Presentation at BERA HE event on transitions and challenges

Ken had the opportunity to present our recent work on the experience of identity incompatibility that some students might feel between their home identities and university identity. The analysis showed that    experienced of incompatibility can undermine positive learning behaviours and increase the likelihood of learning-undermining behaviours like procrastination and self-handicapping. The BERA special event was … Read more

Ken presents at BERA2018 on identity and norms effects on approach to learning

Ken had the opportunity to present two studies on discipline social identity, deep learning approaches, peer and instructor norms, and the implications for academic grades. The British Educational Research Association conference is a large and diverse educational conference hosted around the UK each year. Ken presented two research studies, both of which have now been … Read more

Social Identification and Academic Performance: Integrating Two Existing Models of Tertiary Student Learning

We have now had this paper accepted at Educational Psychology. This was a collaboration between Ken and colleagues at the Australian National University. Abstract: Recent research has mapped the ways social identification and normative influence affect students’ self-reported learning approaches and course experience, and also, the ways in which social identification and learning approach impact … Read more

Social identity in education: the modifying role for perceived norms

This is a book chapter by Lillian Smyth, Kenneth I. Mavor, Michael J. Platow and Diana M. Grace in our recently published edited book. In this chapter we explore the recent work by ourselves and also Bliuc and colleagues, examining the relationship between discipline-based social identity and approached to learning (deep or surface). In particular we emphasise the … Read more

Self & Social Identity in Educational Contexts

We are delighted that this edited book is now out and available!  It has been a labour of love for several years but we are very excited to see it come out and to touch upon a number of very important issues in education. See below for the contents and more detail about the book … Read more

Learning behaviour and outcomes: Social influence and field of study

This is an article by Lillian Smyth, Kenneth I. Mavor,  and Michael J. Platow published in the Social Psychology of Education (2017). The research reported in this paper was part of Lillian’s PhD project on discipline identification, peer norms and approaches to learning. In this paper we confirm the association of both identity and norms with deep learning approaches as … Read more

Group interaction: crucible of social identity

Group interaction as the crucible of social identity formation : a glimpse at the foundations of social identities for collective action The collaboration with Emma Thomas and Craig McGarty has led to another exploration of models of social identity and collective action, accepted for publication in Group Processes and Intergoup Relations. Abstract Many of the … Read more

Lillian Smyth awarded PhD

Congratulations to Lillian on completing her corrections and submitting the final thesis for the award of her PhD!  Lillian’s thesis is entitled “Putting the Student in Context: A social and normative model of learning approaches and their outcomes”.  Lillian has one paper already published from her PhD: Smyth L., Mavor, K. I., Platow, M.J., Grace, D. … Read more

Ken gives conference keynote at GRASP 2014, Linköping, Sweden

Ken had the terrific opportunity to present a keynote address entitled “Encapsulating the things that matter: Exploring identities for learning, social action and well-being” at the GRASP conference in Sweden on May 23rd (9th Nordic conference in group- and social psychology).   The GRASP conference attracts an interesting mix of researchers from across Scandinavia who are … Read more

Discipline social identification, study norms and learning approach

This paper in Educational Psychology builds on the work of Platow, Mavor and Grace (2013) and examines the impact of students’ normative expectations about learning approaches in their discipline. The paper is in press, published online. Abstract: Adopting a deep approach to learning is associated with positive academic outcomes. In the current paper, we extend this … Read more