
aces.shu.ac.uk
Undergraduate research is an expanding element of the student learning experience (for example, H... more Undergraduate research is an expanding element of the student learning experience (for example, Hunter et. al., 2006; Karukstis and Elgren, 2007; Kinkead, 2003). It has been suggested by Jenkins and Healey that it should be accessible to all students (2007). Rather than ...
Journal of Geography in Higher Education
A geographical education offers more than skills, subject knowledge and generic attributes. It al... more A geographical education offers more than skills, subject knowledge and generic attributes. It also develops a set of discipline-specific capabilities that contribute to a graduate's future learning and experience, granting them special ways of thinking for lifelong development and for contributing to the welfare of themselves, their community and their world. This paper considers the broader purposes and values of disciplinary teaching in contributing to individual human development. Set in the context of recent debates concerning the role of the university and the neo-liberalisation of higher education this paper explores approaches to developing the geography curriculum in ways that reassert the educational value of geographical thinking for students. Using international examples of teaching and learning practice in geography, we recognise five geocapabilities: use of the geographical imagination; ethical subject-hood with respect to the impacts of geographical processes; integrative thinking about society-environment relationships; spatial thinking; and the structured exploration of places. A capabilities approach offers a productive and resilient response to the threats of pedagogic frailty and increasingly generic learning in higher education. Finally, a framework to stimulate dialogue about curriculum development and the role of geocapabilities in the higher education curriculum is suggested.
Science of the Total Environment, 2018
Phytoremediation through forestry may be an effective means for reducing the metal loading in lan... more Phytoremediation through forestry may be an effective means for reducing the metal loading in lands reclaimed after surface-coal-mining in the UK. Planted with mixed woodland, the soil loading of 5 key metals (Zn, Cd, Mn, Pb and Cu) decreased, significantly and progressively, compared to soils left as grassland through a 14 year forestation chronosequence on land reclaimed from the former Varteg opencast coalmine, South Wales. Fourteen years after initial tree planting, soil metal loadings decreased by 52% for Cd (4.3 mg • kg −1 per year), 48% for Cu (2.1 mg • kg −1 per year), 47% for Zn (7.3 mg • kg −1 per year), 44% for Pb. (7.1 mg • kg −1 per year) and 35% for Mn (45 mg.kg-1 per year). Analysis of metal loadings in the leaves of Alnus glutinosa (L. Gaertn) (Common Alder) and Betula pendula (Roth) (Silver Birch) found both to be involved in metal uptake with birch taking up more Cd, Cu, Zn and Mn and Alder more Pb. Concentrations of Zn, Mn and Cd (Birch only) increased significantly in leaves from, but not in soils, under older plantings. Since different tree species take up metals at different rates, mixed plantings may be more effective in forest phytoremediation.
Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2013
With the rise of undergraduate research and inquiry (UGRI) in higher education, it is important t... more With the rise of undergraduate research and inquiry (UGRI) in higher education, it is important to provide students with opportunities to disseminate their research. This completes the research cycle and builds key communication skills. In this article we develop a framework for the dissemination of UGRI, linking exposure to the development of student autonomy. We illustrate the framework with case studies ranging from dissemination activities within the curriculum, such as poster presentations and journal clubs, through to UGRI journals, conferences and product launches. Finally we consider how institutions can promote and support the dissemination of UGRI. To avoid reliance on individuals, institutions should invest in appropriate infrastructure, such as an undergraduate research office, to ensure long-term support for UGRI and the promotion of dissemination activities.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education
In this paper we draw attention to the attributes and values which equip geographers to engage in... more In this paper we draw attention to the attributes and values which equip geographers to engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. We begin by summarising key characteristics of geographers in higher education, synthesized from academic literature. We support our summary with comments from past editors of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education offered in answer to the question: 'What is it about the geographer's identity or modes and styles of research that helps you to undertake productive enquiry into teaching and learning?' We purposely select three papers from the journal in order to highlight the distinctive (though not exhaustive) nature and range of higher education scholarship that has been undertaken by geographers. These case studies enquire into fieldwork pedagogies, teaching-research links and inclusive student-faculty partnership. We summarise the key elements of these papers and inter-weave the voices of the authors as accompanying narratives explaining the intent and approach to their research, and examining how it is shaped by their identities as geographers. We consider the issues in higher education that geographers are likely to embrace in the future and conclude by reflecting on what this means for the individual and for the discipline.
Higher Education Studies
This paper proposes ten salient practices of research mentoring activity in high school settings ... more This paper proposes ten salient practices of research mentoring activity in high school settings for teachers and technicians based upon survey and interview findings from 96 English and Scottish high school teachers from STEM disciplines, working in research collaborations with scientists. Mentoring high school research provides career development, with teachers identifying new aspects to their professional roles including ‘teacher researcher’, ‘teacher scientist’ and ‘teacher mentor’. This study suggests the potential for using the ten salient practices to initiate individual teacher reflection and wider professional development, and, a way of framing and disseminating effective practice across the school sector.
Studies in Higher Education
This paper contributes to research on teaching excellence by extending the current body of litera... more This paper contributes to research on teaching excellence by extending the current body of literature pertaining to mentoring pedagogies in undergraduate research settings across diverse social, institutional and disciplinary contexts. Our data comes from in-depth interviews with 32 international faculty who have received excellence awards for undergraduate research mentoring. The data reveal a freedom – control dialectic, illuminating the ways in which expert mentors negotiate the desire to create opportunities for students to experience freedom and creativity in research, yet maintain control over the topic, quality and outcomes. The research findings reveal a defining characteristic of award- winning mentors as an ability to establish and sustain a sense of challenge, while maintaining meaningful engagement and a sense of achievement amongst students. The findings show the importance of tailoring practice to the needs of particular student groups, and there are implications for institutional resourcing, as well as mentor training and development.
International Journal for Academic Development
Eric Hall is a professor of exercise science at Elon University. His primary research interest is... more Eric Hall is a professor of exercise science at Elon University. His primary research interest is in the area of physical activity and mental health, as well as, the impact of concussions in student-athletes. Additionally, he is interested in the role of mentorship in high impact practices. At his institution he has received awards for his mentorship and scholarship.
International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology, 2017
Graduate Employability in Context, 2016
Higher Education Research & Development, 2016
There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference d... more There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers, despite the growing number of such conferences internationally. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge of the learning gains from these conferences, and reveals a student driven learning process, a multidisciplinary signature pedagogy.. It presents the results of 90 in depth interviews with student conference participants conducted over three consecutive years of a multidisciplinary National Conference of Undergraduate Research (2012-2014). This paper uniquely captures the student voice on their perceived learning gains from this experience. The results reveal that some students co-create a pedagogy of Foucauldian reciprocal elucidation, through a sense of 'unfinishedness', allowing them to reflect on their own learning in the light of divergent perspectives, questions and frames of reference. Bidirectional exchange of ideas and insights enabled students to ask and answer questions that transformed each other's thinking, allowing them to arrive at understandings they could not have achieved by themselves. The opportunity to present research in an authentic setting beyond disciplinary and institutional contexts developed students' skills and confidence, giving additional value over and above the recognised benefits of engaging in research. The undergraduate research conference is framed as a threshold experience for the development of selfauthorship. Significant implications for practice include supporting constructive dialogues between students and the creation of authentic and professional multidisciplinary contexts for sharing research.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 2016
Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016
Area, 2016
In this paper we examine contemporary academic working lives, with particular reference to teachi... more In this paper we examine contemporary academic working lives, with particular reference to teaching-only and teaching-focused academics. We argue that intensification in the neoliberal university has significantly shifted the structure of academic careers, while cultural stories about those careers have not changed. We call for academics to re-examine our collective stories about standard academic career paths. Challenging the stories and making visible the ways that they create and multiply disadvantage is a crucial step in expanding the possibilities for academic identities and careers. The paper begins by describing teaching-focused academics within the context of the wider workforce. We then draw on narratives of those in these roles to illustrate the processes that (re)inscribe their marginalisation. We uncover the gendering of the teaching-focused academic labour market. We end the paper by suggesting interventions that all academics can take and support to address the issues we highlight.
Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 2015
This paper identifies salient practices of faculty mentors of undergraduate research (UR) as indi... more This paper identifies salient practices of faculty mentors of undergraduate research (UR) as indicated in the extensive literature of the past two decades on UR. The well-established benefits for students involved in UR are dependent, first and foremost, on high-quality mentoring. Mentorship is a defining feature of UR. As more and different types of colleges and universities strive to meet student demand for authentic scholarly experiences, it is imperative to identify what effective UR mentors do in order to ensure student engagement, quality enhancement, retention, and degree-completion. We offer an original analysis of the literature on UR mentoring in which we identify 10 significant "lessons learned," or evidence-based practices of effective UR mentors that apply broadly across disciplines, students, institutions, and mentoring approaches.
Innovations in Science Education and Technology, 2013
Reflective Practice in Geography Teaching, 2000
aces.shu.ac.uk
Undergraduate research is an expanding element of the student learning experience (for example, H... more Undergraduate research is an expanding element of the student learning experience (for example, Hunter et. al., 2006; Karukstis and Elgren, 2007; Kinkead, 2003). It has been suggested by Jenkins and Healey that it should be accessible to all students (2007). Rather than ...
Journal of Geography in Higher Education
A geographical education offers more than skills, subject knowledge and generic attributes. It al... more A geographical education offers more than skills, subject knowledge and generic attributes. It also develops a set of discipline-specific capabilities that contribute to a graduate's future learning and experience, granting them special ways of thinking for lifelong development and for contributing to the welfare of themselves, their community and their world. This paper considers the broader purposes and values of disciplinary teaching in contributing to individual human development. Set in the context of recent debates concerning the role of the university and the neo-liberalisation of higher education this paper explores approaches to developing the geography curriculum in ways that reassert the educational value of geographical thinking for students. Using international examples of teaching and learning practice in geography, we recognise five geocapabilities: use of the geographical imagination; ethical subject-hood with respect to the impacts of geographical processes; integrative thinking about society-environment relationships; spatial thinking; and the structured exploration of places. A capabilities approach offers a productive and resilient response to the threats of pedagogic frailty and increasingly generic learning in higher education. Finally, a framework to stimulate dialogue about curriculum development and the role of geocapabilities in the higher education curriculum is suggested.
Science of the Total Environment, 2018
Phytoremediation through forestry may be an effective means for reducing the metal loading in lan... more Phytoremediation through forestry may be an effective means for reducing the metal loading in lands reclaimed after surface-coal-mining in the UK. Planted with mixed woodland, the soil loading of 5 key metals (Zn, Cd, Mn, Pb and Cu) decreased, significantly and progressively, compared to soils left as grassland through a 14 year forestation chronosequence on land reclaimed from the former Varteg opencast coalmine, South Wales. Fourteen years after initial tree planting, soil metal loadings decreased by 52% for Cd (4.3 mg • kg −1 per year), 48% for Cu (2.1 mg • kg −1 per year), 47% for Zn (7.3 mg • kg −1 per year), 44% for Pb. (7.1 mg • kg −1 per year) and 35% for Mn (45 mg.kg-1 per year). Analysis of metal loadings in the leaves of Alnus glutinosa (L. Gaertn) (Common Alder) and Betula pendula (Roth) (Silver Birch) found both to be involved in metal uptake with birch taking up more Cd, Cu, Zn and Mn and Alder more Pb. Concentrations of Zn, Mn and Cd (Birch only) increased significantly in leaves from, but not in soils, under older plantings. Since different tree species take up metals at different rates, mixed plantings may be more effective in forest phytoremediation.
Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 2013
With the rise of undergraduate research and inquiry (UGRI) in higher education, it is important t... more With the rise of undergraduate research and inquiry (UGRI) in higher education, it is important to provide students with opportunities to disseminate their research. This completes the research cycle and builds key communication skills. In this article we develop a framework for the dissemination of UGRI, linking exposure to the development of student autonomy. We illustrate the framework with case studies ranging from dissemination activities within the curriculum, such as poster presentations and journal clubs, through to UGRI journals, conferences and product launches. Finally we consider how institutions can promote and support the dissemination of UGRI. To avoid reliance on individuals, institutions should invest in appropriate infrastructure, such as an undergraduate research office, to ensure long-term support for UGRI and the promotion of dissemination activities.