Neoliberalism has had a profound impact not only on the funding models of higher education institutions but also on the understanding of their raison d’être (Bourdieu, 2003; Collini, 2015). Consequently, universities are increasingly performative spaces measurable in economic terms, fast paced and with little time for initiatives that do not serve the neoliberal agenda of getting students into the workforce (Jones and Ball, 2023). In contrast, the early universities were contemplative places with a very different understanding of work and leisure (Pieper, 1952). This paper is an autoethnographic investigation of encounters with the more-than-human (Abram, 1997) world experienced during a self-funded research trip to Aotearoa. I analyse first-hand experiences, or data, gathered during engagements with the natural world using the Lectio Divina method. The Lectio Divina method has its origins in ancient Greece and the contemplative practices of medieval monks in the monastic schools and early universities (Illich, 1996; Keator, 2017). It is a method of divine or contemplative reading that entails an inner-subjective awakening, a contemplatio, rather than the acquisition or possessing of knowledge through purely objective comprehension. I adapt this form of contemplative reading to afford me a reading of my experiences of engagements with the more-than-human during my research trip. In light of this analysis, I explore how my experiences with the more-than-human in Aotearoa granted me knowings that honour ancient understandings of scholarliness and knowledge (Illich, 1996).  These knowings are discussed and analysed in the context of underpinning theory and insights from posthumanism (Braidotti, 2019) contemplative pedagogy (Flanagan and Clough, 2024) and Te Ao Māori (Hemara, 2000) as evidence in favour of a reconceptualisation or a re-membering of the university with its relationship with, and commitment to, knowledge, contemplation, scholarliness and work.

References

Bourdieu, P. (2003). Firing Back: Against the Tyranny of the Market 2. Translated by L. Wacquant. New York, NY: The New Press.

Braidotti, R. (2019). Posthuman knowledge (Vol. 2). Cambridge: Polity Press.

Collini, S. (2015). Defending universities: Argument and persuasion. Power and Education, 7(1), 29-33.

Flanagan, B., & Clough, K. (Eds.). (2024). The Routledge handbook of research methods in spirituality and contemplative studies. Taylor & Francis.

Hemara, W. (2000). Maori Pedagogies: A View from the Literature. New Zealand Council for Educational Research

Illich, I. (1996). In the Vineyard of the Text: a Commentary to Hugh’s Didascalicon. University of Chicago Press.

Jones, B. M., & Ball, S. J. (Eds.). (2023). Neoliberalism and education. London, UK: Routledge.

Keator, M. (2017). Lectio Divina as contemplative pedagogy: Re-appropriating monastic practice for the humanities. Routledge.

Pieper, J. (1952). Leisure, the basis of culture. Random house Inc.

As academia becomes increasingly diverse in terms of its spheres of knowledge, so has the ways in which research is packaged and disseminated amongst different audiences. While journal papers and research monographs maintain their position as high status outlets for communicating research and knowledge contribution, the value and impact of alternative mediums for publishing works has become increasingly recognised. These changes mean that for academic writers the world of publishing is more nuanced, more varied and gifts a bigger array of options and opportunities. This workshop aims to introduce that varied landscape of writing by profiling some of these newer writing genres that offer rapid publishing as well as other more traditional forms of writing. The focus will be on exploring differences, continuities and approaches to writing in a range of scholarly ways such as writing blog posts, magazine articles, book reviews, abstracts and book chapters. The workshop is aimed at early career researchers or any academic writer who is interested in diversifying their writing repertoire.  

Student Voice has been a part of higher education (HE) in England since the early 1800s (Ashby and Anderson, 1970; Day and Dickinson, 2018) but has only been at the forefront of HE policy since the early 1990s, coinciding with the marketisation of the sector and initiatives to wider participation. Due to this we have seen an array of initiatives implemented both at government and institution level to offer students the opportunity to offer feedback on their experiences studying within the sector. Studies conducted by Young and Jerome (2020) and Elliot (2021) suggested that more often that not, these opportunities limit the voice of students to a feedback loop that support the quality assurance of the institution rather than supporting change in real time to assist in the development of those students offering feedback. Bell and Brooks (2018) and Callender and Dougherty (2018) proposed that this is due to the pressures of the performativity agenda and its impact on senior leadership to evidence how they are maintaining/enhancing quality of provision. In turn, there are suggestions that this has impacted the autonomy and voice of academics (Taberner, 2017; Wale, 2019), whilst there are still groups of students who feel underrepresented or unheard on matters that matter to them (Canning, 2017; Geurts et al., 2023). Due to this, this project seeks to review how hegemony has influenced thinking about Student Voice in HE, considering how change management can be used to enhance partnership working between senior leadership, academics and students to ensure that all stakeholders are active contributors on matters that affect them.

This paper is based on the initial work conducted as part of my PhD and will outline the initial findings of the literature review and the approaches I intend to use to conduct the primary research phase of my study. As an early career researcher, this is an opportunity for me to share my initial findings but to also respond to discuss ideas with individuals who are stakeholders in the research being conducted.

Over the previous four years our practice has shifted to digital delivery, using Communities of Practice (CoP) which, by design, are socially constructed and rely on shared commitment within a specified context (Wenger, 1998).  To scaffold these on line CoP’s we have used trainee created rich pictures (Checkland) to focus conversations and personalise learning through a triad meeting between school based mentors and university lecturers. The process has led to gains in relationships and providing a third space for reflection and application of evidence informed practice.

Zeichner (2010) argues that in the developing educational landscape trainees should be engaged in communities for reflection and practice. To place trainees at the centre of the CoP a fortnightly triad meeting based upon the rich picture rather than placement progress is undertaken. The process allows a trainee to identify an area of their rich picture that does not fit within the school experience. Trainees then engage in various CoP to gain experienced viewpoints and possible research to generate different frames of reference for the rich picture item or issue.

The session aims to share how the mentoring process is undertaken and structured using a RICH acronym (Recall, Investigate, Contextualize, Hypothesis moving towards Recognition, Internalising, Collaboration, Harmonising). Further to this we intent on providing reflection of different methods of analysis of the rich pictures and how the process has influenced student professional capital.

Korthagen, F. (2017) Inconvenient truths about teacher learning: towards professional development 3.0. Teachers and Teaching – theory and practice., 23(4), pp387-406.

Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and practice. London: Routledge Palmer.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932.

Zeichner, K. (2010) Rethinking the connections between campus course and field experiences in college and university based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(1), pp89-99.

Navigating a career between science and education presents both unique opportunities and challenges. Traditional disciplinary boundaries in higher education often dictate how knowledge is framed, taught, and valued. However, these boundaries can limit student learning, engagement, and critical thinking. Drawing on my experiences as an academic situated between the fields of science and education, this work reflects on the potential of interdisciplinary teaching to enrich student learning and prepare students for complex, real-world challenges that require cross-disciplinary thinking. This inquiry aims to explore how occupying an interdisciplinary position influences teaching practices and student experiences. Through personal reflection, I consider how stepping outside a single disciplinary framework allows for the integration of diverse perspectives, fostering a more holistic educational experience. I also examine how teaching beyond subject paradigms can develop students’ critical thinking, adaptability, and ability to apply knowledge in broader contexts. The objective is to highlight how interdisciplinary approaches can better prepare students for a world where solutions to complex problems often lie at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Adopting a reflective, autoethnographic methodology, this work draws on my teaching experiences and personal journey between science and education. These reflections are situated within broader pedagogical literature on interdisciplinarity and student engagement, offering insights into how disciplinary identities shape teaching and learning. My reflections reveal that occupying a space between science and education allows for a richer understanding of how knowledge is constructed and applied. Interdisciplinary teaching not only enhances student engagement but also helps students develop a more nuanced view of complex issues. Students exposed to interdisciplinary approaches are better equipped with transferable skills, including critical analysis, problem-solving, and the ability to synthesise diverse ideas. However, barriers remain, including curriculum structures that reinforce disciplinary silos and perceptions that prioritise research outputs over innovative teaching. The discussion will explore how science educators can embrace interdisciplinary approaches without compromising subject depth. It will also consider how fostering interdisciplinary thinking supports student development, enabling them to become adaptable, critical thinkers capable of navigating an increasingly interconnected world.

The new QAA subject benchmarks for Education Studies are due for publication in April 2025. These new benchmarks reflect the changing landscape of Higher Education in the UK, with a stronger emphasis on accessibility, employability, equity, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and artificial intelligence, for example. Beginning with an overview of the new benchmarks, this workshop will explore ways in which Education Studies courses can change and adapt to meet these new guidelines. One of the chairs, Stephen Dixon, worked as part of the QAA panel to update the benchmarks and as such will offer his insights into the process and implications for Education Studies programmes across the UK. The chairs will offer examples of how they are re-designing two Education Studies undergraduate programmes at their own university, with opportunity for activities, discussion and debate with the audience. Delegates will gain a clearer understanding of what these new benchmarks entail, and be able to reflect on how these changes may impact on their own programmes. As such, the target audience for the workshop will be any delegates that teach on Education Studies (or related) programmes.

This paper explores the evolving agency of Programme Leaders (PLs) operating within Higher Education in Further Education (HE in FE) settings, situating their experiences within the broader discourse on educational leadership in a sector undergoing rapid transformation. Drawing on findings from my doctoral research, currently in its final stages, this study investigates how PLs navigate the tensions between institutional constraints, professional identity, and their capacity for agentic action. The research is framed through Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) Chordal Triad of Agency (CTA), a theoretical model that conceptualises agency as a dynamic process influenced by past experiences, present situational constraints, and future aspirations.

The study employs a qualitative research design, using semi-structured interviews to capture the lived experiences of PLs across multiple disciplinary contexts. A thematic analysis of the data identifies key factors shaping their professional agency, including strategic compliance, performative pressures, and the negotiation of professional identity within managerialist structures. Participants’ accounts highlight the nuanced ways in which PLs assert professional judgment, exercise autonomy, and adapt to evolving sectoral expectations while balancing competing institutional demands.

Findings reveal that while PLs demonstrate resilience and innovation, their agency is frequently constrained by hierarchical decision-making processes, policy-driven mandates, and shifting sectoral priorities. Interview data illustrate how professional agency is enacted through adaptive strategies, including compliance with institutional expectations while subtly resisting managerial encroachments that compromise pedagogical integrity. Furthermore, the study highlights the paradox of PLs’ roles—positioned as both educational leaders and intermediaries within structures that afford limited influence over strategic direction.

This research contributes to ongoing debates on academic leadership in post-compulsory education by offering insights into how agency is exercised within the constrained environments of HE in FE. It suggests that fostering a culture of genuine collaboration and professional recognition is essential for enhancing PLs’ capacity to lead effectively. The study also calls for institutional reforms that prioritise educational ethos over performative accountability measures, ensuring that PLs can sustain meaningful pedagogical leadership.

By reimagining leadership agency within HE in FE, this paper offers a critical reflection on the broader implications for educational leadership, organisational culture, and policy development within the sector. The findings inform future discussions on how institutional frameworks can better support PLs in exercising their professional judgment, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of HE in FE provision.

 

This paper presents an empirical study in progress exploring how early years practitioners use wordless picture books (WPBs) to support dialogic reading and promote oral language development in children aged 3 to 5. In a time of pedagogical and societal change, where increased linguistic diversity and a heightened focus on equity shape early education, the study examines WPBs as inclusive tools for fostering language-rich interactions.

The research aims to investigate how WPBs are integrated into shared reading practices, how they support child-led storytelling and turn-taking, and what practitioner strategies enhance or hinder dialogic engagement. The study adopts a constructivist theoretical lens and employs a qualitative methodology, combining video-recorded observations of shared reading sessions with semi-structured interviews across nursery settings in England. Data collection is ongoing.

While full analysis is yet to be completed, emerging insights from the literature review and initial observations suggest that WPBs offer flexible, text-free opportunities for co-constructed storytelling. They appear particularly beneficial for supporting children with English as an additional language or those developing expressive language skills. Early reflections highlight the importance of practitioner responsiveness, open-ended questioning, and sustained shared thinking in maximising the potential of WPBs.

Keywords: dialogic reading, oral language development, wordless picture books, early childhood education, practitioner interaction, educational change

Although pastoral care has long been regarded as a central element of modern schooling (Trotman et al., 2024), schools in contemporary Britain increasingly serve at the very forefront of children and families’ welfare needs. Concerns over children’s school readiness and declining school attendance (HM Government, 2024; Phillipson, 2024), for example, alongside the impact of persistent child poverty and the apparent interminability of austerity (Bradbury and Vince, 2025; Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2025; MacLeavy, 2025), have all contributed to intensifying the pastoral responsibilities placed on schools. This paper reports on one particular mechanism schools have adopted for supporting children and families: the provision of family support workers. To explore the role played by family support workers within schools, a small-scale qualitative pilot study was conducted in 2023 across the Greater London area. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews from 10 primary schools and one secondary school in a variety of inner- and outer-London boroughs. In total, 15 family support workers participated in the study, alongside five senior leaders responsible for oversight of their work. Drawing on this data, the paper examines in detail the role and responsibilities of family support workers, the nature of their work with children and families, the rewards and challenges of the role, and the rationale offered by senior leaders for establishing the role within the context of their particular school communities. I conclude by arguing that family support workers constitute an important component of schools’ pastoral work and that greater political attention – and support – needs to be afforded to the role, especially given the ongoing socio-economic struggles many families continue to face.

 

References

Bradbury, A. & Vince, S. (2025) Foodbanks in Schools and Nurseries: The Education Sector’s Response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis. Bristol: Policy Press.

HM Government (2024) Plan for Change: A Mission-led Government. London: Crown Copyright.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2025) UK Poverty 2025: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

MacLeavy, J. (2025) Enduring Austerity: The Uneven Geographies of the Post-Welfare State. Bristol: Policy Press.

Phillipson, B. (2024) A birthday treat or a runny nose is not an excuse to miss school. The Sunday Times, 1^st September: bit.ly/3ZSKivy. Last accessed: 14/4/25.

This presentation discusses an important experiential method that we have been using in class, namely the International Trading Game, which helps towards exploring critical themes in communication, teamwork, leadership, global trade, etc. As a game played in the classroom, it offers unique insights into complex systems and human interactions, making it invaluable for educators, trainers, and leaders seeking innovative ways to foster understanding and collaboration. The presentation focuses primarily on how it simulates global trade dynamics, revealing the impact of resource inequality, market forces, and trade dependencies on economic outcomes. In our presentation, we will offer insights through analysis of empirical, primary data collected from our students. Session attendees will discover how the international trading game helps towards creating an immersive, reflective learning experience. Through empirical data collected from students in terms of the experience they had, we explore key themes such as communication barriers and economic disparities, and how this is reflected in practical applications for fostering competition, collaboration, and systemic thinking in an international context.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a critical tool that equips and empowers the workforce and allows it to engage actively in economic activities. Accelerating globalization and technological advancements have blurred national boundaries, opening new avenues and opportunities for work, but at the same time, making it absolutely critical for the workforce to constantly learn, relearn, upskill, and upgrade their knowledge base and skill set to stay relevant. The increased mobility has also widened the scope of potential returns for not only the individuals but also for national economies in the form of financial remittances. Set in Pakistan and based on a qualitative study, this paper explores the effectiveness of vocational education in facilitating jobs and employment. It employs a quality assurance framework by keeping in focus the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders. Findings reveal that there is a dire need for innovation, development, and structural reforms in accordance with quality assurance principles for the vocational sector, as is tainted with a poor public image, domestic and global market irrelevance, and weak industry linkages, and therefore ineffective integration of the workforce in the world of work. The study recommends a number of policies that could be adapted to improve the overall quality of TVET in Pakistan, leading to better outcomes of the entire model. This, in result, will benefit all stakeholders. First, there is a dire need to revive the apprenticeship law and to create awareness among the stakeholders about the significance of its implementation. Second, the TEVT sector needs to rebrand and relaunch in order to build a positive image and enhance its outreach by reviving respect for the blue-collar jobs so that the workforce takes pride in their work and displays professionalism. Finally, evaluation of the TEVT institutes must be done through external auditors so that the red tape could be minimized and the loopholes could be identified. This would not only help in better resource utilization and quality standards but would also improve the image of the sector, making it more efficient, credible, and relevant.

This study examines the systemic inequalities faced by Black students in education, focusing on Afro-textured hair and perceptions of professionalism. It explores how discriminatory policies and Eurocentric beauty standards impact identity, belonging, and access to opportunities. The research aims to highlight how exclusionary practices disproportionately affect Black students and advocates for policy reforms to foster inclusivity. This inquiry adopts an ethnographic approach, incorporating lived experiences alongside qualitative data analysis. Policy documents, legal cases, and statistical reports—such as exclusion rates from the Department for Education—were examined to assess how school policies reinforce racial biases. Theoretical perspectives include Critical Race Theory (CRT) and intersectionality, which highlight how race, class, and gender shape educational experiences. Key Findings Discriminatory Hair Policies – Black students face disproportionate exclusion from schools, with Black pupils having the highest permanent exclusion rate at 0.37%, despite representing only 4% of the UK population (2021 Census). The case of Ruby Williams vs Urswick School exemplifies how Afro hair is policed in schools, reinforcing racial bias. Historical and Cultural Context – The stigma against Black hair stems from colonialism and slavery, where Afro-textured hair was dehumanised. Eurocentric beauty standards continue to influence ideas of professionalism, compelling Black individuals to alter their natural hair to be deemed acceptable. Impact on Identity and Mental Well-being – The policing of Black students’ hair and appearance affects self-esteem and educational experiences, often leading to disengagement. Afro hair discrimination is not just about aesthetics but reflects deeper systemic inequalities in education and employment. Advocacy and Policy Reform – The study supports initiatives like the Halo Collective and the Halo Code, which challenge discriminatory policies and promote hair inclusivity in schools and workplaces. The European Court of Human Rights’ 2022 ruling highlights the need for legal protections against Afro hair discrimination. This research underscores the need for systemic change in education policies to ensure cultural inclusivity. Schools must reassess uniform and appearance codes to prevent racial discrimination. Representation in education—both in curriculum and faculty—remains essential. Until policies reflect the diversity of students, marginalised groups will continue to face exclusion. The study calls for educational institutions to challenge biases, foster inclusivity, and empower students to embrace their identities without fear of discrimination.

At the University of Derby, our Secondary Phase PGCE with QTS beginning teachers (BT) increasing arrive with a range of previous experience, both in life and academia. In 2024/25 49% of beginning teachers are aged 25+ (Gov.uk, 2024), indicating several BTs who may not have written academically for several years. Research carried out by Tobbell, O’Donnell and Zammit (2010) suggests that an awareness of a student’s history, experience and aspirations can support them make the transition to successful postgraduate study.

In 2021/22 pass rates for our first master’s level assignment were 74%. We found BTs focussing on their school-based experience rather than their academic writing. They often viewed the PGCE aspect as an additional ‘bolt on’ rather than an integrated part of becoming a teacher. There is a decrease in students choosing HEI providers, with many now choosing a SCITT based route suggesting a possible decrease in appetite for the academic qualification of PGCE compared with QTS (Gov.uk, 2024). However, if we are to understand teaching as being more than just a series of actions or approaches to doing something, we need a way to be able to recognize, explain and build on our practice knowledge in meaningful ways (Loughran, 2009). This implies an understanding and use of educational research is core to us understanding what we do and why we do it. The opportunity of studying a PGCE allows access this to (Thomas, 2018; Tillin, 2023).

Two years ago, we started to plan and deliver deliberate interventions to support the transition to masters writing (Cisco, 2020) for our BTs, whilst linking theory to their practice. Throughout we have incorporated the mantra of: What’s the main message? Do I think its credible? What have I learnt by reading this? Thus, reinforcing the relationship between practical and academic knowledge suggested by Wyse (2020)

Since these interventions the first time pass rate for our level 7 modules is now over 90% and overall pass rate is 100%.  Our 2023/24 PTES (Post graduate taught experience) data show students rate our assessment support at 100% satisfaction, 20% higher than the sector average (AdvanceHE, 2024). Student module evaluations and marking data suggest our interventions have been successful in supporting the transition to higher education, academic writing, and a shift in beginning teachers’ perception of research resulting in a critical understanding of theory, along with its application to inform and improve practice in the classroom.

References:

AdvanceHE (2024) Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024. Accessed 14/2/24 https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/postgraduate-taught-experience-survey-2024

Cisco, J. (2020) ‘Using academic skill set interventions to reduce impostor phenomenon feelings in postgraduate students’, Journal of Further & Higher Education, 44(3), pp. 423–437.

Gov.uk (2024) Initial Teacher Training Census: Academic year 2024/25. Available from https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census

Loughran, J. (2009) Is teaching a discipline? Implications for teaching and teacher education, Teachers and Teaching, 15:2, 189-203.

Tillin, J. (2023) ‘The university role in new teacher learning – why it matters: Teach First trainee perspectives’. London Review of Education, 21 (1), 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.21.1.03.

Tobbell, J., O’Donnell, V. and Zammit, M. (2010) ‘Exploring transition to postgraduate study: shifting identities in interaction with communities, practice and participation’, British Educational Research Journal, 36(2), pp. 261–278.

Thomas, L. (2018) “The Value of the Academic Award in Initial Teacher Education: Key Stakeholder Perceptions of the Masters Level Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Two English Universities.” European journal of teacher education 41(2), pp 246–261.

Wyse, D. (2020) ‘Presidential Address: The academic discipline of education. Reciprocal relationships between practical knowledge and academic knowledge’, British Educational Research Journal, 46(1), pp. 6–25.

Amid intersecting crises of ecological degradation, institutional precarity, and rising psycho-social distress among learners, this paper proposes a critical rethinking of dance education as a site of somatic intelligence, ecological ethics, and epistemological transformation. Grounded in my pedagogical praxis as Course Leader in Dance at Kingston School of Art  and informed by sustained experience teaching within higher education, this inquiry also draws from clinical and embodied insights developed through my professional practice in Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises. Together, these lenses shape a pedagogical framework that positions the body as ancillary to cognition, and as central to how we know, relate, and respond in times of rupture.

This practice-based study investigates the transformative potential of somatically-informed, site-responsive dance pedagogies. Working with undergraduate students in diverse environments, from post-industrial urban spaces to coastal and forested sites, the research employed methods including embodied ethnography, movement journaling, dialogic reflection, and trauma-informed facilitation. The theoretical framework draws on agential realism (Barad, 2007), ecosomatic theory (Alaimo, 2016; Johnson, 2022), and polyvagal-informed trauma models (Porges, 2011; Ogden, 2015), to examine how embodied learning can reorient relational, ecological, and ethical sensibilities within educational contexts.

Three key pedagogical strands emerged: (1) attunement—developing sensory and interoceptive acuity as modes of epistemic attention; (2) accountability—nurturing ethical responsiveness through intersubjective and environmental choreography; and (3) embeddedness—cultivating somatic practices that destabilise anthropocentric assumptions and foster ecological belonging. Students engaged in these practices reported increased capacity for critical reflection, embodied presence, and climate-conscious responsiveness, suggesting that such pedagogies may foster both affective resilience and ethical imagination in the face of complex global challenges.

By synthesising pedagogical leadership with somatic trauma-informed practice, this paper contributes to wider debates on how education must evolve in response to the Anthropocene. It argues that embodied education—particularly within the arts—offers vital, reparative pathways for reconnecting learners to self, other, and environment. In centring the body as a site of knowledge, resistance, and relation, dance education emerges as a critical arena for cultivating ecologically and ethically literate citizens, capable of meeting our times not with abstraction, but with grounded, responsive, and transformative presence.

To support the internationalisation of its universities, Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has developed a national strategy, widely known as Vision 2030. This initiative aims to overhaul the higher education sector and enhance its global competitiveness to attract international students and researchers. The drivers behind these policies are complex and shaped by multiple factors. At the national level, Egyptian universities face several persistent challenges, including a) a massive annual student intake, b) an insufficient supply of skilled academics to meet evolving institutional demands, c) low levels of investment in public universities, and d) weak governance and knowledge management systems (KMS). At the regional and global levels, the ability of Egyptian universities to compete in the global knowledge economy is further challenged by intensifying competition. Neighbour countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have heavily invested in internationalising their higher education systems, leveraging digital technologies to position themselves as key players in the region. While Egypt has introduced various policy amendments and made tremendous investments such as; the adoption of the credit-hour system, increased tuition fees, and introduce foreign language and digital technology proficiency requirements, internationalisation through digitalisation remains an underexplored area of study. This area holds significant potential for advancing Egypt’s higher education competitivness. This online presentation seeks to fill this gap in knowledge by examining the linkages between internationalisation and digitalisation, both are policy priorities for Egyptians higher education. Specifically, it critically examines advancements in digital technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its contribution to the development of teaching and learning, international research collaboration, and knowledge management systems (KMS).

This presentation explores current day experiences of the School Meals Service, specifically examining ideas around how school food policy is classed, gendered and racialised (Lalli, 2023). We are currently in the data analysis period, following the completion of a set of targeted ethnographic case studies (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2019) involving four partner schools in Bradford, London, Cardiff and Glasgow. The methods of data collection included observations across the partner schools in gardens, dining spaces and classrooms. These involved ‘hanging out’ sessions designed to capture the informal conversations and social interactions of participants. We also conducted interviews with teachers, catering staff, pupils and parents to learn more about the cultural makeup of the school and the place of food within it amongst families from different backgrounds. In this paper, we examine how experiences of school meals and food education in schools differ amongst pupils with different intersectional identities and are shaped by classed, gendered, and racialised school food policies, before concluding by considering what the future of the School Meals Service may hold for an increasingly diverse population.

References

Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (2019) Ethnography: Principles in Practice, 4th edn. London: Routledge.

Lalli, G. (2023) Schools, Space and Culinary Capital, London: Routledge.

The Gemini Papers was an assignment set for undergraduate student-teams at Royal Roads University when planning and doing lab experiments. To complement the current backdrop of linear rationality and empirical verifiability that is traditional science writing, students were invited to write short, reflective, intuitive and emotive, first-person accounts unpacking the messiness of experimentation to tell us about their experience. Applying the four-quadrant Integral Ecology model with its multiple perspectives of knowing (from the view of: the individual objective [It], collective inter-objective [Its], individual subjective [I] and collective inter-subjective [We]), students began to form understandings and make meaning by trusting intuitions, ’crazy notions’, and missteps, in addition to observation and testing. The students combined their lived and lab experiences by explicitly twinning natural and social science to embrace more complex ways knowledge is generated and to better grasp how a more holistic approach to intelligence might be viewed and valued. The development of critical knowledges and practices that value both an empirical, objective and a subjective, lived approach, can act as an antidote to the prevailing Western worldview with its dominant perceptions of dualisms and separateness that lies at the heart of the polycrisis. When students develop a more affective and personal connection to their studies, this emphasizes the importance of multiple ways of knowing the world and creates an opportunity for new science narratives. It can also bring more (not less) validity and credibility to the curriculum itself and often leads to leaps in innovation and deeper understanding. Combining the wisdom of natural and social science, Taoism and Integral Ecology, we offer useful maps for wayfinding during these perilous times. A more complete picture that examines and knows life from all angles and dimensions can dispense with the tyranny of “either-or” and instead embody a blending of thought and affect towards a “both-and” or third-way curriculum that yields to the unpredictable, in-betweennesses of things to do its quiet work of transformation and meaning-making. This runs counter to a more privileged and “pure” science approach and allows us to view the world as possessing inherent awareness of feeling and life in all things. Building curriculum with ample instances of middling places that value, honour, and reflect upon a range of relationships and connections allows novel interconnections to take place and proposes a powerful (and sober) responsibility for all those who teach. Join us for a lively slide presentation with time for discussion.

Over the course of the 21st century, internationalisation has moved from the periphery to the centre of university activity, offering both opportunities and challenges in how they respond to this phenomenon. The rise in internationalisation coincided with constitutional devolution in Wales and a reimagining of the higher education sector since that point.  This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study analysing the approaches to internationalisation by Welsh higher education. The case study utilised documentary analysis of university and Welsh Government policy as well as semi-structured interviews with academics and policymakers to explore both policy construction and the underpinning principles informing it. Drawing upon the ideal types of Stier (2004), internationalisation was analysed in relation to educationalism, idealism, and instrumentalism to provide a holistic account of internationalisation approaches.  Key insights reveal that in Wales, there is an emerging approach to internationalisation developing, one based on ethical practices that are underpinned by supportive leadership and collaboration. At a time of turmoil including the ongoing impact of Brexit, global wars and the rise of the far right in many countries, developing meaningful engagement across regional and cultural boundaries through internationalisation has merit in a devolved nation still finding its feet on the global stage.   Findings suggests there are broader implications for devolved nations in developing their approach to internationalisation. Through employing the principle of ‘ethical regionalism’ as a proposed addition to the ideal type of Stier (2004), it offers guidelines to policy makers in supporting ethically responsible and sustainable internationalisation that has meaning and value for institutions and governments alike. Tidy.  References  Stier, Jonas. (2004). Taking a critical stance toward internationalization ideologies in higher education: idealism, instrumentalism and educationalism. Globalisation, Societies and Education. 2. 1-28. 10.1080/1476772042000177069. 

Educator wellbeing and retention is a key issue facing schools, colleges and universities world-wide. Stress, student behaviour, a culture of competition in relation to implemented policies, and practices are all contributing factors. Problems of wellbeing are similarly observed for students and pupils, with mental health difficulties increasing, especially following transition from elementary to high-school education, and further education to higher education. This rise in mental health issues has been exacerbated by Covid-19. In addressing these problems of educator retention and poor staff/student/pupil mental health, we have been introducing compassion-based CPD, curricula and pedagogy into the education sector since 2016. In this paper, I will overview reasons as to why the education sector is in crisis and why compassion-based approaches offer promise in addressing this. I will then overview our programme suite and findings to date. This includes how our educator CPD improves both psychological and physiological wellbeing of staff and can protect from burn-out. How our pupil curriculums protect from increased anxiety, improve emotion regulation and improve prosocial behaviours; and how our FE/HE curriculums improve co-operation, feelings of inclusivity and team-working/communication skills. Team-working and communication skills being key HE employability skills. I will then briefly touch on our overarching objectives, and what should be general government and policy maker goals for the (U.K.) education sector to move from crisis to thriving.

This research project investigates how conversational agents equipped with natural language processing (NLP) can motivate second-language learners’ oral expression in online classes. Several aspects must be considered when incorporating an agent, including determining its effectiveness, accessibility, and impact on student motivation. This study will help recommend ways to integrate pedagogical agents in an online tutoring platform to help non-native speakers with English or French language education. As language learning is inherently social, the theoretical framework that will shape the research project is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, particularly his three agencies: forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflection. These agencies will help link second language acquisition through online platforms and conversational agents.   The research project will be conducted using a systematic literature review, in which data will be collected from various resources and interviews with employees at a language learning organization. This company helps second-language learners improve their English or French skills by using human tutors on an online platform. There has been interest in using pedagogical agents to help their students practice their oral expression. The scope of the research will examine the potential impact of integrating pedagogical agents equipped with NLP, in combination with human tutors, for second-language students of English or French taking online courses to enhance their oral skills.  Several themes emerged using interviews, a systematic literature review, and thematic analysis. The themes included speaking anxiety, more interactive opportunities and learner motivation. Based on these findings, various recommendations were made. The first recommendation included specific features to be incorporated when designing conversational agents, such as speech recognition and role-playing activities. The following recommendation was to train tutors and learners to help them effectively utilize AI in language learning. This research helps provide more knowledge and understanding of the use of conversational agents to support self-directed learners in practising their speaking skills.

The UK is currently experiencing a teacher retention crisis, marked by increasing attrition rates and vacancies, which underscores the need for effective school leadership. However, no past work has investigated leadership preferences in UK primary school settings, nor has any research compared more contemporary models of leadership (i.e., social identity leadership) to more established models (i.e., transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership). This mixed-design (within- and between-subjects factors), quantitative study aimed to investigate the preferred leadership styles of UK primary school teachers, focusing on preferences for social identity leadership compared to transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire styles. A secondary aim was to examine leadership preferences as a function of gender identity, age, and experience. One hundred and one current and former primary school teachers participated in an online survey adapted from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio & Bass, 2000; 2004) and the Social Identity Leadership Inventory (Steffens et al, 2014). Results showed that UK primary school teachers prefer Social Identity leadership above all other investigated styles, independent of age, gender, and career stage. The findings challenge existing literature on leadership and have important implications for leadership practices, which can enhance job satisfaction and retention. Future research should explore these dynamics across different educational contexts and examine situational leadership preferences to extend on the present findings.

This paper begins with a simple question: what happens when the rhythms that once guided educational experience — between generations, between authority and freedom, between world and self — begin to falter? It suggests that part of what feels fractured in education today is not just policy or content, but a loss of rhythm — a kind of disconnection from the pulse of formation itself. Drawing on hermeneutic and phenomenological thinkers (Arendt, Gadamer, Heidegger, Mollenhauer), the inquiry explores how threshold experiences — those moments when we cross into something meaningful — are sustained not by outcomes, but by form: by rhythm, in the deepest sense. Rhythm is approached not as tempo or repetition, but as the shape of time when something matters — the movement through which subjectivity, relation, and meaning briefly gather. Methodologically, this is a conceptual inquiry grounded in the idea that education is a practice of attunement. It reflects on how moments of study, when they open into rhythm, can help the self come into presence — even if only fleetingly. These are the kinds of moments where what is encountered — a poem, a question, a silence — returns us to ourselves, and to the shared world we live in. The paper offers a visual metaphor: an arch labelled Education (Rhythm/Form) holding open the space beneath it — the threshold of Study. This becomes a way of rethinking Education Studies as the discipline concerned with the form of becoming. Rather than seeking to settle debates, the paper offers rhythm as a way of staying with them — a way of listening, holding, and returning. In doing so, it suggests that perhaps education’s task is not to fix the world, but to make room for it to appear again — in rhythm, and in relation.

To help pave the way for the new Curriculum for Wales, Welsh Government has, over the last decade, developed a number of strategically aligned policies. One such policy has endeavoured to support the development of practitioner enquiry in schools. Over the same period, another policy has attempted to reimagine the notion of professional learning through a series of interventions, including a new national MA Education course, and a national entitlement to professional learning and development. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ experiences of conducting enquiry-based research within their professional role, and to explore its potential impact on their professional learning. The research was conducted by a collaborative research network (CRN) which draws its resources and personnel from the eight HEIs in Wales. Ten practitioners who had previously taken part in non-accredited, enquiry-based projects, participated in online semi-structured interviews. Qualitative findings were analysed through a thematic analysis. The findings identify four key focus areas including: the positive perceived impact of enquiry on individuals’ professional learning and development; the positive perceived impact of enquiry on colleagues’ professional learning; perceived broader benefits and challenges of practitioner enquiry in the current Welsh professional learning system context; and perceived broader future possibilities for teacher enquiry in the Welsh education system. These key focus areas were analysed further using actor-network theory (ANT) in order to foreground socio-material relations. The ANT principles of networks, relationality of humans and materials, and multiple worlds of practice were drawn from to highlight interpretive aspects that might otherwise have been overlooked. For example, a practitioner enquiry project into the use of the school bell, when viewed through an ANT lens, highlights a richer network of connections beyond the individual practitioner. This paper argues that the potential of practitioner enquiry to positively impact on practitioner professional learning is better understood as a socio-material effect. This way of viewing the relationship between enquiry and professional learning better supports the collaborative, networked reality of both areas of practice. The collated findings offer insights for policy makers and systems leaders in different contexts as they aim to support practitioners engaging in enquiry and broader developments in professional learning.

The research is devoted to the analysis of the possibilities of integrating art therapy into the educational environment as an effective tool for social and psychological support for children who have survived war events. The peculiarities of organizing the educational process for such children are considered, with an emphasis on the need to create a safe and inclusive educational space. In particular, it is about taking into account various personal states, such as anxiety, difficulties in social adaptation and reduced learning motivation, etc.

The study analyzes different types of art as different means of art therapy (drawing, modeling, music therapy, dramatic improvisation, etc.) that help reduce stress, restore emotional stability, develop resilience and social integration. Particular attention is paid to the adaptation of these methods to the school context, taking into account the age characteristics of children, their psychological state and cultural background.

Practical recommendations for the implementation of art therapy practices in educational institutions are offered, including:

· training of teachers and school psychologists to use elements of art therapy;

· creation of specialized art therapy zones in schools;

· development of individual and group programs for children who have experienced trauma;

· involvement of professional art therapists in cooperation with educational institutions.

The study emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that involves the cooperation of teachers, psychologists, social workers, and parents to provide comprehensive support for children. The challenges associated with limited resources, insufficient staff qualifications, and stigmatization of children who have experienced war events are also considered.

This paper explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in business education, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of this innovative approach in the 21st century. AI, with its transformative potential, offers personalized learning, efficient administration, and enhanced educational outcomes, while IKS provides culturally grounded, context-specific insights that enrich learning experiences. Together, they hold the promise of fostering inclusive, sustainable, and holistic business education. The study delves into the concepts of AI and IKS, examining their individual contributions and synergies within the context of business education. It identifies opportunities such as improved digital preservation of indigenous knowledge, the creation of culturally sensitive AI tools, and enhanced interdisciplinary learning. However, challenges such as the digital divide, ethical concerns, cultural marginalization, and technical limitations pose significant barriers to integration. Recommendations include fostering community involvement, incorporating IKS into curricula, developing ethical frameworks, promoting capacity building, and encouraging interdisciplinary research. By addressing these challenges and leveraging the strengths of both AI and IKS, business education can be transformed into an inclusive, equitable, and globally relevant discipline. This work underscores the importance of bridging technology and tradition to prepare learners for a diverse and dynamic global economy.

The aim of this qualitative interpretivist case study is to investigate how the development of climate conscious educators in the informal teacher education sector, can make a positive impact on the development of educators in mainstream contexts, and in turn impact positively on learner outcomes, at a time of change.  In 2014 the community in Iceland, placed a commemorative plaque where the first glazier was declared ‘dead’. The plaque is a letter to the future and a call to arms for those who read it in the here and now. It states: ‘In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and want needs to be done. Only you know if we did it’ (Whybrow et al. 2023). At a time, where climate conscious educators can play an imperative role in driving social mobility, it is key to reflect on how the role of the informal education contexts such as zoos can make a positive impact. The study was conducted during a teacher educator development project undertaken within 5 zoos in New York, at a time where governmental changes, could potentially impact on such organisations by withdrawing significant funding which could have a detrimental impact on not only their ability to provide such services, but also on their ability to function. However, it was felt, at a time of extreme turbulence, that the role of the informal climate conscious educator to support education contexts to shape its strategy, and give agency to staff (Durrant, 2019), is more important than ever (Beabout, 2012).  The qualitative case study was undertaken during this project. Qualitative data was collected through the use of artifacts, diamond 9 activities, as well as open questionnaires to enable the researchers to evaluate the significance of the role of the informal teacher educator within educational contexts, and how informal educators play an imperative role in influencing curriculum design, as well as lesson planning. The study adhered to the BERA (2024) guidance in regard to ethical considerations, and participants were asked to give consent before engaging with the project. Participants were made fully aware of their right to withdraw without any consequence.  The qualitative data was thematically analyse drawing on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) 6 phase model, to draw key themes from the data using a grounded theory approach. Key findings from the study revealed the important role informal climate conscious educators can play in enabling teachers in schools to shape curriculum planning, as well as their thinking around climate consciousness. The support provided teachers with agency to drive their own creative approaches to embed climate conscious thinking in their practices, as well as lead others regarding this key aspect. The study, supported by the International Professional Development Association (IPDA) USA and England as well as the Bronx Zoo, which is supported by the Wild Life Conservation Trust, aims to continue to extend the work further across the US and UK to continue to support teachers via informal teacher educator development to ensure that climate conscious curriculum development is firmly embedded within learner engagement throughout learners’ engagement within school.

Examination malpractices involve cheating in school-based academic assessments and have been impeding attainment of laudable goals of education such as inculcation of skills, competencies and moral values in students. This research project, therefore, focuses on establishing factors associated with students’ predisposition towards examination malpractices. It seeks to lay a foundation for tackling the examination malpractice monster. The study is hinged on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) which recognizes demographic and institutional variables as corollaries of an individual’s intention to engage in a behaviour. The study adopts the survey research design. The population of the study consists of all final year secondary school students in the six States of the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria (Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Delta, Edo and Rivers States) in the 2024/2025 academic session which started in September 2024. The study utilizes a multi-stage proportionate sampling technique to select a representative sample size for the study. The instrument for data collection is a standardized Academic Integrity Measurement Instrument (AIMI) developed by the lead researcher and his colleagues. AIMI will be administered to an estimated sample of 3,000 secondary school students in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Thereafter, Multiple Regression, ANOVA and Chi-square statistics will be used as appropriate in data analyses to determine demographic and school-based factors associated with secondary school students’ predisposition towards examination malpractices in line with the research questions. Finally, a framework will be developed for the adoption of preventive measures against the incidents of examination malpractices in schools.

This “theoretical” paper is a follow-up to one I delivered at the 2024 TIESA conference in Winchester. There I offered a perspective on “transition schooling”, initially articulated in a book chapter (Pagden 2024). Here I interrogate the concept of “transition” in greater depth drawing on two key texts. First Fressoz (2024) provides a detailed and intriguing historical account of global energy consumption, exposing the concept of the “energy transition” as a myth beloved by all who embrace the comforting allusion that modernity can be sustained. Second, Greenfield (2024) offers a perspective on how local communities might independently rise to the existential challenge of navigating a path through modernity’s collapse; Greenfield’s concept of the “life house” resonates with principles behind the transition towns movement, the source for me of the “transition school” concept. Distinguishing as before between the transition school of the present and the transition school of the future, I revisit the question of schooling’s role within society at a time of rapid non-linear change. The transition school of the present is one that recognises its “duty to resist” (Biesta 2015); that is its responsibility to respond to “the long emergency” (Greenfield 2024), and if necessary, to push back against policy framings that make this difficult. Amongst other things this involves a re-orientation towards Biesta’s “real basics of contemporary education … democracy, ecology and care” (Biesta 2015, p. 7).  Societal collapse begins when the state no longer has the capacity to care for its citizens and some (e.g. Machado de Oliveira 2021) suggest that this process has already begun. While schools, as established state institutions, remain intact, they may continue to function as optimal sites for communities to care for and educate young children.  However, if the state continues to promote maladaptive educational practices under a green capitalist agenda, the transition school will be obliged to break free and to redefine its purpose in terms of the “lifehouse” movement, independent of state control. Under these circumstances the transition school will no longer resemble “the school” as we know it. As provider of education and care it will merge within the multifaceted collective endeavour of local communities to survive and to forge democratic eco-socialist futures. (371 words) Frezzo, J-B. (2024) More and More and More: an all-consuming history of energy. Penguin Greenfield A. (2024) Life House: taking care of ourselves in a world on fire. Verso Machado de Oliveira (2021) Hospicing Modernity. North Atlantic Books Pagden, A. (2024) ‘Researching “Education for Sustainability”: undergraduate trainees join the dots.’ Chapter 12 in: Kemp, N. and Bainbridge, A. (2024) Educating for Sustainability in Universities: Working Together to Create Good Education in a Fragile World. Routledge

This presentation offers a historical and pedagogical analysis of how professional training content for pre-service natural science teachers has evolved in Ukrainian higher education institutions from the late twentieth century to the early twenty-first century. The research examines the development of educational programs, highlighting key stages in pedagogical education shaped by socio-political transformations, educational modernization processes, and societal demands for teacher training.

Our findings indicate that professional training content has undergone significant transformations in response to shifting state educational policies, scientific and technological advancements, and integration into the European educational space. The study analyses regulatory documents, curricula, and natural science teacher training programs across three distinct periods: the Soviet era (late 20th century), the transitional period (1990s), and the formation of the modern higher pedagogical education system (early 21st century).

The presentation highlights structural changes in pedagogical education, examining the evolving relationship between general scientific, psychological-pedagogical, and professional training components. We address the implementation of innovative approaches to educational process organization, the shift toward competency-based frameworks, the integration of natural science knowledge, and the development of professional competencies for pre-service teachers.

We conclude that while professional training content for pre-service natural science teachers in Ukrainian higher education institutions has continually adapted to contemporary challenges, it has preserved the continuity of Ukrainian pedagogical traditions. Current priorities include further modernisation of training content in alignment with global educational trends, digitalisation, environmental education integration, and developing teachers’ readiness for innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

bstract: This presentation explores how education systems respond to—and often resist—calls for greater inclusion of mother languages, particularly in Indigenous and minoritized communities. In a time of global educational reform and cultural reckoning, this inquiry asks: How can public education support linguistic and cultural continuity in communities that have historically been excluded, colonized, or marginalized? Grounded in qualitative, community-based research, this comparative study draws from three distinct yet connected contexts: tribal schools in Central Arizona (USA), the Dopoi Center and surrounding Maasai schools in Narok County, Kenya, and Welsh-medium schools in Wales. I use ethnographic methods including classroom observation, interviews with educators and community leaders, and analysis of curricular and policy documents. The research is informed by Indigenous knowledge systems, eco-phenomenology, and Karen Barad’s ethico-onto-epistemology, offering a grounded and relational lens through which to view language and learning. The findings highlight how children who are taught in their mother tongue experience stronger academic engagement, richer cultural understanding, and smoother integration into formal schooling. Wales provides a powerful example of state-supported language revitalization, while tribal and rural schools in Kenya and the U.S. often face systemic obstacles—such as underfunding, lack of teacher training, and curriculum materials not available in local languages—despite supportive policy frameworks. This presentation shares practical efforts from these communities that resist linguistic erasure and reimagine public education as a tool for educational justice. It also situates mother language education within broader movements for tribal sovereignty, land rights, and cultural resilience. In times of change, education must move beyond superficial inclusion and toward deep structural transformation. By centering the voices, languages, and ways of knowing that have long been silenced, we open pathways to more just, meaningful, and community-rooted schooling. This research contributes to ongoing conversations about what it means to educate ethically, responsibly, and with respect for the cultural and linguistic lives of children.  

As educational systems worldwide grapple with the need to enhance academic performance, emotional resilience, empathy and creativity, arts-based learning has gained relevance. In India’s education landscape, issues like rote learning, limited infrastructure and inaccessibility to quality education are prevalent; the integration of arts offers a more holistic approach to make learning more inclusive, engaging and developmentally responsive. Recognising this imperative, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 have explicitly prioritised arts integration as a cornerstone of holistic education, emphasising experiential learning methods that include hands-on activities, arts integration, and creative expression to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Within this policy context, the integration of the arts offers a strategically aligned pathway toward more inclusive, engaging, and developmentally responsive learning environments.  This study examines NalandaWay Foundation’s innovative Arts in Education program—a year-long initiative that has evolved into a model for sustainable, teacher-led arts integration in public education. Implemented across 26 government schools in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the program targets students in grades 1-5, emphasising the development of art-related competencies, aesthetic appreciation, and social-emotional learning (SEL) through joyful, child-centred pedagogies. A defining innovation of this program is its phased facilitation model, designed to ensure sustainability and scalability. The model transitions systematically from Phase I (teaching artist-led sessions) through Phase III (teacher-led implementation), fostering collaborative capacity building between NalandaWay’s teaching assistants and school educators. This approach addresses a critical gap in arts education interventions by embedding long-term ownership within existing school structures. Using a quasi-experimental design with baseline and endline assessments and a mixed-methods approach comprising participatory, child-friendly evaluation tools, the study assessed developmental outcomes across two cohorts: Classes 1-2 and 3-5. The study’s findings demonstrate increased improvement in students’ ability to describe and reflect on their artwork and communicate personal experiences through art. Students also displayed interest in engaging with different artistic representations, materials and techniques, indicating growth in their appreciation and understanding of art as a mode of learning.  The study underscores that the program also contributed to improvements in SEL. Younger students showed early signs of self-awareness and impulse control, and the older children demonstrated competencies in decision-making, empathy, and collaborative problem solving. Teachers also noted that the arts-based approach improved class participation, particularly among shy or disengaged students, and created emotionally safe environments for self-expression.  Thus, the findings highlight how contextually grounded, arts-integrated pedagogies can equip public education systems to adapt more effectively to changing times by fostering creativity, emotional resilience and learner-centred engagement; emphasising the importance of the arts in preparing young learners for a rapidly changing world and the uncertain future.   Key Words: Arts Integrated Learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Educational Sustainability

This presentation consists of an innovative attempt to quickly scan methodological approaches within the field of EdTech, drawing specifically on the articles contained within the Special Issue of Education Sciences on decolonising educational technology for which I served as one of the guest editors. A secondary goal is to carry out an exercise in horizon scanning for what the next steps might be, methodologically and in the fields of EdTech as well as research more generally with communities who could be described as outside the mainstream, especially as these steps pertain to decolonisation. I will finish with an axiology of decolonising research based on the collated findings from all the papers we received.

Introduction

Adaptive teaching has gained significant attention in educational research over the past two decades, with scholars emphasising its potential to enhance student learning outcomes and address individual learner needs (Corno, 2008; Parsons et al., 2018; Mosey and Stothard, 2024). Adaptive teaching represents a critical pedagogical approach in contemporary education, yet its implementation remains complex for beginning teachers. Despite its recognised benefits, research indicates that many teachers, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, struggle to conceptualise and implement adaptive teaching effectively (Suprayogi et al., 2017). In their latest forthcoming text, Mosey and Stothard (Eds.) (2025), along with contributing academics, continue to conceptualise the concepts of adaptive teaching related to the Department for Education’s (2024) Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework.  

Methodology 

This research project investigates the conceptualisations and experiences of beginning teachers in understanding and applying adaptive teaching strategies in their pedagogical practice. The study explores the nuanced ways in which students completing their final professional placement before being awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), define, navigate and conceptualise adaptive teaching within their emerging professional practice. By focusing on their experiences, the study seeks to identify key factors that shape adaptive teaching implementation, including personal beliefs, institutional support, classroom dynamics, and professional learning opportunities. Moreover, the research critically analyses potential barriers to adaptive teaching and considers strategic solutions to enhance pedagogical flexibility.  

In this workshop, the presenters will explore empirical data collected from beginning teachers and critically reflect through three theoretical lenses: Freire’s critical pedagogy, Fraser’s social justice framework, and Bourdieu’s theory of social capital. Drawing on Freire’s concept of conscientization (1970), the session will explore how students actively negotiate their learning experiences within existing power structures. Fraser’s three-dimensional model of social justice (2009) illuminates how students’ interpretations of adaptive teaching relate to issues of resource distribution, cultural recognition, and participatory parity. Furthermore, Bourdieu’s conceptualisation of social capital (1984, 1990) helps explain how students’ varying access to cultural and social resources influences their engagement with adaptive teaching practices. This project seeks to contribute to the emerging field of adaptive teaching and pedagogical innovation in educational reform and suggests that effective adaptive teaching must address both pedagogical flexibility and broader sociocultural dynamics. The findings have implications for teacher education programs and school policy development, particularly in creating more equitable and responsive learning environments. 

Outcome 

Finally, this workshop will offer the chance to reflect on the changing nature of adaptive teaching practice in attendees own area of practice, drawing on these theoretical principles. We will do this through discussion and an adaptive Q-sort type activity to clarify conceptual understanding in a collaborative environment. The findings contribute significantly to understanding how novice educators develop adaptive teaching competencies and transform their instructional approaches during early career stages.  

This study aims to explore children’s perspectives on strategies used in the classroom to promote positive behaviour, motivation, and engagement. 

Previous studies of classroom behaviour demonstrate the importance of involving young children in research and giving them agency in the early primary classroom (Yildiz et al, 2020; Baker et al., 2023).  

Theoretical frameworks based on the polyvocal Mosaic Approach (Clark and Moss, 2017) integral to child participation and an integrated framework incorporating self-determination theory (Deci, 1971; Ryan and Deci, 2000) and basic motivation theory proposed by Urhahne and Wijnia (2023) were central to the design. 

This study was conducted within a qualitative interpretative research paradigm, to gather the experiences of Nursery children through multi-methods in an embedded case study design.  

Informed written consent was gathered from all participants, including children. Additional verbal assent was gathered from children before research activities, and children’s right to refuse or withdraw from participation was respected. All data was anonymised, and pseudonyms were used for reporting. 

Findings suggest children’s self-regulation, motivation, engagement, and self-determination development are supported through respectful relationships and opportunities to develop autonomy. The frequency of behavioural incidents can then potentially be reduced as children recognise that their voices are being heard and used to inform policies impacting them in school. 

Teachers understanding the importance of children’s autonomy and awareness of the impact of stickers and extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation and engagement may be key to supporting children’s self-determination thus reducing behavioural incidents in schools. 

Keywords: Early years, behaviour, motivation, self-determination, autonomy

References

Baker, S., Le Courtois, S., & Eberhart, J (2023) Making space for children’s agency with playful learning. International Journal of Early Years Education. 31:2, 372-384, DOI: 10.1080/09669760.2021.1997726 

Urhahne, D., Wijnia, L. (2023) Theories of Motivation in Education: an Integrative Framework. Educational Psychoogyl Review. 35: 45. Accessed [online] at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09767-9  

Yildiz, C., Atiş Akyol,N., Ata Doğan,S., Akman, B.  (2020). Experiences of pre-school children and their teachers regarding class rules and behavior management: A case study. Pegem Eğitim ve Öğretim Dergisi, 10(3), 725-766. http://dx.doi.org/10.14527/pegegog.2020.024  

 

The project was developed to address concerns around the transitions of undergraduate students at Level 5 and Level 6 in a post-92 university where the majority of students are the first in their family to attend HE. Within existing research, first-generation students are commonly portrayed in deficit terms (Patfield et al., 2022; Wainwright and Watts, 2021) and are positioned as being “high-risk and problematic” (Crozier and Reay, 2011, p.145) while also experiencing higher rates of academic failure (McMillan, 2014, p. 1123). In response to this deficit positioning, this research study outlines an empowerment approach to facilitating student transition throughout the undergraduate journey. Reflecting a community of practice model (Wenger 1998) the researchers facilitated regular “Cuppa and Chat” online meetings with opportunities for students to share strategies, support and advice in a way which positioned students as experts in their own journeys. The sessions offered a safe space for students to share their undergraduate experiences and an opportunity to shape student support throughout the process of transition from Level 4 to Level 6. The transition tutor sessions are co-created with students to address the need for a safe, collaborative space for mutual support and to facilitate discussion around academic skills and student life more broadly. This inquiry is based on an evaluative study which aimed to explore the impact of transition tutor sessions on students and examine their perspectives on how this approach is unique and distinct from other university-wide support.   The research incorporated a qualitative methodological approach drawing on questionnaires, vignettes and semi-structured interviews from students across two academic years. Data was analysed thematically and four key themes were identified: flexibility, empowerment, being heard and emotional support. These themes highlighted the benefits articulated by students of support which was developed with them, as opposed to support that was designed for them. Ultimately, research findings emphasised the value of co-collaboration and student-led support in fostering student success. The findings of this research have clear relevance for other HEIs in relation to the development of transition support for undergraduate students, which is particularly important given the current OfS focus on retention, progression and student voice. The research has implications for how educators consider student support in a way which empowers and facilitates the students themselves to take ownership of their own academic journeys in HE.  

Stratification is an entrenched feature of English higher education (HE) and binary ways of considering universities in terms of their pre or post-1992 status remains a common feature of the HE landscape (Blackman, 2017). The increased focus on widening participation in post-92 universities has contributed to the viewpoint that they are less prestigious than their pre-92 counterparts, and for this reason it is often the case that “working class students predominantly end up in universities seen to be second class both by themselves and others” (Reay, 2018:10). Furthermore, first-generation students are often depicted as having difficult university experiences (Thomas and Quinn, 2007) and literature often focuses on the dominant “fish out of water” narrative of working-class students in elite universities (e.g. Reay, Crozier and Clayton, 2009; Reay, 2021). In contrast, the aim of this doctoral study was to explore the lived experiences of non-privileged first-generation students studying within a low-status post-92 university context. In line with the interpretivist paradigm, this study utilised a hybrid approach incorporating both a case study research design and a biographical, narrative-based approach. Twenty students at various points in their student journey completed in-depth biographical interviews, including applicants, current students, and recent graduates. The conceptual framework for this inquiry was built on elements of Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of practice coupled with Berlant’s (2011) depiction of “cruel optimism”. Whilst Bourdieu’s thinking tools are frequently used in educational research, Berlant’s (2011) theoretical framework is largely absent from sociological understandings of HE. The research capitalised on this theoretical gap by drawing on Berlant’s work to illustrate new understandings of the way in which “cruel optimism” and hope for “the good life” underpin first-generation student experiences, and the way that this cruelty is exacerbated by neoliberal ideologies and the (perceived) lower status of the post-92 university. Research findings offer a critique of the discourses surrounding studenthood and conceptualise a nuanced understanding of first-generation student experiences in post-92 university contexts, fostering wider understandings of non-privileged student transitions. This study also offered a unique theoretical standpoint by exposing the “cruel optimism” inherent within HE, revealing the way in which structural inequality and stratification can have damaging emotional impacts on students who study within post-92 universities. The conclusions drawn from this study call for a shift from the normative ideology of what it means to be a student and highlight the need for a re-imagining of the post-92 university that recognises, rather than disregards, its value.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has reshaped global industries, necessitating education systems to adapt through Education 4.0 a paradigm emphasizing digital tools, personalized learning, and future-ready competencies. While countries like Malaysia, Germany, and South Korea have integrated AI, VR, and adaptive platforms into education, Pakistan faces systemic barriers, including infrastructural deficits, teacher capacity gaps, and outdated curricula.

This study analyzes Pakistan’s challenges in adopting Education 4.0, addressing the following questions:

• What are the key barriers to effectively implementing Education 4.0 in the education sector of Pakistan?

• How can the current educational policies related to implementing Education 4.0 be implemented with the current inadequate infrastructure and funding?

Through qualitative methods, in-depth interviews and focus groups with educators and students, thematic analysis uncovers critical hurdles: insufficient teacher training, stark rural-urban disparities in technology access, and rigid curricula misaligned with 4IR demands. The study highlights the urgency of policy reforms, proposing targeted teacher upskilling, equitable digital infrastructure investments, and flexible curricula redesign.

While the research offers actionable insights for Pakistani policymakers, limitations like sample size constraints are acknowledged. Future studies could expand with quantitative data or cross-national comparisons. By addressing these gaps, Pakistan can bridge its Education 4.0 divide, fostering a workforce prepared for 4IR’s evolving demands and contributing to global debates on equitable digital education.

Keywords: Education 4.0, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Educational Policy

This paper coincides with the launch of an exciting new book from current students, recent graduates, alumni and staff from the University of Worcester. Learner voices, perspectives, and positionings explores the multifaceted concept of learner voice in education, emphasising its significance across various contexts and historical periods. It brings together diverse perspectives from multiple authors, addressing how learner agency can shape educational practices and policies, particularly in contemporary settings.

The paper will delve into critical themes such as the influence of teachers’ beliefs on student learning, the impact of polarisation in our current educational discourse, narrative approaches to understanding higher education students’ experiences and the examination of learner voice within prison education. The paper, like the book, will also addresses pressing issues such as the representation of marginalised voices and the importance of inclusive practices in educational leadership and curriculum design. The paper will reflect the groundbreaking content that includes discussions on ‘epistemic violence’, highlighting the need for a more nuanced, considered and critically aware approach to learner representation.

This paper will forefront students as researchers with their important contributions to the book that will be essential reading for students and trainee teachers, as well as educators working in further or higher education.  It will provide practical insights and theoretical frameworks that constitute a roadmap for strengthening diverse learners’ voice and agency, thereby advancing educational equity and inclusion for all.

Learner voices, perspectives, and positionings: Providing agency to empower learning is a new addition to The Routledge Education Studies Series

Series Editor: Stephen Ward, Bath Spa University, UK

The Routledge Education Studies Series aims to support advanced level study on Education Studies and related degrees by offering in-depth introductions from which students can begin to extend their research and writing in years 2 and 3 of their course. Titles in the series cover a range of classic and up-and-coming topics, developing understanding of key issues through detailed discussion and consideration of conflicting ideas and supporting evidence. With an emphasis on developing critical thinking, allowing students to think for themselves and beyond their own experiences, the titles in the series offer historical, global and comparative perspectives on core issues in education.

This presentation explores the changing landscape of academic development in Ukrainian higher education, looking at how traditional teaching approaches and new innovative practices work together. As higher education changes globally and Ukraine continues its educational reforms, we examine how university teaching has evolved over the past decade.

We begin by providing context on the national framework for continuing professional development (CPD) in Ukrainian higher education institutions. This includes an overview of recent policy changes, such as the implementation of the Law on Higher Education and subsequent regulations that have reshaped requirements for faculty development. We’ll discuss how these national standards have influenced institutional approaches to academic development, creating both opportunities and challenges for universities across the country.

Using Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University as our case study, we share insights gained from practical experience at the university’s Centre for Teaching Excellence. The presentation highlights the gap between old institutional structures designed for traditional professional development and what faculty actually need today – more flexible, collaborative, student-centred and technology-enhanced learning opportunities.

We discuss how perceptions about faculty development have shifted, especially during recent challenging times. What professional growth looks like for university teachers has fundamentally changed, and we explore which approaches have proven most effective during crisis periods. Rather than presenting research data, this talk offers practical analysis based on real-world experience leading faculty development initiatives.

The presentation will specifically address how the Centre for Teaching Excellence has navigated this changing landscape, including the challenges faced when introducing new professional development formats that sometimes diverge from nationally established patterns. We’ll share specific examples of initiatives that bridged the divide between traditional academic values and necessary innovation, while still meeting national requirements.

Special attention will be given to lessons learned during recent national challenges, when academic development had to adapt quickly to remote and hybrid environments. We’ll discuss how these experiences revealed both strengths and weaknesses in Ukraine’s approach to faculty support and professional growth at both national and institutional levels.

Finally, we’ll outline practical steps that might inform future national policy as well as institutional practice when reimagining academic development programs in Ukrainian higher education.

In the Curriculum for Wales (Cwricwlwm i Gymru), the concept of ‘cynefin’ (‘the place where we feel we belong’) is central to developing children’s understandings of place and identity. While cynefin has traditionally been considered within a wider cultural and heritage context in Wales, its interpretation in education remains less clear and has rarely been explored from the pupil perspective. This study draws on data collected from two primary schools in Wales to investigate what cynefin means to pupils themselves.  This is part of a larger study across Wales. Children were invited to bring in items that reflected their personal interpretations of cynefin, including personal possessions, drawings, photographs, and PowerPoint presentations. These resources were used to prompt discussion and reflection, helping pupils articulate their sense of belonging. The researchers adopted a semi-structured interview approach to provide deeper insights into children’s connections with their items. There were between four to six children in each group, aged 10-11 years, with a total of 48 children taking part in the two settings.  Pupils were encouraged to discuss their chosen items in response to open prompts such as, “Can you tell me about your item?”. These open prompts were followed by sensitive questioning to elicit detailed and thoughtful responses. Pupils spoke about their chosen items and explained what they represented in terms of their cynefin. In some cases, children expanded on their responses by sharing personal stories or experiences, adding depth to their interpretations.

The primary data source for this study was the ‘voice’ of the pupils, captured through interview transcripts. Analysis followed a hybrid approach to thematic analysis, blending predetermined codes with the generation of new themes that emerged from the data. This process was designed to grasp the context-specific nature of participants’ interpretations and meanings. Following Nowell et al.’s (2017) framework for qualitative analysis ensured ‘trustworthy’ outcomes. Members of the research team met regularly after each data-gathering stage to discuss and debrief, agreeing on the codes developed through their analyses. This iterative approach involved constant movement between phases, ensuring rigor in the coding process. Emerging themes were those such as people, places, activities and emotions.

The diverse resources shared by pupils highlighted the deeply personal, multi-faceted nature of cynefin. The findings emphasize the need for flexibility and nuance in primary-level curriculum design, underscoring the importance of giving pupils agency to express their sense of belonging through creative and personally meaningful methods.

In times of educational change, it is vital to ensure that student voices are not only heard but meaningfully integrated into research and practice. This presentation advocates for the use of listening rooms as a participatory research method that foregrounds agency, inclusivity, and co-construction of knowledge. In contrast to traditional, researcher-led interviews or focus groups, listening rooms create a space for peers, typically friends with shared experiences, to engage in authentic, reflective dialogue without the researcher present. This method challenges conventional power dynamics and encourages more open, natural conversations.

The presentation draws on a recent study exploring the transitions of international foundation students to undergraduate study in a UK university. The inquiry aimed to understand how these students experience and reflect upon this key period of academic and social adjustment. In doing so, it sought to identify how their voices could inform the design of more responsive and inclusive support structures within international foundation programmes (IFPs).

The research was grounded in participatory methodologies and informed by theoretical perspectives including Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and field; social constructivism; and critical pedagogy. Two qualitative methods were employed: listening rooms and walking intraviews. These peer-led and place-based approaches enabled participants to shape the direction of the dialogue, generating rich, layered data.

The findings revealed that listening rooms effectively facilitated the articulation of student experiences, revealing insights that may have remained hidden in more conventional research methods. Students also valued the opportunity to reflect on their academic growth, identity formation, and the importance of belonging, while also identifying gaps in institutional support. The use of friendship pairs proved particularly powerful in fostering trust and surfacing shared narratives.

This presentation argues that in changing educational landscapes, methods like listening rooms offer a way to bridge the gap between institutional priorities and students’ lived realities. By centring participant voice, this approach not only enriches research findings but also empowers students as co-constructors of knowledge. In conclusion, the presentation calls for greater adoption of listening rooms in educational research, particularly in contexts of transition, diversity, and change.

At a time when higher education is increasingly being shifted towards technological distance, and learning as the acquisition of skills and competencies as a reflection of potentially ill-judged outcome certainty, the workshop asks us to question whether this actually suits the learner and their learning or more the ideological decisions made by the sector in response to its political and economic stakeholders. Much will come down to our decisions around the very purpose of the sector, and the apparent prioritization of economic growth over learner engagement and criticality. Increasingly common rhetorical conversations around higher education and social justice could be seen as hiding the perhaps more significant underlying messages of economic institutional validity, workforce compliance and learner passivity, messages that may actively promote psychological vulnerabilities in our learners that in turn promotes their own passivity in the learning process, their sometimes-poor learning behaviours and decisions, and the ever-declining state of their wellbeing. Drawing on psychological concepts such as Self-determination Theory it will be argued that the processes underpinning learning, wellbeing and positive learner attitudes have been shown to be both conceptually and evidentially stable. Intrinsic motivation and a focus on the processes of learning seem to be constant aspects of positive learning and wellbeing and as such would appear to be of fundamental value to our learners irrelevant of the contextual changes surrounding them. Similarly, to promote positive learning and life-wide attitudes would seem to offer our learners a far better potential to succeed once beyond the university environment.  As such, it will also be the aim of the conversation to challenge whether our decisions as educators are actually being made in the best interests of our learners, and how we can work to unite learner criticality, positivity and wellbeing with a social model that values a much deeper and meaningful level of learning as a pre-requisite for successfully participating in the world at all of its levels. In conclusion, responding to the focus on ‘education in times of change’, the workshop will be seeking to challenge us as educators to question whether we should merely shape our practice to those who have an existing ideal around what it means to change, or to support our learners to be more capable of changing when the context requires and as they choose.

The paper details current progress on a project that aims to address persistent inequalities faced by disabled students in higher education through a participatory approach centred on their lived experiences. Despite extensive research documenting challenges in provision and representation, the Office for Students (2020, 2021) reports continuing attainment gaps, with disabled students experiencing lower degree outcomes and higher withdrawal rates. Working in partnership with undergraduate and postgraduate disabled students across three institutions (Universities of Plymouth, Birmingham and Wolverhampton), this project focuses on students’ experiences of Reasonable Adjustment Plans (RAPs) in both academic and personal support contexts. It recognises that while educational adjustments have received attention, the effectiveness of personal adjustments remains understudied. The project introduces several innovations: prioritising user-led knowledge through genuine partnership with disabled students as co-researchers; employing flexible, mixed-methods data collection that accommodates individual preferences; and establishing collaboration between universities and disability-led organisations (Disability Rights UK and Disabled Students UK) to combine academic expertise with lived experience. Key outputs include national, freely accessible Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes for higher education staff, focusing separately on academic and student services support. These will be informed by disabled students’ experiences, staff perspectives, and attitudinal surveys. Additionally, we will develop sector-wide university guidelines for equitable progression and create an “inclusion by design” approach.

This project was developed in partnership between the University of Wolverhampton and Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University in Ukraine. Its focus was on providing a platform for Ukrainian children to be seen and heard during this time of crisis. The project utilised a participatory approach to work with Ukrainian children (in Ukraine and displaced children in the UK) to evidence their perspectives and experiences through art. Children were not asked to specifically create artwork on their war experiences but instead were asked to provide us with messages on ‘what they wanted us to know’ at this time. This meant artwork could be created on any theme that was important to the participants. Children could also select from art forms that included visual arts (painting, drawing and photography), literacy arts (poetry) and performing arts (music). We were concerned that schools may not be able to engage with this project, however this was not the case. To date we have received over 70 pieces of artwork with the support of schools. Children who have assented with parents who have consented to take part in the project will have their art pieces exhibited in galleries in both countries. The presentation will detail information about the project and key messages from the art collection, including messages that need to inform policy and practice.