Rebecca Digby – Bath Spa University

Personal statement

Rebecca Digby is the Programme Leader for Early Childhood Studies. She teaches on modules across the Early Childhood Studies Masters degree with a particular interest in creativity and enquiry.

Rebecca’s research has been focused on pedagogy and practice in early childhood education and is inspired by posthumanist and new materialist methodologies. Her doctorate experimented with diffraction in a transdisciplinary space to explore the materiality of young children’s creative knowledge making practices in science enquiry.

Previously, she has taught across the Primary and Early Years phases in both England and Scotland. Her roles have included Advanced Skills Teacher specialising in Science and Creativity and Deputy Head Teacher.

Academic qualifications

PhD Bath Spa University
MA Bath Spa University
PGCE University of the West of England
BA (Hons) Falmouth

Professional qualifications

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Advanced Skills Teacher

Professional memberships

BERA - British Educational Research Association
TACTYC - Training Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children
ECSDN - Early Childhood Studies Degree Network

Other external roles

Mentor Redcliffe Children’s Centre and Nursery School

Teaching specialism

Early Childhood
Creativity
Enquiry and Science Education

Recent professional updating

Advance HE Enhancing Programme Leadership (2021)
Supervising Research I and II (2020)
Leadership Foundation: Aurora (2018)
BERA conference (2017)
EECERA conference (2017)
Developing Leaders Programme: BSU (2017)
Early Career Researcher Series (2017)

Research Supervision

Second Supervisor

Julia Manning-Morton - ‘Holding the Baby’: Discourse and meanings in physical interactions and communications between carers and young children

Research Centres or Groups

Early Childhood (Research Centre)

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Teaching science and technology in the early years (3-7). 3rd ed

book

Davies, D, Howe, A, Collier, C, Digby, R, Earle, S and McMahon, K (2019) Teaching science and technology in the early years (3-7). 3rd ed. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9781138613058

Teaching science and technology in the early years (3-7). 2nd ed

book

Davies, D, Earle, S, Collier, C, Digby, R, Howe, A and McMahon, K (2014) Teaching science and technology in the early years (3-7). 2nd ed. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780415825580

Teacher assessment of science in English primary schools

book_section

Davies, D, Earle, S, Collier, C, Digby, R, Howe, A and McMahon, K (2016) 'Teacher assessment of science in English primary schools.' In: Lavonen, J, Juuti, K, Lampiselkä, J, Uitto, A and Hahl, K, eds. Electronic proceedings of the ESERA 2015 Conference - Science Education Research: Engaging Learners for a Sustainable Future. (co-ed. Jens Dolin & Per Kind) (Pt. 11). University of Helsinki, Helsinki, pp. 1577-1588. ISBN 9789515115416

Developing thinking and learning skills in science

book_section

Collier, C and Digby, R (2014) 'Developing thinking and learning skills in science.' In: Vickery, A, ed. Developing active learning in the primary classroom. Sage, London, pp. 154-173. ISBN 9781446255469

A thematic approach to humans and animals in Early Years education

book_section

Collier, C and McMahon, K (2014) 'A thematic approach to humans and animals in Early Years education.' In: Davies, D, Howe, A, Collier, C, Digby, R, Earle, S and McMahon, K, eds. Teaching science and technology in the early years (3-7). 2nd ed. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 125-144. ISBN 9780415825580

Attachment Aware Schools: working with families to enhance parental engagement and home-school relationships

article

Rose, J, Gilbert, L, McGuire-Snieckus, R, Gus, L, McInnes, K and Digby, R (2017) 'Attachment Aware Schools: working with families to enhance parental engagement and home-school relationships.' Open Family Studies Journal, 9 (Supp-1). pp. 160-171. ISSN 1874-9224

To what extent can Video Stimulated Reflective Dialogue facilitate the development of practitioner critical reflection and understanding of creativity in scientific inquiry in the early years?

article

Digby, R (2017) 'To what extent can Video Stimulated Reflective Dialogue facilitate the development of practitioner critical reflection and understanding of creativity in scientific inquiry in the early years?' Journal of Emergent Science, 12 (Winter). pp. 7-15. ISSN 2046-4754

The roles and development needs of teachers to promote creativity: a systematic review of literature

article

Davies, D, Jindal-Snape, D, Digby, R, Howe, A, Collier, C and Hay, P (2014) 'The roles and development needs of teachers to promote creativity: a systematic review of literature.' Teaching and Teacher Education, 41 (July). pp. 34-41. ISSN 0742-051X

Creative learning environments in education: a systematic literature review

article

Davies, D, Jindal-Snape, D, Collier, C, Digby, R, Hay, P and Howe, A (2013) 'Creative learning environments in education: a systematic literature review.' Thinking Skills and Creativity, 8 (April). pp. 80-91. ISSN 1871-1871

The impact of creative learning environments on learners: a systematic literature review

article

Davies, D, Jindal-Snape, D, Collier, C, Digby, R, Hay, P and Howe, A (2013) 'The impact of creative learning environments on learners: a systematic literature review.' Improving Schools, 16 (1). pp. 21-31. ISSN 1365-4802

Too much talk about talk

conference_item

Digby, R and McMahon, K (2017) Too much talk about talk. In: BERA Annual Conference, 4 - 7 September 2017, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Video stimulated reflective dialogues: making meaning through entangled perspectives

conference_item

Digby, R and Fletcher, C (2017) Video stimulated reflective dialogues: making meaning through entangled perspectives. In: 27th EECERA Conference, 29 August - 1 September 2017, Bologna, Italy.

Understanding creativity in science enquiry in the early years through video stimulated reflective dialogue

conference_item

Digby, R (2016) Understanding creativity in science enquiry in the early years through video stimulated reflective dialogue. In: BERA Annual Conference, 13 - 15 September 2016, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

Developing understanding of creativity in scientific inquiry through video stimulated reflective dialogue

conference_item

Digby, R (2016) Developing understanding of creativity in scientific inquiry through video stimulated reflective dialogue. In: Primary Science Teaching Trust International Conference, 9 - 11 June 2016, Waterfront Halll, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Developing trainee teachers’ reflective practice at BSU

conference_item

Duggan, M, Smith, H and Digby, R (2016) Developing trainee teachers’ reflective practice at BSU. In: 7th TEAN Annual Conference: Cultivating Learning, 5 - 6 May 2016, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

Teacher assessment of science in English primary schools

conference_item

Davies, D, McMahon, K, Howe, A, Collier, C, Digby, R and Earle, S (2015) Teacher assessment of science in English primary schools. In: ESERA2015 : 11th Biannual Conference of the European Science Education Research Association, 31 August - 4 September 2015, Helsinki, Finland.

Young children’s creativity in science enquiry: a diffractive analysis of empirical and theoretical understandings

thesis

Digby, R (2021) Young children’s creativity in science enquiry: a diffractive analysis of empirical and theoretical understandings. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University.

Somerset Emotion Coaching Project evaluation report: phase two

commissioned_report

Digby, R, West, E, Temple, S, McGuire-Snieckus, R, Vatmanides, O, Davey, A, Richardson, S, Rose, J and Parker, R (2017) Somerset Emotion Coaching Project evaluation report: phase two. Institute for Education, Bath Spa University.

Introducing the TAPS pyramid model

commissioned_report

Earle, S, Davies, D, McMahon, K, Collier, C, Howe, A and Digby, R (2015) Introducing the TAPS pyramid model. Primary Science Teaching Trust, Primary Science Teaching Trust website.

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