Stephen Ward is Emeritus Professor of Education, Bath Spa University, formerly Dean of the School of Education and subject leader for Education Studies. The course at Bath Spa began in 1999 and was one of the first in non-teacher training Education Studies. Along with leaders of new degrees in other universities he was a founding member of the British Education Studies Association in 2005. His doctoral thesis in 2006 on the nature university knowledge traced the different approaches to the new Education Studies subject in ten universities. In 2004 he edited one of the first textbooks on Education Studies, A Student’s Guide to Education Studies (Routledge, 2004). Its fourth edition has been recently published. He is the editor of the Routledge Education Studies Series which currently includes eight volumes on a variety of topics. Now retired he enjoys keeping contact with colleagues through the BESA executive.

Research Interests: His research interests are education policy and university knowledge. He has published on the primary curriculum, primary music teaching.

Selected Publications:


Simon, C. & Ward, S. (Eds) (2020) A Student’s Guide to Education Studies. 4th edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
Ward, S. (2020) 'The Economics of the University: Knowledge, the market and the state', in Bustillos Morales, J. & Abegglen, S. (Eds) Understanding Education and Economics: Key debates and critical perspectives. Abingdon: Routledge.
Ward, S. (2020) 'Education Policy and the Marketisation of Education', in Simon C.A. & Ward, S. (Eds) A Student’s Guide to Education Studies. 4th edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
Ward, S. (2020) 'The development of knowledge in the modern and postmodern universities', in Bartram, B. (Ed.) Contemporary Issues in Higher Education: Contradictions, Complexities and Challenges. Abingdon: Routledge. (Forthcoming)
Series Editor for Routledge Education: Education Studies.

Bath Spa University