Sociology Staffroom: Recent Episodes
tutor2u Sociology
Join Katie and the tutor2u Sociology team for lively discussion, support and encourage for all GCSE & A-Level Sociology teachers.
Dr Alicia Denby, Sociology lecturer in Sociology and Criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the concept of "single positivity". Really useful for Families and Households, Culture and Identity, feminism and postmodernism. Lots of fascinating insights into research and research methodology too.
Professor of Sociology at LSE, Aaron Reeves joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss elites in the UK and his book "Born to Rule". Useful for all sociology teachers and students, and especially those exploring Stratification and Differentiation.
Professor Laurie Taylor, sociology researcher and lecturer and long-term presenter of Thinking Allowed on Radio 4, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss his extraordinary career, his work in crime and deviance, and his thoughts about sociology and advice to up-and-coming sociologists.
Lecturer and researcher in Sociology and Education at the University of Manchester, Dr Kirsty Finn joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the experience of working-class girls in higher education and the idea of the "side hustle" and "girl boss".
Subject lead for Sociology and Citizenship at AQA and experienced sociology teacher and examiner, Sarah Fawcett, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her role and what's coming next for A-Level Sociology at AQA.
Doctoral student from Central European University, Khadija Aftab, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research on AI, and particularly its impact on gender.
The President of the British Sociological Association, Professor Les Back joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss his role, his research and the continuing importance of teaching sociology in the today's society.
Reader in Sociology at the University of Warwick, Dr Stella Chatzitheochari, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom, to discuss the experiences of pupils with disabilities in education and its impact on later educational and employment experiences and opportunities. This is a fascinating discussion for those teaching the Education and Stratification topics and for all of us as practising teachers.
Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Rituparna Patgiri, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss online/remote learning and its impact on women and girls and marginalised groups, especially in India. This is a fascinating discussion which might be of particular interest with regard to those teaching the topics of Education, Global Development, Culture & Identity and Stratification, but also to all of us as teachers.
Sociology and Criminology Subject Advisor for OCR, Tom Genillard, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss a range of topics, including developments to their A Level specification.
Sociological researcher at the National University of Singapore, Satanik Pal, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss his research into comparative global sociology, with particular focus on masculinities and status hierarchies and caste systems in India and Japan.
Well-known sociologist, Finn MacKay joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss their wide-ranging research into a range of sociological topics surrounding gender. Finn's research features in the AQA and OCR specifications and this is an excellent opportunity to learn more.
PhD student Ashley Collar joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research into the Manchester Arena bombing. Fascinating discussion about research practice, interviews, subjectivity, sensitive issues and values as well as Ashley's own inspiring story of how she came to be an academic sociologist.
Melbourne University sociologist, Leah Ruppaner - a public sociologist active on TikTok and podcasts, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research into gender, families and mental load.
Professor of Public Sociology at Lancaster University, Michaela Benson, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research on Brexit, post-Brexit and migration - fascinating for those of us teaching culture and identity, demographic changes, stratification but also for research methods.
Sam Teague and Chad Morrison, who are launching a new degree in Applied Social Care, join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom for a fascinating conversation about their research, their new degree and the importance of social care. This is of particular interest to those studying the Health optional topic, but also to consider issues around social policy across a range of topics, as well as theory and methods. Also some interesting insights for fans of Bluey!
Former Director of Education for Lambeth, sociologist, and former teacher, Abrilli Phillip, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss education policy and equality, drawing on her vast experience of working in education and local and national government.
In the first episode of the new season, public sociologist Aaron Winter, from Lancaster University, joins Katie in the sociology staffroom to discuss his research on racism and anti-racism, as well as issues relating to values and objectivity in research.
Professor Heidi Mirza, author of many books and articles on ethnicity, race, gender, education, families, inequalities and intersectionality, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom for the last episode of Season 3. This is a fascinating conversation and lots in there that you can share with your students too!
Professor Lucinda Platt, from the LSE, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research across a wide range of topics relating to inequality, poverty, social mobility, migration, intersectionality and much more! Great for teachers of Stratification and Education and also for questions around the links between Sociology and Social Policy.
Senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Essex, Dr Katy Wheeler, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research into how sustainability and environmental issues are taught in school. This is a fascinating discussion for teachers generally - how should we broach this subject - and for sociology teachers in particular, both in terms of the Education topic, and the places where the environment is in the spec (green crime, consumption, global development, etc.)
Professor Diane Reay from Cambridge University joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research into education and social class, and her thoughts on the impact of recent policies on students as well as what might come from the new government.
As you might imagine, from this famous author of Miseducation and many, many journal articles, she does not hold back!!
Assistant headteacher, PhD student and experienced sociology teacher, Andrew Jones, returns to the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how teachers of sociology (and other subjects) can maintain political neutral in the classroom, as well as the limits to that neutrality. Another fascinating chat with this great returning guest.
Sociology lecturer at the University of Bath, Helen Kowalewska, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her research into the impact of social policy on women and gender inequality. They discuss Helen's most recent research into women over the age of 60 (including the WASPI women) and the different research methods that she has employed. They talk about the often double-edge nature of social policy that can on the one hand help women but in other respects reinforce patriarchal assumptions (e.g. maternity leave). They also consider some of the reasons for why there has not been more progress towards gender equality.
Dr Katherine Davies, from the University of Sheffield, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about her research into siblings and other family and friendship relationships, as well as her work on the impact of Brexit on families. She also discusses her qualitative and creative research methods. Definitely worth a lesson to hear about some contemporary research (relevant to families, education, identity, stratification and more) and research methods.
https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526142177/
Criminologist and sociologist from the University of Kent, Dr Emma Cooke, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about her journey into the subject and her research into the criminal justice system, as well as how we can support students for Higher Education. Want to add something really contemporary to your lessons on the CJS? Here's a good starting place!
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-hidden-world-of-the-legal-aid-lawyer
The Sociology Staffroom returns in a new "every other week" schedule with lots of great guests scheduled. In this episode, the subject lead for Sociology at tutor2u, Duncan Hall, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to look at those important words that can be key to higher marks in Sociology essays. One area they particularly focus on is "today" and "contemporary" and the importance of contemporary research is an important focus for the rest of this academic year on the Podcast. Stay tuned folks!
Experienced sociology teacher Richard Brinkley joins Duncan in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how to make lessons more interactive, including some great ideas!
Experienced social science teacher Rhiannon Watson joins her old Sociology teacher Katie Tyler in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss issues relating to GCSE Sociology and how to engage and inspire the students.
Experienced sociology teacher, Zenab, joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss how we can apply various aspects of brain science to our teaching as well as exploring some popular misconceptions.
In this episode, a teacher panel (consisting of Anna Lise White, Craig Gelling and Duncan Hall) discussed a range of issues relating to the start of a new term, mostly ones raised by teachers in the AQA A Level Sociology Teachers Group.
Experienced sociology teacher Richard Brinkley joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about the important links between sociology and literacy.
ECT social science teacher Lizzie Skinner joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her experiences of ECT 1.
Regular host Katie Tyler and subject lead for Sociology at tutor2u, Duncan Hall, look back on what's been a fascinating second "season" of the Sociology Staffroom and forwards to what's coming in September.
Experienced teacher Fran (otherwise known as Norfolk Fran) joins Katie to discuss ways to check, develop and update our Sociology subject knowledge.
Experienced sociology teacher Liv joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how to support, stretch and challenge high achievers in A Level Sociology.
Experienced Sociology teacher Anna Lise returns to the Sociology Staffroom to talk to Katie about the importance of multicultural awareness in Sociology teaching.
Experienced Sociology teacher Bridget Gray joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her experience of teaching the Global Development optional topic for A Level Sociology.
Experienced teacher, Nicole Levy, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to share her experiences of teaching sociology remotely, challenges and opportunities, and effective techniques.
Experienced sociology teacher Ian joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to share some of his great ideas for starting lessons, and explore the reasons why simple, effective starter activities work.
Subject lead for GCSE Sociology, Geography and History at tutor2u, Vicki Woolven, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss misconceptions about GCSE Sociology and how to deal with some of the problems that are specific to that qualification.
Subject leader for PGCE Social Sciences at UCL, Alison Wiggins, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom for a fascinating discussion about trainee teachers and how we can support them in the early part of their career.
In a departure from the usual format, usual host Katie and subject lead Duncan have a conversation about issues that teachers face at this time of year: when to "start revision", what to do if there's content still to complete, etc.
Experienced sociology teacher, Shahina, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss switching to the optional topic of Culture & Identity, why you might want to, challenges faced, and advice for teaching it.
Regular host Katie Tyler joins Duncan in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how and why to lecture less and have more student-focused lessons. Lots of practical tips and professional discussion about teaching and learning.
Experienced Sociology teacher and YouTuber Kate Flatley (@theteachersociology) joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss "bouncing out of the pit" - how to encourage and support students whose mocks show they have a lot to do!
Experienced Sociology teacher Craig Gelling (aka The Sociology Guy) rejoins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to once again look at the Methods in Context question and how to help students prepare and revise for this.
Subject lead for Sociology at tutor2u, Duncan Hall, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the Stratification and Differentiation topic and some of the reasons why people may or may not want to switch, and some approaches that teachers might like to take if they are tackling this topic.
Experienced sociology teacher, Jodie Robert, joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss some great tips on how to make marking and feedback more effective.
Experienced sociology teacher Erhan joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the methods he uses to help students access high grades.
Experienced sociology teacher Anna Lise White joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss a wide range of possible trips and visits for Sociology students and the benefits and challenges of taking them.
Katie and Duncan review some of their favourite moments from the last 12 months of podcasting, and look forward to some of what's coming up in 2024. It would be great to hear from you, our listeners, what some of your favourite parts were.
Head of Curriculum for Sociology at AQA, and experienced sociology teacher, Steve Taylor joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss a range of issues and questions surrounding his role, priorities and the future of the qualifications.
Returning guest Reece Goscinski joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss postmodernism and postmodernity and how and when to teach it.
Experienced Sociology teacher and head of sociology in her school, Rita Marvin, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to ponder the question of whether Sociology should be made a compulsory subject in school. What do you think?
Experienced and qualified coach and educational manager, Jenny Weidner, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the role and importance of coaching, particularly to help students (and staff) suffering stress and anxiety around exams and achievement.
Experienced Sociology teacher, Nusrath Sharmin, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the importance of synopticity and tips on how to teach it and improve the skill with our students.
Return guest Andrew Jones joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom again, this time to consider some fascinating insights relating to applying sociological theory to pedagogy.
Experienced sociology teacher Garnette Watts joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss metacognition and its application to the Sociology classroom.
Experienced Sociology teacher David Morris joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the relationship between research and classroom practice in sociology.
New head of sociology, Reece, is back in the Sociology Staffroom with Katie Tyler to talk about his experiences and the challenges associated with taking on this role.
Subject lead for sociology and politics at tutor2u, Duncan Hall, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the upcoming workshop tour for Year 12 students. See here for more information.
Anti-racism consultant and teacher, Azryah Harvey, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the importance of anti-racism in our teaching practice and what it might look like in the Sociology classroom and in our schools and colleges.
Experienced sociology teacher Risteard joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss teaching the less popular optional topics in A Level Sociology, with particular focus on Work, Poverty & Welfare. They also discuss the issue of objectivity in the sociology classroom.
Early career teacher Brett joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss theory, especially more niche theories or nuances within the main perspectives.
Experienced Sociology teacher and assistant principal Andrew Jones joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss teaching the classic theories in A Level Sociology.
Sociology teacher Mark Gill joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the use of whole class feedback - why you might use it, who to use it and the advantages and potential disadvantages of its use.
Early career teacher Brett Byatt joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss challenging students with theory, and especially the more niche theories and nuances within the main perspectives.
Experienced Sociology teacher Jacklyn Mensah joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in A Level Sociology. Jacklyn has authored a forthcoming e-learning course for AQA on this topic.
In the final episode of season 1, experienced Sociology teacher Reece Goscinski joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss techniques for addressing controversial topics in the sociology classroom.
The podcast is taking a little break for a few weeks now, but will be back with a new series in September. Have a good summer :)
Experienced Sociology teacher Sarah Faughnan joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the lessons she was learned from long experience in the classroom and teaching Sociology.
Experienced sociology teacher and subject leader Alexia George joined Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss homework and how to make it as useful and meaningful as possible.
Experienced Sociology teacher Cerys Dyke joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how to strike the balance between teaching to the exam and encouraging a love of learning sociology.
Head of department, Emma, and experienced teacher Carly, join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss working as a team and making the most of your colleagues' talents and skills.
Experienced sociology teacher Stephanie Harding joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how she was successfully made use of social media platforms in here A Level Sociology teaching.
Vicky Lyons - a former sociology teacher and someone who works closely with EAL students for a local authority - joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss supporting EAL learners, including how to use AI as a form of assistive technology.
Experienced sociology teacher John Harvey joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss teaching Social Action theory, a topic that is sometimes considered tricky by students and non-specialist teachers (and others!)
Sociology teacher Jon Hamer joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss their use of AI tools like ChatGPT and how it can be a useful teaching tool, as well as some of the potential pitfalls of the technology.
Dr Maria do Mar Pereira from the University of Warwick joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom for a genuinely fascinating, wide-ranging discussion about the importance of sociology, teaching about gender, conducting ethnographic research, etc. Definitely not to be missed!
Dr Eric Hsu and Dr Louis Everuss, from the University of South Australia, join Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss their love of sociological theory and how they go about making it more engaging and fun. They are the hosts of the number one sociology podcast "The Sociology of Everything". Lots of great episodes to share with students already:
They also make reference to this article during the discussion:
Our usual host Katie is the guest today, joining Duncan in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss changing optional topics, and particularly the pros and cons of swapping to Culture & Identity.
Duncan once again joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom, this time to discuss how to make the best use of those last few weeks before the exams start.
Experienced Sociology teachers, Aqsa and Aaron, join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss teaching the challenges and opportunities of teaching about feminism in sociology lessons.
Experienced Sociology teachers Tony and Rupert join Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss recruiting more boys to study Sociology, whether it's important and how it can be done.
Experienced head of Sociology & Psychology and "tech geek", Sarah Butler, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how best to make use of technology in the Sociology classroom.
Lead for Key Stage 4 Humanities at tutor2u, Vicki Woolven, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk all things GCSE Sociology: what are the unique challenges to teaching this subject or adding it to your curriculum offering?
Experienced sociology teacher, manager and Youtuber Kate Flatley returns to the Sociology Staffroom to discuss effective revision and exam preparation for A Level Sociology students, including thoughts about retrieval practice and assessment. Unmissable advice!
Sociology teacher Miss A joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her experience of changing from a career in corporate law to the sociology classroom.
Experienced teacher Steph Nichols joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss recent trends in pedagogy and which ones might be here to stay.
Experienced sociology teacher Corinne joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how we teach about ethnicity in our sociology lessons.
Experienced sociology teacher Peter Covington joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss ways in which we can help our students score higher marks in the 10 mark exam questions.
Experienced sociology teacher and subject lead at tutor2u joined Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk all things revision. What does it look like? What does it start? How can we best help students? This and more are discussed in this lively chat.
Dr Caroline Oliver, Associate Professor of Sociology at the Institute for Education at UCL, joined Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss preparing students to study sociology at university.
Experienced sociology teacher and head of department Karen joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss how to stretch and challenge learners in our sociology classes, and what that really means.
Roles are reversed as Katie takes her place in the podcast guest seat alongside Duncan to discuss the benefits of flipped learning and how she uses it in her Sociology lessons.
Experienced sociology teacher (and UCAS coordinator!) Kerry joined Katie in the Sociology staffroom for some useful tips and ideas about managing UCAS statements for Sociology students, and more generally.
Experienced sociology teacher and head of department, Yasser, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about his experiences in difference size departments and overcoming the different challenges this presents.
Kathrynn Lanaway joined Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss her experiences of returning to the Sociology classroom after a career break.
Duncan and Katie meet up in the Sociology Staffroom for a seasonal special, to share some of their highlights from the first term's episodes of the podcast.
Experienced sociology teacher and department head (as well as former government press officer) Mel Porter joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about how best to incorporate the news into Sociology teaching, and why it can be such a good idea to do so.
Experienced sociology teacher Craig Gelling - AKA the Sociology Guy - joined Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about Methods in Context and how to get the best out of our students for these tricky questions.
Experienced sociology teacher and department head Stephen Joel joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to talk about "deep dives" from OFSTED - what to expect, how to cope, how to flourish. Essential listening for all Sociology teachers!
Experienced Sociology teacher Amy Rose joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the importance of oracy and how and why to embed it into sociology teaching.
Sociology and Politics Subject Lead for tutor2u, Dr Duncan Hall joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how politics is important in sociology, and how teachers can improve students' political literacy, and their own.
Sunny and Stuart join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss their experience of growing Sociology in schools and colleges. Great advice on starting Sociology at another level (e.g. introducing GCSE) or for increasing numbers.
Experienced sociology teachers Matt and Chloe join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the challenges and opportunities of working in a one-person department and how to make a success of it. Lots of Sociology departments are made up of one person and this can present lots of challenges. Listen to the experiences and top tips from two teachers who have successfully navigated these tricky waters!
Experienced Sociology teacher and head of department Nabihah joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss the importance of incorporating contemporary events and research in sociology teaching and some invaluable tips on how to do so.
Afsar Ali, former social sciences teacher and head of department, now a holistic wellbeing coach and consultant, joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss applying ideas from the field of positive psychology in our roles in sociology departments and the classroom.
Dr Alison Hui, from Lancaster University, joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss the value of embedding careers into Sociology lessons, along with practical suggestions of how to do so.
Early career teachers Naomi, Anna and Aroosa join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss their experiences beginning their careers teaching Sociology, advice for ECTs, and how ECTs can best be supported by colleagues.
Teacher, coach and counsellor Jenni Griffiths joins Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss teacher wellbeing and how sociology teachers can look after their own wellbeing and that of their teams.
Experienced teachers and heads of department Brandi and Jon join Katie in the Sociology staffroom to discuss how sociology teachers and departments can deal with impostor syndrome.
Experienced sociology teacher Craig Gelling - also known as The Sociology Guy - joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss choosing optional topics and the possible benefits or pitfalls of choosing the more "niche" topics.
Katie and Craig moved on to discussing how teachers might sequence their teaching through the year. Enjoy an extra 10 minutes of Katie and Craig's chat.
Experienced Sociology teacher Carys Dyke and former Head of Sociology, now Head of Content at the Teacher Development Trust, Paula Delaney, join Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss how best to offer support to non-specialist staff members.
Experience sociology teacher and head of faculty Anna White joins Katie in the Sociology Staffroom to discuss some great ideas for what to do in the first weeks of term with the new Year 12s.
Sociology podcaster Matt Wilkin joins Katie in The Sociology Staffroom to talk about The Sociology Show and how teachers can make use of podcasts.
Popular A-Level Sociology YouTuber Kate Flatley joins Katie in The Sociology Staffroom to discuss top tips for exam technique.
Duncan and Katie introduce this new podcast designed to support all Sociology teachers!