Current CRHF postgraduate researchers
Where a student's name is linked, please click to view details of their research
Yiwei Kere
Research project
Boarding school experience of left-behind school students in China
Research abstract
This study examines the cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of Chinese left-behind children who attend boarding schools, focusing on their life and study experiences within residential educational settings. Using a qualitative approach, it explores students’ daily routines, social interactions, and perspectives on school life. The research aims to provide a broad understanding of their experiences and the contextual factors that influence them, while contributing to academic discussions and informing policy considerations. The findings are intended to support the holistic development and overall well-being of students living in boarding school environments and to offer insights that may guide improvements in educational practices and support systems for this population.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy, Dr Shun Chen and Dr Urszula Plust
Awa S Ottiger
Research project
Revolutionising sustainability leadership education through person-centred pedagogy
Research abstract
In recent years, sustainability leadership education has increasingly focused on developing inner human capacities, as external strategies such as technology and legal frameworks have proven insufficient for achieving the United Nations’ 2030 SDGs. Research indicates that weakened relationships with ourselves, others, and the wider ecological world are central drivers of today’s social and planetary crises. This study examines how person-centred pedagogies – particularly person-centred encounter groups – can foster intra-, inter-, and transpersonal relationships among change makers and their surrounding socio-ecological contexts, thereby cultivating intrapersonal capacities such as self-awareness, authenticity, and empathy to support progress toward sustainability.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Professor Chris Ives
Yayuan Zhao
Research project
Parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and children's educational outcomes
Research abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a significant impact on individuals’ health and development. Parental ACEs can affect their children both directly and indirectly, particularly through parenting practices. The current study investigates Chinese perceptions of ACEs from an Eastern cultural perspective and examines how parental ACEs influence their parenting and their children’s educational outcomes by utilising a mixed-method approach. The findings will offer valuable insights to inform professional practices aimed at supporting parents and enhancing family dynamics, and towards improving children’s educational outcomes.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Michael Adkins
JiaXin Bao
Research project
Exploring how self-regard, culture and relationships influence Chinese students’ mental well-being
Research abstract
Chinese students are the largest group of international students in the UK. However, some studies indicate that Chinese students have low levels of mental well-being. Based on the person-centred theory of Carl Rogers, self-determination theory and collectivism-individualism theory, this research adopts an explanatory-sequential mixed-method to investigate the mental well-being of Chinese PGT students in UK universities across three stages. It examines how self-regard, cultures, relationships, and experiences affect the changes in students' mental well-being levels over time. The aim is to provide evidence of relevance to improve Chinese international students’ mental well-being in the UK.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Richard Doyle
Fiona Holroyd
Research project
The meaning of hope for parents of young children with cerebral palsy, in the context of conductive education
Research abstract
This is a hermeneutic phenomenological study exploring the meaning of hope for parents of young children with cerebral palsy: how the diagnosis, bringing up their child with cerebral palsy and many contextual influences affects their overall well-being, along with the strategies some use to balance their positions to cope or adapt. Parents may have to cope with the loss of their dreams, hopes and expectations of their child and perceptions of themselves as parents, along with often receiving messages of “no hope” from professionals. Hope can help parents to negotiate the psychological impact of the circumstances in which they find themselves.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Katy Wakelin
Patricia Lagos
Research project
Voices from the classroom: Exploring teacher experiences of suicidal ideation, systemic pressures, and support in England
Research abstract
This project investigates the lived experiences of suicidal ideation among sixteen teachers in England coping with difficult workplace dynamics. Using semi-structured interviews and Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019), it examines how demanding school cultures, leadership mistreatment, heavy workloads, and early career challenges impact teachers’ well-being and sense of purpose. The research finds that prolonged work stress can contribute to mental suffering and thoughts of despair. However, many teachers also demonstrate resilience, drawing strength from their dedication to teaching and supportive relationships. Findings stress the importance of truly valuing teacher perspectives and call for systemic, meaningful support beyond superficial interventions.
Supervisors
Professor Gary Winship and Katy Wakelin
Natri Sutanti
Research project
Designing a person-centred pedagogical framework for school counsellors: Cultural adaptation and implementation in Indonesia
Research abstract
The counselling profession in Indonesia is still evolving, with ongoing debates about the most effective paradigms for practice. School counselling services require culturally responsive approaches to ensure meaningful outcomes in supporting student development. Developing a pedagogical model grounded in the person-centred approach offers a promising alternative. This study investigates the compatibility of person-centred therapy (PCT) pedagogical concepts with Indonesian cultural values, their acceptance and implementation by school counsellors, and their effectiveness in practice. Using a mixed-methods approach grounded in a pragmatic paradigm, this research seeks to advance culturally adapted PCT models that strengthen preventive and developmental counselling in schools.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Richard Doyle
Hongchen Li
Research project
Flourishing teachers and positive relationships: A study of the connection between teacher well-being and teacher-student relationships in Chinese secondary schools
Research abstract
My doctoral research examines the relationship between teacher well-being and teacher–student relationships in Chinese secondary schools, drawing on Self-Determination Theory. The project investigates how teachers’ basic psychological needs and motivation profiles shape both the development and deterioration of teacher–student relationships. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from teachers and students, the study tests whether lower teacher well-being impairs relationship formation and whether existing negative relationships deteriorate depending on teachers’ motivational patterns. Findings aim to deepen understanding of teacher flourishing in China and inform practices that support healthier classroom relationships.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Urszula Plust
Carolyn Stafford-Bell
Research project
Challenging conditioned motherhood: Exploring the lived experiences and emotional needs in the early parenting journey
Research abstract
My MA dissertation in trauma studies examined sibling emotional abuse as psychological trauma, with findings that underscored the significance of maternal emotional health and availability. Building on this, the present study turns toward mothers themselves, exploring their experience around the transition to, and early motherhood challenges. I argue that supporting mothers (and families) at this crucial point can generate positive ripple effects across the family system. Guided by a person centred lens, using qualitative methods, this research explores the unique and diverse maternal self, seeking to illuminate their lived experiences and to better understand the silent struggles often left unspoken. In doing so, it seeks to open space for dialogue around maternal mental wellbeing and contribute to broader research and care knowledge.
Supervisors
Katy Wakelin and Dr Urszula Plust
Kathy Humberstone
Research project
A heuristic inquiry into staff and student experiences of person-centred pedagogy in a higher education counselling training context
Research abstract
This qualitative PhD research deeply explores the experience of person-centred learning and teaching within a master's counselling program, a pedagogical approach currently unusual in UK higher education. Utilising heuristic methods, the study involves the researcher's full immersion through internal searching processes including journaling and creative arts, fostering both conscious and unconscious understanding of the phenomenon. Participants, designated as co-researchers, include students followed longitudinally from program inception to completion, or from various stages of their study. Additionally, the research will recruit past students to capture their unique experiences in their professional world. Through reflexive thematic analysis and this longitudinal, co-creative frame, the study aims to expand existing literature, generate new knowledge, and stimulate academic debate on the nature and meaning of person-centred pedagogy in higher education counselling training, capturing the rich, lived human experience.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Urszula Plust
Louise Kay
Research project
Outcomes of looked after and vulnerable children in boarding schools
Research abstract
This PhD project aims to research the educational achievements, labour market outcomes, and criminal justice system interactions for looked after and other vulnerable children (LAVC) in England who have attended boarding schools. The number of looked after and vulnerable children in England was 80,850 in 2021 (DfE, 2021). Educational and labour market outcomes for LAVCs are poor and the chances of becoming not employed in education or training outweigh those who have never lived in or at the edge of care (DfE, 2021). In addition, children who were looked after and vulnerable are disproportionately represented within the adult homelessness population. This study will involve using administrative linked data from the National Pupil Database, Individual Learner Records, Higher Education Statistics Agency, DWP, MoJ, and HMRC.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy, Dr Michael Adkins, and Professor Gianni de Fraja
Robert Scruggs
Research project
Understanding the researcher identity component of the counselling professional identity in the UK
Research abstract
My research focusses on the development of research skills in vocational training, specifically counselling/ psychotherapy in the UK. I am interested in the positioning of research and its value within the profession and the ongoing professionalisation of counselling/psychotherapy. Ultimately, I am interested in understanding how research fits into the professional identity of UK therapists. My research takes a mixed methods approach, scoping the views of the profession via surveys, whilst also employing qualitative approaches to understand the experiential identity work of positioning research in practitioners' professional identities.
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Professor Volker Wedekind
Josefina Unger
Research project
Integral education for the evolution of consciousness: A non-dual perspective towards learning and human flourishing
Research abstract
This doctoral research explores the intersubjective space and the interrelational experience of the student–teacher encounter as a central dimension of education. Grounded in integral theory and non-dual wisdom traditions, the study conceptualises this encounter at the intersection of two axes: the vertical dimension of consciousness development and the horizontal dimension of relational dynamics. Understanding human development as fundamentally interdependent, the project proposes an integral educational framework to examine how cultivating this relational space can support the unfolding of human potential and contribute to individual and collective transformation.
Supervisors
Dr Edward Sellman
Jen Holland
Research project
Traumatic stress: An investigation into the principles and efficacy of person-centred therapy
Supervisors
Professor David Murphy and Dr Shun Chen
Previous CRHF postgraduate researchers
| Name | Research Topic |
|---|
| Lina Alamoudi |
The employment of restorative practices in educational contexts in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study of perceptions relating to restorative justice |
| Ann Scott |
Violence in the acute psychiatric setting: a mixed methods study |
| Maisa Almatrafi |
Stakeholder perceptions of the use of anti-depressants among school age children |
| Turky Alotaibi |
The problems student counsellors encounter in secondary boys' schools in Afif, Saudi Arabia from the perspective of head teacher and student counsellors. |
| Youssef Aloteabi |
An Investigation into the Perceptions of School Counsellors in Relation to Providing Counselling for Students with Special Needs in Saudi Arabia Schools |
| Saleem Amaireh |
Attitudes to Inclusion in Jordanian Schools |
| Fiona Birkbeck |
Organisational change and leadership in post-industrial institutions |
| Simon Clarke |
The Role of Therapeutic Environment, Relationships and Religion in Recovery from Mental Health Difficulties: a Longitudinal Study using Self-Determination Theory and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis |
| Fatma Durgungoz |
Special needs education |
| Wenli He |
Investigation on the influence of instrumental ideologies and traditional cultures of authority on the moral education of children in their early years of schooling in China |
| Andy Ho |
Strengthening Palliative Care through Health Promotion and Education Reform: An Ethnographic Study on Student Learning Process and Outcome of a New Common Core Curriculum (CCC) Course on Death Education in Higher Education |
| Gillie Jenkinson |
What helps former cult members recover from an abusive NRM or cult experience? Developing an empirically supported treatment |
| Victor King |
Exploring the role of informal learning in the personal and academic development of social work in a self-financed Higher Education: a comparative case study of full time and part time students |
| Fran Maplethorpe |
Narrative pedagogies in mental health nurse education |
| Maria Mourettou |
School Leadership |
| Rachel Murphy |
An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of women with inflammatory bowel diesease in the UK |
| Ferenc Nemeth |
Impact of SLT support on success of an initiative |
| Kleopatra Psarraki |
The global perspective in shaping psychosocial environments |
| Jan Royal |
Assessment in initial nurse education |
| Linda White |
How do leaders turn around schools facing challenging circumstances? How has one school responded to the challenges of being placed in "special measures"? What impact has being placed in "special measures" had on the individual lives of those involved in the process? |
| Ellen Wiles |
Addictive Behaviours and the Secondary School |
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