• Education Home
• About Us
• Courses
• Research
• Continuing Professional Development
• International
• Partnership with Schools
• News and Events

Dr. Chris Holligan

Reader in Education

Formal Academic Credentials

• 1975 - 1978: B.A.(Hons) Class II (i) Philosophy (main) and English (subsid), University of York.
• 1981 - 1982: M.Ed. (Hons) First Class (psychology/education), University of Aberdeen. (SSRC Studentship Award).
• 1983 - 1987: Ph.D.  Developmental Psychology (dyslexia), University of St. Andrews. (MRC Studentship Award).
• 1991 - 1994: Advanced Diploma Special Needs in Education, Open University (PT).
• 1998 - 1999:  MBA Programme (‘Work Psychology’ and ‘Behaviour in Organisations’ modules) Class ii (i) University of Edinburgh (PT-evenings).
• 1998-2001: Postgraduate Certificate in Social Science (Sociology), Open University (PT).
• 1998 - 2001: Postgraduate Diploma in Social Science (Sociology), Open University (PT).
• 2001 - 2003: Post-graduate Certificate in Research Degree Supervision, University of Paisley.
• 2004: Discourse Analysis, University of Essex, School of Politics: Summer school.
• 2007: St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, ESRC Research Methods Festival: Summer School.
• 2008: Advanced Online Research Methods, ESRC training course, January-October (PT).
• 2011-2012: ‘Critical Criminological Perspectives’, Post Graduate Module, Open University, Faculty of Social Science (current ‘CPD’).

Research Interests

• Cultural, scientific & social capital
• Social class mobility & education
• Research cultures in higher education
• Sectarianism, territoriality & youth gangs
• Social theory & research
• Ethnography

Scientific Society Status

• 1988-2011: British Psychological Society, Associate Fellow
• 2000-2011: British Psychological Society, Chartered Psychologist.
• 2006-2011: British Psychological Society, Chartered Scientist.
• 2003-2007: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
• 1989-1994: Executive Board Member, Scottish Educational Review.
• 1990-2004: Member of the Scottish Educational Research Association (Executive Board Member, 1990-1994).
• 2004-2007: Member British Educational Research Association.
• 2006-2008: Member British Sociological Society.

Academic Journal Referee

• British Educational Research Journal
• Nationalism & Ethnic Politics
• Ethnic & Racial Studies
• Journal of Youth Studies
• Journal of Reproductive & Infant Psychology
• Sociology
• Scottish Educational Review, Assistant Editor, 2010-2015.

Publications

PSYCHOLOGICALLY--ORIENTATED RESEARCH

1988: ‘The use of phonological information by good and poor readers in memory and reading tasks’. Memory and Cognition, Vol 16 (6), Nov, 522-532. Database: PsycINFO. ISSN: 0090-502X, Holligan, C. and Johnston, R.S.

1989: ‘A cognitive analysis of reading, spelling and memory impairments in children with literacy disorders’. Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 50 (2-A), Aug. 410-411. Database: PsycINFO, Holligan, C.

1990: ‘Perceptual Dysfunction in Poor Readers: Evidence for Visual and Auditory Segmentation Problems in a Sub-Group of Poor Readers’, British Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 60 (2), June, pp. 212-219. Database: PsycINFO, Johnston, R.S., Anderson, M., Perrett, D. and Holligan, C

1991: ‘Spelling Errors and Phonemic Segmentation Ability: The Nature of the Relationship’, Journal of Research in Reading. Vol 14 (1), Feb, 21-32. Database: PsycINFO. ISSN: 0141-0423, Holligan, C. and Johnston, R.S.

1991: ‘Reading Difficulties and Learning to Read’, Reading, vol.25, Number 1, April. ISSN: 0034-0472, Holligan, C. and Johnston, R.S.

1995: ‘The functions of phonology in the acquisition of reading: Lexical and Sentence Processing’, Memory and Cognition, Vol 23 (6), Nov, pp. 749-766. Database: PsycINFO ISSN: 0090-502X, Johnston, R. S., Thompson, L., Fletcher-Flinn, G. and Holligan, C.

1996: ‘Knowledge of the alphabet and explicit awareness of phonemes in pre-readers: The nature of the relationship’, Reading and Writing, Vol 8 (3), June, pp. 217-234. Database: PsycINFO. ISSN: 0922-4777, Johnstone, R.S., Anderson, M. and Holligan, C.

SOCIOLOGICALLY-ORIENTATED RESEARCH

Positive School Discipline

1990: ‘Pupils’ Perceptions of ‘Effective Disciplinarians’, British Educational Research Journal, Vol.16, Issue 2, 191-198.Database: Academic Search Complete. ISSN: 0141-1926, Munn, P., Johnston, M. and Holligan, C.

Values in Early Years Education

1992 - 1994: ‘Values in the Nursery: Case Studies of Practice’ (University of Paisley internal publication) – UK sales £10,000. (Materials used by UK schools and LEAs), Holligan, C.

1992 - 1994: ‘The Curriculum in Photographs: Learning Values in the Nursery School’ (University of Paisley, internal publication) – UK sales £8,000. (Materials used by UK schools and LEAs), Holligan, C.

2000: ‘Discipline and Normalisation in the Nursery: the Foucaultian Gaze’., in Early Childhood Services: Theory, Policy and Practice (ed) Helen Penn. Open University Press, pp. 134 – 146, Holligan, C.

1995: ‘Staff Perceptions of Teaching and Learning Values in Scottish Nurseries’, Education 3 To 13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol.23, Issue.1, March, pp. 45-54. ISSN: 0300-4279, Holligan, C.

1999: ‘Building Moral Persons: A Durkheimian Perspective on Nursery Staff’s Pedagogic Discourse’, Early Child Development and Care, Vol.152, 27-42. Database: PsycINFO. ISSN: 0300-4430, Holligan, C

1999: ‘Discipline and Normalisation in the Nursery: The Foucauldian Gaze’, Scottish Educational Review, Vol.31, No.2, November, pp.137-148. ISSN: 0141-9072, Holligan, C.

2003: ‘Constructing Good Citizens: Case Studies of Pedagogy in the Nursery’. Education Today. Vol. 53, No.1. March, pp.3-11. ISSN: 0013-1547, Holligan,C.

2011: ‘Mental Health Disorder and their Effects upon the Child’s Education’, (Ed) C. Martin, Perinatal Mental Health, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/maria-hampshire/b/8a6/b72 (in press), Holligan, C.

Educational Theory, Training Teachers and Power

1997: Theory in Initial Teacher Education: Students’ Perspectives on its Utility, British Educational Research Journal, Vol.23, No.4, 533-551.ISSN: 0141-1926. Holligan, C.

2002/3: ‘Academic Power: A Foucaultian  Commentary on Academic Critiques of Government Education Policy’, No.10. Education in the North, pp.87-93, Holligan, C.

Digital Inclusion: A Divided Society?

2003: ‘The Virtual Society: Views from the Cyberfloor: Modes of Social Inclusion in Scotland’, Scottish Affairs, No.43, Spring, pp.87-107, Holligan, C.

2003: ‘Contextualising Cyberspace: A Photographic Study of Landscapes of Internet Access’. Technology and Society, Vol. 25, Number 1, January, pp. 117-130. Database: Science Direct, Holligan, C. 

Teaching Workforce and School Leadership

2003: ‘An Evaluation of the Scottish Qualification for Head teachers’, Scottish Office Education Department, Insight 8, ISBN 1478-6788. Menter, I. and Holligan, C.

2004: ‘The Management of Supply Teaching in Scotland’. Scottish Office, Education Department. Insight 12. ISSN 1478-6788 (Print). Menter, I., Holligan, C., Hutchings, M. and Seagrave, L.

2004 - 2006: ‘Interim Evaluation  Reports of the Headteacher Induction Programme (HIP)’. National College of School Leadership, Nottingham. Menter, I., Holligan,C., Hutchings,M. and Walker. M. 

2004 / 5: ‘Balancing  Act? The dynamics of the Supply Teacher market in Scotland’. Education in the North, Number 12, pp.30-39. Menter, I., Holligan, C., Hutchings, M. and Seagraves, L.

2005: ‘Reaching the Parts that Need to be Reached? The Impact of the SQH’. School Leadership and Management, vol. 25, No.1, February, pp. 7-23. ISSN: 1363-2434. Menter, I., Holligan, C., Hutchings, M. and Seagraves, L.

2006: ‘Becoming a headteacher: the perspectives of new head teachers in 21st century England’. Journal of In-service Education, Vol.32, No.1, pp.103 - 122. ISSN: 1367-4587. Holligan, C., Hutchings, M., Menter, I. and Walker, M.

2006: ‘Learning in Cyberspace: An Ethnographic Perspective on the Scottish Chartered Teacher Programme’, European Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 29, No.4, November, pp.545-567. ISSN: 0261-9768. Holligan, C.

Contemporary Issues and Education Research

2003: ‘Originality and Research’. British Educational Research Journal, Research Intelligence, July, Issue, 84, pp. 21-23, Holligan, C.

2005: ‘Fact and Fiction: A Case History of Doctoral Supervision’. Educational Research, Vol.47, Issue 3, pp. 267-278. ISSN: 0013-1881, Holligan, C.

2007: ‘Critical Reflections on the Orthodoxies of UK Applied Research’, British Educational Research Journal, “Research Intelligence”, Vol. 101. ISSN: 0307-9023. Holligan, C. and Humes, W.

2008: ‘Deconstructing research discourses: An Analytical Enquiry’, Education 3-13: An International Journal of Primary Early Years, and Elementary Education , Vol.36, No.1, 39-49. Holligan, C.

2008: ‘Politics and ‘peer’ review’, Research Intelligence (RI) Issue 105, 26-27, December. ISSN: 0307-9023. Holligan, C.

2009: ‘The Politics of Reflection’, Education in the North, Issue 17, December, ISSN: 0424 5512. Holligan, C.

2010: ‘The Mask of Reputational Spin’, Scottish Left Review, (Nov/Dec, Issue 61, pp.16-17). Holligan, C.

2010:‘Building one-dimensional places: death by the power of audit’, Power and Education, Vol. 2, Number 3.  ISSN 1757 7438, Holligan, C http://www.wwwords.co.uk/power/

Research Cultures in Universities

2005: Ross, A., Arja, V. and Holligan, C. Research Degrees that relate to Citizenship Education and Identity. Guidelines on the design of Higher Education Courses (Guidelines for Supervisors – Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe (CiCe)). ISSN – 1741-6353

2011: ‘Simulacra & Simulations: Research Futures’, Research Intelligence, Spring, Issue: 114: 20-21. Holligan, C

2011: ‘Lord Browne’s Capgas Delusion: The Death of the Public University’, Journal of Critical Education Policy, November, (2) (in press). Holligan, C & Kuang-Hsu Chiang

2011: ‘The perceptions of academics about their research cultures: case studies of an English and Scottish education department’- British Journal of Educational Research. 2010, iFirst Article, 1–22: ISSN 0141-1926: 2010 Impact Factor 1.14 -  (print)/ISSN 1469-3518 (online)/10/000001-22URL: Holligan, C., Wilson, M. & Humes, W. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.489146.

2011: ‘The New Feudal Order: A Study of Research Cultures’.  International Journal for Qualitative Studies in Education, 24, 1: 55-75.  Holligan, C. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2010.485134.

2011: ‘Concerning Educational Research Capacity Building’, in International Conference on Education, Conference Proceedings, Vol. A: 296-304. July 7-9th, Samos Island, Greece, ISBN: 17923-3859. Holligan, C.

2011: ‘Conditions of emotional labour and the implications for long-term research capacity building in university education departments’, Cambridge Journal of Education (6th October: submitted, PDF available). Wilson, M & Holligan, C.

2011: ‘Research ‘Capacity’ Development: An Exploratory Study of Social Anthropologists in Elite British Universities’, International Journal for Qualitative Studies in Education (submitted: (7th October: submitted: PDF available). Holligan, C.

2011-2012: ‘Academic life histories of productive early and mid-career researchers in Education Research in Britain’ (Data analysis work in progress). Holligan, C.

Cultural Capital & Social Class Mobility

2009: ‘The Vanishing Lad O’Pairts: the death of social mobility in Britain’, Scottish Left Review (SLR), No. 50, Jan/Feb. Holligan, C.

2011: ‘Teacher’s Cultural Affiliations and the Hidden Curriculum: Conjectures about Social Mobility’, Journal of Curriculum Studies (submitted: 6th October, PDF available). Holligan, C.

Sectarianism & Territoriality in Contemporary Scotland

2009: ‘Territorialities in Scotland: Perceptions of Young People in Glasgow’, Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 12, No.6, 727-742. Database: Academic Search Complete. ISSN:13676261, Holligan, C. and Deuchar, R.

2010: ‘Gangs, sectarianism and social capital: a qualitative study of young people in Scotland’. Sociology, Issue, 44 (1). Deuchar, R and Holligan, C.http://www.britsoc.co.uk/publications/SOC.htm.

2011: ‘Contested urban spaces: exploring the analytics of young person’s experiences of living in Glasgow’s deprived zones’, Pastoral Care in Education, 29, 2: 67-82. Holligan, C. and Deuchar, R.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2011.573493.

2010: ‘Technical Research Report: Working Paper 7’ (January, 2010) Inter-sectarian couples in the 2001 Scottish Census, See www.lscs.ac.uk (under publications). Scottish Longitudinal Studies Centre (SLS), University of St. Andrews, Holligan & Raab.

2011: ‘Sectarianism: Myth or Social Reality? Inter-sectarian partnerships in Scotland. Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study’, Ethnic & Racial Studies, 1-21. 2010 Impact Factor: 1.319: 5 Year Impact Factor: 1.917: Ranking: 3/13 (Ethnic Studies) 30/132 (Sociology). Raab, G. & Holligan: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/014987.2011.607506

Research Contracts and Grants

• EEC Project
  Open and Distance Learning, 1989 (£5,000)
• Gordon Cook Foundation
  1992 -1994 Values in Nursery Education: Case Studies of Practice. £30,000. (This research was incorporated into the training of teachers and support staff in local authorities throughout the UK.Publications listed above).
  
• The Wellcome Trust
  1992 - 1994 Cognitive Processes in Children with Reading Difficulties (with Professor R. Johnston, University of St. Andrews, School of Psychology). £67, 000 (This research has shaped UK government policy : it forms part of the underpinning of Scottish government’s policy on teaching reading in primary schools).
  
• Scottish Executive Education Department.
  1994 – 1996: Studies of Student teachers and the utility of theory in Initial Education. £3,000 (BERJ paper, 1997) This publication was also included by Professor Michael Bassey as a model of a case study published in in Case Study Research in Educational Settings, 1999 (Open University Press) ISBN 0-335-19984-4)
  
• Open University UK
  Centre for Teaching & Learning, 1994-1996 (£1,500). This funding resulted in a paper in British Educational Research Journal, (BERJ) 1997 (see above).
  
• Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
  2000 - 2001. Studies of Social Inclusion and the Role of the Internet, £500 (This funding lead to two papers, one in ‘Technology & Society’, and another in ‘Scottish Affairs’, see above)
  
• Scottish Executive Education Department
  2002 - 2003: ‘Scottish Qualification for Head-teacher: An Evaluation Study’. £29,000: Menter I. & Holligan C.
  
• Scottish Government
  2002 - 2004: ‘The Management of Supply Teachers in Schools and Local Education Authories’. £79,000. Research team:
  Menter I., Hutchings M. & Holligan, C.
  
• National College for School Leadership (NCSL)
  Nottingham, 2003 – 2007: ‘Leadership in English Schools: An Evaluation of the Headteacher Induction Programme in
  England’ £105,000, Menter I., Hutchings M. & Holligan, C. (Four Major Research Reports submitted to the NCSL)
  
• Carnegie Trust
  ‘Research cultures in UK Universities’ (2007-08).
  
• Carnegie Trust (2010-11)
  ‘Building research capacity & knowledge transfer into Education Research’
  
• British Academy (‘Small Grant Scheme’)
  ‘The Sectarian Habitus and Social Capital in Glasgow’. (January, 2008-June, 2008, with Dr Ross Deuchar, University of Strathclyde).

Research Consultancy

Evaluation research consultancy reports (‘Western Consortium’, Scotland £23,000 funding:

• Phase 1 (June, 2007): Case studies of Flexible Route to Headship candidates and their mentors in secondary and primary schools (submitted and accepted by Western Consortium Universities.
• Phase 2 (Dec.2007-January 2008) accepted. Case studies: Perceptions of candidates and coaches about the PLP and its preparation.
• Phase 3 (June-July, 2008) accepted. Case Studies: Forms of flexible support to aspiring head teachers. Four case studies.
• Phase 4: December 2008 (completed).

Scottish Executive 'Top Slice' Curriculum Development Projects

• During the 1990s I was a regular contributor to the ‘top slice’ curriculum development initiatives and collaborated with HMI in the areas of Inclusion, the development of the 5-14 Guidelines and Discipline.
• 1990 -1993: 5-14 Assessment and Inclusion of MLD pupils’ guidelines.

• 1991: Student Teachers and Classroom Discipline (HMI funded).

European Union: Applied Research Funding

• Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe (CiCe) – European Union Erasmus programme projects, 2002 - 2005 Research-based documents written for EU Commission: research degree supervision, ethics and cultural awareness for higher degree supervisors in Europe.
• CiCe Working group member meetings/conference participation in: Bruges, Belgium, 2002, Kracov, Poland, 2003, Barcelona, Spain, 2004, Turku, Finland, 2005 and Ljubliana, Slovenia, 2005

European Science Foundation

• (2009) Fully Funded Invitation: Workshop participation input at European University of Cyprus, November. Spatial Network Analysis and Qualitative Research: New Developments and Linkages.

 

Wider Professional & Public Engagement

• 1994: ‘Value of a nursery education lies in sociability’  ‘The Scotsman’ 5th October.
• 1994: ‘When Home and Class Collide’ ‘Times Educational Supplement Scotland’ (TESS) 20th May.
• 1994: ‘Keeping the Customer Satisfied?’  ‘TESS’ 23rd December. 
• 1995: ‘IQ and the Missing Links’ ‘TESS’ 28th July.
• 1996: ‘Teachers need praise too’ ‘TESS’ 14th March.
• 1998: ‘Missing Pieces in the Jigsaw of Exclusion’, ‘TESS’ 17th July.
• 1997: Editorial - Pecking Order ‘Times Higher Educational Supplement’ (THES) 31st January.
• 1999: Editorial - Elitism attacked ‘THES’  26th February.
• 1999: Editorial - RAE exclusion ‘THES’ 1st October
• 2005: Don’s Diary: A Week in Jordan ‘THES’ (accepted).
• 2007: ‘Soft power’, not harsh discipline, is the best way to stem the tide of violence.’ The Scotsman newspaper (10/4/07).
• 2007: ‘Perspective: Routine is the enemy of creativity’, The Herald, “Society” (22/5/07).
• 2007: ‘Discourse of clique: case of Warden, New College’, Oxford, THES (Letter), 31/8/07.
• 2008: ‘Jury out on restorative practice’, Platform article, Times Education Supplement Scotland, February, 8th.
• 2008: ‘In ‘tribal’ Scotland we must learn to know our neighbours’ The Scotsman 5th February.
• 2008: ‘A Conflict of Interest’, The Glasgow Herald, Society magazine (Opinion), 26/2/08.
• 2008: ‘Poor outcomes are not all due to bad doormen’, Opinion, TESS, 21.3.08 (Holligan and McAuliffe).
• 2008: ‘Building the class structure’, Opinion, Glasgow Herald, Society, 25.3.08.
• 2008: ‘Poor buildings lead to bad behavior’– 2008, TESS platform, 2.5.08.
• 2008: ‘Blame children for own failure’ – TESS platform, 23.5.08.
• 2008: ‘Losing education’ – TESS platform, 13.6.08.
• 2008: ‘Research issue is worrying’ – TESS Letter  (450 words) 5.09.08.
• 2008: ‘Pondering leadership’ – TESS platform, 10.10.08.
• 2008: ‘Good parenting is not genetic’ Scottish Review, 23.10.08, Issue 044.
• 2009: ‘Patients have the right to voice their opinion about GP services’, Letter to The Guardian newspaper, 3rd January, p. 35.
• 2009: ‘Obesity & society’, Scottish Review, 11/3/09.
• 2009: ‘The ‘deceptions’ of aspiration as an education policy’, Scotsman newspaper, Opinion piece, 29/4/09, Holligan, C. and Humes, W.
• 2009: ‘Noise: The Loud Curriculum for Excellence’, TESS Platform, Holligan, C.30.5.09
• 2009: ‘The hidden politics of the Curriculum for Excellence’ The Glasgow Herald (Feature article) 18th September,  Holligan, C. and Humes, W.
• 2009: ‘The Death of the University’, Scottish Review (16/12/09).
• 2010: ‘The Mask of Reputational Spin’, Scottish Left Review, (Nov/Dec, Issue 61, pp.16-17).
• 2011: ‘Familiar knowing look’, Letter, Times Higher Education, 28th October.

 

Research Supervision and Training

• 2002-2005: V. Mythwenda: ‘Leadership in Scottish Primary Schools’. Successfully completed in the USA (Director of Studies).
• 2005-2009: Jan Jap Pepperstrassen ‘Concepts of literacy intelligence: A Philosophical-historical analysis’ (completed, April 2010)
• 2009-2012: Miller, J.  ‘Families and youth gangs in Glasgow’ (Director of Studies).
• 2010-2013: Paton, G. ‘Models of caring used by education professionals working with children & families in areas of urban poverty’ (Director of Studies).
• 2010-2016: C. Aitkin: ‘Art & drawing as a means of raising self-esteem/identity in students, aged 14-16 in ‘secure unit’ schools in West Coast, Scotland’ (Director of Studies).
• 2010-2013: M.M. Mosagane: Neo-liberalism and parental school choice in Botswana, Africa (Director of Studies).
• 2010-2012: Laura Graham: ‘The impact of education on the discourses of sports teachers’ (Supervision team).
• 2011-5: Iain Hunter: ‘Youth gangs and building collective efficacy’ (supervision team).
• 2011-5: Nighet Riaz: ‘Disadvantaged youth & building youth work/schools partnerships’ (supervision team).

 

Back to Staff Profiles