Sarah Gibson BA (Hons) PGCert
Sarah has extensive research management experience, including around evaluation of local and national initiatives, programmes and qualifications, strategic planning and development projects, qualification development, workforce development, employer engagement, participation in learning and drop-out, review of under-performing provision, skills needs assessments and progression routes research. Sarah specialises in engaging through research, with leadership teams, the whole range of education and social care staff and with young people of all ages and backgrounds.
She has considerable experience of quantitative and qualitative approaches, including designing complex national surveys, consultation activity, interviews, focus groups and interactive methods with children and young people. She has managed many research projects which have informed policy and strategic planning at national and local levels and highly sensitive research.
Previous to forming CooperGibson Research, Sarah led on teaching, learning, curriculum and qualifications research at the Learning and Skills Network for four years and before that, was a Senior Research Manager for a private research company, specialising in research and evaluation around learning and skills.
Sarah’s earlier career included Research Fellow posts within Sheffield Hallam University, working in education and criminology disciplines and lecturing posts for several years in social science research methodology.
Sarah is also a General Medical Council (GMC) External Research Associate, offering specialist research and peer review expertise and a Technical Advisor for research for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). She is a member of the Association for Research in Post-Compulsory Education (ARPCE).
Specialisms:
- Project management, publication and dissemination
- Evaluation, impact and exploratory research
- Complex methodology, mixed methods and multiple stakeholders, including young people and vulnerable groups
- Strategic planning and policy development
- Teacher training, workforce development, recruitment and retention and teacher workload
- School/college improvement, funding streams, MAT/academisation and growth
- Careers education and guidance, progression pathways and vocational routes
- Qualifications and curriculum, teaching and learning, pedagogy
- Looked-after children, foster care, permanency