Department: College of Business and Social Sciences

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Basis: Full Time

Closing Date: Thursday 24 ^th April 2025 23.59 (UK time)

Supervisor: Dr Sarah Olive

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship, supported by the College of Business and Social Sciences to be undertaken within the Department of Communication and Culture at Aston University.

The position is available to start in October 2025.

Financial Support

This studentship includes a bursary to cover the tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance for living costs.

Background to the Project

This PhD project looks at the diversity of literary texts currently taught in schools in Wales, across various levels, literature-rich subjects, and languages. It will be the first study of its kind since the implementation of Curriculum for Wales in 2022. It expands existing work on authors’ diversity to include that of characters. It has the potential to move beyond a focus on gender and ethnic representation to include other aspects of diversity, such as ability, sexuality, faith and class, depending on the candidate’s interests and expertise. Depending on the candidate, and their language skills, the focus will be on literary texts taught in English, drama, Welsh (Cymraeg) and International Languages.

Envisaged outcomes of the project include concrete recommendations to stakeholders to support diversifying representation in literature taught in schools. Stakeholders include Welsh Government; publishers; literary, literacy and education organisations; initial teacher education (ITE) providers; local authorities; schools, teachers, and parents; and librarians in Wales.

Working with Dr Sarah Olive and colleagues, the project will involve a literature review drawing on existing publications such as: research and reports on diversifying literature in the curriculum and classroom; publications on the impact of under-representation on marginalised groups and relevant critical theory; Welsh Government education, language and cultural policy; and the reports and strategic plans of national literary organisations. The student may undertake online survey research with teachers across Wales to establish what texts they teach under the new curriculum, in English and Welsh, as well as drawing on the new GCSE specifications (and their forthcoming A-level equivalents). The student will then analyse the texts’ diversity by undertaking, for example, a diversity audit of their creators and characters.

The successful applicant will have a strong undergraduate qualification in a relevant subject, such as English Literature, Welsh or Education studies. Welsh language ability, particularly reading skills, is strongly desirable (if the student wishes to explore texts taught in Modern Foreign Languages, the relevant language skills would be required). Also desirable is a Masters-level degree (this could be a PGCE), in a subject relevant to the project, as well as familiarity with a relevant critical theory such as postcolonialism, feminism, queer theory, or disability studies. The student will join a thriving community of PhD researchers working on related topics in Communication and Culture (formerly English, Languages and Linguistics) at Aston. They will benefit from connections to a range of relevant and lively research centres and groups, including the Research Centre for the Humanities (REACH) and Aston Stylistics Research Group (ASRG).

Person Specification

The successful candidate should hold a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution) in a relevant subject, such as English Literature, Welsh, or Education studies. A Masters degree in a relevant subject with a Merit overall (or equivalent) with a dissertation/research element is strongly desirable.

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project please contact Dr Sarah Olive [email protected] .

Submitting an application

Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
5. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements . If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
6. A copy of your passport . Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Apply for this position here

Alternatively, apply here

If you require further information about the application process, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at [email protected]