Visiting Fellows case studies
Dr Dorcas Olayemi Adegbite
In August 2023, Dr Dorcas Olayemi Adegbite joined the LJMU School of Education from her home institution, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUE) in Oyo, Nigeria. EAUE had just gained university status from being a teacher training college, and Dorcas wanted to broaden her experience as an educational researcher, to enhance her skills and develop the standing of research at EAUE. During her time at LJMU, she engaged fully with networks in the school, faculty and university, presenting at internal events. Working with her mentor, she contributed to grant applications and presented her research at the British Educational Research Association Conference 2024.
Dr Metin Kocaturk
As a visiting research fellow at in the Liverpool Institute for Research in Education (LIFE Institute) in 2023-4, I had the opportunity to expand my expertise in cyberpsychology, particularly focusing on cyberbullying victimization and coping strategies among university students. Coming from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa in Turkey, I collaborated closely with Professor Michael Thomas and engaged in a vibrant academic environment that fostered both personal and professional growth. During my time at the LIFE Institute, I built an invaluable research network, participated in an internal event where I presented one of our collaborative publications, and showcased our research at the BPS Cyberpsychology Annual Conference 2024. Additionally, we co-authored several publications. The purpose of my fellowship was not only to advance research in education but also to bring new insights and methodologies back to my home institution, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. By fostering international collaboration and integrating cutting-edge research from the LIFE Institute, I aim to contribute to the development of academic programmes and future research initiatives in Turkey. I am eager to continue collaborating with Professor Thomas and the LIFE team to further contribute to this field of research.
Dr Tanja Held
In July 2023, Tanja from the University of Bern, Switzerland, joined the Liverpool Institute for Research in Education (LIFE Institute) as a Visiting Research Fellow. The primary goals of her fellowship were to broaden her experience in international educational research, gain deeper insights into the UK’s educational system, and conduct a longitudinal research project on students’ motivation and emotions with Professor Dave Putwain. During her time at LJMU, Tanja developed an online serious game aimed at enhancing students’ motivation and fostering positive emotions in secondary mathematics education. She implemented the serious game in various schools and analysed the results of the intervention, which provided insights into how game-based learning approaches can be used to promote student motivation and emotions.
Dr Daniela Raccanello
Daniela spent two months as a Visiting Professor at the Liverpool Institute for Research in Education (LIFE Institute), the first between June and July 2023, and the second between June and July 2024. Daniela is an Associate Professor in Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Verona, Italy. Her main research interests regard emotions at school and related to disasters. During her period at the LJMU, she collaborated with Professor Dav Putwain on research on the role of antecedents of achievement emotions for university students. She joined LIFE as an affiliated external member and attended workshops and research group meetings. The research collaboration and hospitality in LIFE facilitated new insights for both research and teaching practices to be integrated in activities back home in Italy.
Giada Vicentini
From April to July 2023 and from April to July 2024, Giada Vicentini spent a mobility period in the LIFE Institute. Giada was a PhD student in Human Sciences (psychology) at the University of Verona, Italy, and her research project investigated the relations between personality, emotion regulation, and emotions in learning contexts. During her time at LJMU, she collaborated with her local supervisor, Professor Dave Putwain on various projects about emotions at school. She joined LIFE as an affiliated external member and attended many learning activities organised by the university, such as seminars, workshops, and research group meetings. In May 2024, she also presented a poster about the preliminary results of her project at a PGR Festival.
Professor Samuel Amponsah
I am a Professor and Head of the Distance Education Department at the University of Ghana. In May 2023, I became a Visiting Fellow at the Liverpool Institute for Research Education (LIFE Institute). During this visit, I collaborated closely with the Institute's Director, who has been both my mentor and project lead for the past four years. Together we worked on a project report and finalised two manuscripts that have been published in prestigious journals. The visit also facilitated introductions to other academics and researchers whose research interests align with mine, paving the way for future collaborations. I was fortunate to benefit from access to the LJMU digital resources and to participate in a seminar focusing on social justice. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet with a PhD applicant whose supervisory team I have since joined. Beyond this initial visit, my collaboration with the LIFE Institute has deepened significantly. We are currently engaged in guest editing a book, pursuing additional publications, and preparing a grant proposal. Although my time at the LIFE Institute was brief, the experience has profoundly impacted my career. I am sincerely grateful to the LIFE Institute and LJMU for this remarkable opportunity.
Dr Karen Lesley Billingsley
As an Honorary Research Associate at Liverpool John Moores University and Head of Quality at a Further Education college in the North of England, I am collaborating with the Liverpool Institute for Research in Education (LIFE Institute) to investigate online Communities of Practice as vehicles for continuous professional development in the FE sector during 2025-6. With over twenty-five years of experience in FE leadership roles, my doctoral research examined how online Communities of Practice (CoP) support practitioners' professional development. My mixed-methods case study also utilised Boyer's scholarship framework. The research revealed that online CoPs facilitate student-focused, teacher-driven alternatives to top-down policies, sustain emotional resilience through community support, and cultivate professional connections. However, significant barriers exist in translating CoP learning into classroom practice due to institutional constraints. I will be continuing my research in adapting the theory-practice gap in FE professional development whilst generating evidence-based recommendations for implementing effective online professional learning communities that address the specific needs and challenges of the FE sector.
Dr Wen Jia
Coming from Nanjing Agricultural University in China, I joined the LIFE Institute as a Visiting Research Fellow in 2025-6. The primary goals of my fellowship are to broaden my experience in international collaboration in educational technology research, deepen my understanding of the UK’s higher education context, and conduct a comparative research project on AI literacy among EFL learners with Professor Michael Thomas. During my time at LJMU, I am investigating how different AI tool ecosystems shape Chinese EFL learners’ AI literacy development and English academic competencies. By comparing students in mainland China with Chinese international students in the UK, I am exploring how AI literacy levels predict AI-assisted English learning outcomes and how students perceive different AI tools’ effectiveness for academic tasks. I am collecting data from both cohorts and analysing the results of the comparative study, which may provide insights into AI literacy as a situated competency and inform educational practice supporting international students’ adaptation to diverse AI learning environments.
Dr Simge Karakas
In 2024-25, I joined the LIFE Institute as a Visiting Research Fellow from Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University in Turkey. My research interests lie in the education of gifted students, curriculum development, science education, computational thinking and digital learning. During my fellowship, I am collaborating closely with Professor Michael Thomas to explore the digital competence of students and best practices in the education of gifted learners in the UK. The LIFE Institute provides a dynamic academic environment that fosters knowledge exchange and international collaboration, enabling me to contribute to ongoing research while gaining valuable insights to bring back to my home institution. Through this fellowship, I aim to integrate innovative methodologies into educational programmes in Turkey and strengthen future research collaborations in this field.
Dr Amanda Vardy
As an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, I am working with the Liverpool Institute for Research in Education during 2025–26 to disseminate and extend the impact of my doctoral research. My thesis, A Bourdieusian-based ethnographic exploration of the early years home learning environments in a suburban area in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, investigated how families experiencing poverty draw on cultural and social capital to support children’s early learning and development. Applying Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and capital, my research challenged deficit narratives surrounding disadvantaged communities and highlighted the creativity, resilience, and relational strengths that underpin effective home learning environments. During the fellowship, my focus is on translating my research into a series of publications, exploring how reciprocal partnerships between families and practitioners can be strengthened, how participatory methodologies can elevate parental voice, and how broader definitions of ‘quality’ can inform early years policy and practice.
Alice Masi
From February to July 2025, I undertook a research mobility period at the LIFE Institute. I am a PhD student in Psychological Science at the University of Padova in Italy, where my research focuses on understanding learning processes and mathematical abilities. In particular, I investigate the emotional and motivational factors - such as anxiety, motivation, and self-beliefs - that influence these skills. A central aim of my work is to examine both protective and risk factors to better support students’ academic learning from the earliest stages of education. During my stay at LJMU, I worked under the supervision of Professor Dave Putwain, collaborating on several projects concerning emotions, motivation, coping strategies, and well-being in school settings. I also contributed to data collection activities and participated in a range of academic events organised by the university, including seminars, workshops, and major conferences such as the PGR Festival and the LIFE Conference. I am committed to continuing my collaboration with Professor Putwain and the LIFE research team to advance this line of research and contribute new insights to the educational field.
Dr Riadh Boukhetala
I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature, Mouhamed Lamine Debaghine Setif 2 University in Algeria. I visited Liverpool John Moores University and the LIFE Institute in October and November 2025 as an Honorary Academic Visitor. During that period, I collaborated with my host, Professor Michael Thomas. We engaged in very productive academic and research discussions that opened doors for potential co-authored projects and publications. I have also had a meeting with Professor David Putwain, who hosted me in 2019 when I was working on my PhD. The visit also witnessed my participation in a seminar as a speaker presenting about subject-specific teachers’ training to integrate English Medium Instruction in the Algerian HE system. It was a dynamic and vibrant gathering of researchers from Algeria, Italy, China and Bangladesh. The event was a good opportunity to share work achieved as well as discussing that in progress to get some feedback from each other. The visit was also an opportunity to explore the wide range of facilities at the disposal of students and staff, as well as having informal discussions with some PhD students. This visit will definitely lead to further collaborations and future connections and networking.
Dr Sid Ali Selama
My recent ten-day academic visit to Liverpool John Moores University LJMU in 2025 centred around a seminar that was designed by Professor Thomas Michael. The seminar provided a fantastic platform for robust discussion on education, intercultural competence, and AI, among other areas. While the seminar itself was profoundly insightful, the true value of the trip lay in what I discovered outside the lecture hall: a truly vibrant and dynamic academic community. This visit was a powerful reminder that academia is, at its best, a living, breathing community. It’s about the shared excitement for discovery. LJMU embodies this spirit, and I am incredibly grateful to have been a small part of it, even for a short while.
Dr Seghir Boukadi
From October to November 2025, I had the privilege of joining the Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) School of Education and the LIFE Institute as an Honorary Academic Visitor. My time at LJMU was defined by a collaborative spirit, primarily through my work with my host, Professor Michael Thomas, where we found common ground and synergies in our shared research interests. A particular highlight was the seminar where I presented my research on AI in English Language Education, focusing on student and teacher perceptions at Setif 2 University, Algeria. The room was a dynamic and vibrant gathering of international colleagues and PhD students from Algeria, Italy, China, and Bangladesh. It was more than just a presentation; it was an exchange, a chance to share finished work and openly discuss ongoing projects in a supportive environment. Beyond the meeting rooms, I truly enjoyed exploring LJMU's campus. Wandering through its various buildings and seeing the impressive facilities available to everyone gave me a real feel for the university's vibrant community. This visit was more than just a scheduled activity; it was a fruitful and engaging period that has sown the seeds for international collaboration. I am looking forward to it leading to joint publications and a lasting professional network.