Dr Sosu is a Reader, and currently Research Director in the School of Education. He has a strong interest in quantitative methods and in addressing educational issues from a psychological perspective. His current research is predominantly focused on exploring how  socioeconomic disadvantage influences educational and psychological trajectories from childhood.

Dr Sosu received his PhD from the University of Strathclyde, and studied for an MSc degree at Lund University, Sweden. His first degree is a BEd (Hons) Psychology (1^st class honours) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, followed by a one and half year experience as trainee clinical psychologist. In addition he obtained a postgraduate diploma in psychology (distinction) from the Open University.

Between 2008 and 2013, he worked for the University of Aberdeen, first as a research fellow on the Scottish Teachers for a New Era (STNE) project and subsequently as a lecturer in Education. During this period, Dr Sosu examined the impact of initial teacher education experiences on students’ cognitive dispositions and the extent to which these dispositions influence their classroom competence.

Dr Sosu is the lead author of the influential Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on Closing The Attainment Gap In Scottish Education (http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/education-attainment-scotland-full.pdf), and the research on Widening Access to Higher Education for Students from Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds: What Works and Why? (https://pure.strath.ac.uk/portal/files/55895221/Sosu_etal_2016_widening_access_to_higher_education_for_students_from_economically_disadvantaged_backgrounds.pdf ) funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

Dr Sosu is a Centre for Health Policy Fellow in the Centre for Health Policy at Strathclyde University. 

Ongoing funded projects include:

• ESRC funded research into the role of school absenteeism in the poverty-attainment gap (with Dr Markus Klein, University of Strathclyde)
  

• Adoption UK funded impact and implementation evaluation of TESSA (with Dr Christine Jones, University of Strathclyde)

• SFC GCRF Institutional funded project on strengthening school-community engagement in disadvantaged schools: A pilot intervention to improve educational outcomes in Ghana and Malawi (with partners in the UK, Ghana, Malawi, and USA)

My primary research focus is on the relationship between poverty and developmental outcomes. I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which socioeconomic circumstances and experiences of poverty influence educational attainment and psychological outcomes across the lifespan. I harness the power of large longitudinal datasets to aid our understanding of these mechanisms. My goal is to undertake research that drives policies and practices which can improve outcomes for those experiencing adversity nationally and internationally.

Specific Research Interests:

1. Childhood and Family–poverty and its effects on developmental outcomes; social mobility; parental beliefs (inc. aspirations)
2. Methodology – quantitative methods; structural equation modelling; secondary data analysis; longitudinal designs; psychometrics; mixed methods
3. Teacher Education –teacher effectiveness; teacher expertise; pedagogical innovations

As well as supervising PhD and Masters students, I teach on the BA in Education, PGDE, MSc Early Years Pedagogue and  MEd Inclusive Education programmes. My contributions cover the following areas:

Poverty, Social Class and Educational Achievement

Learning Theories  

Memory

The Role of Social and Emotional Interaction in Child Development

Collaborative Learning

Development of Scientific and Mathematical Knowledge in Childhood

Educational Policy

Social Issues in Education

Research Methods