Josiah Lenton

School of Education

PhD Candidate

jtlenton1@sheffield.ac.uk
The Wave

Full contact details

Josiah Lenton
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
Profile

I'm a PhD Candidate at The University of Sheffield, studying on a White Rose DTP Collaborative award scholarship in partnership with CRESST, a Sheffield-based conflict resolution charity that supports children and young people (and the adults who work with them) to handle conflict well.

PhD Research

Experiencing Conflict On and Offline: A Peer-led Approach to Conflict Resolution Across Digital and Physical Space.

My PhD research explores young people’s experiences of day-to-day social conflict, in both online and offline environments, and aims to develop innovative and effective peer-led approaches to supporting conflict resolution, by responding to the concerns of young people and empowering them to handle conflict well. 

This research is being carried out in partnership with CRESST, a nationally leading charity in the area of young people's conflict resolution.

The research questions of the project include:

  • how children experience conflict, and conflict resolution, on and offline;
  • how digital and cultural practices and resources can be appropriately integrated into peer-led conflict resolution;
  • how a sociomaterialist approach may inform the study of young people’s experiences of conflict resolution;
  • what new approaches to conflict resolution education may emerge through consideration of young people’s online worlds.
Qualifications

MA Social Research (The University of Sheffield)

MA Education (Sheffield Hallam University)

BA (Hons) Education Studies (Sheffield Hallam University)

Research interests

My professional interests include (but are by no means limited to): 

  • Conflict resolution, peer mediation and peace education
  • Education in the digital age
  • Digital social spaces (e.g. social media, video games etc.)
  • Participation and student voice
  • Innovative qualitative research methods
Professional activities and memberships

2021 to present

School of Education, University of Sheffield.

  • From May 2021-present, I co-designed and arranged a number of seminars as part of a collaboration between the SSoE, iHuman, and CRESST.

    • The first of these (May 2021) explored young people's experiences of online conflict. Presenters included myself, Carolyn Leary (programme director, CRESST), and Claire Mead (programme manager, National Videogame Museum.)

    • The second (June 2021) focussed on masculine and non-binary identities, violence, and young people’s worlds. Presenters were David Duriesmith (Department of Politics, Sheffield), Aneesh Barai (SSoE, Sheffield), and Tim Archer (Faculty of Education, Cambridge.)

  • In April 2022, I facilitated an interdepartmental data analysis workshop, run by the School of Education for the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering Education (MEE). As part of a team of four, I helped to design and implement a workshop for colleagues in MEE about conducting qualitative research and data analysis.

  • I designed and produced learning materials for the University's FutureLearn MOOC "Teaching Digital Literacy: Videogames and Education" in 2021-22, and mentored participants on the course after its launch in September 2022.

  • 2018-Present: Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University.

    • I have led modules on the following courses: 

      • FdA Education and Learning Support
        FdA Education - Early Years

        • 2021-22: Teaching and Learning 

      • BA (Hons) Education Studies
        BA (Hons) Education Studies with Autism, Disability, and Special Educational Needs

        • 2021-23: Experiencing Spaces; Embodying Education (L5)

        • 2022-23: Policy and Politics in Education (L4)

        • 2022-23: Placement 3: Reflecting on Personal and Professional Development (L6)

    • I've also taught on modules on the following courses:

      • BA (Hons) Primary Education (5-11) with QTS

        • 2022-23: Enhancing the English and Digital Literacy Curriculum (L6)

    • Since 2018, I've supervised 28 undergraduate research projects across the following courses to completion:

      • BA (Hons) Education Studies.
        BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling.
        BA (Hons) Education Studies with Autism, Disability, and Special Educational Needs.
        BA (Hons) Education and Learning Support (top-up).
        BA (Hons) Education - Early Years (top-up).

    • I have provided assessment marking and moderation for a number of modules within the SIoE.

Other research

  • Jul 2021-Mar 2022: Evaluation Officer ("Evaluating Children’s Internet use in the Philippines" with Dr Fiona Scott and Dr Anna Weighall), The University of Sheffield.
  • Mar 2021-May 2021: Researcher ("XR Stories; Literature Review" with Dr Becky Parry), The University of Sheffield.
  • Oct 2018-Sep 2019: Casual Senior Researcher ("Creating Digital Texts for Assessment - Undergraduate Students' Technical and Communicative Experience", with Dr Roberta Taylor and Dr Chris Bailey), Sheffield Hallam University. 

Full CV available on LinkedIn

Publications and presentations