Post:	Professor of Education
Other posts:	Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange (ESW School)
Location:	Essex House EH 108
Email:	J.C.Sebba@sussex.ac.uk
Telephone numbers
Internal:	8260
UK:	(01273) 678260
International:	+44 1273 678260

Biography

After graduating from Sussex in Psychology,  Judy worked on the Anson House Preschool Project at the Hester Adrian Research Centre in the University of Manchester. After 12 years in Manchester involved in research and postgraduate teaching she moved to University of Cambridge as a lecturer and was involved in research on inclusion and school improvement. From there she was seconded and later appointed as Senior Adviser (Research) to the Standards and Effectiveness Unit at the Department for Education and Skills where she was responsible for developing the research strategy. This included setting up the National Education Research Forum, the EPPI centre developing and supporting systematic reviews, the National Teacher Research Panel (with the TTA) and advising on research centres and projects. She was actively involved in using research to inform policy in particular, in assessment for learning, thinking skills, pupil grouping and inclusion.

Judy was a member of the review panel for the revision of the TTA INSET funding and a member of the Cabinet Office panel which reviewed the use of pilots across government.

Research

At Sussex Judy co-directs, with Professor Jo Boaler the Centre for Inquiry & Research in Cognition, Learning and Teaching (CIRCLETS) which explores the socio-cultural nature of learning and considers the classroom processes that establish deep and transferable learning skills, such as problem-solving, interpretation and analysis, both for students and professionals working with children and young people. She has been involved in externally-funded research on assessment for learning (see Jersey report and OECD chapter), pupil grouping (with Universities of Brighton, Cambridge and Manchester - see Literature Review, Case Studies, Low Ability Pupil Grouping) and Personalised Learning (with the University of Cambridge and Institute of Education). She collaborated with Professor Anne Edwards from University of Oxford and Mark Rickinson on an ESRC-funded seminar series about user engagement in research (see chapter). She is also involved nationally and internationally with issues relating to systematic reviewing in the social sciences (TLRP briefing) and how research influences policy and practice (AERA paper).

Judy was involved in the research strand of the 5-year Portsmouth Learning Community Project and has undertaken two systematic reviews on social work education with the School of Social Work and Social Care (SCIE review) and one on self and peer assessment with Bristol University. The final report on the Portsmouth Learning Community Project can be found HERE.

Currently, she is undertaking an evaluation with Carol Robinson on UNICEF's Rights Respecting Schools Programme (information sheet) and they are working with others on Becta-funded research on student-led personalised learning using ICT (information sheet). She chairs the Sussex Institute Research Ethics Committee.

Teaching

Judy teaches on the PGCE, GTP and EdD programme and supervises MPhil and doctoral work.

Publications

• Sebba, J. (2007-2008) Personalising Learning: The Learner Perspective Sponsor: BECTA
• Sebba, J. (2004) Developing evidence-informed policy and practice in education. In: G. Thomas & R. Pring (eds.) Evidence Based Practice in Education Buckingham: Open University Press
• Kutnick, P., Sebba, J., Blatchford, P. & Galton, M. (2005) The Effects of Pupil Grouping: Literature Review DfES Research Report 688 Nottingham: DfES Publications
• Sebba, J. (2006) Policy and Practice in Assessment for Learning: the Experience of Selected OECD countries In: J.Gardner (ed.) Assessment for Learning: Policy and Practice London: Sage
• Taylor, I., Sharland, E., Sebba, J. & Le Riche, P. (2006) The Learning, Teaching and Assessment of Partnership in Social Work Education. Knowledge Review for the Social Care Institute for Excellence London: SCIE
• Kutnick, P., Hodgkinson, S., Sebba, J., Humphreys, S., Galton, M., Steward, S., Blatchford, P. & Baines E. (2006) Pupil grouping strategies and practices at Key Stage 2 and 3: Case studies of 24 schools in England. Nottingham: DfES Publications
• Crossoard, B. & Sebba, J. (2006) An Evaluation of AfL Initiatives in Jersey: Final report. Brighton: University of Sussex
• Sebba J., Brown, N., Stewart, S., Galton, M. & James, M. (2007) An investigation of personalised learning approaches used by schools Nottingham: DfES Publications
• Dunne, M., Humphreys, S., Sebba, J., Dyson, A., Gallannaugh, F. & Muijs, D. (2007) Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Groups Nottingham: DfES Publications
• Sebba, J. (2007) Enhancing impact on policy-making through increasing user engagement in research In: L. Saunders (ed.) Educational Research and Policy-Making: Exploring the border country between research and policy. London: Routledge
• Torrance, H. & Sebba, J. (2007) Reviewing Reviews: Towards a Better Understanding of the Role of Research Reviews TLRP Research Briefing London: TLRP