IOE Insights

IOE's Dr Tamjid Mujtaba joins this Coronavirus: The Whole Story episode (listen from 13:22) to discuss her work exploring how ethnic minority women in higher education are coping during the pandemic. But first up, Dr Daisy Fancourt (Institute of Epidemiology & Health) explains the findings of her study exploring the differing impacts of Covid on the UK population over the past 33 weeks - from...

The Research for the Real World production team reveal their favourite episodes of the whole series. The team share why each research story resonates with them, and discuss why they think everybody should know about these research stories. Full show notes and links to the episodes featured: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/dec/producers-cut-research-real-world-s06e04 Take our 2-minute survey to...

Play is typically defined as ‘activity for enjoyment and recreation’, but in many respects, it serves a very serious and purposeful role in our lives. It’s vital to our early development and supports wellbeing throughout the lifespan. In education, though, play has seemed to carry less respect, squeezed out by curriculum reforms and shrinking break times.  We’ve brought together experts from a ran...

The narrative of education as an investment in a better future is as compelling at a national level as it is at the individual one, and Professor Moses Oketch aims to find the key to making this work in practice. Dr Humera Iqbal discovers how Professor Moses Oketch’s career has been building a compelling connection between human capital theory and education policy. Full show notes: https://www.ucl...

What has the experience of the past few months taught us about leading through a crisis – about the skills required and the impact on individual leaders? And how can the research literature help us navigate this difficult terrain? Throughout the lockdown, school leaders were on the frontline: suddenly interpreting large volumes of evolving national guidance, supporting staff in adapting to new way...

Less is more? The back and forth over class sizes has been an enduring debate amongst many in the teaching profession. Professor Emeritus Peter Blatchford calls for a fresh look at the issue. An IOE veteran of three decades, Professor Blatchford shares with Dr Humera Iqbal his early experiences cutting his teeth in longitudinal research at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, teacher training, and his...

How has the pandemic affected local schools and communities? UCL does an enormous amount of work locally to make its research accessible and to reduce inequalities in the education system. Professor Louise Archer joins this Coronavirus: The Whole Story episode alongside host Vivienne Parry and experts from the Faculty of Engineering Science to explore why now, more than ever, supporting schools an...

You would expect straightforward answers to what seems to be such a straightforward question. Dr Keri Wong finds out from Dr Rebecca O’Connell as to why this may not be the case. For almost two decades, Dr Rebecca O’Connell has dedicated her career investigating the impact of food practices and policies in the UK and internationally. From 2014 to 2019 she led the ‘Families and Food in Hard Times’...

New digital processes are changing how garments are designed and developed. From wearable electronics to motion capture, to crafting a pattern on a virtual mannequin, what does rapid digitisation in fashion education and industry mean for touch? Has the role of touch and tactile material engagement in the garment design development process been fully understood yet? How does one go about studying...

We're almost there. 2020 has been incredibly challenging, to say the least. But we're glad you're still here with us. This season we'd like to give a very warm welcome to our newest member of the team, Dr Keri Wong! We've got her kicking things off with a chat with Dr Rebecca O'Connell about food poverty and free school meals in the UK, which has been front and back page news, largely thanks to th...

For several decades, ‘school improvement’ and ‘raising standards’ have been high on the education policy agenda. The prescriptions have evolved – from national initiatives to school-led efforts, and from a mantra that teacher quality is all, to a greater acknowledgment that leadership and management (and funding, and an evidence base for practice) also matter.   Are we any closer to these goals, a...

Professor Elaine Unterhalter joins our podcast to discuss gender equality in education in Africa and beyond with Dr Humera Iqbal. We begin by hearing about Professor Unterhalter’s fascinating personal and academic journey, raised in an activist family in apartheid South Africa, working with the ANC (African National Congress) and forming a vision of the country post-apartheid through the lens of e...

Professor Julie Dockrell speaks to Dr Rob Webster about how speech, language and communication are foundational to learning and achievement. What happens when a child struggles with these skills? Slow progress can be hidden by the logistics and pressures of the current school system, making oral language delay a less well-recognised disorder, which is in turn less supported as children move up thr...

As the situation evolves rapidly and rules seem to change, we're talking about isolation - coming out of it, and going back into it, how to cope mentally and emotionally. What can astronauts teach us about dealing with isolation? How can we enable safe interaction among young people? Can digital touch help? Join Vivienne Parry as she speaks with UCL experts: Dr Kevin Fong (Consultant Anaesthetist...

Professor Gemma Moss talks to Dr Rob Webster about what research has uncovered during COVID-19 and what this means for our education system moving forward. The pandemic has shone a light on the role of schools and their place in the community. You may have come across instances where teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure the welfare of children and their families by trying to meet gaps whe...

The COVID-19 crisis has shone an intense light on the role schools play in improving social mobility. On the one hand, it has exposed the deep inequalities outside schools that shape social mobility patterns, on the other it has also revealed escalating expectations placed on teachers to solve society’s ills. So what is the role of schools in improving social mobility in a post-pandemic world? How...

Talking about race can be at times difficult, challenging and uncomfortable, but it has to be done. Dr Victoria Showunmi talks to Dr Humera Iqbal about her personal journey, experiences and research into gender identity and race in the context of leadership, and the implications for the experiences of learners and educators. Her work has gained international recognition and has also resulted in co...

Professor Michael Young joins Dr Will Brehm to talk about his concept of 'Powerful Knowledge'. How does it apply to schools? Where did the idea come from? How has his own thinking evolved over his career, which also spans over 50 years at the IOE? Our thanks to Dr Will Brehm for allowing us to repost this episode from his FreshEd Podcast: https://freshedpodcast.com/michaelyoung/

How is UCL research helping to level out various playing fields? This podcast hears how legal experts are helping people to get the support they are entitled to, share thoughts with London’s commuters on how advertising can be more representative. But firstly, this episode takes a look at the creation of new technologies which make our world more accessible. Join UCL alumna, Suzie McCarthy, as she...

We've only realised that after many episodes, our 'Research for the Real World' hosts Dr Humera Iqbal and Dr Rob Webster have not seen each other speak. So we set up a video call to reveal all, including what's in store for Season 5. Find out more and watch the video: https://bit.ly/researchfortherealworld Take our 2-minute listener survey:  https://bit.ly/ResearchPodcast 

Younger children in particular require help in understanding and adjusting to the ‘new normal’ brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also need relatively close supervision in their learning and development - support that would usually be provided by teachers, in school. As the uncertainties continue about when all primary schools will re-open and on what basis, how can parents/carers and teachers...

Dr Kate Cowan talks to Dr Rob Webster about how children interact and communicate, the challenges researchers face when conducting research with them, and the pandemic’s effect on the way they play at home and school. An early years specialist, Kate’s research focuses on play, creativity and digital technologies, and prior to joining the IOE, she worked as a nursery teacher and remains committed t...

[Listeners may experience occasional audio issues at the start of the podcast - things start to sound better after the 2-minute mark.] Dr Amelia Roberts joins Dr Humera Iqbal in the Research for the Real World virtual studio to share examples of what knowledge exchange looks like through her experience and work on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As the Deputy Director of the UCL...

A look at how the evidence can help schools make informed decisions about the ways they group students and work towards equity and improving their life chances. “We don’t learn mathematics from getting everything right, we learn mathematics from making mistakes… protecting children from those mistakes and errors really doesn’t help their learning.” Dr Rob Webster and Professor Jeremy Hodgen discus...

The transition from school to the world of work is one of the most pivotal moments in a young person’s life – it’s a time of high pressure and high uncertainty, and one that requires an equally high level of resilience to manage. Enter the coronavirus crisis, and suddenly this difficult transition gains a brand new set of complications. The OECD invited Professor Ingrid Schoon onto their TopClass...