Research Staff Interests
Professor Liz Jones
Biography
Liz has over twenty years experience of teaching in both mainstream and special education. Her research interests include poststructuralist theory; feminist theory; social constructions and deconstructions of 'the child' and 'childhood'. Liz leads the Centre for the Cultural Studies of Children and Childhood, which is affiliated to the Educational and Social Research Institute.
Research Interests
Poststructuralist theory; feminist theory; social constructions and deconstructions of 'the child' and 'childhood'.
Research Groups
Centre for Cultural Studies of Children and Childhood
Research Projects
Evaluation of Hit the Ground Crawling (2009-10), a peer-mentoring project for young fathers-to-be (with Rachel Holmes) on behalf of Stockport Children's services.
Evaluation of the Aiming High Initiative (2011), a project that sought to develop innovative ways of offering short breaks to children with disabilities and their family. On behalf of Manchester Children's Services (with Kerry Moakes). View the project here
Evaluation of the Mother and Baby Unit (2009-10) which is an integral part of Her Majesty's Prison, Styal on behalf of the UK charity, Action for Children (with Rachel Holmes and Maggie MacLure)
View the Executive Summary here
View the Briefing here
Co-investigator with Professor Maggie MacLure, Dr Rachel Holmes and Dr Christina MacRae on an Economic and Social Research Council funded project, Becoming a Problem: How and Why Children Acquire a Reputation as 'Naughty' in the Earliest Years at School. (2008) Download a copy of this report here
Evaluation of the Alchemy Enquire Initiative (2007) with Christina MacRae and Rachel Holmes, on behalf of The University of Manchester, Manchester Museum.
Evaluation of Skelmersdale Sure Start (2007), with Bee Downing & Terri Curtis.
Evaluation of Sure Start Initiative (Harpurhey and Lightbowne 2004) with Sheila Stark & Peter Cameron.
Jones, L., Stark, S., Franks, H., Jarvis, J., Stronach, I. & Wibberley, C (2002/3)Phase 1 & 2 of the evaluation report of the National Evaluation Primary School/Primary Care Health Links Initiative Department of Health.
Powell, J., Marsh, C. & Oxley, D. (2001) Local evaluation report of three Early Excellence Centres: Ganneys, Martinscroft and Reddish Vale.
Books
Jones, L. & Barron, I. (2007) Research and Gender London, Continuum order here
Jones, L., Holmes, R. & Powell, J. (eds) (2005) Early Childhood Studies: A Multiprofessional Perspective Buckingham, Open University Press order here
Brown, T. & Jones, L. (2001) Action Research and Postmodernism: Congruence and Critique Buckingham, Open University Press
Refereed Journal Articles
Jones, L. (2013) Becoming child: becoming dress Global Studies of Childhood 3(3) online here
Barron, I. & Jones, L. (2012, forthcoming) Performing Child(hood) Children and Society online here
Holmes, R. and Jones, L. (2012) Limit-less provocations of the 'safe', 'secure' and 'healthy' child. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education online here
Jones, L., MacLure, M., Holmes, R. and MacRae, C. (2011) Children and Objects: affection and infection. International Journal of Early Years online here
MacLure, M., Jones, L., Holmes, R. and MacRae, C. (2011) Becoming a Problem: Behaviour and reputation in the early years classroom. British Educational Research Journal online here
Jones, L. (2010) Reflexivity as a Ground-Clearing Activity within the Context of Early Years Pedagogy. Qualitative Inquiry 16(5) pp342-348 online here
MacLure, M., Holmes, R., MacRae, C. and Jones, L. (2010) Silence as Resistance to Analysis: Or, on Not Opening One’s Mouth Properly. Qualitative Inquiry 16(6) pp492-500 online here
Jones, L., Holmes, R., MacRae, C. and MacLure, M. (2010) Documenting Classroom Life: how can I write about what I am seeing? Qualitative Research 10(4) pp479-491 online here
MacLure, M., Holmes, R., MacRae, C. & Jones, L. (2010) Animating classroom ethnography, overcoming video-fear. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education Special Issue 'Thinking with Deleuze in Qualitative Research' 23(5) pp543-556 online here
Jones, L. and Hanley, U. (2007) Mathematics and fantasies of effective practice Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Studies 8(1) online here
Jones, L. & Osgood, J. (2007) Mapping the fabricated identity of childminders: pride and prejudice Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Studies 8(4) online here
McCreery, E., Jones, L. & Holmes, R. (2007) Why do Muslim parents want Muslim schools? Early Years 27(3)pp203-219 online here
Jones, L., Owen, J. & Cook, T. (2005) Evaluating the early excellence initiative: the relationship between evaluation, performance management and practitioner participation Evaluation vol 11(3) pp331-349 online here
Jones, L. & McNamara, O. (2004) The possibilities and constraints of multimedia as a basis for critical reflection Cambridge Journal of Education 34(3) pp179-296 online here
Jones, L. & Brown, T. (2001) 'Reading' the nursery classroom: a Foucauldian perspective Qualitative Studies in Education vol 14(6) pp713-725 online here
Jones, L. (2001) Trying to break with bad habits in practice by engaging with poststructuralist theories International Journal of Early Years vol 21(1)
Jones, L., Brown, T., McNamara, O. & Hanley, U. (1999) An enquiry into transitions: moving from being a learner of mathematics to a teacher of mathematics Research in Education
Brown, T., McNamara, O., Jones, L. & Hanley, U. (1999) Primary student teachers understanding of mathematics and its teaching British Educational Research Journal 25(3)
Jones, L. & Brown, T (1999) A tale of disturbance and unsettlement: incorporating and enacting deconstruction with the purpose of challenging aspects of pedagogy in the nursery classroom Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice 5(2)
Jones, L. (1996) Young girls' notions of femininity Gender and Education 8(3) pp311-321
Book Chapters
Jones, L., Holmes, R., MacRae, C. and MacLure, M. (2010) 'Improper' children,' in N. Yelland (ed) Critical Issues in Early Childhood. Buckingham, Open University Press
Jones, L., Holmes, R., MacRae, C. and MacLure, M. (2010) 'The critical politics of play,' in Gaile S. Cannella & Lourdes Diaz Soto (eds) Childhoods: A Handbook. New York: Peter Lang.
MacLure, M., Jones, L., Holmes, R. and MacRae, C. (2010) 'Childhood and the Construction of Critical Research Practices,' in Gaile S. Cannella Lourdes & Diaz Soto (eds) Childhoods: A Handbook. New York: Peter Lang
Jones, L., Browne, K. and Keating, K. (2005) Researching young children within a multiprofessional perspective, in (eds) L. Jones, R. Holmes & J. Powell Early Childhood Studies: a multiprofessional perspective Buckingham, Open University Press
Jones, L., Hodson, E. & Napier, N. (2005) The politics of play, in L. Jones, R. Holmes & J. Powell (eds) Early Childhood Studies: a multiprofessional perspective Buckingham, Open University Press
Aitken, S. and Jones, L. (2005) Exploring families, in L. Jones, R. Holmes & J. Powell (eds) Early Childhood Studies: a multiprofessional perspective Buckingham, Open University Press
Jones, L., Browne, K., Aitken, S., Keating, I. and Hodson, E. (2005) Working with parents and carers, in L. Jones, R. Holmes & J. Powell (eds) Early Childhood Studies: a multiprofessional perspective Buckingham, Open University Press
Jones, L. & Somekh, B. (2004) Observation, in B. Somekh & C. Lewin (eds) Research Methods in the Social Sciences London, Sage
Jones, L. (2002) Using videos to investigate speaking and listening, in O. McNamara (ed) Becoming an Evidence-Based Practitioner: a Framework for Teacher-Researchers London, Routledge Falmer
Brown, T., Jones, L. & Bibby, T. (2002) Identifying with Mathematics in M. Walshaw (ed) Mathematics, in Education With/In the Postmodern
Jones, L (1996) Talk isn't always easy, in N. Hall & J. Martello (eds) Listening to Children Think: Examining Talk in the Early Years London, Hodder & Stoughton
Research Reports
Becoming a Problem: How and Why Children Acquire a Reputation as 'Naughty' in the Earliest Years at School. A project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [Award ref. RES-062-23-0105]
Jones, L. and Holmes, R. (2010/11) Evaluation of Hit the Ground Crawling.
Moakes, K. and Jones, L. (2011) Evaluation of the Aiming High Initiative
Jones, L. MacRae, C. & Holmes, R. (2008) Evaluation of the Alchemy Enquire Initiative, The Manchester Museum
Jones, L., Pickard, A. & Stronach, I. (2008) The Professional Environment of the Primary School (Strand 6/2 of the Primary Review Research Briefing, Cambridge University, Director Professor Robin Alexander, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Trust)
MacLure, M., Jones, L., Holmes, R. and MacRae, C. (2008) Becoming a problem: how and why children acquire a reputation as 'naughty' in the earliest years at school. Economic and Social Research Council
Jones, L., Downing, B. and Curtis, T. (2007) Evaluation of Skelmersdale (Tanhouse & Digmoor). Sure Start Initiative
Stark, S., Jones, L. and Cameron, P. (2004) Evaluation of Sure Start Initiative. (Harpurhey and Lightbowne)
Stark, S, Franks, H., Jarvis, J., Jones, L., Stronach, I. & Wibberley, C. (2002/3) Phase 1 & 2 of the evaluation report of the National Evaluation Primary School/Primary Care Health Links Initiative Department of Health
Jones, L., Powell, J., Marsh, C. & Oxley, D. (2001) Local evaluation report of three Early Excellence Centres: Ganneys, Martinscroft and Reddish Vale
Jones, L. & Abbott, L. (2000) An Evaluation of the 'Championing Children' Initiative
eSpace
Journal & Book Series Editorships & Editorial Board Membership
UK representative on the editorial board of the International Journal Contemporary Issues In Early Childhood
Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology (RERM)
Keynote Addresses or Prestigious Public Lectures
Professorial Lecture Series - Children and Objects
Erskine Scholar Prestige lecture (September 14th, 2011) 'Children and Objects: Affection and Infection.' University of Canterbury, Christchurch New Zealand
Key Note presentation to 'The gathering.' (August 20th 2011) University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Key Note presentation to OMEP (Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Préscolaire) (28th September, 2011) 'Reputation, reputation, reputation…why children in the earliest years of schooling acquire reputations such as "naughty".' University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
With colleagues from Charles Sturt University, Australia (Prof Jennifer Sumsion) and Queensland University of Technology, Australia (Prof Sue Grieshaber), part of an Invited Symposia at the 2010 Australian Association of Educational Research Conference, Melbourne.
Holmes, R., Jones, L., MacLure, M. and MacRae, C. (2008) 'Eccentric performances and disorderly conduct: the pathology of difference.' Presented as part of a Key Note symposium at British Education Research Association Conference, Edinburgh
Jones, L. and Holmes, R. (2008) Key Note presentation at the first Postgraduate Research Forum, IM Marsh campus, LJMU, on 29th April 2008. 'How and why children acquire reputations such as naughty.'
Jones, L. (2011) 'Deleuze, cinema and the regulated child.' Invited presentation at Chester University postgraduate research programme, Faculty of Education and Children's Services. Riverside Campus, 16th February, 2011
Subjecting play to a Foucauldian gaze. Key note presentation at the Poststructuralism, Education and Feminism Conference Manchester (April 3rd, 2001)
International Recognition
Erskine Scholar at the School of Mãori and Indigenous Studies, University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2011)
In August 2011 Liz was invited by the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand to take up an Erskine Scholarship within the School of Mãori and Indigenous Studies. Erskine scholarships are usually awarded to 'international academic visitors who are already advanced in the learning of any subject taught in the Faculties of Commerce, Engineering or Science'. Awarding the scholarship to an academic outside of the 'usual' disciplines denotes both respect for the academic pursuit of early years education as well as for the School of Mãori and Indigenous Studies.
Liz has also been seconded as a ‘critical friend’ to the Australian based project, “Moments in time: investigating a national history curriculum in early childhood settings and primary classrooms (2011-2014)”. The project is funded by the Australian Research Council and is directed by Associate Professor, Mary Dixon, Dr Kim Senior, Dr Nicole Green, Associate Professor Anthony Taylor and Dr.Paul Reitano. The aim of the study is to investigate the pedagogical and curriculum implications of a national History curriculum for the early childhood and primary classroom. The significance and innovative qualities of this project arise from its engagement with curriculum change, content knowledge, pedagogy and disciplinarity.
Research-based Contributions to Practitioner and Academic Conferences
Jones, L., Holmes, R. and MacLure, M. (October 2011) 'Disturbing cultures of incarceration: the struggle for normality and the imprisoned family.' 19th Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Conference University of East London.
Jones, L. and Holmes, R. (2010) 'The discipline of objects' presented at the Object Lessons symposium, Sixth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Illinois
MacLure, M., Holmes, R. and Jones, L. (2010) 'Ungrounded Theory and Unfounded Practice: Making a Nuisance of New Sense with Philosophies and Practices of Difference.' presented at the pre-conference workshop Sixth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Illinois
Holmes, R. and Jones, L. (2010) 'Framing childhood: disrupting mind sets, learning to stutter.' presented at the European Early Childhood Education Association conference Birmingham, UK
Invited discussant for an international conference symposium entitled 'Pre-schooling as an arena for doing gender-equity: The Swedish Experience' American Education and Research Conference New York (2008)
Holmes, R., Jones, L., MacLure, M and MaCrae, C. 'Pathologising difference: occupying non-conformity in an early years classroom.' British Educational Research Association Conference Institute of Education (2007)
Jones, L., Holmes, R., MaCrae, C. and MacLure, M. 'What counts as evidence when examining notions of 'naughtiness': am I seeing what you are seeing?' 3rd Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Illinois Champaign Urbana State University (2007)
Jones, L., Holmes, R. and McCreery, E. 'Why do Muslim parents want Muslim schools?' 6th Discourse, Power and Resistance Manchester Metropolitan University (2007)
Jones, L., Homes, R., MacRae, C. & MacLure, M. 'Pathologising difference: occupying non-conformity in an early years classroom.' British Educational Research Association London Institute of Education (2007)
Jones, L. & Osgood, J. 'The fabricated identity of childminders: pride and prejudice.' 5th Discourse, Power and Resistance Manchester Metropolitan University (2006)
Jones, L. & Osgood, J. 'The professionalisation of child-minders: how they get stitched up.' European Conference of Early Childhood Studies University of Iceland (2006)
McCreery, E., Holmes, R. and Jones, L. 'Faith Schools.' Association of University Lecturers in Religion & Education (UK) Religion and Schools in the 21st Century - Challenges and Opportunities at Stranmillis University College, Belfast (2006)
Jones, L. 'Reflexivity as a ground clearing activity.' 2nd Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Illinois Champaign Urbana State University(2006)
Jones, L. and Campbell, A. 'A critical examination of the evaluation of Early Excellence Centres.' British Educational Research Association Cardiff (2005)
Jones, L. Derrida goes to nursery school 4th Discourse, Power and Resistance Conference Plymouth(2005)
Jones, L. & Stark, S. 'Charismatic leadership within the context of multi-professional practice.' British Educational Research Association Edinburgh (2004)
Teaching Interests
Liz teaches on a range of postgraduate and undergraduate. Her interests include: research methods; early childhood education especially constructions of identity.
Areas of Post-graduate Supervision
- 'Belonging' in the foundation stage.
- Pupil perceptions of school culture.
- Decontextualised learning & teaching in critical studies in secondary art & design education.
