Category: Education

Doctoral Student Spotlight: Antonia Voigt, Education PhD Student & Best Full Paper Award Winner

Posted on by cu19879

Antonia has been paving the way for greater sustainability management in UK universities after choosing to explore the topic for her doctoral thesis. Her work was even recognised for a prestigious award last year! 

We caught up with Antonia to learn more about her area of research expertise, her journey as a PhD student at the School of Education, and what her hopes are for her groundbreaking research after successfully defending her doctoral thesis.

Antonia presenting her PhD findings at the 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, the preeminent professional association for management and organization scholars.

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a passionate researcher, and for the last nine years, I have immersed myself in the world of academia. I believe in the power of lifelong learning. Every year, I have pushed myself a little further beyond my comfort zone and tried out something new. Whether through presenting my research at a global conference or serving as the Faculty PGR representative at the University of Bristol, I am striving to have a positive impact on people’s lives. On the rare occasions when I am not at university, you will probably find me folding intricate origami figures or watching the latest K-drama series.

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In Conversation With Dr. Siân Ephgrave, Education PhD Graduate & Faculty of Social Science and Law Doctoral Prize Winner 2024!

Posted on by cu19879

We spoke with Dr. Siân Ephgrave, a former Education PhD student at the School of Education, who was recently awarded the Faculty of Social Science and Law Doctoral Prize for 2024! We found out all about her reaction to winning the prestigious prize, Sian’s experience studying with us, and what she plans to do now.

Dr. Siân Ephgrave with her daughter on her graduation day.

Tell us a little bit about you!

My name is Siân Ephgrave and I live in East Bristol with my daughter and partner. I grew up in North London and attended my local state primary and secondary schools, and sixth form college, before completing my undergraduate degree in English at Swansea University.

I was a secondary school teacher of English from 2003 until 2015 when I was awarded a full scholarship by the Economic and Social Research Council to undertake doctoral research into teacher wellbeing.

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Reading for pleasure in German at A-level: an interview with Professor Katrin Kohl

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

By Cathy Shail, PhD, School of Education

As part of the literature review research for my doctoral study, a phenomenology into reading for pleasure at A-level in German, I conducted an expert interview with Katrin Kohl, Professor for German literature at the University of Oxford.

Her book Modern Languages – why it matters was of great interest and there were some ideas she raised that I felt were relevant to my study. I was also eager to glean the perspective of a modern linguist on the topic of reading for pleasure and second or third language acquisition.

The questions I designed were aimed at exploring her views on the reading for pleasure process, its impact and role in language acquisition as well as meaning-making. The A-level literary curriculum and examples of accessible reading in German for young linguists were other aspects upon which I was equally keen to seek her opinion. (more…)

New Open Source Resource from the School of Education

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

The 1988 Education Reform Act shook the English education landscape, creating an urgent need for professionals to stay informed, quickly, and clearly. Enter the Document Summary Service (DSS). Launched in 1989, the DSS delivered ten concise, two-page summaries of key education reports every month (except August). Packaged in boxes, they were sent to subscriber’s addresses. These reports were pulled from heavyweights like the Department for Education, Ofsted, Sutton Trust, and Ofqual. Subscribers included universities, schools, governors, inspectors, and local authorities.

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In conversation with: BERA Undergraduate Award Winner 2024, Em Quinton

Posted on by cu19879

We spoke with Em Quinton, a BSc Psychology in Education graduate, who won the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Undergraduate Award 2024.

She told us all about how she ended up studying at the School of Education, her favourite modules and her  reaction to receiving the prestigious award from BERA.

Em Quinton on her graduation day last year.

Why did you want to study for a BSc Psychology in Education degree at the University of Bristol?

In the very beginning, I actually wanted to study neuroscience. Covid meant I couldn’t take my A-Levels, so I sort of happily fell into the course. I was desperate to be in Bristol, and wanted to do something psychology-related. It turned out that Psychology in Education was far, far better suited to my skills and interests than my original plan would have been, so I’m glad I carried on with my plan B!

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South West Anti-Racist Education Forum

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

On 28th June, UWE hosted the third annual South West Anti-racist Education Forum (SWAREF), an event organised in partnership between UWE and the University of Bristol.  The 2024 SWAREF aimed to build on the previous two events in 2023 and 2022 and provide informative and participatory sessions on issues which local practitioners have identified as priorities: student voice, racial literacy, safeguarding, refugee education and sharing current anti-racist projects and research. The takeaway from the day, described by an attendee, is that education practitioners should be ‘explicitly and actively anti-racist’. (more…)

Nearly half of children born in Wales in 2002-03 classed as having special educational needs – this may have negatively affected their attainment

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Cathryn Knight, University of Bristol and Emily Lowthian, Swansea University

Nearly half of people born in Wales in 2002-03 were classed as having special educational needs (Sen), our new research has indicated, raising questions about the system used to diagnose a generation of Welsh children.

Our report for the Nuffield Foundation found that 48% of this group, who are now aged 20 to 22, were identified as having Sen at some point before they turned 17. In some cases, this may have negatively affected their educational outcomes.

Pandemic disruptions meant complete data was only available for this year group. However, we also identified several factors that made some children born in Wales between 2002 and 2008 more likely to receive a Sen diagnosis – including being a boy, being born in summer, and being on free school meals.

Our findings suggest children from these groups may have been over-identified (and those not in these groups potentially under-identified). A new system for identifying educational needs was introduced in Wales in 2020, and the number of children being diagnosed has since fallen significantly – it was 20% lower in the year after the new system began. (more…)

King’s speech 2024: experts explain new government’s plans for workers’ rights, rail nationalisation, education, and more

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

The king’s speech has been delivered, marking the state opening of parliament (technically, this was the first king’s speech with a Labour government in 74 years). The speech was written by Keir Starmer’s government, not the king, and lays out the government’s agenda for the coming year. Here, a team of The Conversation’s academic experts break down the key policies most likely to have a direct impact on people’s lives.

Read the rest of our expert reactions to the government’s plans for political reform here. (more…)

If the government is serious about tackling child poverty, it should extend free school meals

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

Will Baker, University of Bristol

The government has created a new ministerial taskforce for its child poverty strategy, led by Work and Pensions secretary Liz Kendall and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. It is urgently needed: 4.3 million children in the UK are living in poverty.

The government has already committed to making sure free breakfast clubs are available in all primary schools in England.

We know that having a good breakfast at school can help improve child behaviour and readiness to learn, and helps children achieve more at school. The introduction of breakfast clubs for all primary school children is welcome – but this cannot be the limit of the government’s ambitions if it is serious about tackling child poverty and dealing with its consequences. Extending free school meals in England would be a powerful step here. (more…)

International Women’s Day 2023: Digital rights are women’s rights- no ifs, no buts!

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

International Women's Day 2023Blog by Chidinma Ibemere, M.Sc. Education Leadership and Policy, University of Bristol, UN Women UK Delegate for CSW67 for International Women’s Day 2023

At the core of the first official celebration of the International Women’s Day by the United Nations in 1975, was the quest and the mandate to advance women’s rights everywhere, at all times. It is unfortunate that 48 years down the line, the menace, gender inequality, still thrives in various forms and dimensions across the intersections of life.

As overwhelming as this situation may seem, it is important that all hands must be on deck to ensure gender equality becomes a reality in our time. (more…)