Research - Durham University

Latest research news
- Parents should be allowed to make informed choices over infant bed-sharing, says child sleep expert
  
  Parents should be given more information and be encouraged to make informed choices to minimise the risks of infant bed-sharing, a child sleep expert has said.
- Brain frontal lobes not sole centre of human intelligence
  
  Human intelligence cannot be explained by the size of the brain’s frontal lobes, say researchers.
- Museum find proves exotic ‘big cat’ prowled British countryside a century ago
  
  The rediscovery of a mystery animal in a museum’s underground storeroom proves that a non-native ‘big cat’ prowled the British countryside at the turn of the last century.
- New fracking research led by Durham University finds it is “not significant” in causing earthquakes
  
  A new study of hundreds of thousands of hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) operations has found that the process has only caused earth tremors that could be felt on the surface in three cases.

Research is at the core of Durham University. It shapes and inspires the disciplinary structure of our departments, several of which lead the UK - and even the world - in their fields. Research leads the content and development of our teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and creates new cross-disciplinary programmes through our centres and institutes. In partnership with policy-makers, industry, healthcare and education, Durham's cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research shapes local, national and international agendas.

Links to recent research highlights and to the Research Office and other units and schemes that support our research can be found on this page.

Forthcoming research seminars

Research Seminar: Professor Gordon Kirk, University of Edinburgh

22nd February 2012, 13:15, School of Education, Room ED130

Identifying Accomplished Teaching

What are the attributes of accomplished teaching? How might these qualities be identified and assessed? The seminar will examine the proposals now under consideration for master teachers in England, in comparison mainly with the Standard for Chartered Teacher in Scotland and the the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the USA. There will be an opportunity to explore a number of related issues: the distinction between successful teaching and good teaching; the value of a standard of accomplished teaching; the location of professional leadership in teaching, in the absence of a General Teaching Council; and the role of universities in recognising accomplished teaching, given the Coalition Government's commitment to empower schools to take the lead in the education and professional development of teachers.

Contact sheena.smith@durham.ac.uk for more information about this event.

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