CSPACE research projects

Listen Imagine Compose

The project seeks to address weaknesses in current secondary school music provision.

Evaluation of the Professional Exchange Network Programme

Birmingham City  University is undergoing research to critically evaluate the impact of the Professional Exchange Net...

The factors affecting the quality of the ‘off-the-job’ element of apprenticeships in the West Midlands region

The research aimed to explore the challenges of putting together and delivering successful apprenticeship programmes.  ...

Vocational training for physiotherapists

This project aims to improve the lives of children with complex disabilities by trailing early intervention methods  ...

Open School Doors

Reducing disparities in learning outcomes for children from refugee, asylum seeker, and newly arrived migration context...

Building a Diverse Practitioner Learning Environment

Music Makers of the Future

Improving youth voice and youth-led approaches across Music Education Hubs in the West Midlands to increase engagement ...

Examining Sex and Relationship Education

Sex and Relationship Education in schools will always be a contentious topic but to what extent do a teacher’s own vie...

Birmingham Music Education Partnership

Working with Birmingham Music Education Partnership to assess the music education pupils in primary and secondary scho...

Transforming Lives and Communities

Focusing on colleges not just as a producers of human capital but rather, as important community resources.

Evaluating Holiday Kitchen for Hungry Children

Free school meals can be a vital lifeline for economically disadvantaged families but during the school holidays child...

Preparing students for patient engagement with VR

Compassionate care is experiential and hard to teach, but VR could help prepare health students for their first engage...

Youth Music: Exchanging Notes

Can getting young people involved in musical activities help those at risk of low attainment or exclusion? 

Early care and education experiences of young children born prematurely

Exploring the early care and education experiences of children born prematurely through reports from parents.

Leadership and the quality of teaching and learning in FE

What is the relationship between leadership and improving teaching and learning?

Arts Council England Music Education Hub data return analysis

Exploring the performance of music education hubs across the country

Exploring Children’s Wellbeing through Music and Singing

Exploring children's right to make choices and engage in playful activities in restricted environments through music a...

Relationship-based early intervention services

Early intervention services have the capacity to make big improvements to childrens' outcomes, but how might these ser...

The impact and implications of the Teaching Excellence Framework

An exploration of the impact and implications of the Teaching Excellence Framework

AHRC Network - Representations of/in classical music

What does classical music mean to today's generation? 

Independent Evaluation of Fosterline England

Birmingham City University researchers evaluate foster care service, Fosterline. 

Evaluation of BBC Ten Pieces initiative

Sound Connections, a leading music charity based in London, approached BCU to act as the data analysis partner in an e...

Improving learning and teaching through collaborative observation

The primary aim of this project was to create a sustainable and collaborative model of observations.

Technobabies: the use of technology by children aged 0-3 years

This project aims to understand how the very youngest children (0 - 3 year olds) are using touchscreen technology in h...

Art Prize for Schools External Project Evaluation

Raising awareness of the Deutsche Bank Art Prize for Schools

Belonging and achieving at BCU: pedagogy for all

Exploring how making a space in the curriculum for students to share aspects of their cultural background and identity ...

Template for performative inquiry

This study draws on Hill’s ‘cabaret’ research dissemination to develop a template to use for the range of exemplars.

Cross-cultural approaches for teachers across Europe

To  examine how drama in schools can be used to explore different subjects to create democratic spaces.

Global music examinations

How do we asses music proficiency across the world? 

Evaluating the work of the Big Brum Theatre in Education Company

The Human Spaces research project is a small scale evaluative case study.

Educational resilience through community arts education

Investigating the impact of community arts provision on educational resilience.

Using performative modes of research dissemination

The researchers in this project are actively and proactively exploring creative modes of research dissemination.

Analysing accessible music education

Evaluating music education in projects with specialised instruments for those with upper-limb disabilities.

Pupil-led anti-bullying interventions

The project harnesses the child’s voice to help resolve their specific experiences of school bullying.  

Exemplars of performative inquiry

The research is in its early stages and has already identified exemplars of creative modes of research dissemination. ...

Geographical and social demographic trends of A-level music students

Identifying regional contrasts in A-level music provision, and to understand the contexts within which the downturn in ...

Conductive education

Investigating a unified, integrated approach to educating children with disabilities

Communities of Practice around research supervision

Researchers are providing an array of approaches to investigating research supervision.

Just Play

Highlighting key themes in music education for young people

A Rhythmic Analysis of Teaching & Learning in HE: Space, Time, Affect

The pilot project set out to capture the rhythmic fluctuations and orientations of BCU’s campuses.

Leadership, further education and social justice

This research project aims to explore how further education leaders who have a self-professed history of commitment to...

Go Compose

Working in partnership with Sound and Music to understand more regarding musical learning through composing

Photographs as a tool for young children with Down Syndrome

Creating a common assessment tool that could be used by all professionals in a way that empowers parents and children.

Using vignettes to explore how supervisors and students clarify expectations during doctoral studies

The research will explore which strategies and resources are being used and how useful these are to student outcomes. ...

Voices Foundation Singing Schools Programme

Examining the impact the Singing School model has on the educational outcomes of children and young people

Exploring home schooling experiences for children with SEND and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to build on previous research about home schooling / home education more generally to explore and reco...

What value does a Master’s in Education have for diverse student groups?

Exploring the experiences and motivations of students partipating in taught Master's courses to understand the benefit...

Co-MAP: Investigating Covid-19's impact on vulnerable young people

The Co-MAP project responds to the urgent need to understand the impacts of Covid-19 in relation to the most vulnerabl...

Whole Class Ensemble Teaching Research Report

How successful is Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET)?

Teach Through Music

The evaluative report undertaken by Birmingham City University detailed a variety of perspectives on the Teach Through...

Digi-Doc: Digital Doctorate Training Hub

BCU has pioneered an innovative ‘close to practice’ professional doctorate programme in Education, the EdD, and the UK...

Imagine Compose

Imagine Compose explored how groups of beginner instrumentalists up to Grade 3, can compose within a “Wider Opportunit...

Independent Evaluation of FosterTalk Membership Services

Evaluating the influence that fostering support programme, FosterTalk, has on foster carer retention and developing re...

Through the Music Maze: Creative Composing for young children

This research will develop understandings of how to use repertoire as a stimulus that opens the composing horizons for...

Postgraduate Researchers Mental Health and Well-Being

Investigating the experiences of postgraduate researchers and the effects of those experiences on  their mental healt...

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group: Resolution project

Working with young people to create new music around the theme of auto-immune disease. 

Curriculum models in school practices

Understanding the impact of whole school curriculum models on music subject leader practices.

Using rhythmanalysis to explore the synchronicities and disruptions in children’s everyday lives in England and Greece during the 2020 lockdown

A small-scale international project focus ing on children’s experiences at home during the C...

MEHEM UpRising!

Improving music activites to e ngage  young people with special educational needs, and / or disabilities and enhanci...

Resisting hyperreality?: talking to young children about YouTube and YouTube Kids

Investigating how young children watch, understand and engage with digital content on YouTube and YouTube kids. ...

Musical Beacons

As a London-based music organisation expands its outreach, BCU has partnered with them to ensure their work - promotin...

Investigating how socio-economic background influences music students’ aspirations, sense of identity and belonging within UK conservatoires.

Responding the recorded lack of diversity in classical music education, this study aims to investigate the lived exper...

Comparing composition teaching and learning in secondary school education in the UK and Germany

Comparing cultural differences and sharing best practice around the teaching of music composition in the UK and Germany...

Re-thinking curricula: STEAM education from early years through to higher education

This project will explore the interaction between STEAM subjects and their inherent creativity to better understand th...

Music Teaching Provision in Primary Schools

Exploring how schools interpret music education policy to assess the state of music education in primary schools.

A Level music decline and disadvantage attainment gaps

Researchers in BMERG have been investigating the decline of young people choosing music as an A Level subject, and whe...

Music teacher attitudes to assessment

Working with international partners to investigate what music teachers think is important in assessments.

Creativity Collaboratives Billesley Primary School

Working with Billesley Primary School, the academic team will evaluate the Arts Council England Creativity Collaborati...