Ms Ifigeneia Manitsa

Contact

Email: k1738620@kingston.ac.uk
Location: Penrhyn Road
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
School: School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
Department: Department of Psychology
Research groups/centres: Developmental Psychology Research Group, Social Psychology Research Group
Job market candidate
Personal website

Research project: The social inclusion of adolescents with visual impairments: A multidimensional approach

Abstract

In my PhD thesis, I am investigating the social inclusion of adolescents with and without visual impairments, which is here defined as a multidimensional term. I am also looking at the effects of social inclusion on the academic learning and socioemotional development of these students. The current research is being carried out within the context of two major theoretical approaches: the socioecological theory and the social cognitive theory. I am also particularly interested in the Theory of Mind and its applications to individuals with visual impairments.

Research degree: PhD
Title of project: The social inclusion of adolescents with visual impairments: A multidimensional approach
Research supervisor: Dr Fiona Barlow-Brown

Biography

I am a Psychology Researcher at Kingston University London interested in improving the academic and social outcomes of students with and without special educational needs and translating research into practice. I am also an Academic Grants Holder, currently investigating the benefits of social inclusion on the academic learning and socioemotional development of adolescents with and without visual impairments, as well as the impact of rehabilitation services on the daily lives of students with visual impairments. I am currently working as a HP Lecturer and Seminar Leader with blended teaching expertise and I am teaching in various Psychology and Research Methods modules (Levels 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7). I have received the 1st prize of Best New Researcher 2019 in the Faculty of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences at Kingston University London. One of my latest achievements was the decision of the Prime Minister of Greece to include youth entrepreneurship as a core subject in all schools in the country, after the suggestions discussed in the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship at School" event, where I presented my ideas on employment and entrepreneurship of students with special educational needs. Additionally, I am an Associate Fellow of the Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy) and a guest peer-reviewer in the British Journal of Visual Impairment and the Journal of Health Psychology.

Areas of research interest

special educational needs and visual impairments
social and academic inclusion
social skills/social competence
social isolation/self-isolation
quality of social relationships
self-concept/self-esteem
social support
school engagement
rehabilitation services
Psychology research methods (quantitative and qualitative research and analysis)

Qualifications

Associate Fellowship of Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy)
MSc in Pedagogy with specialization in Special Education, Department of Pedagogy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Degree in Pedagogy from the Pedagogical School of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Funding or awards received

Manitsa, I. £200 GRS Activity Support Fund award, Kingston University London.
Manitsa, I. £10,000 PhD studentship, The National Lottery Community Fund & Sight for Surrey. How do specialist vision rehabilitation services impact the lives of children and adolescents with visual impairments? (2020-2021).
Montague, A., Manitsa, I. & Barlow-Brown, F. £600 Kingston University funding for the research project
Manitsa, I. £1,000 PhD research grant, Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust (2019-2020).
1st prize for a New Researcher in the 10th Annual Faculty of Business and Social Sciences Conference, Kingston University, London (2019).
Came first after written and oral examinations, in the field of Special Education at the MSc of Pedagogy in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2013).

Publications

Other publications

Manitsa, I. (2020, May). Social inclusion of adolescents with visual impairments: From Research to Practice. VIEW: The professional association of the vision impairment education workforce.
Manitsa, I. (2019, April). Social Inclusion. Developing Minds: Exploring Cognitive Diversity. Retrieved from http://bit.do/aprilnewsletter2019

Invited talks

Manitsa, I. (2020). Doing research with vulnerable populations. Oral presentation at the First Annual PhD Autumn Symposium, Department of Psychology, Kingston University London.
Manitsa, I. (2020). Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education: Students with special educational needs. Oral presentation at IYDU (International Young Democrat Union).
Manitsa, I. (2019). The role of social inclusion in the self-esteem of adolescents with visual impairments. Whitefield Academy Trust, London.
Manitsa, I. (2019). Self-concept in adolescents with visual impairments. Oral presentation at the British Psychological Society (BPS) Postgraduate Meeting, London, UK.
Manitsa, I. (2018). Social inclusion and the differences in self-concept between adolescents with visual impairments and their sighted peers. Poster presentation at "Sensing Nature: Wellbeing with nature and sight impairment" Exhibition, London, UK.
Manitsa, I., Barlow-Brown, F. & Lyons, E. (2018). The role of friendship and the importance of social relationships on students with visual impairments and their sighted peers. Poster presentation at the Open Lecture "Children, Tablets and iPads: Concerns and New Possibilities" with Prof. David Messer. Kingston University London.

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Number of items: 3.

Article

Manitsa, Ifigeneia and Doikou, Maro (2020) Social support for students with visual impairments in educational institutions : an integrative literature review. British Journal of Visual Impairment, ISSN (print) 1744-5809 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Manitsa, Ifigeneia, Barlow-Brown, Fiona and Lyons, Evanthia (2020) Self-concept of adolescents with visual impairments. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 38(2), pp. 160-167. ISSN (print) 0264-6196

Conference or Workshop Item

Manitsa, Ifigeneia, Barlow-Brown, Fiona and Lyons, Evanthia (2019) Self-concept in adolescents with visual impairments. In: 10th Annual Faculty Research Conference: Contemporary Issues in Business and Social Sciences in a period of uncertainty; 03 - 04 Jun 2019, Kingston upon Thames, U.K.. (Unpublished)

This list was generated on Wed Mar 3 05:43:40 2021 GMT.

Conference papers

Manitsa, I. (2020). Social inclusion of adolescents with visual impairments: From research to practice. Oral presentation at the 3rd PhD meeting between Kingston University and University of Gothenburg, Kingston University, London.
Manitsa, I., (2018). The importance of social inclusion in general schools to the self-concept of adolescents with visual impairment and their differences with sighted children. Paper presented at Kingston University Postgraduate Research Conference, Kingston, UK.
Manitsa, I. (2018). The importance of social relationships with sighted peers to the self-concept of adolescents with visual impairment and the differences between both groups. Oral and poster session presented at "Listen to me" Multi-sensory Impairment Conference, Seashell trust Organisation, Manchester Conference Centre, UK.

Contact me for more information.