Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Allen's research interests include improving learning in schools and research methods. His school based work looks at how to raise attainment for those students from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds. He predominantly uses randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and is currently running four-large RCTs on improving literacy levels for students in schools. His pedagogic expertise lies in the area of cooperative/peer learning. He has published extensively in this area.
Achievements
Allen is Editor in Chief of International Journal of Educational Research (IJER) and the International Journal of Educational Research Open (IJEDRO). He is on the Editorial Board of Technology, Pedagogy and Education, Pakistan Journal of Special Educational Needs, and Educational Psychology. He was awarded the 2013 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Cooperative Learning SIG award for 'Outstanding Research Contribution in the Field of Cooperative Learning'. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of the AERA Cooperative Learning SIG from April 2014 until April 2017, was Chair of the SIG awards committee 2019-21, and is currently Chaor of the SIG (2021-24). He is a member of the ESRC Peer Review College and has Reviewed Grant Applications for Social Science Research Councils in Canada, Portugal, Oman and the Netherlands. Allen was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Academy of Globalization and Education Policy, Zhengzhou University, China (2017-2021) and is currently a Visiting Professor at Laboratorio de Economia de la Educacion, Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, Colombia (2020-onwards). Allen was a member of the REF2021 Unit of Assessment Panel for Education.
Interests
Allen is a member of The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Academic Adviser Panel. He is also a mentor for the Council for At Risk Academics helping mentor academics who have been displaced by war or persecution. He is currently working with a group of Syrian academics who have country of safety status in Turkey. He is a Governor for a local cross-commity post-primary school. Before retiring from active service he was a member of mountain rescue teams in Scotland and Northern Ireland for over 33 years, completing over 450 rescue missions, being both Team Training Officer and Team Leader for North West Mountain Rescue Team (NWMRT), initiating call-outs when requested by PSNI/Garda. He was also a trustee of the NWMRT mountain rescue charity. His past times these days take place closer to the ground and he enjoys riding his bicycle/tricycle and walking his dogs.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Network
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R3218SES: Using paired reading in Colombia to improve reading
Thurston, A., Cockerill, M. & MacKenzie, A.
14/09/2020 → …
Project: Research
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R2726SES: Reading for Meaning: Reciprocal Reading intervention to improve reading at transition
19/08/2020 → …
Project: Research
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R1369SES: Improve reading outcomes for children (7-9years) affected by school lockdown-episodes during COVID-19
22/06/2020 → …
Project: Research
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R2456SES: Cluster RCT of SMART Spaces
O'Hare, L., Cockerill, M., Stark, P. & Thurston, A.
02/08/2018 → …
Project: Research
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Reciprocal Reading for struggling readers: An exemplar of evidence implementation in schools
Cockerill, M., O'Keeffe, J., Thurston, A. & Taylor, A., Apr 2022, In: Review of Education. 10, 1, 22 p., e3332.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile29 Downloads (Pure) -
The embeddedness of visionary agency within the economic-cultural-capital formation: A case of Sino-Malaysian high school graduates
Chiang, T-H., Toh, C-W., Zhang, R., Thurston, A. & MacKenzie, A., 12 Feb 2022, (Early online date) In: International Journal of Educational Research. 112, p. 101946Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Adaptation of a gender-transformative sexual and reproductive health intervention for adolescent boys in South Africa and Lesotho using intervention mapping
Aventin, Á., Rabie, S., Skeen, S., Tomlinson, M., Makhetha, M., Siqabatiso, Z., Lohan, M., Clarke, M., Lohfeld, L., Thurston, A. & Stewart, J., 09 Jun 2021, In: Global Health Action. 14, 1, 18 p., 1927329.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)22 Downloads (Pure) -
Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators
Aventin, A., Gordon, S. L., . Laurenzi, C. A., Rabie, S., Tomlinson, M., Lohan, M., Stewart, J., Thurston, A., Lohfeld, L., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Makhetha, M., Chideya, Y. & Skeen, S., 26 Jun 2021, In: BMC Public Health. 21, 1228.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile22 Downloads (Pure) -
An Exploratory, Cluster Randomised Control Trial of the PAX Good Behaviour Game
O'Keeffe, J., Thurston, A., Kee, F., O'Hare, L. & Lloyd, K., 13 Oct 2021, In: Social Inclusion. 9, 4, p. 47–59Research output: Contribution to journal › Special issue › peer-review
Open AccessFile34 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Data set for "Assessing the Differential Effects of Peer Tutoring for Tutors and Tutees"
Thurston, A. (Creator), Cockerill, M. (Creator) & Chiang, T. (Creator), Queen's University Belfast, 2021
Dataset
File
Prizes
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AERA Outstanding Research Award
Thurston, Allen (Recipient), 2013
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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CINDE Foundation
Maria Cockerill (Presenter) & Allen Thurston (Presenter)
05 Mar 2020Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution
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Advisor to government in National Literacy programme
Maria Cockerill (Advisor) & Allen Thurston (Advisor)
01 Mar 2019 → 31 Dec 2020Activity: Consultancy types › Work on advisory panel to industry or government or non-government organisation
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Using cooperative learning to enhance outcomes for students from low socio-economic backgrounds
Allen Thurston (Advisor)
28 Jun 2019Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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Using peer support to improve international publications
Allen Thurston (Advisor)
17 Jun 2019Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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International Journal of Educational Research Open (Journal)
Allen Thurston (Peer reviewer)
01 Jan 2019 → 31 Dec 2022Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity
Press / Media
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BBC Education Report: Texting parents boosts maths grades, study suggests
Sarah Miller, Jenny Robinson, Seaneen Sloan, Aideen Gildea & Allen Thurston
15/07/2016
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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Article in The Economist: How to Make Children do Their Homework
Sarah Miller, Jenny Robinson, Seaneen Sloan, Aideen Gildea & Allen Thurston
15/07/2016
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other