“I’m not sure they know I’m a service child”: Understanding, supporting and promoting service children’s experiences in English state schools.
Dr Lucy Robinson
Pathway: Education
Department: School of Social Sciences
University: Cardiff University
Mentor: Professor Dawn Mannay
Project Summary
Service children – those who have a parent or carer who serves, or has served, in the British Armed Forces – are a group of children in society whose voices are often absent from research, policy and practice. In schools, this has meant that service children’s unique educational experiences, associated needs and distinctive identity, all shaped by the demands of the armed forces, are not fully understood or supported. My doctoral research acknowledged this and took an innovative and creative approach by researching with service children to explore how military life shapes their sense of self and educational experiences. Alongside generating new knowledge and understanding in this area, my research identified implications for practice which seek to inform and ultimately improve service children’s experiences in schools.
This fellowship therefore provides the opportunity to both complement and extend the existing social and academic contribution of my doctoral research by adopting a targeted and innovative approach to impact. As discussed in more detail below, the fellowship will enable the preparation and delivery of more traditional academic outputs alongside the development of bespoke resources to support school staff who work with service children in their professional practice.
Goals for the Fellowship
- Prepare two journal articles based on significant findings and outputs of my doctoral research for publication in high-impact journals.
- Develop accessible and engaging complementary articles, blogs and podcasts to support the above.
- Create a bespoke e-learning resource with and for trainee teachers and early career teachers working with service children in English state schools.
- Collaborate with the SCiP alliance to create a digital resource to support voice work in UK schools.
- Present at the CIMVHR Forum and undertake an institutional visit to Queen’s University to engage in knowledge exchange around research to practice translation.
- Organise and deliver a three-part webinar series on child-focused research and methodology with a focus on hidden, marginalised or underrepresented groups of children and young people.
- Undertake training to further develop research communication skills.
- Carry out feasibility assessments for future research collaborations and/or projects and map out future career opportunities.
Advice for Future Applicants
The application process for the fellowship is rigorous and multi-faceted. Therefore, it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to carefully craft and refine your proposal. There are lots of word limits to adhere to which can be tricky to begin with but really push you to write concisely and clearly. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from mentors and peers. Even if you are unsuccessful with your application, you still will have learnt a great many things and developed your skillset – ready for success with a future application!
Publications
Robinson, L. (2025). The Research Ethics Tree: engaging children and young people with research ethics using an interactive tool. Journal of Creative Research Methods, 1(1), 158-166. https://doi.org/10.1332/30502969Y2025D000000006 [journal publication].
Robinson, L. & Ho, J. (2025). Embracing opportunities during your PhD: Reflections on planning and running a public engagement activity, British Educational Research Association (BERA). [blog post].
Robinson, L. (2024). Military life, mobility and me: a collection of composite images by British service children, Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 10(2), 159-162, https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0043 [journal publication].
Robinson, L. (2024). Creative data generation methods: The self-portrait and relational map, National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). [online learning resource].
Robinson, L. (2024). International Creative Research Methods Conference, 11-12 September, 2023, QMiP Bulletin, 37, 55-56, 10.53841/bpsqmip.2024.1.37.55. [event review].
Robinson, L. (2024). Presenting at an e-festival: Experiences of an early career researcher, British Educational Research Association (BERA). [blog post].
Robinson, L., & Rankin, J. (2024). Developing your early career researcher profile & skillset. (BERA Bites Issue 11), British Educational Research Association (BERA). [teaching and learning resource].
Ginger, J., & Robinson, L. (2024). The Eighth Annual Qualitative Research Symposium 30–31 January 2024: Reflections from two doctoral students, QMiP Bulletin, 37, 57-58, 10.53841/bpsqmip.2024.1.37.57. [event review].
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lucygbrobinson
Email: Robinsonl29@cardiff.ac.uk