In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in student and teacher voice in education. What distinguishes 'teacher voice' or 'student voice' from simply reflecting participants' views as a source of data is the placement of participants in an empowered participatory position. It is the positioning of their voice as consisting of more…

Based at De Montfort University, Decolonising DMU is a strategic initiative working to create an anti-racist institution where all can achieve. Growing from DMU's Freedom to Achieve project Decolonising DMU extends anti-racist work across the structure and composition of the institution, moving away from a sole focus on the curriculum. The Library…

Informal Student Carers (ISC) are students across the UK who provide unpaid care to a friend or family member needing support. We explored the lived experiences of ISCs and the challenges they faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A scoping review, questionnaire-based survey and volunteer interviews were undertaken to identify the themes which…

The appointment of student governors to the governing board is mandatory in further education (FE) colleges across the UK. There is, however, confusion and lack of clarity over the role of the student governor, and little empirical research, especially involving direct observation, has been undertaken which sheds light on this. This paper examines…

Anecdotal reports of student parents' challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted this explorative study; investigating the lived experiences of UK student parents and the provision of Higher Education support. Data was derived from 91 online surveys, 20 follow-up interviews, and analysis of 100 university websites. This occurred during the…

Through the method of tracing-and-mapping, this paper traces the history of how menstruation has been conceptualized in English education policies since 1928, as well as how such conceptualizations have positioned young people. It explains how education policy in England has conceptualized menstruation as a (cis girls') biological process; a…

This small-scale research project explores policy and staff perspectives which affect student parents in higher education at an English further education college. Drawing on Nancy Fraser's work on the welfare state and the social organisation of care work, the paper examines approaches to a marginalised student group. Qualitative data were…

Feedback can be framed as a one-way transmission of information driven by educators, or as a two-way process, in which students' agentic participation is critical to its success. Despite calls for a shift away from the former framing towards the latter, transmission-focused models of feedback continue to dominate practice internationally.…

Before and during the era when mass elementary schooling took off, children populated classrooms in many roles and not only as learners. The traditional teaching situation was actually full of children in roles as instructors, inspectors, and helpers, among others. In this contribution, the dichotomisation of expected classroom roles, being a…

Many policies and processes in higher education reinforce a conception of feedback as being the transmission of information, thus placing primary responsibility on educators for delivering this information 'well' whilst neglecting the essential responsibilities of learners. In this study, 216 university educators described the responsibilities of…

The perceived flexibility of distance education, whereby students can juggle their multiple life roles, is often cited as the predominant reason for enrolling in this mode of study. Nonetheless, for distance learners their multiple roles often have a significant impact on their study experience. This study had three objectives: (1) to explore…

Has the National Student Survey 'customerized' the UK's university students? This article examines the 'customerization' of university students in the UK and the impacts of reciprocity and social exchange behaviour on National Student Survey outcomes. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, the findings suggest that the National Student Survey…

Research on international Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) commonly emphasises deficits. Themes include lack of proficiency in English; deficiency of teaching experience; and 'incomplete' professional identity. Such framing neglects the resources that international GTAs bring to their classrooms. This study looks specifically at lived…

Practitioners working with young children in the provision of early childhood education (ECE) are often directed by state governments to mediate specific values through their pedagogical practice. This paper reports the findings from a small scale empirical research study exploring the pedagogy applied by ECE practitioners in this context. I argue…

This paper proposes a framework of support for reducing barriers to curriculum access for students with disabilities in higher education (HE), by drawing upon findings from a unique longitudinal qualitative study. The 'Longitudinal Transitions Study' commenced in 2010 and followed the transition experiences of a group of 80 young people since they…