Staff profile

Helen is an Assistant Professor (Research) in the School of Education at Durham University. She is an active researcher with interests in: STEM education from early years through to higher education; assessment in the early years; and the evaluation of the impact of interventions and qualification changes.

Examples of Helen's recent projects include a three-year national study monitoring practical work in science in the UK funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation with a contribution from the Wellcome Trust, the development of a tool for teachers to enable the effective and fun teaching of computer science at age four, funded by Innovate UK, and an interdisciplinary project investigating troublesome concepts in first year undergraduate physics, funded by the Institute of Physics. She has also conducted research using the unique data sets from the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University to understand what children know and can do in the early years in maths and literacy.

Helen is also currently the Research Grants Co-ordinator for the School of Education working with the Director of Research to assist colleagues in the development of research ideas.

Recent roles Helen has held within the department and university include Interim Deputy Head of Faculty (Research Development) in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health and Research Team Lead in the Research Hub of the School of Education (RHoSE). Prior to moving to the School of Education, Helen was Research Contract Manager at CEM and part of the senior leadership team, conducting educational research and supporting the development of CEM’s assessment and monitoring systems.

Helen has also worked in various roles in the Department of Physics at Durham University including: teaching fellow, business development fellow, IoP Industrial Group Project Coordinator and research associate. Prior to these roles she also completed her PhD in Condensed Matter Physics in the Physics Department at Durham.

• Understanding and improving teaching and learning in STEM education from the early years to higher education
• Development of number skills in the early years
• Educational assessment
• Education Evaluation

• Durham University Evidence Centre for Education (DECE)

• EasyPeasy Evaluation
• Evaluation of the Impact of the Creativity Commission Report
• Evaluation of the Levelling Up: Aspire Higher Programme
• First Encounters With Quantum Computing: Can Games Teach Quantum Reasoning?
• Improving the breadth of science practical work undertaken in schools
• Monitoring Practical Science in Schools and Colleges
• Northern Power: Making Engineering and Physical Sciences Research a Domain for All in the North of England
• PACT Evaluation
• Teen Sleep Pilot Evaluation

• 2020: First encounters with quantum computing: can games teach quantum reasoning?(£10887.12 from BBSRC-ARC)
• 2019: Evaluation of the impact of the Creativity Commission report(£18454.00 from )
• 2019: To improve the breadth of science practical work undertaken in schools(£11520.00 from ESRC Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics (INNOGEN))
• 2018: Northern Power: Making Engineering and Physical Sciences Research a Domain for All in the North of England(£100812.48 from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
• 2018: PACT Evaluation(£200777.00 from Education Endowment Foundation)
• 2017: EasyPeasy Evaluation(£350120.00 from Education Endowment Foundation)
• 2015: Troublesome Concepts in First Year Physics(£2351.00 from Institute of Physics)
• 2014: First Steps in Computer Science(£31196.00 from Technology Strategy Board)
• 2014: Gatsby Monitoring Practical Science(£175998.00 from Gatsby Charitable Foundation)

• 0000: Fellow: Durham Research Methods Centre (DRMC)
• 0000: Fellow: Higher Education Academy
• 0000: Fellow: Wolfson Research Insitute for Health and Wellbeing
• 0000: Member: Institute of Physics
• 0000: School Governor:

Chapter in book

• Cramman, Helen, Connor, Mia A. B., Hau, Chapman & Robson, Jacquie (2021). Lessons learned from implementing blended and online undergraduate chemistry laboratory teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Advances in Online Chemistry Education. Pearsall, Elizabeth, Mock, Kristi, Morgan, Matt & Tucker, Brenna A. American Chemical Society. 1389: 177-193.

Edited Sources, Research Data Sets and Databases

• Cramman, H., Kind, V., Kind, P., Lyth, A., Gray, H., Younger, K., Eerola, P. & Coe, R. (2019). Monitoring practical science in schools and colleges, school data 2016-2017. SN: 853446. UK Data Service.
• Cramman, H., Kind, V., Kind, P., Lyth, A., Gray, H., Younger, K., Eerola, P. & Coe, R. (2019). Monitoring practical science in schools and colleges, higher education data 2016-2018. SN: 853459. UK Data Service.

Journal Article

• Nita, Laurentiu, Mazzoli Smith, Laura, Chancellor, Nicholas & Cramman, Helen (2023). The challenge and opportunities of quantum literacy for future education and transdisciplinary problem-solving. Research in Science & Technological Education 41(2): 564-580.
• Hübner, Nicolas, Merrell, Christine, Cramman, Helen, Little, John, Bolden, David & Nagengast, Benjamin (2022). Reading to learn? The co‐development of mathematics and reading during primary school. Child Development 93(6): 1760-1776.
• Cramman, H., Gott, S., Little, J., Merrell, C., Tymms, P. & Copping, L.T. (2020). Number Identification: A Unique Developmental Pathway in Mathematics? Research Papers in Education 35(2): 117-143.
• Boereboom, John & Cramman, Helen (2018). Primary School Entry Assessment in New Zealand. New Zealand International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal 21(1): 47-61.
• Copping, L.T., Cramman, H., Gott, S., Gray, H. & Tymms, P. (2016). Name writing ability not length of name is predictive of future academic attainment. Educational Research 58(3): 237-246.
• Atkinson, D., Searle, S., Jefferies, M., Levy, J. & Cramman, H. (2013). Controlling Anisotropy of NiFe Thin Films During Deposition for Device Applications. Sensor Letters 11(1): 13-20.
• Cramman, H., Eastwood, D.S., King, J.A. & Atkinson, D. (2012). Multilevel 3 Bit-per-cell Magnetic Random Access Memory Concepts and Their Associated Control Circuit Architectures. IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology 11(1): 63-70.
• Eastwood, D.S., King, J.A., Bogart, L.K., Cramman, H. & Atkinson, D. (2011). Chirality-dependent domain wall pinning in a multinotched planar nanowire and chirality preservation using transverse magnetic fields. Journal of Applied Physics 109(1): 013903.
• Armstrong, H., Halliday, D.P. & Hampshire, D.P. (2009). Photoluminescence of gold, copper and niobium as a function of temperature. Journal Of Luminescence 129(12): 1610-1614.

Report

• Menzies, Victoria, Cramman, Helen, Eerola, Paivi, Hugill-Jones, Jessica, Akhter, Nasima & Einbeck, Jochen (2022). Parents and Children Together (PACT) Evaluation Report. Education Endowment Foundation.
• Cramman, Helen, Gray, Helen, Siddiqui, Nadia & Tudor, Jenna (2021). Evaluation of Inclusion Matters - Northern Power: Making Engineering and Physical Sciences Research a Domain for All in the North of England: End of Programme Report. School of Education. Durham University.
• Cramman, H, Moger, P & Menzies, V (2021). The impact of Covid-19 on the English education teaching and learning environment and how this relates to sustaining and developing creativity, creative thinking and teaching for creativity - A literature review. School of Education, Durham University. Durham University.
• Cramman, Helen, Menzies, Victoria, Gray, Helen, Mee, Dawn & Eerola, Paivi (2020). Baseline Evaluation of the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education Report. Durham University.
• Robinson-Smith, Lyn, Menzies, Victoria, Cramman, Helen, Wang, Yuqian (Linda), Fairhurst, Caroline, Hallett, Sarah, Beckmann, Nadin, Merrell, Christine, Torgerson, Carole, Stothard, Sue & Siddiqui, Nadia (2019). EasyPeasy: Learning through play. Evaluation Report. Education Endowment Foundation.
• Cramman, Helen Kind, Vanessa, Lyth, Andrew, Gray, Helen, Younger, Kirsty, Gemar, Adam, Eerola, Paivi, Coe, Rob & Kind, Per (2019). Monitoring practical science in schools and colleges. Durham, Durham University.