IOE Insights

How is the pandemic reshaping the education debate? Part 1: East Asia, South East Asia, Australasia

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The immediate impact of COVID-19 on the education system was profound; it heavily disrupted classroom teaching, across all phases, and upended school ...

This is Season 7 of Research for the Real World

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

And we're so lucky and grateful to have you back for another year to share stories that shape our everyday lives. This season we're sitting up and pay...

2020 wrapped up | Coronavirus: The Whole Story

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

To kick off the new year, UCL Minds takes a look back at 2020 and the lessons we've learned throughout the pandemic. In this episode, we revisit some ...

How is the pandemic affecting women? | Coronavirus: The Whole Story

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Five remarkable research stories: the producers’ cut | Research for the Real World

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Research for the Real World production team reveal their favourite episodes of the whole series. The team share why each research story resonates ...

What if… we took play more seriously in the schools system? | IOE Debates

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Play is typically defined as ‘activity for enjoyment and recreation’, but in many respects, it serves a very serious and purposeful role in our li...

Putting human capital theory into practice and raising education outcomes | Research for the Real World

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mose...

School leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 lea...

One size fits all? A closer look at classroom numbers | Research for the Real World

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Less is more? The back and forth over class sizes has been an enduring debate amongst many in the teaching profession. Professor Emeritus Peter Blatch...

How can we all help schools and school children during the pandemic? | Coronavirus: The Whole Story

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Who's responsible for making sure our children don't go hungry? | Research for the Real World

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Fashioning digital touch

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New digital processes are changing how garments are designed and developed. From wearable electronics to motion capture, to crafting a pattern on a vi...

This is: Season 6 of Research for the Real World

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

What if… we wanted more effective school improvement? | IOE Debates

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For several decades, ‘school improvement’ and ‘raising standards’ have been high on the education policy agenda. The prescriptions have evolve...

How connecting capabilities can challenge inequalities in gender, education and the impact of COVID-19 | Research for the Real World

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Elaine Unterhalter joins our podcast to discuss gender equality in education in Africa and beyond with Dr Humera Iqbal. We begin by hearing ...

Overcoming oral language barriers to learning | Research for the Real World

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Julie Dockrell speaks to Dr Rob Webster about how speech, language and communication are foundational to learning and achievement. What happ...

How do we cope with isolation?

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 menta...

How far does a teacher's duty of care go? | Research for the Real World

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 for...

Apocalypse or new dawn? Social mobility and education in the post-Covid era

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 inequal...

Black identity, intersectionality and leadership in education, research and beyond | Research for the Real World

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 abou...

Powerful Knowledge: what should be taught in schools?

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

#MadeAtUCL Disruptive Discoveries: Levelling the Playing Field

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 e...

This is: Season 5 of Research for the Real World

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 spea...

Supporting primary learning during the COVID-19 outbreak | IOE Coffee Breaks

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Younger children in particular require help in understanding and adjusting to the ‘new normal’ brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also need re...

Children as co-researchers: there’s more at play here | Research for the Real World

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Kate Cowan talks to Dr Rob Webster about how children interact and communicate, the challenges researchers face when conducting research with them,...

How does knowledge exchange work in education? | Research for the Real World

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

[Listeners may experience occasional audio issues at the start of the podcast - things start to sound better after the 2-minute mark.] Dr Amelia Rober...

Attainment grouping and maths: learning from mistakes | Research for the Real World

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 lif...

How has coronavirus affected school-leavers’ chances of entering the job market?

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Research-informed practice for History and Holocaust Education | Research for the Real World

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We know that it’s important to learn about the Holocaust, but why? Dr Humera Iqbal is joined by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s Dr Alice ...

How should students pay for their university degrees? | Research for the Real World

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The ongoing global debate over student loans and the cost of higher education has taken on new meaning of late. What effect will COVID-19 have on fair...

What it's like to feel the sounds we hear

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lili Golmohammadi speaks to Tim Neumann, of the UCL Knowledge Lab about his experiences of auditory-tactile synaesthesia. The podcast was recorded (pr...

How will our children recover from lockdown?

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the coronavirus pandemic in the UK approaches its sixth month, we’re taking a look at the long-term impact of lockdown and subsequent school clos...

Our highlights so far and what's in store for Season 04 | Research for the Real World

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, hello! Dr Humera Iqbal and Dr Rob Webster are back in the IOE Podcast (virtual) studio to catch up on each other's plans for the summer as well...

2020, COVID-19 and the future | 50 Years of Life in Britain

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our last episode of the series examines how BCS70 and our study members have been faring during the pandemic and looks to the future of longitudinal r...

What’s going to happen to education in conflict zones after the pandemic? | Research for the Real World

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A journey that begins in Nepal and takes us through some of the world’s most vulnerable areas affected not only by war, conflict and displacement, b...

Midlife, the 2010s and health and wellbeing | 50 Years of Life in Britain

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we move into the 2010s to find out how our study members were faring in their forties. We learn how BCS70 cast light on increasing ra...

Parents playing teachers during the pandemic | Research for the Real World

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With widespread school closures taking place, COVID-19 has meant a lot of households taking on teaching responsibilities. Professor Dominic Wyse explo...

Social mobility, the 2000s and the gender pay gap | 50 Years of Life in Britain

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this fourth episode, we move into the new millennium, when the study enjoyed a golden decade. With BCS70 greatly valued by scientists and policymak...

Navigating digital technology for learning

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now that the initial shock of lockdown has subsided, we can step back and ask: are we making the most effective use of the learning opportunities that...

The effects of COVID-19 on mental health, physical health and social trust | Research for the Real World

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Keri Wong shares the story of her global academic journey and how those experiences have shaped her research interests in wellbeing across cultures...

What if… our education system changed for good in light of COVID-19? Part 3: Higher Education

10 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Universities are set to be deeply impacted by the pandemic; the prospect of significant falls in international student numbers threatens to change the...

A new dawn, the 1990s and skills for life | 50 Years of Life in Britain

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this third episode, we move into the 1990s to find out how the study and its staff survived the lean years of the 80s and early 90s, and managed to...

Should I stay or should I go? The teaching profession post-pandemic | Research for the Real World

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Season 3 kicks off with Dr Rob Webster joined by Dr Sam Sims for a discussion about issues affecting the supply and quality of teachers. We unpack Sam...

What if… our education system changed for good in light of Covid-19? Part 2: Further Education

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the pandemic hit, our further education colleges faced all the difficulties of moving teaching, pastoral care and governance and administration onl...

What if… our education system changed for good in light of Covid-19? Part 1: Schools

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For weeks, schools have been closed to all but the children of key workers and the most vulnerable. Exams for the ‘class of 2020’ have been cancel...

Teachers and teaching: the politics of respect

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Martin Mills explores the meaning of ‘respect’ in the context of contemporary constructs of the ‘ideal teacher’. In interviews with ...

Youthscan, the 1980s and reading for pleasure | 50 Years of Life in Britain

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this second episode, we move into the 1980s to find out how Neville Butler kept the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) going during a decade of aust...

This is: Season 3 of Research for the Real World

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Rob Webster and Dr Humera Iqbal are joined by a special guest to talk about the third season of our series, with a key focus on a future post-pande...

Medical students, their career aspirations, and the pandemic | Research for the Real World

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Humera Iqbal hears from Professor Chris McManus about his research into students who pursue careers in medicine and how the COVID-19 pandemic may a...

The British Births Survey, the 1970s and Tony Blair | 50 Years of Life in Britain

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the Centre for Longitudinal Studies' first episode of “50 Years of Life in Britain”, they explore the first decade of the 1970 British Cohort S...

Children’s baseline assessment… or accountability? | Research for the Real World

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Humera Iqbal talks to Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes about research exploring the experiences of teachers implementing Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) t...

This is: 50 Years of Life in Britain - How 17,000 babies changed society

19 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on Thursday 25 June as we celebrate 50 years of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), which has been following the lives of 17,000 people bor...

Responding to children in the 21st century: education, social pedagogy and belonging

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As a society we want our children and young people to thrive and fulfil their potential. How then, can we best identify and respond to their needs in ...

Black Lives Matter - the student view | Reflection + Action

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Humera Iqbal hears from three UCL students about how the Black Lives Matter movement has contributed to their feelings and personal experiences of ...

Covid challenges for families: a FACT finding mission | Research for the Real World

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Katherine Twamley talks to Dr Rob Webster about a multi-country research project to examine the impact of the coronavirus on everyday family life. ...

How working from home is working (or not) | Research for the Real World

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Allison Littlejohn talks to Dr Rob Webster about how UCL has managed to move research and teaching online, and the impact it’s had on staf...

Assessment for the ‘class of 2020’ – and 2021

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With exams disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this online discussion sizes up the task of securing robust and fair assessment for the class of 2020, ...

This is: Season 2 of Research for the Real World

29 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're back for more Research for the Real World with Dr Rob Webster and Dr Humera Iqbal! Premiering Monday 8 June, this upcoming season of the podcast...

Maximising the impact of teaching assistants | Research for the Real World

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the season 1 finale, and it’s Rob’s turn to be grilled. Gently, of course. Dr Humera Iqbal finds out about the role of teaching assistants ...

How 'Science Capital' can help us address inequalities in STEM participation | Research for the Real World

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Rob Webster is joined by Professor Louise Archer to explore how challenging dominant representations and educational practices can help make this p...

How longitudinal data reveals the benefits of reading for pleasure | Research for the Real World

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr Rob Webster is joined by Professor Alice Sullivan to explore how the act of reading for pleasure as a child has positive influence...

Are children learning under lockdown?

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With schools closed and parents and carers teaching their children at home, what will the long-term impact be on their learning? What can you do to ma...

The future of Education and Social Science research | Research for the Real World

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, is this thing on? Okay, great! Welcome to the very first episode of Research for the Real World. We thought that we’d start the series by pai...

This is: Research for the Real World

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're delighted to announce a new series for the IOE Podcast - Research for the Real World. Join the IOE's Rob Webster and Humera Iqbal as they chat w...

What makes a successful teacher?

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Transforming lives through teaching: a fireside chat with teachers. What was their first classroom experience like? How can teachers help shape societ...

What if… the world really did revolve around teenagers?

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What causes so-called 'teenage behaviours'? Leading experts from a range of fields – from neuroscience to psychiatry and education – examine the e...

Introducing the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The IOE has launched the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), focusing on equalising opportunities across the life course...

Understanding the social and cultural bases of Brexit

24 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since the 2016 EU Referendum, two narratives have been prominent in the public debate surrounding the outcome of the vote. The first narrative sees Br...

The teacher who gives his pay to the poor

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Tabichi is a science teacher and Franciscan Brother who gives away 80% of his monthly income to help the poor. Thanks to Peter's dedication, har...

What if… education policy was shaped by a commitment to social justice?

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For a long time, the ‘grand narrative’ in education and social policy has been the pursuit of social mobility – breaking the link between an ind...

Examining the impact of ability grouping

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Becky Francis, Dr Becky Taylor and Dr Antonina Tereshchenko examine research from the Best practice in grouping students project. Their book...

Should the PISA findings be trusted?

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a major international study of the reading, mathematics and science skills of 15-yea...

Taking a Scientific Approach to Science and Engineering Education

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A lecture by Nobel Prize Winner, Professor Carl Wieman, Stanford University that took place on Wednesday 25 September 2019 at UCL Institute of Educati...

The educational psychology of disadvantaged children

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives: in 2011 Vivian Hill spoke about the contemporary issues affecting educational psychology and disadvantaged and disabled children, f...

Why we stop studying science

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives: in 2011, Professor Michael Reiss spoke to the IOE about his interest in science education research, sex education and bio-ethics. ...

Literacy and language in early years and primary

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives: in 2011, Dominic Wyse, Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, joined IOE alumna Melissa Beeko for a conversation about...

Inequalities, education and life paths

16 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives: Ann Phoenix, Professor of Psychosocial Studies spoke to the IOE about her research interests, which include motherhood, social iden...

Linking gender, education and poverty

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives: Elaine Unterhalter, Professor of Education and International Development spoke to the IOE about her research into gender, education...

Making meaning: the role of semiotics and education

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The IOE was saddened to hear of the passing of Gunther Kress, Professor of Semiotics and Education, on 20 June 2019. A widely regarded academic, ling...

Global learning and skills for global social change

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Professorial Lecture: Speaker: Professor Douglas Bourn is Co-Director of the Development Education Research Centre (DERC), IOE Lecture responde...

Knowledge in education: Why philosophy matters

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Professorial Public Lecture: In recent years ideas about education have polarised: on one side are those stressing facts and disciplines; on the ...

Research on inequality: the long roots of childhood, informing policies, and generational change

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Professorial Public Lecture: In this lecture Professor Alissa Goodman will talk about her research on inequalities, showing how both cross-secti...

Inequalities in education and society: the home, the school and the power of reading

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Professorial Public Lecture: Speaker: Professor Alice Sullivan, IOE Chair: Professor Becky Francis, Director, IOE Respondent: Professor Heather J...

What if… we wanted a world-leading early years sector?

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: The early years have now got the recognition they deserve as a pivotal stage in our lives. It’s one that lasts a lifetime – s...

Identities, inequalities, education: sociology for social justice with youth in (and out) of school

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Professorial Public Lecture: Why are educational inequalities so powerful and resistant to change? And how might they be challenged? This talk ...

What if… we really wanted to diversify access to our universities?

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: Is “comprehensivisation” the answer to the slow pace of progress in widening access to the most prestigious universities, or ...

What if… we struck a different balance between school autonomy and regulation?

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: Could we hold a mirror up to teaching practice and school performance, and support their improvement, more effectively than we do...

What if… our main objective in education was to build wisdom?

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: The majority view would appear to be that building pupils’ subject knowledge is vital but that there is also room for paying at...

Art at the heart of education

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

2018 Global Teacher Prize Lecture. Art at the heart of education: why you cannot be truly educated without the arts, and why their decline affects us...

What if... we re-designed our school testing and assessment system from scratch?

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: What are Key Stage tests and national exams for – to support learning, certify competence, or sort pupils by ability? One answe...

What if... we wanted our kids to be happier?

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: Young people’s poor sense of well-being has hit the headlines this year, with talk of crisis and a lot of soul-searching about ...

The struggle for social justice in education

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

An occasion to mark Professor Geoff Whitty’s long-standing association with the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) – from trainee teacher to Directo...

What if... we wanted all kids to love maths?

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: We use maths in every aspect of our lives. We need numeracy at work, as citizens to make sense of economic news, as patients to u...

Talking Twitter With Rob Webster (@maximisingTAs)

29 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Webster, Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA) Lead and Researcher talks about why he joined Twitter, his initial approaches to usin...

What if… we were able to say more about how the brain learns?

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: The rise of neuroscience within education, as in other spheres, has been dramatic, so much so that accusations of ‘neuro mania’...

What if… we thought anew about how we support special educational needs and disability?

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: This year the Warnock Report turns 40 years old. How far have we come and where should we go next? The Warnock Report marked a ...

What if… we really wanted to prepare young people for the age of artificial intelligence?

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: There’s a lot of talk at the moment about robots and artificial intelligence and how they are bringing about a ‘fourth indust...

Reflections on the Warnock Report, with Baroness Mary Warnock

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: The Warnock Report is 40 years old in 2018. The Report marked a pivotal change in the provision of education for children with sp...

Defining further education: does it matter?

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Lectures: On Thursday 15 February 2018 the IOE hosted a public lecture by Professor Martin Doel – ‘Defining further education: does i...

What if... we really wanted to support schools facing the greatest challenge?

08 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

IOE Public Debates: Some schools have made a name for themselves in performing ‘against the odds’, their pupils chalking up impressive achievemen...