We talk to Phill Dawson (Deakin University) about how to make sense of some of the latest trends around authentic assessment, self-assessment and ‘ungrading’. We also talk about what makes good feedback, and how students and teachers can benefit from developing ‘feedback literacy’.Meet The Education Researcher

Students choosing to study overseas has long been an important part of higher education, but is becoming increasingly politically contentious. Professor Rachel Brooks (University of Oxford) talks about her research around student mobilities in UK higher education – highlighting the complex institutional politics and personal experiences of studying…

Many Australian schools have extensive rules around what students are expected to wear and what they should look like. Kayla Mildren (Griffith University) talks about her work on the sociology of school uniform policies – especially schools' attempts to regulate students’ hair and hairstyles.Meet The Education Researcher

Getting published in academic journals can be a major source of stress for education researchers. We talk to Sam Sellar (lead editor of Discourse) about how best to navigate the article writing and submission process, dealing with peer reviews, and seeing journals as a space for ongoing conversations and community-building.…

We hear regular reports of a ‘crisis’ in teacher recruitment and what has been characterised as an exodus of educators leaving the profession. Professor Jo Lampert (Monash University) talks about her research around teacher workforce issues, and a new study examining the realities of working in ‘hard-to-staff’ schools.…

Prof. Kristiina Brunila (University of Helsinki) talks about the rise of ‘Precision Education Governance’ – the current push to reform education systems through markets, digital technologies, standardised measurements, behavioural sciences and the precise shaping of human conduct.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.Meet The Education Researcher

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’.Meet The Education Researcher

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…

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.Meet The Education Researcher

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 benef…

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 …

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 nee…

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’.Meet The Education Researcher

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 sim…

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 …

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 acad…

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…

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…

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 …

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 te…

“I’m not anti-technology … I’m pro-justice”. Dr. Marie Heath (Loyola University) works to encourage an informed scepticism about digital technology in education. We talk about getting critical tech issues into Social Studies lessons, conducting ‘techno-ethical audits’ of school platforms, and creative ways of encouraging students and teachers to re…

Mark Andrejevic (Monash University) is a leading commentator on surveillance, information and digital media. In this interview Mark looks back on his highly acclaimed 2020 book ‘Automated Media’, and considers how these issues are beginning to play out in the digital technologies now being taken up across schools and universities. Full transcript a…

Professor Alison Taylor (UBC) has spent her career looking at the interplay between students, education, work and the economy. We talk about the changing nature of student life in time of precarious employment, the limitations of talking about educational ‘careers’ and ‘trajectories’, and the empirical methods that Alison has found to be particular…

Professor Bob Lingard (ACU) reflects on the art and craft of being an education researcher. He talks about the distinction between ‘education’ research and ‘educational’ research, standing up for the added value of university-based research, and the need for academics to engage in the politics of education research. * full text transcript: https://…

Knowledge is a fundamental aspect of education, but something that education research rarely addresses head-on. Dr. Kate O’Connor (La Trobe University) specialises in the sociology of knowledge, and in this episode talks about her work around curriculum development, online teaching, and the increasing pressure for academics to engage in open schola…

Prof Jen Gilbert (York University) is a leading international researcher in the area of sexuality, gender and education. We talk about school as a site of sexuality, Jen’s use of storytelling methods, tips for dealing with the media, and how perceptions of ‘risk’ have altered since COVID.Meet The Education Researcher

“Historians remind us of what we might prefer to forget” Johannes Westberg (University of Groningen) is one of Europe’s rising historians of education. We talk about his recent paper: “What we can learn from studying the past: The wonderful usefulness of history in educational research”, and consider the benefits of thinking more critically about s…

Frank Pasquale (Brooklyn Law School) is a leading commentator on the social and legal consequences of AI, robotics and algorithms. Drawing on his 2020 book ‘The New Laws of Robotics’, Frank talks about various emerging issues around education and AI – from the changing status of professional educators to the possible regulation of ed-tech.…

In this episode, Troy Heffernan (La Trobe University) talks about the continuing relevance of Pierre Bourdieu’s ideas to contemporary higher education. We talk about the importance of Bourdieu’s notion of ‘cultural trajectories’, his 1990 book ‘Homo Academicus’, and Troy’s own use of Bourdieu to make sense of rising tensions between university midd…

Despite their social democratic origins, Swedish schools now depend heavily on the support of commercial companies. Professor Malin Ideland (Malmo University) talks about her research into Sweden’s diverse ‘edu-business’ and ‘edu-prenuer’ sectors. Malin describes the breadth of work that these private actors take on, their underpinning ideology, al…

Chris Gilliard (@hypervisible) is a leading critic of surveillance technology, digital privacy, and the problematic ways that tech intersects with race and social class. We talk about the automated forms of surveillance that are coming into schools and colleges – from ‘online examination proctoring’ to the use of ‘Alexa’ in classrooms. Why do peopl…

Gert Biesta (University of Edinburgh) is one of the best-known – and most interesting - current philosophers of education. We talk about Gert’s recent interest in the work of Klaus Prange, the need to come up with better questions (rather than answers), the prominence of ‘empty concepts’ in education, and advice for early career academics starting …

“Laptops will make a good school better, but they won’t make a bad school good” In this episode, we join Mark Warschauer (UC Irvine) for an overview of his 30 year career researching digital learning. We talk about why digital technology continues to be hyped as a ‘game changer’ in education, how children talk to computers as compared to humans, an…

Educational philosopher Carl Anders Safstrom (Maynooth University) joins us to talk about the past, present and future of ‘public education’. We trace the origins of the idea from post-war Europe back to the writing of John Dewey, and even further to the Ancient Greek ‘Sophists’. Carl Anders also considers how models of public education differ dram…

How do students learn to interact with others? How do teachers cope with stress? In this episode, we join psychologist Rebecca Collie (UNSW) for an overview of her work on social and emotional development in schools. We talk about how students’ disruptive behaviours impact teachers, the concept of workplace buoyancy, and the challenges of doing rap…

Does the idea of ‘globalisation’ still have any relevance for understanding education in the 2020s? Fazal Rizvi (University of Melbourne) talks about what education policy now looks like in light of the rise of Asia, alongside increased worldwide shifts toward nationalism, popularism, and anti-globalisation. We also discuss the digitization of soci…

Val Mendes (UNESCO) brings a global perspective to the topic of AI and education – particularly in light of UNESCO’s focus on educational policy and practice around the world. We talk about the importance of seeing AI in ‘narrow’ terms, the idea of ‘augmented’ intelligence, what UNESCO is doing to support AI and education, and the big questions of …

What is the educational potential of artificial intelligence? Erica Southgate (University of Newcastle) talks us through some of the key issues surrounding the emergence of educational AI technology. We talk about the importance of AI explainability, the idea of big tech companies working alongside education communities, and the complex questions a…

What role does science education have in a ‘post-truth’ era when some people deny climate change, oppose vaccinations, and believe COVID to be a hoax? In this episode, Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer talk about their new book – Science Denial: Why It Happens & What To Do About It. We discuss the psychology of science denial – from cognitive biases t…

‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ is a key educational text - packed with radical ideas about critical pedagogy and the death of the authoritarian teacher. In this episode, we join Carlos Alberto Torres (UCLA) for a deep dive into the background against which Freire was writing, the specific contexts of his ideas, and how we should be engaging with Pedag…

Antero Garcia (Stanford University) talks about his work in the area of media education and civics. We start by talking about the future of civics education in US schooling. We also explore the roles that games and gaming can play in reimagining (and disrupting) what goes on in the classroom. From Trump to Twitch to Paulo Freire in 15 minutes!…

“So you’re a science educator? That’s so radical!’ Sara Tolbert (University of Canterbury) is committed to challenging the politics and power that underpin science education. Sara talks about her work in supporting Indigenous knowledge and place-based learning in school, feminist approaches to teaching as care-work, and what we can learn from the c…

“We cannot understand education policy and power in education only by looking at the nation state”. Dr. Jason Beech has just joined Monash University’s Faculty of Education. He talks about the importance of space and networks in comparative education, his work on ‘Global Middle Class’ families and ‘idiosyncratic’ policy enactment, and the differenc…

Professor Nathalie Sinclair (Simon Fraser University) is a leading philosopher whose work strives to change the way we think about learning and teaching maths. In this interview Nathalie talks about the importance of gestures when explaining mathematical concepts, why students should be encouraged to count on their fingers, and why there is room fo…