About Dr Paula Hamilton, (Senior Fellow, HEA)
Paula has worked within the post-16 education sector since the 1990s, lecturing on programmes relating to early childhood, family, youth and education studies. Since 2007, she has worked as a senior lecturer in higher education in Education and Children’s Services and took up her position at the University of Chester in January 2018. Her PhD, completed in 2011, focused on the inclusion of migrant worker children into primary schools in North Wales. Paula teaches on a range of modules on the Early Childhood Studies and the Primary Education Studies degree programmes. Her research and publications lie in the field of social justice, inclusion, diversity and the health and well-being of children and young people.
Teaching
Paula has experience of delivering a wide range of modules including: inclusion, equality and diversity; health and well-being of children and young people; childhood nutrition; child protection; child behaviour; children and young people’s lives (sociological focus); working with children, young people and families; research methods; dissertation supervision (undergraduate and postgraduate). Paula has also been an external examiner for the Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University.
Research
Her PhD, completed in 2011, focused on the transitions made by Eastern European children as they settled into primary schools in North East Wales, and the pedagogical practices of practitioners who had little previous exposure of linguistic and ethnic diversity. Prior to the completion of the PhD, Paula had attained a Master of Philosophy which focused on the European Network of Health Promoting Schools in the 1990s and later, in 2007, a Master of Education (Primary and Inclusive Education). Paula’s research interests lie in the field of inclusive education, gender equality, cultural diversity and the health and well-being of children and young people. She is keen to support undergraduate and postgraduate researchers in the attempt to get small scale practice based research published in peer reviewed journals that will be of interest to child and education practitioners.
Published Work
Published works (peer reviewed journals):
Hamilton, P. and Forgacs-Pritchard, K. (2020). ‘The complex tapestry of relationships which surround adoptive families: a case study.’ Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. Published on-line 17 March 2020.
Free e-print: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/FTJ9ZCKJSSDIBPRJV7N5/full?target=10.1080/03004279.2020.1742186
Hamilton, P. (2017), ‘Engaging Gypsy and Traveller pupils in secondary education in Wales: tensions and dilemmas of addressing difference.’ International Studies in Sociology of Education. Vol. 27, No. 1, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2017.1377100
Free e-print:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/3uID9dXU78qiIc3HhHji/full?target=10.1080/09620214.2017.1377100
Hamilton, P. and Roberts, B. (2017), ‘Man-up, go and get an ice-pack. Gendered stereotypes and binaries within the primary classroom: a thing of the past?’ Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 122-134.
Free e-print:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/zeQ9nqzIF9ruf6q8hqdy/full?target=10.1080/03004279.2015.1059871
Hamilton, P. (2016), ‘School books or wedding dresses? Examining the cultural dissonance experienced by young Gypsy/Traveller women in secondary education’, Gender and Education. Vol. 30, No 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2016.1270423
Free e-print: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/w4Smj3aNWP7YHtav34UT/full?target=10.1080/09540253.2016.1270423
Davies, R. and Hamilton, P. (2016), ‘Assessing learning in the early years’ outdoor classroom:
examining challenges in practice, ’ Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. Vol 46, No 1.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2016.1194448
Free e-print: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/Jp6KyxptmRwXa6KWaDFT/full?target=10.1080/03004279.2016.1194448
Danby, G. and Hamilton, P. (2016), ‘Addressing the ‘elephant in the room’. The role of the primary school practitioner in supporting children’s mental well-being.’ Pastoral Care in Education, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 90-103.
Free e-print:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/qEq7jv8qN7r33yddDUNA/full?target=10.1080/02643944.2016.1167110
Hamilton, P. and Jones, L. (2016), ‘Illuminating the ‘boy problem’ from children’s and teachers’ perspectives: a pilot study’, Education 3–13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp.241-254.
Free e-print:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/FTqC6MiQ4vdj526c6gUb/full?target=10.1...
Hamilton, P. (2014), Review of Addressing Tensions and Dilemmas in Inclusive Education: Living with Uncertainty (Norwich, B.), Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis (USA) Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 89-91.
Hamilton, P. (2013), ‘Fostering effective and sustainable home–school relations with migrant worker parents: a new story to tell?’ International Studies in Sociology of Education, Vol. 24, No.4, pp.298-317.
Free e-print:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/GHYXeE3ZA5grkkKkiTx9/full?target=10.1...
Hamilton, P. (2013), ‘It’s not all about academic achievement: supporting the social and emotional needs of migrant worker children’, Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Vol. 31, No.2, pp. 173-190.
Free e-print
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/sbiiG7iCDXZtnhzuf8Gm/full?target=10.1...
Hamilton, P. (2013), ‘Including migrant worker children in the learning and social context of the rural primary school’, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 202-217.
Free e-print
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/RKqMwyJQdNurVJSj3ZFf/full?target=10.1080/03004279.2011.569737
Editorial roles:
Peer reviewer (2014). Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Managing co-editors: April Bedford and Renee Casbergue. Routledge.
Peer reviewer (2015). Journal of International Migration and Integration. Managing co-editor: Lori Wilkinson. Springer.
Qualifications
BEd; MPhil; MEd; PhD, Senior Fellow HEA.