Pam Jarvis

Dr Pam Jarvis is both a historian and a graduate psychologist, and her key research focus is that of 'well being' in education across all age ranges and academic levels. She has twenty years of experience of creating and teaching developmental, social science and social policy modules for Education/ Child Development programmes in higher education. She has Qualified Teacher Status (secondary), an MA in History and an MEd, and was awarded a PhD by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2005 for her thesis 'The Role of Rough and Tumble Play in Children's Social and Gender Role Development in The Early Years of Primary School'.

Before joining Leeds Trinity in September 2013, she led the postgraduate programme in Early Childhood Studies and the Early Years Professional Status Project at Margaret McMillan School of Teaching, Health and Care in the Bradford College University Centre. She has been an Open University Associate Lecturer since 1997, and has contributed to their open and distance learning module materials within the Faculty of Education and Languages. She is currently tutoring a regional cohort of students on the OU Masters in Education/ Masters in Childhood and Youth module 'Understanding Children's Development and Learning'.

Pam has been engaged in active research for over twenty years, and has recently concluded a piece of historical research on the life and work of Early Years practice pioneer Margaret McMillan. She is currently undertaking a research project in the Nursery/ Reception stage of primary school, studying the original narratives that young children create within their free play-based learning. Her theoretical approach is that of human development through biocultural or ‘nature via nurture’ processes, viewing the evolutionary, biological and social aspects of development as intricately intertwined; this is outlined in her article 'On Becoming Social: the importance of collaborative free play in childhood', and in her internationally published book ‘Perspectives on Play.’

She is a member of the academic advisory team for the National 'Save Childhood' and 'Too Much, Too Soon' campaign'.

She is a member of the following professional associations:

The British Educational Research Association (BERA)
Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators (TACTYC)
The Women’s History Network
Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
Graduate member of the British Psychological Society
British Association for American Studies