Programme Leader for MA Childhood and Youth Studies
I have worked and studied internationally. I came to the University of Sunderland in 2005 after working in Asia and North America.
Teaching and supervision
I am Programme Leader for MA Childhood and Youth Studies. I am also the module leader for the research module (SSCM39) and Contemporary Issues in Childhood and Youth Studies (SSCM40) on this MA degree.
I am the module leader for CHS387 Education and Society which is taught on both the BA (Hons) Childhood Studies and BA (Hons) Childhood and Society (Top-Up), and I am module leader for CHS204 The Child and the Social and Economic Environment on BA (Hons) Childhood Studies. I am also a seminar tutor on other modules for these two courses.
I also am the module leader for Global Childhoods (SSCM29) on MSc Inequality and Society.
In addition, I supervise undergraduate dissertation students and postgraduate master and doctoral dissertation students.
Research interests for potential research students
I am interested in multicultural and minority education, internationalisation of the curriculum, and higher education policy.
Research
My PhD investigated the international student experience within one geographical location. I utilised Bourdieu's concept of social and cultural capital as a conceptual framework to explore the students' experiences within university study and the communities in which they resided.
I have also collaborated on a project with colleagues to explore how fundraising experience lead to communities of practice and improvement on student achievement. I have contributed to the following:
- Department of Children, Schools, and Families Report No. DCSF-RR176 entitled “Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review” (2009).
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation/HEFCE entitled What Works? Student Retention and Success (2011).
Publications
Article
Thorley, Wendy, Marjoribanks, Bruce and Kranz, Julian (2014) Enhancing the undergraduate student expereince via fund raising partnerships. An action research project. Educational Action Research, 22 (4). pp. 552-567. ISSN 0965-0792
Monograph
Thorley, Wendy, Marjoribanks, Bruce and Kranz, Julian (2011) Enhancing the undergraduate student experience via fund raising partnerships. An action research project. Project Report. University of Sunderland, Sunderland.
Thesis
Marjoribanks, Bruce (2013) Employing Bourdieu’s notion of habitus and capital to Investigate the international student experience within the field of higher education. Doctoral thesis, University of Sunderland.
- Sociology of education
- Internationalisation to the curriculum
- Multicultural and minority education
- Diversity issues – class, religion, race, gender, sexuality
- Childhood studies