Dr. Kathryn Pomerantz, B.A. (Hons), P.G.C.E., Diploma L.A.C.I.C., M.Sc., Ed.D., CPsychol., AFBPsS.
Academic and Professional Tutor,
Doctor of Educational and Child Psychology (DEdCPsy)
Tel: (+44) (0)114 222 8145
Email: K.A.Pomerantz@Sheffield.ac.uk
Room: 8.11
Research interests
Discourse Analysis and Challenging Behaviour
Kathryn´s primary research interest relates to investigating the way in which the identities of adolescent boys are discursively constructed and how this influences the practice of school exclusion. Through this work, she has utilised a range of methods for analysing spoken discourse: Conversation Analysis, Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis which have been applied to naturalistic conversations taking place with young people, parents, teachers and educational psychologists. Kathryn has also critically investigated how the education media creates grand narratives relating to young people at risk of exclusion and how these discourses can be resisted.
Narrative Therapies
Kathryn has been working over many years to develop evidence-based intervention techniques to support children who have suffered loss, abuse or neglect. This work relates to the use of therapeutic stories to help children explore and come to terms with their social and emotional worlds in an attempt to repair their damaged identities. Kathryn is trained in the use of narrative and motivational interviewing techniques, which she uses in her practice. More recently Kathryn has qualified as a Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) Practitioner and uses VIG to support teaching assistants, parents and foster carers in developing attuned relationships with the children for whom they are caring and supporting.
Gifted and Talented Education
Kathryn has been involved in both national (UK) and international (Palestine and Berlin) developments in gifted and talented education. This has prompted her involvement in research studies and publications relating to ways of meeting the needs of very able pupils with a particular interest in underachievers.
Teaching
Kathryn set up and developed the Sheffield University Doctor of Educational and Child Psychology programme, which is a three-year doctoral professional training route for Educational Psychologists, accredited by the British Psychological Society and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council. She held the role of Academic Director of the programme from Sept 2006- July 2013 and now continues to support the programme as an Academic and Professional Tutor. This is a part time role to which Kathryn is seconded to Sheffield University from Derbyshire County Council.
Other experience
For part of each week Kathryn also practises as a Senior Educational Psychologist for Derbyshire County Council where she manages a team of qualified practitioner psychologists. Prior to this she gained five years experience as a Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist working with a multi-agency team supporting permanently excluded children and young people. She has recently developed ways of using Activity Theory to promote inter-agency collaboration to support professionals working with troubled families. These experiences in the field are essential to enable her to maintain a credible position as a trainer of applied educational psychologists.
Activities
- Member of the executive committee of the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE), July 1998-July 2000
- Editorial board of Educating Able Children (NACE journal) as Commissioning Editor, March 1999-March 2000
- Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
- Co-Chair of the UK Programme Directors Group for Educational Psychology initial training courses, September 2007-2010
- Member of the National Forum for Educational Psychology Training led by the Children’s Workforce Development Council, 2008-2010
Publications
Pomerantz, K.A. (2008) Analysing and interpreting spoken discourse: Educational Psychologists as reflexive practitioners, Educational and Child Psychology, 25 (1) 5-16
Pomerantz, K.A., Hughes, M. and Thompson, D. (2007) (Eds) How to reach `hard to reach´ children: improving access, participation and outcomes. Chichester: Wiley.
Pomerantz, K.A. (2007) `Containing the emotional needs of adolescent boys `at risk of exclusion´ in mainstream schools.´ In K.A.Pomerantz, M. Hughes and D. Thompson (Eds) How to reach `hard to reach´ children: improving access, participation and outcomes. Chichester: Wiley.
Pomerantz, K.A. (2007)`Helping children explore their social and emotional worlds through therapeutic stories´, Educational and Child Psychology, 24(1), 46-55.
Pomerantz, K.A. (2005) `Classroom challenging behaviour: A social constructionist phenomenon that exists through pupil-teacher discourse´, Educational and Child Psychology, 22(3), 17-27.
Pomerantz, M. and Pomerantz, K.A. (2002) Listening to Able Underachievers: Creating opportunities for change. London: Fulton.