Meet The Education Researcher

Mental health is now recognised as an important part of schooling. Neil Humphrey (University of Manchester) talks about recent efforts to establish compulsory mental health education across English schools, and the benefits of supporting students’ social and emotional learning.

Academic research is becoming increasingly peripheral to education policy-makers and practitioners. Prof. Sally Power (Cardiff University) talks about the current shortcomings of our work, and how education research might be reinvigorated through a new ‘politics of method’.

Why did Twitter so quickly fall apart as a place for scholarship? Where are academics now going for their social media buzz? How can you use Chat GPT as a genuinely useful interlocutor? Mark Carrigan (University of Manchester) joins us to talk about two of his latest books – ‘Social Media For Academics’ (2nd edition) and the forthcoming ‘Generative AI for Academics’. We talk about how academics can get the best out of digital tools to support their scholarship, and how academia can push back against a looming age of automated research communication.

A/Prof Pontso Moorosi (University of Warwick) joins us to talk about her research on leadership preparation in South African schools, and the varying experiences of Black women school principals around the world.

How can schools tackle issues of sustainability and climate change? Prof. Lizzie Rushton (University of Stirling) talks about her research around environmental education in England and Scotland. We discuss the current state of UK sustainability education, teachers' and young people’s views on how environmental issues should be taught, and the benefits of applying a geographical mindset to education research.

Schools are beginning to report a notable change in boys’ behaviour as a result of their increased exposure to the so-called ‘manosphere’ and online extremist influencers like Andrew Tate. Dr. Stephanie Wescott (Monash University) talks about ongoing research into how women and girls are encountering the consequences of online toxic masculinity in schools, and what steps can be taken to combat the problem.

What relevance does existentialism have for teachers? Dr. Alison Brady (UCL) uses the existentialist philosophy of Jean Paul Sartre to rethink what it means for teachers to reflect and account for their own practice. We talk about Sartre’s ideas about the self and freedom, how teaching might be seen as a process of ‘bad faith’, and why teachers need talk candidly and honestly about the vulnerabilities of being in the classroom. Alison is the author of ‘Being a Teacher: From Technicist to Existential Accounts’ (Springer, 2023).

Actor-Network Theory is growing in popularity in education research. Helene Friis Ratner (Aarhus University) discusses the strengths and limitations of ANT, how this approach can be best applied to understand education, and the fascinating insights that can be gained from thinking about ‘things’.

Dr. Kirsty Finn (University of Manchester) researches a wide range of sociological issues related to students and higher education. We discuss Kirsty’s interest in student mobilities, the gendered ways in which universities are encouraging students to develop ‘side hustles’, and the need for research into the loneliness of university life.

Marcus Samuelsson researches issues of classroom management with Swedish teachers. We talk about how Marcus has shifted from talking about ‘classroom management’ to ideas of ‘classroom leadership’ and ‘teaching through interactions’. We also discuss the various student behaviours that teachers can perceive as disruptive, as well as how computer simulations can prepare trainee teachers to deal with the realities of classroom conflict. Marcus is based at Linköping University - this interview took place at the 2023 NERA conference in Oslo.

Nadine M. Connell (Griffith University) is a criminologist working in the area of school safety. We discuss Nadine’s research around school shootings in the US, how she navigates the politically-charged nature of public debate around this topic, and why school security and safeguarding is something that all countries need to take seriously.

Dr. Jakob Billmayer is fascinated by the ordinary aspects of education – from classroom doors and furniture, through to students' school-bags and Jamie Oliver’s cook-books. We talk about socio-materialism, Foucault’s historical accounts of school, and what can be learnt from paying attention to mundane ‘invisible’ objects that are otherwise easily overlooked. Jakob is based at Malmö University - this interview took place at the 2023 NERA conference in Oslo.

Prof. Felicia Moore Mensah (Teachers College) works in the area of science education and teacher preparation. We talk about Felicia’s application of critical race theory to science and STEM education, the power of teacher counter-storytelling, the difficulties of being a critical researcher in the current US political climate, and the need for academic writers to celebrate their small wins.

Dr. Paul Horton's work addresses school bullying in terms of the social, institutional, and societal contexts within which it occurs. We talk about the benefits of researching bullying as a relational issue, the ways in which bullying differs between national contexts, and how problems of resource scarcity in schools can lead to heightened tensions between different student groups. Paul is based at Linkoping University - this interview took place at the 2023 NERA conference in Oslo.

Adam Lefstein (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) discusses his recent research on teachers’ talk as a form of professional learning. We discuss the nature of ‘pedagogically productive talk’, how this can be supported within schools, and why online spaces are not always the best spaces for teachers to interact.

Sam Sellar (UniSA) is a leading commentator on the rise of numbers and data in education and education policy. We discuss the phenomenon of ‘PISA-shock’, the emergence of algorithms, AI and ‘synthetic governance’ in education, as well as the benefits of reading well beyond the education research literature.

Professor Louise Archer (UCL) is involved in large-scale research looking at inequalities in young people’s participation in STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths. We talk about the importance of young people’s ‘science capital’, the role that luck plays in whether someone progresses into the STEM professions, and what Louise has learnt along the way about research impact and making academic terminology accessible to non-academic audiences.

Prof Nicole Mockler (University of Sydney) is well-known for her work on the teaching profession and education policy. We talk about Nicole's recent study of news media representations of teachers, her ongoing project on how teachers manage their time, and what hope there is for revitalising teaching as a profession.

Professor Alice Bradbury (UCL) is a leading sociologist of early years and primary education, focusing on matters of inequality and social justice. We talk about Alice’s research on phonics teaching in English primary schools, the datafication of the early years classroom, and why we should be concerned about the emphasis now being placed on ideas of resilience, ‘grit’ and growth-mindset.

Prof. Julia Resnik (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) talks about her ongoing research into the International Baccalaureate – comparing the program’s take-up in US and Canada through to Argentina, Ecuador and Chile. We discuss how the idealistic origins of the IB program have subsequently been shaped by national and local contexts, and what the IB tells us about the supposed internationalisation of education policy.