Staff

Dr Christine Merrell, PhD, MEd, PGCE, BSc

Contact Dr Christine Merrell

Biography

Position:
Director of Research, Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) and Reader

Expertise:
Assessment development, Management and running of large-scale monitoring systems in pre-schools and primary schools, Research methods and evaluation in education, Achievements of severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive young children.

Experience:

• Developed assessments for children aged 3 - 14 years including assessments of reading, mathematics, English vocabulary, non-verbal ability and motor development. Most recently developed a computer-delivered, adaptive diagnostic assessment of reading for children aged 5 - 11 years. This included generation and analysis of items.
• Managed large-scale assessment systems which monitor children's progress in pre-school and primary school. This involves the development and delivery of assessments, marking, analysis and provision of pupil-level feedback.
• Studied the achievements of severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive young children, including involvement in a large-scale RCT to evaluate the impact of interventions aimed at helping such children succeed in the classroom.
• Evaluated a range of educational interventions.
• Provided in-service training for teachers, education authority personnel and other professionals in relation to assessment, monitoring pupils' progress and evidence-based interventions to help children succeed at school.

Christine has extensive experience in the development of assessments (for example reading, mathematics, vocabulary) for children aged between 3 and 11 years. She has published research about the development of children in the early years and the prediction of their later attainment, including children who are deaf and hearing impaired. Her other research interests include the academic attainment and progress of severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive young children and ways to help them succeed in the classroom. She would be delighted to supervise post graduate research students in these broad areas.

Completed Supervisions (since 2008)

The development of an assessment to identify deficits in facial expression decoding in young children

Research Groups

• Assessment, Evaluation and Effectiveness
• Curriculum and Pedagogy
• Individuals and Contexts in Education

Research Projects

• 5-14 Science and Maths Report
• Cross Age Peer Tutoring
• Teach First Evaluation

Research Interests

• Assessment and monitoring in primary schools
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Early Years Education

Publications

Journal papers: academic

• Merrell, C., Styles, I., Jones, P., Tymms, P. & Wildy, H. (2013). Cross-country Comparisons of Inattentive, Hyperactive and Impulsive Behaviour in School-Based Samples of Young Children. Journal of International Research in Early Childhood Education 4(1): 1-17.
• Merrell, C. & Bailey, K. (2012). Predicting achievement in the Early Years: How important is personal, social and emotional development?. On-line Educational Research Journal 3(6).
• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2011). Changes in Children’s Cognitive Development at the Start of School in England 2001 – 2008. Oxford Review of Education 37(3): 333-345.
• Tymms, P., Merrell, C., Thurston, A., Andor, J., Topping, K. & Miller, D. (2011). Improving attainment across a whole district: school reform through peer tutoring in a randomized controlled trial. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 22(3): 265-289.
• Sayal, K., Owen, V., White, K., Merrell, C., Tymms, P. & Taylor, E. (2010). Impact of Early School-Based Screening and Intervention Programs for ADHD on Children's Outcomes and Access to Services. Follow-up of a School-Based Trial at Age 10 Years. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 164(5): 462-469.
• Bolden, D., Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2009). Can the past inform the future of science in primary schools?. Education in Science 232: 10-11.
• Merrell, C. (2009). The reliability of the statutory end of Key Stage 2 assessments and their use in England. Education Review 22(1): 69-74.
• Tymms, P.B., Merrell, C. & Coe, R.J. (2008). Educational Policies and randomized Controlled Trials. The Psychology of Education Review 32(2): 3-7 & 26-29.
• Bolden, D., Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2008). New Approaches are needed for Science in Primary Schools. Primary Leadership Today (14): 17-19.
• Carrington, B., Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2008). Role models, school improvement and the 'gender gap' - do men bring out the best in boys and women bring out the best in girls?. British Educational Research Journal 34(3): 315-327.
• Tymms, P., Bolden, D.S. & Merrell, C. (2008). Science in English Primary Schools: Trends in Attainment, Attitudes and Approaches. Perspectives on Education: Primary Science (1): 19-42.
• Tymms, P., Merrell, C., Heron, T., Jones, P., Albone, S. & Henderson, B. (2008). The Importance of Districts. School Effectiveness and School Improvement: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice 19(3): 261-274.
• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2007). Identifying Reading Problems with Computer-Adaptive Assessments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 23(1): 27-35.
• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2007). What children know and can do when they start school and how this varies between countries. Journal of Early Childhood Research 5(2): 115-134.
• Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2006). The impact of screening and advice on inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children. European Journal of Special Needs Education 21(3): 321-337.
• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2005). Rasch Analysis of Inattentive, Hyperactive and Impulsive Behaviour in Young Children and the Link with Academic Achievement. Journal of Applied Measurement 6(1): 1-18.
• Tymms, P., Merrell, C. & Jones, P.I. (2004). Using baseline assessment data to make international comparisons. British Educational Research Journal 30(5): 673-689.
• Tymms, P., Brien, D., Merrell, C., Collins, J. & Jones, P. (2003). Young deaf children and the prediction of reading and mathematics. Journal of Early Childhood Research 1(2): 197-212.
• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2001). Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness: Their impact on academic achievement and progress. British Journal of Educational Psychology 71(1): 43-56.

Journal papers: professional

• Merrell, C. & Tymms, P. (2005). Identifying Reading Problems with Computer-Adaptive Assessments. Bulletin (Learning Difficulties Australia) 37(2): 10-11.

Books: sections

• Merrell, C. (2012). Developments in Standardised Assessment: A perspective from the UK. In Contemporary Debates in Childhood Development and Education. Suggate, S. & Reese, E. Routledge.
• Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2009). Attainment, Standards and Quality. In Childrlen, their World, their Education: Final report and recommendations of the Cambridge Primary Review. Alexander, R. London: Routledge.
• Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2009). On-entry Baseline Assessment across Cultures. In Early Childhood Education: Society and Culture. Anning, A., Cullen, J. & Fleers, M. London: Sage Publications. 117.128.

Conference papers

• Tymms, P., Merrell, C., Henderson, B., Albone, S. & Jones, P. (2009), Learning Difficulties in the Primary School Years: Predictability from On-entry Baseline Assessment, XIV European Conference on Developmental Psychology. Vilnius.

Reports: official

• Merrell, C., Jones, P., Bolden, D., Jones, K., Defty, N. & Ndaji, F. (2010). For helping young children: A review of pupils' attitudes to Science and Mathematics.
• Taylor, E., Kendall, T., Asherson, P., Bailey, S., Bretherton, K., Brown, A., Costigan, L., Duncan, A., Harpin, V., Hollis, C., Keen, D., Lewis, A., Mavranezouli, I., Merrell, C., Mulligan, D., Perez, A., Pettinari, C., Ryan, N., Salt, N., Sayal, K., Sheppard, L., Stockton, S., Taylor, C., Thorley, G, Turner, J., Tymms, P., Wolpert, M., Wong, I. & Young, S. (2009). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The NICE Guideline on Diagnosis and Management of ADHD in Children, Young People and Adults. Practice Guideline No. 72. London, The British Psychological Society and The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Education: Monitoring the attainment and progress of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These are severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children. I have monitored their progress in primary school and evaluated strategies to help
• Education: Monitoring the development, attainment and progress of children from pre-school up to the end of the primary years
• Psychology: Monitoring the attainment and progress of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These are severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children. I have monitored their progress in primary school and evaluated strategies to help

Supervises

• Mrs KE Bailey
• Mr P Clark
• Miss Maria Katsipataki