Dr Karen Majors
- Qualifications and position:
- EdD, MSc, BA(Hons), PGCE, C.Psychol, AFBPS
- Assistant Programme Director of Professional Educational Psychology Training
- Faculty:
- Department:
- Summary:
- I contribute to all aspects of the Doctoral training programme. My professional and research interests include children's emotional and social development and what schools can do to support this, childhood fantasy and imagination, the development of professional knowledge and qualitative research.
- Teaching:
- Research Projects:
- The characteristics and purposes of imaginary companions of school aged children.
- Postgraduate Research:
- Melernie Meheux: An evaluation of preventative models for behaviour and child perceptions of safety.
Kerry Moore: An exploration of the experiences of young people who have become excluded from school.
Alexis Phillips: An evaluation of bullying interventions based on restorative justice in a secondary school.
Joanne Tree: Expectations and experiences of secondary school transfer of pupils deemed at risk of school failure.
Valerie Jones: An evaluation of PALS (Play and Learning to Socialise) in primary school settings.
Suzanne Bailey: Vulnerable pupils; the impact of risk variables and protective factors in the experiences and adjustment of children transferring to secondary school.
Rachel Wilson: An investigation into the intake, role and value of Key Stage One Pupil Referral Units.
- Professional Activities:
- Practising Senior Educational Psychologist.
External Examiner, Doctoral Theses at Sheffield University.
External Examiner, Postgraduate Professional Training Programme in Educational Psychology, University of Birmingham.
- Conferences/presentations:
- Children's play with imaginary friends: An investigation of purposes served. Launch of the Centre for the study of Play and Recreation, University of Greenwich, May 2011.
Children's imaginary companions; a sign of healthy development? British Psychological Society, Division of Educational and Child Psychology Annual Conference, January 2011.
Publications
- Majors, K. (2011) 'Friendships: The Power of Positive Alliance' Chapter in S. Roffey, Positive Relationships: Evidence-Based Practice Across the World. New York: Springer.
- Majors, K. (2011) 'Imaginary Friends, Voices and Psychosis ' Contribution to chapter in Q. Spender, J. Barnsley, A. Davies, and J. Murphy, Primary Child and Adolescent Mental Health: a practical guide. Volume lll. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing.
- Majors, K. (2009) 'Children's Imaginary Companions and the Purposes They Serve: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis' Unpublished PhD thesis, Institute of Education, University of London
- Majors, K and Weston, C. (2001) 'In-Service Training for Teachers: Short Change?' Paper presented at Emerging issues in Teacher Supply and Retention: Proceedings of the Second Conference of the Teacher and Supply Project , University of North London
- Roffey, S., Tarrant, T. And Majors, K. (2000) Erdu min ven? Om borns venskab (Danish translation of book Young Friends: Schools and Friendship - q.v.). København: Dansk Psykologisk Forlag.
- Lunt, I. and Majors, K. (2000) 'The Professionalisation of Educational Psychology', Challenges to Practice 15, 237-245.
- Roffey, S., Majors, K. and Tarrant, T. (1997) 'Friends - Who Needs Them?', Educational and Child Psychology 14,3, 51-56.
- Challen, M. and Majors, K. (1997) Learning to Support: A Training Course for Special Support Assistants. Bristol: Lucky Duck Publishing.
- Roffey, S., Tarrant, T. and Majors, K. (1994) Young Friends: Schools and Friendship. London: Cassell.
