Dr Victoria Cooper

Professional biography

Victoria Cooper is Professor of Childhood Studies at The Open University School of Education, Childhood, Youth & Sport, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. Holding a PhD from the University of Bristol, a PGCE from the University of Leeds and a BA (hons) from the University of Warwick. Victoria's research expertise focuses on children’s voice. With extensive experience in education and research spanning thirty years Victoria has taught students in further and higher education, and at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. Victoria’s professional background includes work as an early year’s teacher, lecturer in further and higher education and staff tutor supporting tutor professional development. She first joined the Open University as an Associate Lecturer in 1995. ​Victoria has extensive experience as an internal and external examiner.

Victoria specialises in multi-modal, ethnographic research and the application of responsive methodologies which recognise the diverse and unique ways in which children and young people choose to communicate their lived experiences. This includes the use of photo and picture-elicitation and picture making as a way of exploring meaning making with children and young people. 

From 2016 - 2019 Victoria was Co-Director of the Children's Research Centre (CRC), set up the first CRC hub (2018) and founded the Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing in 2019.  Listening to and engaging with children and young people is central to her work and her most recent research explores the experiences of marginalised children and young people. 

Victoria has been involved in research projects with Amnesty International focusing on children's understandings of their rights; Chickenshed Theatre, exploring creative learning in the early years; Hope Support Services, exploring children and young people's experiences living with a loved one who is seriously ill; YSS (Youth Support Services)  exploring children, young people and family experiences when a parent or carer is in prison. Victoria is an advocate for children’s rights. A key aspect of her research problematises notions of voice and considers how children and young people’s voices are translated by adult researchers.

As consultant Victoria has worked on the following projects:

Becoming-ethical-researcher

ourvoices

BBC Radio 4 series Bringing up Britain 

BBC One - Britain's Fat Fight

Research interests

• Childhood and youth voice
• Children and young people’s identity development
• Childhood and adolescent mental health
• Qualitative research methodologies – developing participatory, responsive approaches
• Children and young people's experiences living with a loved one who is seriously ill
• Children and young people's experiences when a loved one is in prison

Recent funded research and knowledge exchange include:

• Children, young people and family experiences when a parent/carer is in prison (funded by YSS). Launched at the Houses of Parlimaent (July 2023), discussed in Estimates Debate (July 2023) and Parliamentlive.tv: Report: From arrest to release  
• Researching children and young people’s views on children’s rights (funded by Amnesty International) Report:  Respresenting Children’s Rights culminaitng in know-your-rights book
• Exploring creative learning in the early years (Mercers funding)
• Researching the extent of need for support amongst children and young people living through a family health crisis (funded by Hope Support 2017). Launched at the Houses of Parliament, 27th March 2018. Access the research report:The need for support
• Researching the integration of human geography into A level Geography with the Field Studies Council. Authoring of resources: Geographical-investigations, a practitioner/student guide GIS

Current Research

Families First Research Project is a two-year study examining the need for and impact of targeted services to support children, young people and their families with a parent/carer in prison or about to be sentenced. Designed by Dr Victoria Cooper, Professor Jane Payler and Dr Stephanie Bennett in collaboration with YSS lead practitioners who deliver the support, this study draws upon a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys and in-depth interviews. families-affected-parental-imprisonment  

Families First services are part of a multi-agency collaboration in Worcestershire to identify families affected by incarceration of a loved one and to provide a single point of contact and support. The long-term objectives of these services are aimed at maintenance of housing, job and social connections within families, reduction in rates of adult re-offending and to reduce the risk of children and young people entering the youth justice service or being excluded from school.

Teaching interests

Module Team Chair/co-chair in production:

E104 ​Introduction to childhood studies and psychology (Co-chair) 2021/23

E232 Exploring childhood and youth (Co-chair) 2019/20

KE206 Working with children and young people: Making a difference (Co-Chair) 2018/19

​EK313 Understanding research with children and young people (2013 - 2014)

BOC Chair and author:

Adolescent Mental Health (2021)

Module Team Chair in presentation:

E104 ​Introduction to childhood studies and psychology (Co-chair) 2023

​EK313 Understanding research with children and young people (2015 - 2017)

​E807 Children and young people's worlds (2009 - 2011)

​ED841 Understanding children’s development and learning (2010-2011)

E124 Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years (2008)

Module teams in production:

KE207 Working with children and young people: Making a difference (2023)

E809 Frameworks for Critical Practice (2019)

​E808 Children's and young people's worlds (2018)

E102 Introduction to childhood studies and psychology (2015)

E891 Educational Enquiry (2013)

E212 Psychology of childhood and youth (2012)

E210 Extending professional practice in the early years (2010)

​EK312 Working with children, young people and families (2009)

Moduel team in presentation:

E219 Childhood (2018-2020)

E212 Psychology of childhood and youth (2012)

E124 Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years (2008)

E230 Ways of Knowing: Language, Mathematics and Science in the Early Years (2007)

E111Supporting Learning in Primary Schools (2005-2006)

​

Impact and engagement

Victoria disseminates her knowledge and expertise to engage diverse communities and foster knowledge exchange. Examples of media used to disseminate such knowledge include:

OpenLearn: 

Forgotten families

Supporting student-led research

Do we really listen to children and young people? 

An invisible group: Young people’s experiences of living with a loved one who is seriously ill 

External collaborations

External collaborations

• Amnesty International UK
• The Diana Awards
• Hope Support Services
• The Field Studies Council
• UNICEF
• YSS

International links

University of Finland

University of Vienna 

Nord University, Norway

CLPN

ICPA