Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Virginia joined Roehampton in 2021. Her specialisms lie in social developmental psychology. Before joining Roehampton, she launched Growing up bilingual, an ESRC-funded longitudinal project (2018-22). The team collaborated with the Newham Partnership for Complementary Education/NPCE and the NRCSE, which oversaw heritage language school provisions. The project tracked social, cognitive and educational outcomes with language proficiency of bilingual children who had complementary language schooling and those who did not.
The Growing Up Bilingual (GUB) research led to the GUB: Researcher-Practitioner Synergies series, which she gained BPS funding to operate (2021-22) after Virginia joined Roehampton. It was a 3-part seminar series that engaged academics and practitioners across sectors who are invested in language development or its support. The series aided Virginia to gain Research England funding (Roehampton's Seed Fund; Enhancing Research Culture path) for a further research project (Becoming Bilingual: Funds of Knowledge from Learners, Educators and Providers across Sectors) in 2023. The project involves language learners and teachers engaging in peer observations and innovative networking for co-creation of funds of knowledge exchanged for enhanced language practices.
Another offshoot from the GUB and BB projects is the current 'Intergen' project, funded by the Southlands Methodist Trust. It explores between-generation changes in language practice, identity and community needs in heritage language school communities, from the perspectives of past and current students and long-serving teachers and leaders.
Before the realms in bilingual development, Virginia's research focused on social identities (ethnic, gender, national and religious groups), intergroup processes, and their impact on psychological outcomes. She has supervised projects on other 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 (UEL funded), and virtual gamers' wellbeing.
After joining Roehampton, Virginia also collaborated with colleagues from the School of Education (Wolfgang Mann; now U Cologne) and School of Arts (Eva Eppler) for the Climate Change Challenge project on children's conceptions of climate change (funded by the Staff Development Fund and RKE Fund). With their external partner, the 100-Word Challenge, they launched a 10-week 'challenge' for pupils to write 100-word pieces on a climate topic each week. This collated a large database, which the team will present to inform schools for climate and sustainability education.
Virginia became the co-convenor for the recently BPS-accredited MSc Psychology in September 2021. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (previously supervising MA Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents & Families; and, currently the 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, Developing ethnic identities in middle childhood, University of London (Goldsmiths)
External positions
Consultancy/education materials, Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority
Masterclass contributor, REC Parenting Ltd
External Examiner, University of Greenwich
External Examiner, University of Liverpool
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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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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Becoming bilingual: Funds of knowledge exchanged between school providers, educators and learners: Becoming Bilingual
Lam, V., 14 Sept 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Other › peer-review
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Disorder Symptoms, Stress at Home and School COVID-Protocol Evaluations on Return to School After Lockdown
Lam, V. & O'Driscoll, M., 13 Sept 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
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Gender‐based reasoning about novel toys: The role of child and parental factors
Lam, V. L., 20 Apr 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Infant and Child Development.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Heritage language use and proficiency: Acculturation, identities and psychological health
Lam, V. & Catto, A., 4 Jul 2023, In: Journal of Home Language Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The Climate Change Challenge: What do children write about climate topics in 100 words? Climate Change Challenge
Mann, W., Lam, V., Duran Eppler, E. & Cheng, H., 12 Sept 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Activities
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From Growing Up Bilingual to Becoming Bilingual: Research Practice Synergies
Virginia Lam (Keynote/plenary speaker)
19 Jul 2023Activity: 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: follow-on workshops
Virginia Lam (Keynote/plenary speaker)
16 Sept 2022 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an academic event › Participation in academic workshop, seminar, course
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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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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
Press/Media
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Growing Up Bilingual: REC Parenting Masterclass
30/09/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Panellist at the Welcoming Hong Kongers Annual Conference
26/06/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Multiple languages, multiple identities? Bilingualism and identity
15/05/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: 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