Research Informs Teaching
Staff from RIHSC work hard to ensure that their research benefits students on the courses in different faculties across the university. Research activity is used to inform their teaching in a number of ways. Some examples include:
Specific teaching sessions are organised around identified research projects and students given project reports and articles to read (e.g. poverty session within Psychological Perspectives on Counselling unit within MSc Psychology and Counselling Programme; Participatory research with people living in the community for BSc Community Psychology unit; Counselling third year option draws on published articles in refereed journals on early Freud case studies).
Research students give specialised session linked to their own project work (e.g. Session on activity, nutrition and identity in south Asian communities for BSc Psychology Culture and Identity unit)
Visiting researchers give input into sessions (e.g. Roma identity in Slovakia to undergraduate Culture and Identity unit).
Cultural Competence strand across three levels of Speech and Language Therapy degree programme is informed by research practice and papers that have been written.
Psychopathology (undergraduate level 3 unit) lectures updated in light of data from a long-term follow up study, and even in one instance, as a consequence of research findings from on of the studies undertaken in collaboration with other university partners.
Almost all teaching sessions in undergraduate units in health psychology were based on current and active research eg social capital and health, masculinities and health.
Research methods expertise forms the basis of both qualitative and quantitative methods units for undergraduates and for post graduates. Published papers are referred to and innovative techniques that have been published are taught.
The M.Sc. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods and B.Sc. Development and Ageing units (amongst others) all benefit directly from research. The former because staff use their own data for SPSS laboratory practicals, and draw upon the different research methods, designs, and analytical techniques that are used in their research.
Research findings are used on the B.Sc. unit which focuses on paediatric exercise and health issues (the focus of staff research). Moreover, a recent published book chapter on exercise training adaptations is used directly for student reading.
Research on complementary medicine practitioners is integrated into health studies units. In examples are used of how clients/patients report feeling when they are treated and the different styles of care that practitioners offer.
In a childhood and youth studies unit 'conceptualising childhood' information about just how 'joined up' services currently are for children of migrants and the particular health and social care issues that arise out of migrancy is included. This stems directly from a current research project. In a second level health unit, discussion is held of how transnational migration may effect health and wellbeing and the ways that health practitioners need to understand cultural difference in order to provide services to all. This information comes directly from the research project.
Students encouraged to participate actively as participants in data collection for large multi-site project on health, wellbeing, work and creativity (Arts, health and Wellbeing project linked to students on pre-registration and post-registration and other degree programmes, years 1, 2 and 3). Briefing session linked this activity to research methods and health and wellbeing.
Staff PhD research around current policies of community cohesion has generated up to date teaching materials and research examples across a number of units - including social policy, and the 'community and social change' units offered to students undertaking BA (Hons) Social and Community Studies.
In the Department of Exercise and Sport Science’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, teaching is informed by research and makes reference to staff’s published data as well as the research methods employed, ongoing postgraduate projects and collaborative work. Thus students’ learning is contemporary, challenging, and relevant, and they are exposed to some of the latest advances in science.
Units in Imagery, Cognition and Affect; Sport Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience in Sport and Exercise have included consideration of imagery and observation techniques that have been researched and practiced with sports performers. Students are provided with published, mechanisms-driven examples of good practice that allows them to challenge techniques seen elsewhere.
Research and enterprise collaborations with shooting and golf have provided participants for the unit, Sport Science Support for the Sports Performer and Enhancing Performance .. These ‘real’ athlete experiences are rarely provided at other institutions, especially at undergraduate level. The experience has been recognised as a model of good practice both internally and by external examiners since the inception of the programme. Published work has directly informed the unit in, for example, the mechanistic-validity of sport psychology interventions and the psychological role of androgenic anabolic steroid use.
Books written by staff, based on and including their research, are used as core reading for students on undergraduate, postgraduate and professional training courses.
A new Professional Doctorate programme has been built around the current research practices of research active staff.