Student Al Payne with lecturer Romina Vivaldi
For many Psychology students, research is something you learn about in lectures. For Al Payne, it became something they actively contributed to, taking them from the classroom to presenting at conferences across the UK.
While studying at the University of Staffordshire, Al was already exploring research as part of their degree, working on a project focused on children’s perceptions of sportspeople through a Research Assistant module.
“When I found out about the scheme, I was involved in a research project looking at children’s perceptions of sports people. I was doing this as part of the Research Assistant module, so the possibility of continuing my work, and getting paid for it, over the Summer was exciting.”
Encouraged by their lecturers, Al applied for the British Psychological Society Undergraduate Research Assistantship Scheme, working closely with supervisors Dr Romina Vivaldi and Dr Sarah Rose to submit the application.
“Although it was very short notice, Romina, Sarah, and I all worked hard to get the application submitted on time. I could hardly believe my luck when I heard we had been successful!”
Securing a place on the scheme meant Al could continue their research beyond the module, gaining valuable hands-on experience that reflects how Psychology works in the real world.
“I was able to almost seamlessly carry on the work I had been doing on the module. This meant gaining experiences and developing skills I might have missed out on otherwise: carrying out data collection in schools, trying new forms of data analysis, and creating a scientific poster.”
Through the assistantship, Al developed practical research skills that go far beyond the classroom – from working with participants to analysing data and communicating findings. These are the kinds of skills that are highly valued in psychology-related careers and postgraduate study.
One of the highlights of the experience was the opportunity to present their work at academic conferences.
“A planned outcome of my Assistantship was to present our poster at a conference. With help from my supervisors, I applied to present at the West Midlands Festival of Psychology and the Developmental Section Annual Conference.”
Travelling to both Birmingham and London, Al shared their research with other students, academics and professionals in the field.
“Travelling to Birmingham and then to London the day after was exhausting, but absolutely worth it. I saw so many amazing presentations, met incredible people, and put on my bravest face to discuss our preliminary findings during the poster presentations.”
Reflecting on the experience, Al highlights the role that lecturer support played in making it possible.
“Throughout all this I felt supported and inspired by my supervisors. I think anyone who wants to try and challenge themselves to a new experience like this should reach out to Psychology staff. It could be the start of an amazing adventure!”
Al’s journey is just one example of how Psychology students at the University of Staffordshire can get involved in real research, build professional skills, and take opportunities beyond their course – helping them prepare for future careers in psychology and related fields.
To hear more from Al, watch them explain how working in schools can deepen your understanding of real-world classroom scenarios, turning what you learn into lived experience: Click here