Highlights from the first half of 2021
View this email in your browser. Did someone forward you this? You can sign up here.
RESEARCH NEWS
SUMMER 2021
A quick update from us
We are delighted to announce two key appointments in research leadership at the IOE. Professor Lynn Ang, our new Pro-Director of Research and Development, is an expert in early childhood education and international evidence-based research, and has led major research projects including the first international review of the evidence on early childhood development and peace-building policies across fourteen countries funded by the UN and UNICEF. She is also Co-Chair of the UCL Research Ethics Committee, overseeing the governance of research ethics across UCL. Lynn will be sharing her thoughts on the IOE's research in future issues of this newsletter.
Meanwhile, Professor Li Wei, a world-leading scholar in the interdisciplinary field of applied linguistics and language education, will take up the post of Director and Dean of the IOE from 1 July 2021. We welcome both Lynn and Li Wei, and look forward to an exciting future for IOE research under their leadership.
IOE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
International Day of Education
24 January marked the International Day of Education. January may seem like a lifetime ago, but the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are harder to leave behind. Take a look at our round-up of how we're investigating and responding to these challenges in education and societies across the world.
Championing gender equality in education
An event at the IOE brought together Professor Elaine Unterhalter and senior policy makers from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss the politics of measuring gender equality in education and offer evidence-led perspectives for this year’s G7 Summit, which had girls’ education as its flagship issue.
The event also saw the launch of the ESRC Accountability for Gender Equality in Education (AGEE) project's innovative framework of indicators.
The project’s lead investigator, Professor Elaine Unterhalter, reinforced the need for clarity on data for public policy, and explored how this framework enhanced the ways in which gender equality in education is understood and evaluated, linking it with other areas of social policy.
Moving up from primary to secondary school
The experiences of pupils who made the move up to secondary school during 2020 has prompted proposals for a smoother, more extended, more distinct transition phase spanning the whole of Year 7. “Secondary schools that manage to bridge the gap well between primary and secondary phases set up their students for a lifetime’s successful learning," says Dr Sandra Leaton Gray. Find out what features such a transition phase could involve.
Teaching and classroom assistants key to keeping schools open
Just over half of teaching assistants in schools stepped-up to manage classes on their own during the winter lockdown, ensuring vulnerable and key worker children could attend lessons. Inspired by the experiences of these 'unsung heroes', here are three key recommendations for learning recovery.
Research for the Real World Season 10
This season focuses on how IOE researchers are finding opportunities to extend the benefit of their research to society through collaboration with colleagues at UCL and beyond.
Listen to a sneak preview of interviews on digital touch, mental health in schools, STEM equity projects, and the art of collaborative research.
If you'd like to ask our presenters or guests a question for future episodes, you can record a voice message or tell us on social media: #IOEPodcast.
Take our 2-minute survey and help us make the best podcast possible!
IOE NEWS
Major new cohort studies launched
The Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study will pilot approaches to setting up a future large-scale national birth cohort study. It will follow a sample of babies born in the UK in 2021 during their first year of life, and the research team welcome input from future data-users. Respond to the consultation survey.
The Children of the 2020s Study is an in-depth study of children’s early years development and education during a time of extraordinary social and technological change and of course recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both of the above studies are led by the IOE’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) whose Centre Director Professor Alissa Goodman has been awarded a CBE for services to social sciences in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Meanwhile, the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO) will provide high-quality evidence on how the pandemic affects socio-economic inequalities in life chances, both in terms of short-term effects on educational attainment and well-being, and long-term educational and career outcomes.
IOE experts involved in national attainment reporting
PISA results drive changes to schooling systems in the UK and internationally, however Professor John Jerrim's investigation finds 'serious flaws' in the way the educational performance was reported in the 2018 data. Following Professor Jerrim’s recommendations, the Office for Statistics Regulation carried out a review which identified three areas for improvement, committing to better comply with Code of Practice in those areas. Read their response.
Looking ahead, Dr Jennie Golding and Dr Mary Richardson have been appointed Principal Investigators for Trends in Mathematics and Science Skills (TIMSS) 2023. They join an expert team taking on advisory, research, analysis and reporting work for England.
IOE archives feature in 'Subnormal: A British Scandal' documentary
Research Support and Special Collections Librarian Nazlin Bhimani and colleagues provided research material from the IOE Library's archives and special collections for the BBC One documentary first broadcast in May 2021. The resources helped shed light on injustices in the education system which saw Black children wrongly placed in schools for the 'educationally subnormal' during the 60's and 70's.
New IOE Early Career Impact Fellowship
A new Fellowship was launched in May 2021 as part of our mission to support an inclusive research culture. It is co-created with early career researchers, for early career researchers to enhance their skills and knowledge for creating real-world impact from their research.
Student achievements in linguistics
IOE students are often involved in all manner of interesting and innovative sector developments. We're very proud to tell you about two students who have recently made exceptional achievements: Kevin W. H. Tai and Chaoqun Zheng.
Kevin has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) for his outstanding contributions to social advancement through research in multilingualism and classroom discourse. Now an alumna of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MA, Chaoqun had her Master’s dissertation published in December 2020's edition of the international, peer-reviewed journal Second Language Research. Her research suggests that keener auditory perception matters more than musicality for language learning.
EVENTS
Soon
Sit with the Editor: Professor Carol Vincent
In this webinar Professor Carol Vincent introduces the Journal of Education Policy and discusses factors to consider when researchers are choosing which journal to publish in.
Later
Inclusive and Supportive Education Conference
Hosted in partnership with Nasen, ISEC 2020 presents new perspectives for closing the research-to-practice gap in inclusive education practices for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
FROM THE IOE BLOG
Open book exams: open season for cheaters or a better form of assessment?
Cheating is not inevitable, says Dr Gwyneth Hughes. Here's how open-book exams can be designed to work well.
"I’m okay, just scanning proof that my leg is still amputated"
How can academia become less ableist? Dr Nicola Brown discusses strategies to improve inclusion in the higher education sector, starting with an attitudinal shift among everyone who pays a role in academia.
Why we’re not surprised about the #MeToo movement in UK schools
Professor Jessica Ringrose leads a group of experts recommending four steps to tackle sexual harassment in schools.
LASTLY...
Coming back stronger: leadership matters
Visiting Professor Christine Gilbert reflects on five leadership opportunities schools should take to learn from Covid disruptions and open conversations, planning and action for a stronger future. Read the thinkpiece and watch April 2021's public leadership forum which discussed these opportunities.
|
UCL Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7612 6000