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This innovative project has ten team members, and uses a co-researchers model with four students as researchers. The team is composed of: 1.      Anna Judd-Yelland (PI) 2.      Dr Paula Addison-Pettit 3.      Mel Green 4.       Dr Carlos Montoro  5.      Catherine Carden 6.      Dr Poppy Gibson 7.      Eunice Acheampomaa (student co-researcher) 8.      Joanne Sandhu (student co-researcher) 9.       Ricky O'Connor (student co-researcher) 10. Catherine Newport (student co-researcher) Did You Know? ➤ The hidden curriculum in education has been shown to most impact racially minoritised students. ➤ Nguyen, Rienties and Richardson (2019) analysed the learning analytics of students and found that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students were 19-79% less likely to complete, pass or gain an excellent grade in comparison to white students despite spending 4-12% more time studying. ➤ Uneven levels of or a total lack of assessment support and preparation, when accompanied by different modes of assessment, often left racially marginalized students unprepared. What was the research was looking at? Have you heard about the idea of a ‘hidden curriculum’ in education? ➤ The hidden curriculum refers to the unintended lessons, values, and norms that students learn through social interactions and the overall environment of the school, rather than through formal teaching from an agreed curriculum. ➤ This research project, funded by PRAXIS Scholarship, explores how the Campbell and Duke’s  Racially Inclusive Practice (RIPIAG) framework can be used to support university students who enrol in distance learning . The framework has been designed to address the hidden curriculum of assessment and uneven levels of assessment preparation in studying that has been found to most impact racially minoritised students.  ➤Gutman and Younas (2024) have highlighted the importance of adopting holistic approaches to supporting students online.  This project responds directly to this call by working with the learning design team to investigate what racially inclusive practice looks like, and explore what works in terms of student experience, engagement, progression and retention. ➤Through the application of elements of the RIPIAG framework and other methods of revealing the hidden curriculum throughout the student experience of a module at university level, the project will strengthen student-tutor partnerships and contribute to equitable outcomes.  ➤The project aims to contribute to the reduction in the Black awarding gap through improving the retention, assessment submission, assessment scores, pass rates and positive student experiences for Black students in an online distance learning context. How did you conduct your research?   This mixed-methods project combines qualitative ‘Listening Rooms’ data, quantitative Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) dashboard data, and survey data from surveys sent to university students. ➤The Listening Rooms methodology (Parkin and Heron, 2022) is a qualitative research approach, especially in higher education, where friends have recorded conversations about their lived experiences using researcher-designed prompts, capturing authentic, peer-to-peer insights on themes like belonging or success. These conversations are recorded and transcribed by the researchers, using thematic analysis to draw out themes. ➤One strength of this method is that we can see how Listening Rooms offer the opportunity to reveal true participant voices outside power dynamics such as in a 1:1 interview between researcher and participant. Listening Rooms focus on generating rich data by creating a safe, private space for deep, personal sharing, often revealing nuanced perspectives on challenges like student support or diversity. ➤Through combined analysis of the survey responses, the listening room transcriptions, and the dashboard data from the university, insight and understanding will be gained. What are your key findings? This project is still in process, until Summer 2026. Any recommendations? ➤ One key takeaway for researchers we would like to highlight is the value of students as co-researchers. Having four students on our team has offered great value when designing survey tools, for example, and checking that questions are fit for purpose and have the clarity for participants. ➤ The Listening Rooms methodology is a creative way to gather student opinions and experiences without the need for direct interviewing; consider this as a tool in your next qualitative project!     Your final word …  Working on projects like this help us advance inclusive practices and promote outcomes for our learners. We can only do this if we hear voices of the learners themselves and listen to their lived experiences. How can we continue to ensure that the nuances of the ‘hidden curriculum’ do not disadvantage students? Tell us in the comments References & Recommended reading: Addison-Pettit, P., Green, M., and Henry, F. (2025), An exploration of staff perspectives about anti-racist and inclusive assessment (ARIA) in ECYS,  PRAXIS,    Aggleton, J. (2025), Optionality in assessment on E209, PRAXIS,  Breeze & Rizvi, (2023), Exploring the study journey of level three female students from South Asian backgrounds, PRAXIS,  Bell, D. (1995). ‘Who's afraid of critical race theory?’.  University of Illinois Law Review , 1995(4), 893-910.  Bonilla-Silva, E. (2018).  Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America  (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.  Campbell, P., & Duke, B. (2023). An Evaluation of the Racially Inclusive Practice in Assessment Guidance Intervention on Students’ and Staffs’ Experiences of Assessment in HE: A Multi-University Case Study (Version 1). University of Leicester.  https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.23579565.v1  (Accessed: 21 January 2026). Campbell, P. I. Hawkins, C. & Osman, S. (2021)  Tackling Racial Inequalities in Assessment in Higher Education: A Multi-Disciplinary Case Study .  Available at:  https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/files/80673353/Tackling_Racial_Inequalities_in_Assessment_in_HE_May_21.pdf   (Accessed: 17 June 2025).  Carbajal, G. (2024). Deconstructing Standard English Ideology: Elements of Equitable and Inclusive Language and Literacy Education for Our Times, Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 1918.  https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/1918   Cross, S. and Brasher, A. (2021) Differences in assessment experience between Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students and White students: An initial review using IET’s SEFAR2 dataset.  PRAXIS . Available at:  https://hdl.handle.net/10779/ou.se.24352966.v1  (Accessed: 13 May 2025).  Cushing, I. (2020) ‘The Elephant in the Room: Standard English and the Politics of Language in the Curriculum’, Language and Education, 34(4), pp. 321–338.  Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2017). Critical race theory: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York University Press.    Freire, P. (2000).  Pedagogy of the oppressed  (30th anniversary ed.). Continuum. (Original work published 1970)  Green, M. and Malcolm, C. (2023), ‘Degrees of change: the promise of anti-racist assessment’,  Frontiers in Sociology , 8, DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.972036, Available at:  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2023.972036/full   Gutman, L. M. & Younas, F. (2025). Understanding the awarding gap through the lived experiences of minority ethnic students: An intersectional approach.  British Educational Research Journal , 51, 990–1008.  https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4108     Gillborn, D. (2008 ) Racism and Education: Coincidence or Conspiracy?  London: Routledge.  hooks, b. (1994).  Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom . Routledge.  Inoue, A. (2015). Antiracist writing assessment ecologies: Teaching and assessing writing for a socially just future. Fort Collins, CO: WAC Clearinghouse/Parlour Press, Available at:  https://wac.colostate.edu/books/inoue/ecologies.pdf   Ladson-Billings, G., & Tate, W. F. (1995). Toward a critical race theory of education.  Teachers College Record , 97(1), 47-68.  Parkin, H. and Heron, E. (2022) Innovative methods for positive institutional change: The Listening Rooms Project and student and staff ‘voice’. Educational Developments, 23 (3), 13-17. Nguyen, Q., Rienties, B. & Richardson, J.T. (2020) Learning analytics to uncover inequality in behavioural engagement and academic attainment in a distance learning setting. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(4), pp. 594-606.  Thomas, L. and Quinlan, C. (2021) ‘Why we need to reimagine the curricula in higher education to make it more culturally sensitive’,  Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning , 23(3), pp. 37–47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5456/WPLL.23.3.37 .    Xuereb, S (2022), Final Report - The Experience of BAME Students on DE300.PRAXIS. Report. Available at:  https://hdl.handle.net/10779/ou.se.24353695.v1  (Accessed: 13 May 2025).  Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth.  Race Ethnicity and Education , 8(1), 69-91.

There’s a kind of tiredness many parents struggle to explain. It isn’t always physical. It doesn’t disappear with sleep. And it often lingers even on days when “nothing much happened”. If you’ve ever ended the day feeling inexplicably drained - even though you didn’t do anything particularly out of the ordinary - this blog is for you. Because a huge part of parenting work happens quietly, invisibly, and without acknowledgement. It’s called emotional labour and most parents are carrying far more of it than they realise. Parenting isn’t just about doing - it’s about holding. When we think about parenting, we often picture the practical tasks: Meals School runs Bedtimes Appointments Logistics But underneath all of that is a constant emotional layer that rarely gets named. Parents don’t just do  things for their children. They hold  things for them. They hold: Big feelings that children can’t yet manage alone Worries children don’t know how to articulate Frustration, disappointment, excitement, fear Emotional fallout from school, friendships, change, and overwhelm This holding doesn’t show up on to-do lists but it takes energy all the same. Emotional regulation: the work happening beneath the surface. Children aren’t born knowing how to regulate their emotions. That skill develops over time, with support . And that support usually comes from a parent who is: Staying calm while their child is dysregulated Naming feelings when a child can’t find the words Containing big reactions without escalating them Absorbing emotional intensity and responding thoughtfully This is core developmental work - but it’s exhausting. Especially when a parent is: Tired Overstimulated Managing their own emotions at the same time Regulating for  someone else, repeatedly, day after day, requires immense emotional effort. Holding everyone else’s feelings (even when you’re running on empty) Many parents describe feeling like the “emotional hub” of the household. They are the ones who: Notice mood shifts Anticipate emotional reactions Adjust plans to prevent meltdowns Smooth tensions between siblings Carry worries so others don’t have to Often without saying a word. This kind of emotional awareness is a strength - but it comes at a cost. When you are constantly tuned in to other people’s feelings, there’s very little space left to notice your own. And over time, that can lead to quiet depletion. Why parents feel drained “for no obvious reason” Emotional labour is tiring precisely because it’s invisible. You can’t point to it and say: “That’s what exhausted me today.” But it accumulates. Parents often feel worn down because they have spent the day: Monitoring emotional climates Managing reactions Preventing escalations Regulating themselves so their child feels safe Even on days that look calm from the outside. This is why rest doesn’t always feel restorative... because emotional labour doesn’t switch off easily. Emotional labour isn’t endless - even for caring parents. There’s a myth that loving parents should be able to hold unlimited emotional space. But emotional capacity isn’t infinite. It fluctuates with: Sleep Stress Mental health Life pressures Neurodivergence Support systems Needing a break doesn’t mean you’re failing. Feeling depleted doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re human. Making space for the parent, not just the child. One of the most overlooked parts of parenting support is care for the carer . Parents need: Permission to acknowledge emotional exhaustion Language to describe what they’re carrying Compassion for their own limits Support that doesn’t add more pressure Sometimes the most powerful shift isn’t changing what you do, it’s changing how you interpret your own tiredness. You’re not weak. You’re not coping badly. You’re not “too sensitive”. You’re doing emotionally demanding work. A gentle reminder, if this resonated. If you feel drained at the end of the day and can’t quite explain why - pause before blaming yourself. Consider what you’ve been holding: Feelings that weren’t yours Emotions that needed containment Calm that had to be created That labour matters. And so do you. Parenting isn’t just about raising children, it’s about sustaining the adults who care for them . The emotional labour of parenting. You deserve recognition, rest, and support - not just resilience. And you’re not alone in feeling this way. 💛

If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night replaying the day, wondering whether you handled something “right”… this is for you. If you’ve ever read one article that says do this , another that says never do that , and a third that makes you feel quietly judged for even asking… this is for you too. And if you’ve ever thought, Why does everyone else seem to know what they’re doing except me?   I want to gently say this first: You're not doing parenting wrong. You are doing something deeply complex, deeply human - without a manual! Parenting isn’t instinct or  expertise - it’s both (and more) There’s a myth that parenting should come naturally. That if you’re loving enough, calm enough, patient enough, you’ll just know  what to do. There’s another myth at the opposite end: that if you just read enough books, follow the right accounts, listen to the right experts, you’ll eventually crack the code. The reality for most parents sits somewhere in the middle and often nowhere near either extreme. Parenting is lived in real time. With real children. On real days. When you’re tired, overstimulated, juggling work, money, health, relationships, and a thousand invisible decisions. It’s not a controlled environment. And yet, so much advice assumes that it is. Why parenting can feel so hard (even when you’re trying your best) Many parents I speak to through RECAP say the same thing in different words: “I just want to know if I’m doing the right thing.” What they often mean is: Am I harming my child without realising it? Why does this feel harder than I expected? Why does everyone else seem more confident? Why does advice feel so conflicting? Here’s the uncomfortable truth: parenting advice often isn’t designed with real family life in mind. Research studies, professional guidance, social media tips - they all have value. But they are usually: Based on averages, not individuals Written for ideal conditions, not messy reality Simplified for headlines, not nuance Disconnected from the emotional weight parents carry When those messages are taken out of context, they can quietly turn into self-doubt. Not because you’re failing, but because the information isn’t supporting you properly. When advice becomes pressure instead of support Advice is meant to help. But for many parents, it does the opposite. Instead of feeling informed, they feel: Overwhelmed Judged Afraid of “getting it wrong” Stuck between doing something  and doing nothing And when things don’t work the way the article promised they would, the blame rarely falls on the advice. It falls on the parent. Maybe I’m not consistent enough. Maybe I’m too soft. Maybe I’m too strict Maybe I’ve already messed this up. This is where confidence starts to erode - not because parents don’t care, but because they care deeply and are trying to navigate impossible expectations. You’re Not Doing Parenting Wrong because children are not the same. One of the biggest problems with parenting advice is the idea that there is a universal solution. But children are different. Families are different. Circumstances are different. What works beautifully for one child may be completely wrong for another and that doesn’t mean either parent is doing it wrong. Some children need structure like oxygen. Others need flexibility to breathe. Some thrive on predictability. Others need room to adapt and recover. Good parenting is not about following rules perfectly. It’s about responding thoughtfully to your  child, in your  context, at that  moment in time. That’s not failure. That’s skill. So where does research fit in? Research matters. Evidence matters. Credible information matters. But research is meant to inform , not instruct blindly. Good research: Helps us understand patterns, not prescribe scripts Offers guidance, not guarantees Supports reflection, not compliance The problem isn’t parents accessing research - it’s parents being given research without explanation, without context, and without permission to adapt it. That’s where confusion creeps in. And that’s where RECAP comes in too. Why RECAP exists RECAP was created because I saw a gap and lived it myself. A gap between: Academic research and everyday parenting Expert advice and lived experience “Best practice” and real-life practice Parents don’t need more noise. They don’t need to be told what they should  be doing. They don’t need perfection. They need: Clear, accessible explanations Information they can trust Space to think, not pressure to perform Reassurance that adapting doesn’t mean failing RECAP exists to help parents feel confident - not confused- when engaging with information. You don’t need a manual - you need support, context, and trust If there were  a parenting manual, it would probably start with this: This will not go to plan. And that’s okay. Parenting isn’t about ticking boxes or getting gold stars. It’s about learning, adjusting, repairing, and trying again. You are allowed to: Change your mind Try something and decide it doesn’t fit your family Take advice and leave parts of it behind Trust your instincts alongside  good information You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need to justify every choice you make. You are already doing something extraordinary - showing up, caring, and trying in a world that offers very little certainty. A gentle reminder, before you go If today felt hard, that doesn’t mean you’re failing. If something didn’t work, that doesn’t mean you’ve broken anything. If you’re questioning yourself, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re parenting. And you’re doing it without a manual - but not without care, thought, or love. That matters more than you might realise. 💛

Discover how to get involved with RECAP's work for parents in Chelmsford, UK. Learn how you can participate and support education initiatives. Get Involved as a Parent At RECAP, parents are at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to make research and evidence accessible, practical, and relevant to family life — and that starts with listening to you. By getting involved, you’ll help shape how research is shared, make sure it reflects real family experiences, and connect with a community that values trusted information and shared understanding. 💬 Join the RECAP Parent Panel Our Parent Panel brings together parents and caregivers from a wide range of backgrounds to share insights, experiences, and honest feedback. As a panel member, you can: Take part in short surveys or online discussions about family life and parenting topics Review upcoming RECAP content to ensure it feels relevant and accessible Help shape future projects, resources, and events Be part of a community influencing how research reaches families You don’t need to be an expert — just a parent or caregiver with lived experience and a willingness to share your thoughts. 🎙 Share Your Story We know that behind every piece of research are real people and real stories. If you have personal experiences or reflections connected to topics we cover — from education and wellbeing to relationships and health — we’d love to help you share them. You can contribute by: Taking part in a podcast episode or video feature Writing or co-authoring a short parent perspective piece Joining a panel discussion with researchers or practitioners Your story could help others feel seen, supported, and informed. 🧠 Attend a Webinar or Event We regularly host free and low-cost webinars on topics that matter most to families — from mental health and learning to digital wellbeing and parenting confidence. By taking part, you’ll: Hear directly from researchers and practitioners Gain practical, evidence-based tips for family life Be part of a community of curious, reflective parents 💡 Ready to Get Involved? Whether you’d like to join the Parent Panel, share your story, or simply find out more about how RECAP works with families — we’d love to hear from you. ✨ Let’s chat about how you can take part! Book a free 30-minute call with our team to explore how your experiences can help shape RECAP’s work. 👉 Book your free chat here Or simply complete the form below Together, we can build stronger connections between research and real family life and make sure parents’ voices are at the centre of it all. Contact Like what you see? Get in touch to learn more. First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

Discover Carla Beard's advisory board role at Recap. Learn about her contributions to the Education Research Center in Chelmsford, UK. Carla Beard Director, Koala Digital Development & Growth Panel Carla is the Director (or as she likes to say, the Head Zookeeper) at Koala Digital, a digital marketing agency based in Colchester. She leads a close-knit team of ten creatives who specialise in website design, SEO and promotional marketing. With over 15 years of experience, Carla works with a diverse mix of clients, from sole traders and local businesses to larger brands like the Daily Express and Deliveroo. Carla is passionate about building strong relationships, creating people-first digital strategies and helping businesses stand out online with practical, results-focused marketing. As a parent to two children aged 3 and 7, Carla understands the overwhelm that can come with trying to find trustworthy parenting advice online. After many late-night Google searches and experiencing the confusion of conflicting information, she was inspired by a conversation with Lucie and her passion for RECAP’s mission. Carla is excited to be part of the advisory board and support a resource that makes parenting advice more accessible and reassuring. In her spare time, she enjoys family adventures, being outdoors, paddleboarding, and photography.

Discover Sarah Sudea's expertise as an advisory board member at our Education Research Center in Chelmsford, UK. Learn more about Sarah Sudea. Sarah Sudea Founder, Finding the Flex Research Panel Sarah Sudea is a former secondary school teacher, mum to three daughters and founder of Finding the Flex: a social enterprise aiming to widen access to flexischooling for UK school children. Finding the Flex was borne from her first hand experience of the benefits of a more flexible approach to education and her frustration that flexischooling is already an available option, life changing for some children, but routinely misunderstood and overlooked by local authorities and school leaders. Finding the Flex now helps local authorities and schools offer flexischooling, so every child can thrive in education. Sarah is keen to support RECAP's endeavours to raise awareness of educational options that are often little known about. She brings her experience as a teacher, parent and family coach, specialising in school attendance difficulties.