A University of Aberdeen scholar has won a prestigious award for his research into the experiences of student teachers during their school placements.
David Johnston, a lecturer in the University's School of Education, has been presented with the Estelle Brisard Memorial Prize for Education Research.
David, who drew on the school placement experiences of 16 trainee teachers for his study, accepted the award at the recent SERA (Scottish Educational Research Association) conference.
He said: "To have your work recognised by your peers at any time is always flattering and so I was delighted to receive this prize.
"Although it is a small-scale study, my findings demonstrate how important it is for students to be able to build strong personal and professional relationships with host teachers during their placements.
"Without that bond, students can find it difficult to become incorporated into the social fabric of the school community and into the professional norms that underpin effective teachers' working practices. In such situations, learning becomes much more difficult and students can become discouraged and lose confidence.
"It also reinforces the need for teacher education institutions, local authorities and schools to continue building close partnership relations to ensure consistently productive placements for students."
The award is a tribute to Estelle Brisard, a very well known and respected lecturer who worked at the University of Paisley. She died in 2006 aged 33.
In 2007, in recognition of Estelle's outstanding contribution to educational research in Scotland, SERA created an annual award in her memory for the best paper written by an early career researcher based in Scotland.