Overcoming Adversity in Education

Education exists within a complex and changing world and many learners face a variety of risk factors – conditions, circumstances, situations, or events – that threaten to negatively impact upon their development and achievement. These factors include disability, race, gender, poverty, violence, and natural disasters. It is adversities such as these that this book addresses – what they are, how they impact on learners, and how to successfully address them. Uniquely, Overcoming Adversity in Education takes an international approach, with structured chapters by experts from around the world, to inform successful local practices. The book explains why understanding adversity in education is so important, and explores, through practical case studies, ways in which individuals, institutions, and cultures/societies can help create positive outcomes for learners. The reader will find, and be able to draw upon, exemplars of practice that illustrate the principles of creating and implementing successful proactive approaches, interventions, and coping strategies.

Andrew J. Holliman, BSc (Hons), MA, MSc, PhD, is Associate Professor (Teaching) in Psychology at the Institute of Education, University College London; Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society; and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research interests include the psychology of education, teaching and learning in higher education, and the development of children’s literacy. He recently co-edited Education and New Technologies: Perils and Promises for Learners (2018, Taylor & Francis/Routledge) and is the co-editor of the Current Debates in Educational Psychology series (Taylor & Francis/Routledge).

Kieron Sheehy, PhD, is Professor of Education (Innovation Pedagogies) and Research Director, Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport at the Open University, UK. Kieron’s research interests are within the broad field of inclusive education, often focusing on how teaching approaches or services can be developed to successfully support diverse groups of learners. He has a particular interest in addressing issues for those who might be stigmatised and excluded within educational systems. Most recently, he has been working with RUMPUS, a research group looking at fun in learning, and ASSIK (Anak Setara SIaga Kebencanaan), developing innovative and inclusive disaster risk reduction education.