Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Virginia joined Roehampton in 2021. Her specialisms are primarily in social and developmental psychology. Before joining Roehampton, she launched Growing up bilingual, a longitudinal project funded by the ESRC (2018-22). The project collaborated with UEL Education and the Newham Partnership for Complementary Education/NPCE which oversaw heritage language school provisions. The project tracked social, cognitive and educational outcomes with language proficiency and practice of bilingual children who had complementary language schooling and those who did not.
The Growing Up Bilingual (GUB) research led to the GUB: Researcher-and-Practitioner Synergies knowledge exchange series, which she gained BPS funding to operate (2021-22) after joining Roehampton. It was a three-part seminar series (+follow-on workshop) that engaged academics and non-academic practitioners from schools of different sectors, education specialists and third-sector organisations for language learning support, through presentations, discussion panels and interactive workshops. The core group have continued to meet regularly which aided Virginia gaining the Seed Fund (Enhancing Research Culture) for a further research project (Becoming Bilingual: Funds of Knowledge from Learners, Educators and Providers across Sectors) in 2023. The project involves language pupils/ students and instructors engaging in peer observations, and innovative networks with school leads/service providers, that co-produce funds of knowledge exchanged for best practice towards creative interventions.
Before the projects in the realms of bilingual development, Virginia's research focused on social group identities (e.g., ethnic, gender, national, religious) intergroup processes (stereotyping, attitudes and relations) and their influence on psychological outcomes. She has supervised projects in various areas concerning diversity issues, such as cross-cultural variations in social cognition, mixed/dual-heritage people's identity and adjustment (BPS-funded), children's sport participation during the London Olympics, and virtual gamers' wellbeing.
After joining Roehampton, she has collaborated with colleagues from the School of Education (Wolfgang Mann; now Cologne) and School of Arts (Eva Eppler) for a pilot project Climate Change Challenge, investigating children's conceptions of climate change (aided by Staff Development and Research & Knowledge Exchange funds). With their external partner, the 100-Word Challenge, they launched a 10-week 'challenge' for pupils to write 100-word pieces on a different climate topic each week. The results from the 1000+piece database are shared with the academic community and schools with the aim to inform climate and sustainability education.
Virginia became the co-convenor for the recently BPS-accredited MSc Psychology in September 2021. She convenes its Dissertation (research) module and teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (previously supervising MA in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents & Families; and, currently Doctorate in Counselling Psychology). She co-authored the textbook Developmental Psychology, with two editions and an Italian edition, published by Pearson.
To conduct Virginia, please email: virginia.lam@roehampton.ac.uk
Education/Academic qualification
Psychology, BA (Hons), Cardiff University
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education PGCert, University of East London
Psychological Research Methods, MSc, University of Exeter
Developmental Psychology, PhD, University of London (Goldsmiths)
External positions
Consultancy/education materials, Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority
External Examiner, University of Greenwich
External Examiner, University of Liverpool
Network
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GUB: Growing up bilingual: Understanding specific benefits across mainstream and complementary education [ESRC-funded; grant ref: ES/P000592/1]
Lam, V., Husain, L. & Ravenscroft, A.
1/10/18 → …
Project: Research
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Growing up bilingual: Researcher-practitioner synergies [BPS-funded]
Lam, V. & Husain, L.
1/10/21 → 30/09/22
Project: Other
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Crisis or chameleon: Identity formation and psychological adjustment of dual-heritage young people [funded by BPS]
Lam, V. & Catto, A.
1/09/20 → 1/09/21
Project: Research
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Growing up in diversity - knowledge exchange series [funded by BPS]
Cameron, L., Vethanayagam, S., Lam, V. & Leman, P.
1/05/14 → 31/07/16
Project: Other
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The Olympic study: children's national identity, intergroup attitudes and sport participation during the 2012 games [funded by UEL ReDs & Sabbatical]
Lam, V. & Corson, J.
1/10/11 → 1/02/13
Project: Research
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Beginnings for bilingual bridges, in The Psychologist
Lam, V., 15 Nov 2021, The British Psychological Society.Research output: Other contribution › peer-review
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Growing up bilingual: language proficiency, social identities and competences of complementary school-attendees and non-attendees in the UK
Husain, L. & Lam, V., 6 Oct 2021, In: Language and Education. p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure) -
Identity and adjustment in transition: A mixed methods study of dual-heritage young people in London
Catto, A. & Lam, V., 1 Jul 2021.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
File165 Downloads (Pure) -
What does Scientific Research Say about Bilingual Early Years? ? Invited talk at the Russian Preschool Conference, Russian Education Consortium and UK Russian Schools.
Lam, V., 24 Jun 2021Research output: Other contribution
File13 Downloads (Pure) -
Animals, Superman, fairy and God: Children’s attributions of nonhuman agent beliefs in Madrid and London.
Lam, V. & Guerrero, S., 4 May 2020, In: JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND CULTURE. 20, 1-2, p. 66-87Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile21 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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An Investigation into Primary Children’s Understanding of Climate Change Through Their Writings
Wolfgang Mann (Speaker), Eva Eppler (Speaker) & Virginia Lam (Speaker)
30 Jun 2022 → 1 Jul 2022Activity: Talk or presentation for an academic audience › Oral presentation for an academic audience
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Growing Up Bilingual, invited talk at NALDIC South London Regional Interest Group
Virginia Lam (Contributor)
13 Oct 2022Activity: Public engagement and outreach › Contribution to the work of non-academic organisations
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Growing up bilingual: follow-on workshops
Virginia Lam (Keynote/plenary speaker)
16 Sep 2022 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an academic event › Participation in academic workshop, seminar, course
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The Language Show - Growing up bilingual: myths, facts and things in-between
Virginia Lam (Chair)
12 Nov 2022Activity: Public engagement and outreach › Public speaking engagements
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Growing up bilingual: Researcher-and-practitioner synergies
Virginia Lam (Organiser)
2021 → 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an academic event › Participation in academic workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
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Roehampton academic sees bidding success in British Psychological Society Research Seminar Competition
20/10/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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News report on Znaniye Russian Preschool Conference [Invited talk]
24/06/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Remarks by Russian Ambassador on Growing Up Bilingual
15/06/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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School holds special event to promote bilingual education
1/04/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media