What has the experience of the past few months taught us about leading through a crisis – about the skills required and the impact on individual leaders? And how can the research literature help us navigate this difficult terrain? Throughout the lockdown, school leaders were on the frontline: suddenly interpreting large volumes of evolving national guidance, supporting staff in adapting to new ways of working, reassuring pupils and families through uncharted, stressful, and sometimes distressing...
Dec 03, 2020•41 min
Less is more? The back and forth over class sizes has been an enduring debate amongst many in the teaching profession. Professor Emeritus Peter Blatchford calls for a fresh look at the issue. An IOE veteran of three decades, Professor Blatchford shares with Dr Humera Iqbal his early experiences cutting his teeth in longitudinal research at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, teacher training, and his key focus, unpacking the findings of the world’s biggest study into the effects of class size as wel...
Nov 30, 2020•42 min
How has the pandemic affected local schools and communities? UCL does an enormous amount of work locally to make its research accessible and to reduce inequalities in the education system. Professor Louise Archer joins this Coronavirus: The Whole Story episode alongside host Vivienne Parry and experts from the Faculty of Engineering Science to explore why now, more than ever, supporting schools and communities is vital. Guests: Prof Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim Chair of Sociology of Education Dr...
Nov 26, 2020•34 min
You would expect straightforward answers to what seems to be such a straightforward question. Dr Keri Wong finds out from Dr Rebecca O’Connell as to why this may not be the case. For almost two decades, Dr Rebecca O’Connell has dedicated her career investigating the impact of food practices and policies in the UK and internationally. From 2014 to 2019 she led the ‘Families and Food in Hard Times’ study comparing how and what young people and families eat in Portugal, the UK and Norway as they na...
Nov 23, 2020•36 min
New digital processes are changing how garments are designed and developed. From wearable electronics to motion capture, to crafting a pattern on a virtual mannequin, what does rapid digitisation in fashion education and industry mean for touch? Has the role of touch and tactile material engagement in the garment design development process been fully understood yet? How does one go about studying touch practices in the contemporary fashion studio? Full show notes and links: https://in-touch-digi...
Nov 16, 2020•32 min
We're almost there. 2020 has been incredibly challenging, to say the least. But we're glad you're still here with us. This season we'd like to give a very warm welcome to our newest member of the team, Dr Keri Wong! We've got her kicking things off with a chat with Dr Rebecca O'Connell about food poverty and free school meals in the UK, which has been front and back page news, largely thanks to the advocacy work of footballer Marcus Rashford. Dr Humera Iqbal will be speaking to Professor Peter B...
Nov 09, 2020•3 min
For several decades, ‘school improvement’ and ‘raising standards’ have been high on the education policy agenda. The prescriptions have evolved – from national initiatives to school-led efforts, and from a mantra that teacher quality is all, to a greater acknowledgment that leadership and management (and funding, and an evidence base for practice) also matter. Are we any closer to these goals, and have the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic opened up a different kind of debate on sup...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr
Professor Elaine Unterhalter joins our podcast to discuss gender equality in education in Africa and beyond with Dr Humera Iqbal. We begin by hearing about Professor Unterhalter’s fascinating personal and academic journey, raised in an activist family in apartheid South Africa, working with the ANC (African National Congress) and forming a vision of the country post-apartheid through the lens of education, and through to her current role at UCL. Professor Unterhalter’s current research focuses o...
Oct 26, 2020•46 min
Professor Julie Dockrell speaks to Dr Rob Webster about how speech, language and communication are foundational to learning and achievement. What happens when a child struggles with these skills? Slow progress can be hidden by the logistics and pressures of the current school system, making oral language delay a less well-recognised disorder, which is in turn less supported as children move up through school years. Disorders such as development language disorder (DLD) represent the most extreme ...
Oct 19, 2020•28 min
As the situation evolves rapidly and rules seem to change, we're talking about isolation - coming out of it, and going back into it, how to cope mentally and emotionally. What can astronauts teach us about dealing with isolation? How can we enable safe interaction among young people? Can digital touch help? Join Vivienne Parry as she speaks with UCL experts: Dr Kevin Fong (Consultant Anaesthetist & Anaesthetic Lead for Major Incident Planning UCLH) Prof Peter Fonagy (Head of the Division of ...
Oct 15, 2020•39 min
Professor Gemma Moss talks to Dr Rob Webster about what research has uncovered during COVID-19 and what this means for our education system moving forward. The pandemic has shone a light on the role of schools and their place in the community. You may have come across instances where teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure the welfare of children and their families by trying to meet gaps where existing health and social services have fallen short. In order to make sense of all this, Profes...
Oct 12, 2020•42 min
The COVID-19 crisis has shone an intense light on the role schools play in improving social mobility. On the one hand, it has exposed the deep inequalities outside schools that shape social mobility patterns, on the other it has also revealed escalating expectations placed on teachers to solve society’s ills. So what is the role of schools in improving social mobility in a post-pandemic world? How can we enable education to be the great social leveller, when it has been commandeered by the middl...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Talking about race can be at times difficult, challenging and uncomfortable, but it has to be done. Dr Victoria Showunmi talks to Dr Humera Iqbal about her personal journey, experiences and research into gender identity and race in the context of leadership, and the implications for the experiences of learners and educators. Her work has gained international recognition and has also resulted in collaborations with fellow researchers across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Dr Showunmi share...
Oct 05, 2020•44 min
Professor Michael Young joins Dr Will Brehm to talk about his concept of 'Powerful Knowledge'. How does it apply to schools? Where did the idea come from? How has his own thinking evolved over his career, which also spans over 50 years at the IOE? Our thanks to Dr Will Brehm for allowing us to repost this episode from his FreshEd Podcast: https://freshedpodcast.com/michaelyoung/
Sep 28, 2020•36 min
How is UCL research helping to level out various playing fields? This podcast hears how legal experts are helping people to get the support they are entitled to, share thoughts with London’s commuters on how advertising can be more representative. But firstly, this episode takes a look at the creation of new technologies which make our world more accessible. Join UCL alumna, Suzie McCarthy, as she explores these topics with UCL experts: Dr Giulia Barbareschi - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/made-at-ucl/s...
Sep 24, 2020•35 min
We've only realised that after many episodes, our 'Research for the Real World' hosts Dr Humera Iqbal and Dr Rob Webster have not seen each other speak. So we set up a video call to reveal all, including what's in store for Season 5. Find out more and watch the video: https://bit.ly/researchfortherealworld Take our 2-minute listener survey: https://bit.ly/ResearchPodcast...
Sep 21, 2020•4 min
Younger children in particular require help in understanding and adjusting to the ‘new normal’ brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also need relatively close supervision in their learning and development - support that would usually be provided by teachers, in school. As the uncertainties continue about when all primary schools will re-open and on what basis, how can parents/carers and teachers best support pupils’ learning progress? How can they help these children – and themselves – prepare...
Sep 17, 2020•34 min
Dr Kate Cowan talks to Dr Rob Webster about how children interact and communicate, the challenges researchers face when conducting research with them, and the pandemic’s effect on the way they play at home and school. An early years specialist, Kate’s research focuses on play, creativity and digital technologies, and prior to joining the IOE, she worked as a nursery teacher and remains committed to connecting research and practice. We hear examples of this from the ‘Playing the Archive’ project,...
Sep 07, 2020•30 min
[Listeners may experience occasional audio issues at the start of the podcast - things start to sound better after the 2-minute mark.] Dr Amelia Roberts joins Dr Humera Iqbal in the Research for the Real World virtual studio to share examples of what knowledge exchange looks like through her experience and work on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As the Deputy Director of the UCL Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE), Amelia’s role involves working with UK and international part...
Sep 01, 2020•33 min
A look at how the evidence can help schools make informed decisions about the ways they group students and work towards equity and improving their life chances. “We don’t learn mathematics from getting everything right, we learn mathematics from making mistakes… protecting children from those mistakes and errors really doesn’t help their learning.” Dr Rob Webster and Professor Jeremy Hodgen discuss what attainment grouping looks like in England and what best practice looks like, his work with IO...
Aug 24, 2020•31 min
The transition from school to the world of work is one of the most pivotal moments in a young person’s life – it’s a time of high pressure and high uncertainty, and one that requires an equally high level of resilience to manage. Enter the coronavirus crisis, and suddenly this difficult transition gains a brand new set of complications. The OECD invited Professor Ingrid Schoon onto their TopClass podcast to discuss the current situation for school-leavers entering the job market. Ingrid is also ...
Aug 19, 2020•28 min
We know that it’s important to learn about the Holocaust, but why? Dr Humera Iqbal is joined by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s Dr Alice Pettigrew, who has led research into national studies examining students’ knowledge and understanding of this complex historical event. Students and teachers are enthusiastic about engaging with the topic, however, many significant gaps, inaccuracies and misconceptions abound. And with the rise of populism and accounts of racism and antisemitism, the i...
Aug 17, 2020•36 min
The ongoing global debate over student loans and the cost of higher education has taken on new meaning of late. What effect will COVID-19 have on fairness and finances? Professor Lorraine Dearden takes Dr Rob Webster on a world tour focusing on the two main approaches to student loans - mortgage-style “time-based repayment loans” and “income-contingent loans”, based on future income. Why does one country choose one approach and another opts for something different? With the coronavirus pandemic ...
Aug 10, 2020•25 min
Lili Golmohammadi speaks to Tim Neumann, of the UCL Knowledge Lab about his experiences of auditory-tactile synaesthesia. The podcast was recorded (pre-social distancing) in one of the IOE music rooms so that Tim could talk us through the range of tactile effects produced for him by certain piano notes. Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/aug/what-its-feel-sounds-we-hear More podcasts from the IN-TOUCH project: https://in-touch-digital.com/category/in-touch-podcast...
Aug 07, 2020•32 min
As the coronavirus pandemic in the UK approaches its sixth month, we’re taking a look at the long-term impact of lockdown and subsequent school closures on our nation’s children and young people. For this episode, host Vivienne Parry is joined by the IOE's Dr Amelia Roberts, GOSH UCL Institute of Child Health's Dr Lee Hudson, and IOE alumna, psychology teacher and PhD student Shafina Vohra to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on young people, explore why and how children are not all impacted equal...
Aug 05, 2020•37 min
Hello, hello! Dr Humera Iqbal and Dr Rob Webster are back in the IOE Podcast (virtual) studio to catch up on each other's plans for the summer as well as share a couple of notable moments from the series so far. They also talk about the upcoming season which will cover off topics such as inclusive education, knowledge exchange, higher education funding and finance, and the way children play. Find out more about the Research for the Real World podcast and catch up on previous episodes: https://ww...
Aug 03, 2020•4 min
Our last episode of the series examines how BCS70 and our study members have been faring during the pandemic and looks to the future of longitudinal research. We find out more about the COVID-19 survey, sent to over 50,000 participants in five of Britain’s cohort studies, including BCS70, and we speak to study participants about their experiences of lockdown. We also find out more about the benefits of launching a new cohort study in the coming years. Guests include: Professor Alice Sullivan, BC...
Jul 30, 2020•32 min
A journey that begins in Nepal and takes us through some of the world’s most vulnerable areas affected not only by war, conflict and displacement, but also the coronavirus. “...when you come back home to your family, it is very difficult to be absolutely silent and not to share those stories…” Dr Humera Iqbal talks to Dr Tejendra Pherali about his work, which focuses on the role of education in conflict and peacebuilding in emergencies and fragile environments. We hear about his wide-ranging and...
Jul 27, 2020•40 min
In this episode, we move into the 2010s to find out how our study members were faring in their forties. We learn how BCS70 cast light on increasing rates of mental ill-health among men, and find out more about the most recent biomedical survey where participants were given a health MOT. We also chat to one of our in-house study detectives about the role they play tracing long lost study participants. Guests include: · Professor George Ploubidis, Research Director and Chief Statistician at the Ce...
Jul 23, 2020•33 min
With widespread school closures taking place, COVID-19 has meant a lot of households taking on teaching responsibilities. Professor Dominic Wyse explores how it’s all going. We find out how the work of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (HHCP), which aims to enable children to realise their full potential through optimal teaching and learning, has responded to the pandemic, particularly with looking at ways to help parents building upon their role as educators. Listen out for HHCP’s research a...
Jul 20, 2020•26 min
