Kingston University London – Nystagmus Network

Ifigeneia stands in front of a whiteboard in a lecture theatre.

Research participation opportunity for 12-14 year olds

Ifigeneia Manitsa is a Psychology Researcher and Assistant Lecturer at Kingston University. She is currently conducting the last two studies of her PhD which is focused on the academic and social inclusion of adolescents with and without visual impairments!

If a student wants to participate in both studies, they will be asked to complete three questionnaires focused on their relationships with their teachers and peers and on their school engagement (students with visual impairments will need approximately 30 minutes for this). In addition, their favourite teachers/teaching assistants will be asked to complete a short online questionnaire about these students’ academic inclusion and their parents will be asked to complete a short online questionnaire too.

Ifigeneia is also very interested in recruiting some more teachers who will share with her their perceptions towards the inclusion of students with visual impairments. She is more than happy to send you the information sheets and consent forms if you want to have a look! If there are any families/students who wish to take part in only one of these studies, she is more than happy to include them only in one study.

Ifigeneia is happy to “meet” students and their families via Skype/Zoom.

She would also like to mention that the research has received a favourable ethical opinion from the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences at Kingston University London. This is to ensure that the dignity and well-being of participants is respected. She also obtains DBS certification which is automatically renewed every year.

If you would like to know more about the study or Ifigeneia’s work, please contact us.

If you would be interested in taking part in the study, please complete the form below. Thank you.

Calling parents of 12-14 year olds – research questionnaire

Ifigeneia Manitsa is a Psychology researcher at Kingston University London and her research is about the social and academic inclusion of adolescents with and without visual impairments.

She is currently conducting a study looking at the relationship between school engagement and social behaviour in adolescents with and without visual impairments. She is also interested in investigating teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of adolescents with visual impairments.

She would like to interview adolescents with visual impairments, aged 12-14 years, who attend mainstream or mainstream schools with special resourced provision, their parents, and teachers. The adolescents who participate in this study may have visual impairment, but they do not have any other learning or cognitive disabilities. In addition, QTVIs (Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired) and teaching assistants/support staff have been excluded from this study.

Adolescents’ questionnaires will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and they can be completed via Skype/Zoom. Their parents and teachers’ questionnaires will take approximately 10-15 minutes and they can be completed online.

Would you be interested in participating in this study or do you know someone who could be interested in participating? If yes, please do not hesitate to contact Ifigeneia.

Email Ifigeneia to take part: [email protected]

Parents of adolescents with nystagmus: research participation opportunity

Ifigeneia Manitsa BEd, MSc, AFHEA (pictured) is a Psychology Researcher at Kingston University London. Her research is about the social and academic inclusion of adolescents with and without visual impairments.

Ifigeneia has a Degree in Primary Education and a Masters in Special Education. Visual impairment has been her field of expertise for the past 7 years.

Her latest study is on the social relationships that sighted and visually impaired adolescents, aged 12-14 years, who attend mainstream schools or mainstream schools with special resourced provision, develop with their teachers and peers and the impact of these relationships on their school grades and classroom participation. An outline of the project is below.

Sighted and visually impaired adolescents aged 12-14 years will be asked to complete 3 questionnaires:

a demographic questionnaire
a questionnaire on the social relationship they have developed with their favourite teacher
a questionnaire on the social relationship they have developed with their closest friend in school

These questionnaires will take approximately 30-45 minutes. The main researcher is going to ask the questions and adolescents will answer them. The teachers the adolescents nominate as their favourite ones will be asked to complete a questionnaire on these students’ academic inclusion (test grades and classroom participation). This will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and they can do it in their own time. Additionally, we would like to have access to the academic grades that students have received in English, Maths and Science in their last report. Their teachers can share these with us and we will, of course, ask for parents’ and students’ permission.

The adolescents who participate in this study may have a visual impairment, but no learning or cognitive disabilities.

The questionnaires can be completed by phone, email, Skype or post.

If you would like to know more about the study or Ifigeneia’s work, please contact us.

If you would be interested in taking part in the study, please complete the form below. Thank you.