Affiliate PhD Students

Aidan began a part-time PhD in Education in 2017, under the title ‘The Ethical Value of Pop Lyrics: the role of the pop lyric in the education of virtue literacy’.

The thesis explores the value of pop lyrics and identifies ethical value both where ethical content is present and through analysis of the lyric using traditional techniques of poetic analysis, but with an empathetic and ethically critical perspective. The study builds on the work of Adam Bradley (2017) that pop song lyrics can and should be considered as pieces of poetry in their own right, as well as work in the philosophy of aesthetics regarding the tensions and synergies between ethical and aesthetic value (e.g. Carroll, 2000); and the sociological and cultural value of pop music (e.g. Frith, 2004). Pop lyrics embrace themes of emotion, ethics, virtue and vice, often in popularised ways, according to formulae intended to maximise the commercial value of songs and artists. That said, this commercial value should not, and I argue does not, detract from the ethical value that lyrics hold through their content and the affect that they have on listeners. The project studies pop song lyrics as pieces of poems, de-coupled from their accompanying music, and develops the rationale for unpacking the educational potential that lyrics hold as tools for teaching pupils about their own moral development. In the thesis, I draw together existing conceptions and definitions of virtue literacy, consider the gaps in existing understandings and present a new definition that provides a more holistic concept – particularly with regards educating character through the arts.

Dávid Laco is a part-time PhD student (supervised by Prof. Andrew Peterson and Dr. Tom Harrison) whose research focuses on character development of young adults through intentional residential programs. 

David studied Psychology and Business Studies (Edinburgh University) and Character Education (Birmingham University) and works as the Residing Director of Baraka, an innovative residential character education program at C. S. Lewis Bilingual High School (Bratislava, Slovakia). At The Jubilee Centre, he has also collaborated as a Research Consultant for character developmental projects for the Templeton World Charity Foundation, with research emphasis on Qualitative Methodologies and Relational Virtues.

Jason’s PhD focuses on whether the teaching of moral virtues is seen as a fundamental aim of the subject of religious education in England & Wales. The PhD also examines whether pupil’s self-reported manifestations of respect and empathy are shaped by the teaching of the subject of religious education in a consistent manner across England & Wales.

Jinu Varghese is an affiliate PhD student at the Jubilee Centre supervised by Professor Kristján Kristjánsson. She is currently a lecturer in Nursing at the University of Birmingham and her PhD is focussed upon an examination of whether Christian and secular nurses understand and practice compassion in similar or different ways.

Karen Eamens is a part-time PhD student and secondary deputy headteacher. She commenced her PhD studies in 2020 and is supervised by Professor Andrew Peterson and Dr Tom Harrison. She originally read history and law at the Australian National University, and after training as a teacher, went on to complete a Master of Human Resource Management and a Master of Public Administration.

Karen is interested in the relationship between school culture and teacher wellbeing and hopes her research will identify specific actions school leaders can take to build positive, resilient, and inclusive school communities that buffer teachers against the stressors of their profession.

Lois Banks is a part-time PhD student supervised by Prof. Andrew Peterson and Dr. Catherine Darnell. Her study commenced in February 2020 and it examines the relationship between teachers and parents as character educators. The study will take a close look at young children’s own perceptions of moral virtues at both home and school. Lois completed her MA Education at Canterbury Christ Church University in 2018, which also focused on teacher/parent relationships in character education. The research had a positive impact on her former workplace, Crest Infants and Nursery School and put character education at the heart of school. Lois is now an Assistant Headteacher at Hoo St. Werburgh Primary School.

Michael began a part-time PhD in Education in 2020, under the title ‘How does a focus on character education shape positive relationships between teachers and pupils in a school?’

The proposed study carries on from the work Michael has been doing over the past three years as a Research Fellow at the Jubilee Centre and will look at the under explored area of how character education can impact or influence teacher-student relationships primarily in secondary schools in the UK. The study will aim to examine three primary questions:

1. How do teachers and pupils within a school perceive their relationships?

2. What role does character education contribute to these relationships?

3. What challenges and barriers do teachers and pupils face when attempting to develop positive relationships?

Mike joined the Jubilee Centre in May 2017 as a Research Fellow. View his profile here.

Rianna is a full-time PhD student who aims to conduct a comparative exploration into the transferability of Virtue Literacy across children aged 8-12 years old in two UK-based schools. The primary aim of the PhD is to contribute to new research in the field of Character Education by exploring the transferability of virtue literacy at a pre-phronesis formation stage of understanding. The potential significance of this study is whether the research produces evidence that will support further, more extensive research that will consider differing pedagogical approaches to teaching virtue literacy in primary and secondary schools. Rianna has previously completed an Undergraduate degree in Linguistics and most recently an MA in Education, whilst being a Secondary School teacher.  

Rianna’s PhD research interests are a direct reflection of her personal and career experiences to date. Choosing a career in teaching and education stemmed from a desire to change the lives of children by equipping them with the skills required to lead a successful academic and personal life.

Ben Miller is a part-time PhD student whose research explores theological approaches to character formation and examines the significance of ecclesiology and the church community in the development of character.

Ben studied Theology (London School of Theology) and Character Education (University of Birmingham) and is a former Research Fellow at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues. Ben is now Head of Theology and Philosophy at Reading School.

Yun-Chieh is a full-time PhD student supervised by Professor Kristján Kristjánsson and Dr Laura D’Olimpio. Yun-Chieh’s research focuses on multicultural sensitive character education. The research aims to build the bridge between different fields of knowledge from ethics, character education, citizenship education and cultural theories and to construct a multicultural sensitive model of character education to promote students’ well-being.

Yun-Chieh holds a BA in political science from National Taiwan University and received her MA in philosophy of education from National Taiwan Normal University. She also worked at National Academy for Educational Research as a research assistant in Taiwan from 2019 to 2021.

Rachael started a part-time PhD in Education in 2023, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Peterson and Dr Shane McLoughlin, with the title ‘The ‘desire to know’: an exploration of pupil curiosity and its connections with flourishing’.

The thesis explores curiosity, often referred to as the desire to know, as a fundamental human motivator. Studies have shown that curiosity plays a vital role in how adults and children engage with the world and with each other. However, curiosity is a multi-faceted concept and reductive interpretations that classify people as either curious or incurious may miss nuanced understandings of how people experience curiosity and how it relates to their daily lives.

It is generally accepted that young children are naturally curious, and that curiosity declines as children grow up; however, there is limited data that elucidates whether this applies to all dimensions of curiosity. Therefore, whilst curiosity is a widely used term in education, especially in association with knowledge acquisition, there are gaps in the literature regarding the role curiosity plays in the wider social and emotional lives of school pupils and whether one or more forms of curiosity have connections to human flourishing. Rachael intends to examine these questions empirically through a series of school case studies.