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Emeritus Professor Derrick Armstrong

BA(Lond), MA(Lanc), PhD(Lanc)
Emeritus Professor

China studies centre

A35 - Education Building
The University of Sydney

Biographical details

Derrick is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Prior to this he was the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Registrar where hisresponsibilities included Learning and Teaching, Research Students, Student Recruitment, Administration, and Support Services. He also led the University's Social Inclusion and Widening Participation strategy, introducing the "Compass" program in 2007 and subsequently the 5-university collaboration, "Bridges to Higher Education".

In February 2005 Derrick was appointed to the Deanship of the Faculty, a position he held until December 2008 when he became Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Under his leadership the Faculty moved from a three Schools system to an integrated Faculty structure, established the DoctoralDivision, and introduced the Research Networks strategy.

Derrick's research field is the sociology of education but he has been particularly interested in multi-disciplinary collaborations. In the UK, he led the £1.5m UK Economic and Social Research Council Research Priority Network 'Pathways Into and Out of Crime". This Network involved a collaboration between five universities in the UK and partners in Australia and the USA. The research explored the experiences and perspectives of children and young people in relation to anti-social and criminal behaviour in contexts of multi-agency intervention. Other projects he has led include the national evaluation of the "On Track" crime-reduction program in the UK which examined the efficacy of multiple interventions with childrren aged 6-12 year and their families. He has also undertaken work on the history of special educational policy since 1944, on 'Self-advocacy, Civil Rights and the Social Model of Disability', on the construction of motivational styles in the context of school subject and classroom contexts, and he has a longstanding interest in the experience and perspectives of children and their parents involved in special educational assessment.

In addition, Derrick has worked extensively with teachers, non-government organisations and education ministries in educational development and capacity building in developing countries, particularly in the Caribbean and China.

Derrick has published 9 books and over 150 journal articles and papers.

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Awards and honours

· 2013 Emeritus Professor, The University of Sydney

· 2006 – 2009 Visiting Professor University of Dundee

· 2006 Honorary Professor University of Sheffield

· 2003 National Association for Special Educational Needs Academic Book Prize/Times Educational Supplement Academic Book Prize for ‘Experiences of Special Educational Needs: Re-evaluating Policy and Practice through Life Stories’ "judged the book which has made the most significant contribution to the academic study of special educational needs for this year”

· 1996 Honorary Professor Yunnan Radio and Television University, PRC

· 1995National Association for Special Educational Needs Academic Book Prize for ‘Power and Partnership in Education’ “judged the book which has made the most significant contribution to the academic study of special educational needs for this year”.

· 1994British Educational Research Association Dissertation Award, awarded "for the best Ph.D. or D.Phil. for research in Education awarded by a British university to a member of the Association during the previous calendar year."

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International links

China

(China 9 Universities) Program Committee Member of the GO8-China 9 Summit on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

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Selected grants

2010

  • Personal resilience, system resilience and educational opportunity; Martin A, Bottrell D, Armstrong D; Spencer Foundation/Research Support.

2003

  • ESOL and Special Needs Review; Armstrong D; Department for Children, Schools and Families/Grant.

2001

  • Citizenship; Armstrong D; Home Office/Research.
  • Community engagement; Armstrong D; Home Office/Research.
  • Pathways into and out of Crime: Risk, Resilience and Diversity.; Armstrong D; Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) UK/Research Grant.
  • Special Education Policy and Practice in the Eastern Caribbean; Armstrong D; UK Department for International Development (DFID)/Research Grant.
  • Research, design, development and publication of a generic evaluation framework for universal servic; Armstrong D; Home Office/Research.

2000

  • 'On Track Programme' Evaluation; Armstrong D; Home Office/Research.
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Selected publications

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Books

  • France, A., Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2012). A Political Ecology of Youth and Crime. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D., Spandagou, I. (2009). Inclusive Education: International Policy and Practice. Los Angeles, USA: Sage Publications.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Experiences of Special Education: Re-evaluating policy and practice through life stories. United States: Taylor and Francis.

Edited Books

  • Armstrong, F., Armstrong, D., Barton, L. (2000). Inclusive Education: Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspectives. London: David Fulton Publishing.

Book Chapters

  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2012). Local Resources and Distal Decisions: The Political Ecology of Resilience. In Michael Ungar (Eds.), The Social Ecology of Resilience: A Handbook of Theory and Practice, (pp. 247-264). New York: Springer.
  • Armstrong, D., Cairnduff, A. (2011). Building university-school partnerships. In Dorothy Bottrell and Susan Goodwin (Eds.), Schools, Communities and Social Inclusion, (pp. 268-279). South Yarra: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Armstrong, D. (2009). Educating youth: assimilation and the democratic alternative. In Jean Hine, Jason Wood (Eds.), Work With Young People: Theory and policy for practice, (pp. 75-87). London: Sage Publications.
  • Armstrong, D. (2007). Civic engagement among problem youth: citizenship and risk. In Saha L, Print M and Edwards K (Eds.), Youth and Political Participation, (pp. 177-190). Rotterdam Taipai: Sense Publishers.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Future directions in literacy. In R Ewing (Eds.), Beyond the Reading Wars. Towards a balanced approach to helping children learn to read, (pp. 7-12). Sydney: Primary English Teachers Association Australia (PETAA).
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Reinventing 'inclusion': New Labour and the cultural politics of special education [This is a reprint]. In G Walford (Eds.), Education and the Labour Government, (pp. 133-149). Abingdon, UK: TESOL.
  • Galloway, D., Rogers, C., Armstrong, D., Leo, E., Jackson, C. (2004). Ways of understanding motivation. In Harry Daniels, Anne Edwards (Eds.), The RoutledgeFalmer reader in psychology of education, (pp. 89-105). London: RoutledgeFalmer imprint of Taylor & Francis.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Developing the Potential for Distance Learning Modalities for Teacher Education. In A.C. Armstrong (Eds.), Rethinking Teacher Professionalism in the Caribbean Context. United Kingdom: Sheffield: Sheffield Papers in Education.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, F., Barton, L. (2000). Introduction. In Armstrong, F., Armstrong, D. and Barton, L. (Eds) (Eds.), Inclusive Education: Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspectives, (pp. 1-11). London: David Fulton Publishing.

Journals

  • Li, H., Walker, R., Armstrong, D. (2014). International note: Parenting, academic achievement and problem behaviour among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 37(4), 387-389. [More Information]
  • Armstrong, D., Cairnduff, A. (2012). Inclusion in higher education: issues in university-school partnership. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(9), 917-928. [More Information]
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A., Spandagou, I. (2011). Inclusion: By Choice or By Chance? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(1), 29-39. [More Information]
  • Li, H., Martin, A., Armstrong, D., Walker, R. (2011). Risk, protection, and resilience in Chinese adolescents: A psycho-social study. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 14(4), 269-282. [More Information]
  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D., France, A. (2010). Young people's relations to crime: Pathways across ecologies. Youth Justice, 10(1), 56-72. [More Information]
  • Li, H., Armstrong, D. (2009). Is there a correlation between academic achievement and behaviour in mainland Chinese students? Asian Social Science, 5(4), 3-9.
  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2007). Changes and exchanges in marginal youth transitions. Journal of Youth Studies, 10(3), 353-371.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Becoming criminal: the cultural politics of risk. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(2-3), 265-278.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Dreaming our future: Developing democratic educational practice? A E R (Australian Educational Researcher), 33(3), 1-12.
  • Armstrong, D., Goodyear, P. (2006). Implications of external research quality assessment for local research leadership: learning from the UK RAE experience. A E R (Australian Educational Researcher), RARE 6, 19-41.
  • Armstrong, D. (2005). Reinventing 'inclusion': New Labour and the cultural politics of special education. Oxford Review of Education, 31(1), 135-152.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D., Lynch, C., Severino, S. (2005). Special and inclusive education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, practice and provision. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 9(1), 71-87.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). A risky business? Research, policy, governmentality and youth offending. Youth Justice, 4(2), 100-116.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Historical voices: philosophical idealism and the methodology of 'voice' in the history of education. History of Education, 32(2), 201-217.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Partnership with pupils: problems and possibilities. Occasional Papers, 20(Children With Special Educational Needs: A Respons), 39-45.
  • Goodley, D., Armstrong, D., Sutherland, K., Laurie, L. (2003). Self-Advocacy, "Learning Difficulties," and the Social Model of Disability. Mental Retardation, 41(3), 149-160.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). The politics of self-advocacy and people with learning difficulties. Policy and Politics, 30(3), 333-345.

Conferences

  • Armstrong, D., Spandagou, I., Armstrong, A. (2009). One Nation Globalisation and Inclusive Education. AARE 2008 International Education Research Conference, Australia: Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE).
  • Armstrong, D., Graham, L. (2008). Putting theory into practice: producing inclusive teaching professionals. American Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2008, New York: AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION.
  • Armstrong, D., Goodyear, P. (2005). Implications of external research assessment for local research leadership: learning from the UK RAE experience. AARE Focus Conference on Research Quality Assessment.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). Becoming criminal: narratives of 'risk' and 'belonging' in the lives of young people and professionals'. The International Inclusive Education Colloquium: critical analyses of inclusive education policy: an international survey.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). The Cultural Politics of Risk. International Symposium - Penn State.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). The power to be me: inclusion, participation and democracy. University of Vaxjo, Sweden.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Expanding horizons? Rethinking research collaboration and institutional partnerships in higher education. Fifth International Conference on Education, Athens Institute of Education and Research Annual Conference.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Life history research and the problem of voice. American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Unheard voices: stories of resistance and the struggle for education', Discourse. Discourse, Politics and Resistance Conference.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Pathways into and out of crime: risk resilience and diversity. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Hine, J., France, A., Armstrong, D. (2002). Policy Evaluation on Shifting sands. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Hine, J., Armstrong, D. (2002). Risk, protection and problem behaviour among children in high risk neighbourhoods'. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D. (2002). The culture of silence and spaces for transformation: educational history and the reclamation of voice. Centre and Periphery: space, networks and geography in educational history Joint Australia and New Zealand History of Education Society/ UK History of Education Conference,.
  • Graebner, C., Armstrong, D. (2000). Conference Proceedings 'Using ICTs to Promote the Effective Use of Student-Tutor and Information Resources in Professional Development at a Distance. Distance Education in Small States.
  • Armstrong, D., Namsoo, A. (2000). New Markets or New Alliances: Distance Education, Globalisation and Post Colonial Challenges'. Distance Education in Small States.
  • Armstrong, D. (2000). The Politics of Advocacy and People with Learning Difficulties. Disability Studies Seminar.

Report

  • Armstrong, D., Hine, J., Hacking, S., Armaos, R., Jones, R., Klessinger, N., France, A. (2005). Children, risk and crime: the On Track Youth Lifestyles Surveys.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D. (2004). Implementing the On Track Crime Reduction Programme: Lessons for the Future.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D., Trikha, S. (2004). The National Evaluation of On Track.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D., Camina, M. (2004). The On Track Early Intervention and Prevention Programme: from theory to action Home Office Online Report 10/04.
  • Armstrong, D., Heathcote, V. (2003). Literature Review of ESOL for Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities,.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Pathways Into and Out of Crime: Risk, Resilience and Diversity.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A. (2003). Special Education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, Practice and Provision.
  • Armstrong, D., France, A., Hine, J. (2002). Second Interim Report to the Home Office on the National Evaluation of 'On Track'.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Special Education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, Practice and Provision, Final Report.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A., Severin, S., Lynch, C. (2002). Special Education Policy and Practice in the Eastern Caribbean: Full Report.
  • Armstrong, D., France, A., Hine, J. (2001). First Interim Report to the Home Office on the National Evaluation of 'On Track'.
  • Armstrong, D., Goodley, D. (2001). Self-Advocacy, Citizenship and the Social Model of Disability.

Other

  • Armstrong, D., Namsoo, A. (2000), Teacher Education Needs Assessment & Programme Design for the Turks & Caicos Islands.

2014

  • Li, H., Walker, R., Armstrong, D. (2014). International note: Parenting, academic achievement and problem behaviour among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 37(4), 387-389. [More Information]

2012

  • France, A., Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2012). A Political Ecology of Youth and Crime. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Armstrong, D., Cairnduff, A. (2012). Inclusion in higher education: issues in university-school partnership. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(9), 917-928. [More Information]
  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2012). Local Resources and Distal Decisions: The Political Ecology of Resilience. In Michael Ungar (Eds.), The Social Ecology of Resilience: A Handbook of Theory and Practice, (pp. 247-264). New York: Springer.

2011

  • Armstrong, D., Cairnduff, A. (2011). Building university-school partnerships. In Dorothy Bottrell and Susan Goodwin (Eds.), Schools, Communities and Social Inclusion, (pp. 268-279). South Yarra: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A., Spandagou, I. (2011). Inclusion: By Choice or By Chance? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(1), 29-39. [More Information]
  • Li, H., Martin, A., Armstrong, D., Walker, R. (2011). Risk, protection, and resilience in Chinese adolescents: A psycho-social study. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 14(4), 269-282. [More Information]

2010

  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D., France, A. (2010). Young people's relations to crime: Pathways across ecologies. Youth Justice, 10(1), 56-72. [More Information]

2009

  • Armstrong, D. (2009). Educating youth: assimilation and the democratic alternative. In Jean Hine, Jason Wood (Eds.), Work With Young People: Theory and policy for practice, (pp. 75-87). London: Sage Publications.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D., Spandagou, I. (2009). Inclusive Education: International Policy and Practice. Los Angeles, USA: Sage Publications.
  • Li, H., Armstrong, D. (2009). Is there a correlation between academic achievement and behaviour in mainland Chinese students? Asian Social Science, 5(4), 3-9.
  • Armstrong, D., Spandagou, I., Armstrong, A. (2009). One Nation Globalisation and Inclusive Education. AARE 2008 International Education Research Conference, Australia: Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE).

2008

  • Armstrong, D., Graham, L. (2008). Putting theory into practice: producing inclusive teaching professionals. American Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2008, New York: AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION.

2007

  • Bottrell, D., Armstrong, D. (2007). Changes and exchanges in marginal youth transitions. Journal of Youth Studies, 10(3), 353-371.
  • Armstrong, D. (2007). Civic engagement among problem youth: citizenship and risk. In Saha L, Print M and Edwards K (Eds.), Youth and Political Participation, (pp. 177-190). Rotterdam Taipai: Sense Publishers.

2006

  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Becoming criminal: the cultural politics of risk. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(2-3), 265-278.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Dreaming our future: Developing democratic educational practice? A E R (Australian Educational Researcher), 33(3), 1-12.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Future directions in literacy. In R Ewing (Eds.), Beyond the Reading Wars. Towards a balanced approach to helping children learn to read, (pp. 7-12). Sydney: Primary English Teachers Association Australia (PETAA).
  • Armstrong, D., Goodyear, P. (2006). Implications of external research quality assessment for local research leadership: learning from the UK RAE experience. A E R (Australian Educational Researcher), RARE 6, 19-41.
  • Armstrong, D. (2006). Reinventing 'inclusion': New Labour and the cultural politics of special education [This is a reprint]. In G Walford (Eds.), Education and the Labour Government, (pp. 133-149). Abingdon, UK: TESOL.

2005

  • Armstrong, D., Hine, J., Hacking, S., Armaos, R., Jones, R., Klessinger, N., France, A. (2005). Children, risk and crime: the On Track Youth Lifestyles Surveys.
  • Armstrong, D., Goodyear, P. (2005). Implications of external research assessment for local research leadership: learning from the UK RAE experience. AARE Focus Conference on Research Quality Assessment.
  • Armstrong, D. (2005). Reinventing 'inclusion': New Labour and the cultural politics of special education. Oxford Review of Education, 31(1), 135-152.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D., Lynch, C., Severino, S. (2005). Special and inclusive education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, practice and provision. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 9(1), 71-87.

2004

  • Armstrong, D. (2004). A risky business? Research, policy, governmentality and youth offending. Youth Justice, 4(2), 100-116.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). Becoming criminal: narratives of 'risk' and 'belonging' in the lives of young people and professionals'. The International Inclusive Education Colloquium: critical analyses of inclusive education policy: an international survey.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D. (2004). Implementing the On Track Crime Reduction Programme: Lessons for the Future.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). The Cultural Politics of Risk. International Symposium - Penn State.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D., Trikha, S. (2004). The National Evaluation of On Track.
  • France, A., Hine, J., Armstrong, D., Camina, M. (2004). The On Track Early Intervention and Prevention Programme: from theory to action Home Office Online Report 10/04.
  • Armstrong, D. (2004). The power to be me: inclusion, participation and democracy. University of Vaxjo, Sweden.
  • Galloway, D., Rogers, C., Armstrong, D., Leo, E., Jackson, C. (2004). Ways of understanding motivation. In Harry Daniels, Anne Edwards (Eds.), The RoutledgeFalmer reader in psychology of education, (pp. 89-105). London: RoutledgeFalmer imprint of Taylor & Francis.

2003

  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Expanding horizons? Rethinking research collaboration and institutional partnerships in higher education. Fifth International Conference on Education, Athens Institute of Education and Research Annual Conference.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Experiences of Special Education: Re-evaluating policy and practice through life stories. United States: Taylor and Francis.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Historical voices: philosophical idealism and the methodology of 'voice' in the history of education. History of Education, 32(2), 201-217.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Life history research and the problem of voice. American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference.
  • Armstrong, D., Heathcote, V. (2003). Literature Review of ESOL for Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities,.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Partnership with pupils: problems and possibilities. Occasional Papers, 20(Children With Special Educational Needs: A Respons), 39-45.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Pathways Into and Out of Crime: Risk, Resilience and Diversity.
  • Goodley, D., Armstrong, D., Sutherland, K., Laurie, L. (2003). Self-Advocacy, "Learning Difficulties," and the Social Model of Disability. Mental Retardation, 41(3), 149-160.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A. (2003). Special Education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, Practice and Provision.
  • Armstrong, D. (2003). Unheard voices: stories of resistance and the struggle for education', Discourse. Discourse, Politics and Resistance Conference.

2002

  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Developing the Potential for Distance Learning Modalities for Teacher Education. In A.C. Armstrong (Eds.), Rethinking Teacher Professionalism in the Caribbean Context. United Kingdom: Sheffield: Sheffield Papers in Education.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Pathways into and out of crime: risk resilience and diversity. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Hine, J., France, A., Armstrong, D. (2002). Policy Evaluation on Shifting sands. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Hine, J., Armstrong, D. (2002). Risk, protection and problem behaviour among children in high risk neighbourhoods'. 2nd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology : European Criminology: Sharing Borders, Sharing a Discipline.
  • Armstrong, D., France, A., Hine, J. (2002). Second Interim Report to the Home Office on the National Evaluation of 'On Track'.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). Special Education in the Eastern Caribbean: Policy, Practice and Provision, Final Report.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, A., Severin, S., Lynch, C. (2002). Special Education Policy and Practice in the Eastern Caribbean: Full Report.
  • Armstrong, A., Armstrong, D. (2002). The culture of silence and spaces for transformation: educational history and the reclamation of voice. Centre and Periphery: space, networks and geography in educational history Joint Australia and New Zealand History of Education Society/ UK History of Education Conference,.
  • Armstrong, D. (2002). The politics of self-advocacy and people with learning difficulties. Policy and Politics, 30(3), 333-345.

2001

  • Armstrong, D., France, A., Hine, J. (2001). First Interim Report to the Home Office on the National Evaluation of 'On Track'.
  • Armstrong, D., Goodley, D. (2001). Self-Advocacy, Citizenship and the Social Model of Disability.

2000

  • Graebner, C., Armstrong, D. (2000). Conference Proceedings 'Using ICTs to Promote the Effective Use of Student-Tutor and Information Resources in Professional Development at a Distance. Distance Education in Small States.
  • Armstrong, F., Armstrong, D., Barton, L. (2000). Inclusive Education: Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspectives. London: David Fulton Publishing.
  • Armstrong, D., Armstrong, F., Barton, L. (2000). Introduction. In Armstrong, F., Armstrong, D. and Barton, L. (Eds) (Eds.), Inclusive Education: Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspectives, (pp. 1-11). London: David Fulton Publishing.
  • Armstrong, D., Namsoo, A. (2000). New Markets or New Alliances: Distance Education, Globalisation and Post Colonial Challenges'. Distance Education in Small States.
  • Armstrong, D., Namsoo, A. (2000), Teacher Education Needs Assessment & Programme Design for the Turks & Caicos Islands.
  • Armstrong, D. (2000). The Politics of Advocacy and People with Learning Difficulties. Disability Studies Seminar.
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