Research Opportunities
Research opportunities
York has active research in children’s language and literacy, mathematics, learning and memory, mental health and wellbeing, neurodevelopmental disorders, sleep, social development, and vision. We frequently have opportunities for schools, pupils, and families to shape and participate in national and international research studies.
Many research studies take place in school, giving pupils an opportunity to see science in action. Researchers are always keen to discuss ways to maximise the benefits of a school's participation. This might be through staff room discussions, related science activities for pupils, or feedback on class assessments.
Other studies work with families outside of school time. Schools and practitioners can support this research by promoting opportunities to interested families, for example via school newsletters.
Current research opportunities are posted below.
Studies recruiting teachers and/or pupils
How do we reason about numbers and arithmetic problems?
The Numerical Cognition Lab at the University of York investigates how children and adults develop their numeracy and mathematics skills throughout the life span. During our childhood, we learn that adding and subtracting numbers map onto new quantities. In this study, we investigate how children and adults solve addition and subtraction problems.
Recruiting:
Schools based around York/North Yorkshire with children between the ages of 6 – 11 years old to participate in some computer-based number games and activities at school.
Please see this Information Sheet for more detailed information. Please email Dr Tabea-Maria Haase (tabea-maria.haase@york.ac.uk) if you have any questions and/or if you would be interested in participating.
Studies recruiting families through schools
Camouflaging in Developmental Language Disorder
You might have come across the idea of “camouflaging” or “masking” in relation to autism. This is where autistic people might cover up their differences to non-autistic peers, perhaps even without knowing they are doing so, in order to fit in and avoid trouble. We want to explore camouflaging in children with Developmental Language Disorder, a common but very under-recognised neurodevelopmental condition.
Recruiting:
Young people with DLD (or suspected DLD) aged 12-17 years for an interview study. We’d like to interview young people about what they think about camouflaging. Interviews are conducted over Zoom by a speech and language therapist with lots of experience working with young people with DLD.
Parents of children with *and* without DLD to complete questionnaires about their children's camouflaging, communication ability, and mental health.
Please contact Dr Hannah Hobson (hannah.hobson@york.ac.uk) for study links and leaflets that can be shared with families.
The links between language, emotion, and sleep
Emotions are an interesting class of words - and so important for children to be able to relate to others and manage their own behaviour. We are examining how parents and children use emotion-related language, and emotion language is related to sleep, mental health and wider communication abilities.
Recruiting:
Families of children aged 6-17 years, with or without speech, language and communication needs, for an online study. This study involves questionnaires and a short audio-recorded task. Find out more here.
Families of children aged 6-17 years, with or without speech, language and communication needs, for an in-person study at the University of York. This study involves language tasks and an eye-tracking task. Find out more here.
Please contact Trish Chinzara (trish.chinzara@york.ac.uk) if you are able to share these opportunities with families.
How does the brain learn and make decisions over adolescence?
The Developmental Neuroscience Lab at the University of York are exploring how people learn and make decisions and how that changes as we age. The study is investigating how people use different types of information to make a decision and how that depends on the way the brain is developing across adolescence. The project involves participants playing a short computer-based task while we collect images of their brain using an MRI scan.
Recruiting:
Adolescents aged 13-17 years
Adults aged 25-29 years
Please click here for more detailed information, and email Dr MaryAnn Noonan (maryann.noonan@york.ac.uk) if you would be able to circulate this information in your school.
Archive
Looking quiet above? We're sure to have more studies up and running again soon. Here's a taste of our recently completed projects:
How do we integrate information in memory at different stages of development? Integrating information in memory is a fundamental part of learning. This project worked with Year 4 and Year 5 pupils to look at how this ability changes from childhood to adulthood.
Rethinking Special Educational Needs. The traditional diagnostic criteria for SENs and mental health difficulties do not always capture the full range of strengths and challenges faced by children. This project gained feedback from SENCOs, teachers, and families on alternative profiles of strengths and difficulties.