Editorial

Editorial
Adam Burns
University of Leicester

The year 2015 marks an important turning point for The Bridge as we will be releasing our first ‘Special Edition’ of the journal this summer, featuring the work of scholars from the Caribbean, edited in conjunction with the Institute for Educational Administration & Leadership–Jamaica (IEAL-J). The Special Edition, entitled “Education, Innovation & Enterprise: Lessons from Jamaica” and edited by Dr Paul Miller (Brunel University), Dr Carmel Roofe (University of Technology, Jamaica) and Kadia Hylton-Fraser (St. Jago High School), will bring a truly international scope to the journal that we hope continues long into the future. In addition, the December issue of the journal will also bring another level of variety, as it will be given over to presenting ‘distinction-level’ Master’s work from Education students across the UK, giving many early career scholars in the field the first opportunity to showcase their work and share their findings with a wider audience.

This third edition of The Bridge aims to continue the work of previous editions in presenting the work of a wide variety of researchers in the field of Education, but also sees the first divergence in the academic affiliation of its contributors beyond the journal’s origins at the University of Leicester: in this case, the University of Birmingham and the University of Wolverhampton. With submissions already coming in for the December issue , this trend looks set to continue into the future.

The first article in this issue is written by Fay Baldry, a Lecturer in Education at the University of Leicester, who taught secondary school mathematics for over fifteen years. Her article examines the TRU Math Scheme, an analytic framework for classroom practice that aims to capture classroom activities in a manner that can later be used for teacher CPD. Her article considers the TRY Math Scheme in a wider context before going on to use the scheme to analyse the work of student – teachers on an ITE secondary maths course. Baldry’s findings indicate that the scheme could provide a flexible and comprehensive framework for future classroom-based research. The second article from David Potts, a deputy principle currently studying at the University of Birmingham, evaluates teachers’ perceptions of a standardised lesson observation format used to assess their classroom practice. His research data provides a variety of viewpoints, from classroom teachers to senior leaders within a large West Midlands secondary school, giving a great deal of food for thought in terms of how the format might be used by others.

The third piece in this issue, authored by recent PhD graduate Lei Bing Yin of the University of Leicester, moves beyond the UK to consider the impact of the post – 2008 earthquake situation on teachers’ well-being in Sichuan, China. Lei uses a large amount of statistical data to show how teachers’ personal experiences and professional environment have important implications for teachers’ resilience and their levels of well-being. The final research article by Gurpinder Lalli, a Lecturer in Education at the University of Wolverhampton, provides an overview of his doctoral research into the school meal situation at a case study school. His article considers the methodological concerns encountered during his ethnographical research project and the difficult position many ethnographical researchers face of being, to some extent, both “insiders” and “outsiders”.

Jonathan Young’s ‘think piece’ on the importance of relationships in international schools considers a broad range of literature to give an insightful overview of the issue. He suggests that teachers need to listen to young people more in such environments and improve opportunities for th e interchange of ideas to allow students to flourish in the future. Finally, Jalpa Ruparelia reviews the latest edition of Carol Grbich’s introductory text on qualitative data analysis. Ruparelia, an FE lecturer currently pursuing an EdD at the University of Leicester, argues that the text is a must read for students whose work utilises such methods, whether new or experienced in the field.

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