As a research group we encourage and facilitate research-practice partnerships and participatory research approaches.  We do this via two networks:

United Kingdom Literacy Association SIG:  Participatory Approaches in Literacy Research

This SIG aims to:

• Bring together practitioners, teacher educators, researchers and allied professionals, from different disciplinary backgrounds, who have a shared interest in understanding and improving children and young people’s literacy skills and experiences, through participatory research approaches.
• Foster new, and strengthen existing, collaborative partnerships to conduct and communicate literacy research.
• Promote, innovate and advance rigour within participatory literacy research approaches.
• Contribute to our emerging understanding of methodological challenges and ethical considerations associated with participatory research approaches, particularly within literacy research.
• Provide an inclusive context for individuals from different backgrounds and career stages to learn about and contribute towards the development of participatory research approaches.

This SIG launched in September 2022 and will run until August 2024.  It is convened by Dr Sarah McGeown, Dr Melanie Ramdarshan-Bold and Charlotte Webber, and includes researchers, practitioners and other professionals. If you are interested in joining or learning more, please contact Charlotte Webber: c.webber-1@sms.ed.ac.uk

LALco: Language and literacy: Communication, collaboration, co-production.

Three principles underpin the work of LALco:

• Communication: Effective communication of research to users/beneficiaries, and improved communication among those working in research, policy and practice.
• Collaboration: Individuals from research, policy and practice working in equal partnership on research projects and activities aligned with societal priorities.
• Co-production: Joint design of interdisciplinary research to generate knowledge, educational resources and publications

LALco was founded by Dr Lynne Duncan and Dr Sarah McGeown. If you are interested in learning more about LALco, or would like to join a LALco meeting, please contact Sarah McGeown: s.mcgeown@ed.ac.uk