Overview
As Senior Research and Evaluation Officer, I lead on research that informs and enhances the activity taking place in the Access and Participation team. Committed to delivering meaningful change, my work ensures that evaluative practices are embedded across all projects, helping us take an evidence-based and outcomes-focused approach to supporting young people.
A strong advocate for equitable education, I am inspired by my experiences as a careers advisor helping individuals to discover the tools they need to confidently pursue fulfilling career paths, as well as my belief in the importance of removing barriers to success, whatever that might look like.
My research focuses on societal structures and the narratives in families and society which shape individual experiences of education and perceptions of success, as well as how those structures and narratives influence policy and practice in education.
These experiences fuel my enthusiasm for research, and shape my approach to, evaluation in projects which illuminate the possibilities and empower young people in education.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- PhD in Geographies of Families and Education (University of Reading)
- BA History (Kings College London)
Research
Research Interests and Projects
Projects:
Progression Framework for Care experienced and Estranged students
AUB has designed a progression framework for activity supporting students who have experience of care or estrangement throughout their student journey. It follows each cohort of students from enrolment to graduation and beyond, collecting data from surveys, focus groups and monitoring forms. This longitudinal study will evaluate the effectiveness of the framework to meet its intended aims and outcomes.
Boys who Care: Exploring the negotiation of young male carers’ educational identities and future orientations
A project conducted in partnership with MYTIME Young Carers, exploring the experiences of male young carers in education. The project mobilises creative, participatory methodologies, to explore the role that the young men's caring role plays in their identity formation, and experiences in education.
Publications:
Blower, A. & Tennant, A. (2024). Boys Who Care: Inequality and the educational identities of young male carers. Arts University Bournemouth https://static1.squarespace.co...
Tennant, A (2020). Parents' Aspirations for the Children: A Qualitative Study of Parent's and Community Workers in a Community of Low Participation in Higher Education. University of Reading
Interests:
- Widening Participation in Higher Education
- Creative Research and Evaluation
- Families, Education and Career Decision Making
- Social Reproduction theory and Capital
- Inclusion and Exclusion in Citizenship
- Identity and Care