Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy>Research>Applied Psychology in Education and Community Settings (APECS) Research Group

Applied Psychology in Education and Community Settings (APECS) Research Group

Organiser and convenor: Dr Louise Allen-Walker (LAllen-Walker@cardiffmet.ac.uk)

Affiliated Research Lead: Dr Jenny Mercer [CSSHS] (JMercer@cardiffmet.ac.uk)

Group membership (indicative) includes:

  • Dr Louise Allen-Walker
  • Dr Laura Rees-Davies
  • Dr Emma McDonald
  • Dr Joann Warner
  • Dr Christina Thatcher (Cardiff University)
  • Dr Lucy Windridge
  • Dr Jennie Clement
  • Sian Sarwar
  • Dr Tom Breeze
  • Sandra Dumitrescu
  • Dan Williams
  • Dr Emily Abbinett
  • Dr Cheryl Ellis
  • Paul Brooks
  • Dr Jennie Mercer (CSSHS)
  • Postgraduate Research Students

This research group aims to: examine the applications of psychology to education and the community. Areas of particular interest include: the debunking of myths and misconceptions regarding psychology within the teaching profession and interventions to support education practitioners to feel confident utilising and learning about psychology; coaching and mentoring interventions within education bedded in psychology theory; the promotion of wellbeing and resilience within educational and community contexts utilising psychological interventions; and the application of psychology within the community, in particular community writers groups and community policing projects.

Our interdisciplinary group consists of psychologists, with specialisms across the field; experts in education who have experience at all levels of education delivery as well as teacher and practitioner training; experts who have experience within community writers groups and community policing. Within our group, we use both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the efficacy of psychology interventions within educational and community contexts.