Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Michelle is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies within the School of Education at the University of Roehampton. She originally trained as a primary teacher and taught in international schools for ten years before completing a Master’s Degree and joining Roehampton, initially as a research officer working on ESRC-funded projects before taking up her current post.
Research interests
Michelle’s research is located within the sociology of education, focusing on policy and practice in early childhood settings and primary schools. She is committed to social justice and reflexive, inclusive approaches to research and teaching and is keen to explore the ways that theory can be used to challenge and counter performativity and inequity within educational institutions. Her research interests include:
- Education policy, particularly curriculum and assessment
- Neoliberalism and performativity
- Creativity in policy and practice
- Quality in early childhood
- Creativity in learning and teaching
- The wellbeing of children and professionals
- Professional identity
- Early childhood workforce issues
- Leadership
- Participatory research involving young children
- Bourdieusian and ethnographic methodologies
- Visual methods
Teaching
Michelle teaches on the BA and MA Early Childhood Studies programmes and has taught on the BA Primary Education. Her teaching focuses upon:
- Professionalism and advocacy
- Early childhood and education policy, curriculum and assessment
- Leadership and teamwork
- Parent partnership
- Placement and professional practice
- Research methods
- BA and MA dissertation supervision
- Education doctorate thesis supervision
Professional affiliations
- Fellow, Higher Education Academy
- British Education Research Association
Research projects
- Co-investigator on Froebel Trust Funded project: 'Reception teachers' and heads of school perspectives and experiences of an observation-led baseline assessment that focuses on child-initiated activity'. £20,000. Project Director: Mathias Urban. Co-investigators: Sigrid Brogaard Clausen, Dr. Sally Howe, Dr. Sofia Guimaraes and Michelle Cottle
- Research Officer on ESRC-funded project: 'Understanding Quality and Success in Early Years Settings: Practitioners' Perspectives' (ESRC RES-061-23-0012). £196,539.36. Project director: Dr. Elise Alexander.
- Research Officer on an ESRC-funded project 'British Chinese Pupils' Identities, Achievement and Complementary Schooling' (ESRC RES 000 23 1513) Project Director: Professor Becky Francis.
- Research Officer on a Froebel Trust funded project 'The Nature of Young Children's Talk in Music Making' Project Director: Dr. Angela Major
Education/Academic qualification
Education, PhD, University of Roehampton
Award Date: 11 Dec 2019
Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, MA, University College London, Institute of Education
Award Date: 1 Jul 2006
English and History of Ideas, BA (Hons), Cardiff University
Award Date: 1 Jul 1994
Network
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Reception teachers’ and heads of schools’ perspectives and experiences of an observation led baseline assessment Investigating the implementation of a baseline assessment for 4-5 year olds in schools in England.
Urban, M., Brogaard Clausen, S., Howe, S., Guimaraes, S. & Cottle, M.
1/10/14 → 30/09/15
Project: Research
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Professional Development and Professional Identity
Brogaard Clausen, S. & Cottle, M., 15 Nov 2022, The Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies : A Guide for Professional Practice. Silberfeld, C. & The Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (eds.). London: SAGE Publications, p. 159 176 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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What can Bourdieu offer the ethnographer in neoliberal times: reflecting on methodological possibilities
Cottle, M., 20 Apr 2022, In: Ethnography and Education.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Enacting ‘Creativity’ in a Neoliberal Policy Context: English Primary School Teacher Perspectives
Cottle, M., 11 Sep 2019.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
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Using Photographs in Research with Children
Cottle, M., 2018, London : SAGE Publications.Research output: Other contribution
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Young children’s wellbeing: conceptualising, assessing and supporting wellbeing
Brogaard Clausen, S., Guimaraes, S., Howe, S. & Cottle, M., 18 Nov 2018, Early Childhood studies: : A Student’s Guide. Maconochie, H. & Fitzgerald, D. (eds.). UK: SAGE Publications, p. 209 222 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Open AccessFile235 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Best Published Paper Award
Cottle, Michelle (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Creative pedagogy in the primary school: making space for agency in a highly controlled environment
Michelle Cottle (Speaker)
14 Jul 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an academic event › Participation in academic workshop, seminar, course
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Reception teachers` and heads of schools perspectives and experiences of an observation based assessment that focuses on child-initiated activity
Michelle Cottle (Speaker) & Sally Howe (Speaker)
24 Feb 2016Activity: Talk or presentation for an academic audience › Invited talk for an academic audience
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Exploring practitioners’ perspectives on ‘quality’ in early years services
Michelle Cottle (Contributor)
13 Feb 2013Activity: Public engagement and outreach › Media Article or Participation
Thesis
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Enacting ‘creativity’ in a neoliberal policy context: a case study of English primary school teachers’ experiences
Author: Cottle, M., 5 Nov 2019Supervisor: Crozier, G. (Supervisor) & Mahony, P. (External person) (Supervisor)
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
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