Ruth Barrington
- Senior Lecturer: Coaching and Mentoring
- Email: R.Barrington@bathspa.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)1225 875414
- School or Department: School of Education
- Campus: Newton Park
- Office: NP.TN.G11
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Personal statement
I have worked at the university for many years. I am currently a tutor in the primary PGCE team. This involves teaching Mathematics education as well as having an academic tutor role with a group of Bath Spa teachers (BSTs). Within Maths, I am interested in how children's misconceptions arise and how good teaching can anticipate and address these. I am fascinated by the pedagogical choices BSTs can make, which enables children to access the learning.
Much of my work involves visiting schools, observing BSTs and supporting their progress alongside their mentor. Here, I am particularly interested in the attributes of good mentoring and the positive impact it has on a BST’s development. This builds upon my qualification in mentoring and coaching and my experiences in teaching various INSET courses and Master’s modules in both Mentoring and Coaching. I am aware of the potential benefits of using a coaching approach to support professional development of new and experienced colleagues. This has led me to become an internal coach at the university.
Prior to working at the University, I taught in Sandwell Authority in the Midlands. My class teaching experiences were mainly in primary schools with some secondary experience. Later I became a Mathematics Advisory Teacher within the same authority and this enabled me to work with a wide range of schools.
Academic qualifications
- MA - Bath College of Higher Education
- BEd - Nene College
- Diploma, Mathematics Education - Wolverhampton Polytechnic
- Diploma, English as a Second language in Multicultural Schools - Wolverhampton Polytechnic
- Level 7 Certificate - Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring ILM.
Professional memberships
- Fellow - Higher Education Academy.
Other external roles
- Peer review for EPPI "The Impact of newly Qualified Teachers induction programmes on the enhancement of teacher expertise, professional development, job satisfaction or retention rates: a systematic review of research literature on Induction." Institute of Education. University of London - April 2003
External examiners
- I have previously been an external examiner for the Faculty of Education at Durham University. This focused mainly on their mathematics courses and also enabled me to observe trainees and talk with mentors in schools.
Teaching specialism
- Coaching and mentoring
- Mathematics education
Current scholarship
My recent research focuses on:
- Emotion coaching project
- How does a school develop a coaching culture
- The impact of coaching on 3rd year undergraduates employability and transferable skills.
Recent professional updating
- I regularly undertake further courses and attend conferences when there are opportunities to do so.
Research and academic outputs
What do children see? A study of children's representations of numbers and operations
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Barrington, R, Harries, T and Hamilton, C (2005) 'What do children see? A study of children's representations of numbers and operations.' In: Watson, A, Houssart, J and Roaf, C, eds. Supporting mathematical thinking. David Fulton, London, pp. 39-50. ISBN 1843123622
Implementing mathematics in the National Curriculum
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Barrington, R (1996) 'Implementing mathematics in the National Curriculum.' In: Primary Core National Curriculum: policy into practice. Cassell, London, pp. 120-142. ISBN 0304338044
An exploration into the mathematics subject knowledge of students on QTS courses
article
Barrington, R and Harries, A (2001) 'An exploration into the mathematics subject knowledge of students on QTS courses.' Mathematics Education Review (14). ISSN 1353-5080
Fixed vs negotiated CPD: abridging the best of the TDA’s PPD with the new MTL
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Coombs, S, Barrington, R, Sorensen, N, Caston, A, Maine, F and Wisdom, P (2010) Fixed vs negotiated CPD: abridging the best of the TDA’s PPD with the new MTL. In: International Professional Development Association, 26-27 November 2010, Aston University, Birmingham.
What impact does coaching have on undergraduates career planning, development of their transferable skills and therefore their employability?
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Barrington, R, Rowe, I and White, S (2010) What impact does coaching have on undergraduates career planning, development of their transferable skills and therefore their employability? In: BERA Annual Conference, 1-4 September 2010, University of Warwick.
Coaching - does it have perceived and potential benefits in a higher education context? What can I learn from the experience?
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Barrington, R (2008) Coaching - does it have perceived and potential benefits in a higher education context? What can I learn from the experience? In: BERA Annual Conference, 6 September 2008, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
NQTs prior experiences and perceptions of working with teaching assistants and other adults in their primary classroom
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Barrington, R (2006) NQTs prior experiences and perceptions of working with teaching assistants and other adults in their primary classroom. In: International Professional Development Association Annual Conference 2006, 1-2 December 2006, University of Stirling, Scotland.
An exploration into the mathematics subject knowledge of students on QTS courses
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Barrington, R and Harries, T (2004) An exploration into the mathematics subject knowledge of students on QTS courses. In: International Congress on Mathematical Education, 2004, Copenhagen, Denmark.
An investigation into the induction period which considers the perspectives of NQTs and their induction tutors
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Barrington, R (2000) An investigation into the induction period which considers the perspectives of NQTs and their induction tutors. In: BERA Annual Conference, 7-10 September 2000, Cardiff University.
Numeracy and low attainers in mathematics
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Barrington, R, Hamilton, C and Harries, T (1997) Numeracy and low attainers in mathematics. In: British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, 1997, University of Bristol.