HigherPsychEd is a blog page from Prof Julie Hulme, who is interested in all things higher education, psychology, and any excuse to combine the two! On these pages, you’ll find my reflections, musings, and ramblings about all of these topics. You can also find me on Twitter/X (for now), @JulieH_Psyc, and more often on Bluesky, @juliehulme-psyc.bsky.social.
Currently a Professor in Psychology Education at Nottingham Trent University, I am a Chartered Psychologist, a National Teaching Fellow, and a Principal Fellow of the HEA. I am a founding member of the international Professors in Preparation network. And I’m very excited to announce the recent publication of my book, Psychology in Everyday Life – published by Oxford University Press in February 2025.
If you’re interested in my scholarship and research, here’s a summary of what I do!
Overview
Higher Education is a transformative opportunity for students who engage with it, and a prime facilitator of social mobility, personal development, employability, and economic contribution to society. My work explores the psychological and social factors that underpin whether a person thrives or experiences challenges within higher education. My aim is to apply psychological theories and a combination of rigorous quantitative and qualitative psychological research methods to find ways to improve student participation and success in higher education, especially for disadvantaged groups. I engage stakeholders in developing understanding of educational opportunities and outcomes, with a view to enhancing these for every student and aspiring student.
Student transitions to university
How can students prepare for university, and what can teachers, lecturers and educational institutions do to help them achieve a sense of belonging and confident engagement at university? I am interested in developmental psychological approaches and social identity, especially around a sense of belonging. This has important implications for student retention, success, and wellbeing.
I’m also keen to develop student skills to facilitate transition – how can we work with students to enable them to engage confidently with academic life? My key focus here is on using feedback to support learning, from a social constructivist perspective.
Student transitions beyond university
I engage in scholarship and application developing a psychology curriculum that relates to psychological literacy, enabling students to become employable, culturally responsive, global citizens who can apply psychology to everyday life, their work, their communities, and wider society.
Individual differences and diversity
Certain demographic groups of students can be disadvantaged in higher education, and may underachieve. How do students from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, educational experiences, and those with disabilities experience higher education? How can we close awarding gaps to improve equality? This work is informed by social psychological theories and an inclusive educational approach.
Teaching excellence and innovation
Pedagogic frailty, reward & recognition – how can we support academics in developing teaching excellence, so that they can respond to the changing nature of higher education, and support their students to develop into employable graduates and citizens? How can education-focused academics be supported to develop their scholarship? How do we encourage innovation to enhance educational inclusion? What influences teacher wellbeing, and how can we promote creativity and enhance academic support of students and their learning? This work is informed by social psychological theories, within a social systems context.
HigherPsychEd 