Dr Matt S Homer
Research Fellow
Tel: +44 (0)113 3434654
Room: EC Stoner 8.75
Email: M.S.Homer@education.leeds.ac.uk
I work on a wide range of research projects, recently becoming more involved in the quantitative aspects of educational research. I also do statistical work for the School of Medicine at Leeds.
Member of AEU.
Interests
I have worked in the Assessment and Evaluation Unit (AEU) for seven years, having previously employed as a mathematics researcher and lecturer, and as a computer programmer. I spent most of my early years in the Unit on work related to the World Class Arena project funded by QCA. This involved developing innovative mathematics materials (both on paper and computer) for gifted and talented 9-13 year olds. I also worked on the Mathematics 14-19 Pathways project, also funded by QCA, helping develop resources for the second GCSE in mathematics that will have elements of problem-solving in it, and for the new functional mathematics qualification that will become part of GCSE mathematics. Currently, we in the AEU are continuing our mathematics development work through our involvement with the Mawhiba project, funded by the Saudi Government, which involves building a gifted and talented program for Saudi school children and runs for the next couple of years.
Recently, I have become increasingly interested in the statistical side of the research process and completed an MSc in Applied Statistics in the summer of 2007. Since then I have spent more and more of my time advising colleagues on statistical aspects of their research, and now work for a portion of my time on a seconded basis in the Medical Education Unit within the School of Medicine at Leeds, carrying out data analysis across a range of projects and doing assessment-based research. As part of this work, I have become interested in Psychometrics in general, and Rasch measurement theory in particular, and hope to develop a strand of research in this area over the course of the next couple of years.I am also getting involved in research related to applications of Generalizability Theory.
Over the last four years, I have been the main quantitative analyst for the Becoming a Teacher (BaT) project, a large-scale longitudinal project tracking teachers early in their careers, which is based jointly at Leeds and the University of Nottingham. The most recent BaT report, which was published in July 2008 and I co-authored, is available here. The project is nearing its completion, and the final report will be published in the summer of 2009.
Within the School of Education, I have recently worked on two projects that involved data analysis of the National Pupil Database (one of which was Creating Applied Science in Schools) and I am now involved in a third, a large ESRC-funded study (EISER) investigating the implementation and impact of the most recent reforms of the science curriculum at KS4.
Finally, I do mathematics and statistics support teaching for The Skills Centre at the University.
Selected Publications
PAPERS
Bell J., Donnelly, J., Homer, M., Pell, G. (Forthcoming). "A value-added study of the impact of science curriculum reform using the National Pupil Database". British Educational Research Journal. Read Abstract.
Sandars, J. and Homer, M. (Forthcoming). "Reflective learning and the Net Generation". Medical Teacher. Read Abstract.
Sandars, J.,Homer, M., Pell, G., Crocker, T. (Forthcoming). "Web 2.0 and social software: the medical student way of e-learning". Medical Teacher. Read Abstract.
Homer, M. and Pell, G. (Forthcoming). "The impact of the inclusion of simulated patient ratings on the reliability of OSCE assessments under the borderline regression method". Medical Teacher. Read Abstract.
Hargreaves, M., Homer, M. and Swinnerton, B. (2008). "A comparison of performance and attitudes in mathematics amongst the “gifted”. Are boys better at mathematics or do they just think they are?". Assessment in Education, Principles, Policy & Practice, 15:1, 19 - 38. Read Abstract.
Pell, G., Homer, M., Roberts, T. (2008). "Assessor Training: Its Effects on Criterion Based Assessment in a Medical Context.". International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 31 (02), 143 - 154. Read Abstract.
Threlfall, J., Pool, P., Homer, M. and Swinnerton, B. (2007). "Implicit aspects of paper and pencil mathematics assessment that come to light through the use of the computer". Educational Studies in Mathematics, 66, 335–348. Read Abstract.
Extended list of publications.
This page last updated by Matt Homer on 3rd September 2009