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Special Interest Group

Race, Ethnicity and Education

The Race, Ethnicity and Education Special Interest Group challenges systems of oppression that demean and threaten to erase educators and learners of Global South heritage, through discussion and academic endeavour.

This SIG is active in working to promote issues of racial education and equity with international and national colleagues. The terms ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ are acknowledged as problematic but are also commonly used and have recognition as relating to issues of colour and cultural racism with which the group will be concerned.   An argument against a SIG on ‘race’ and ethnicity may be that it could lead to marginalisation and subsumation of specific issues of racism and racialisation. This issue of permeation is possibly more problematic. We have seen in BERA and also in the school system that permeation can often lead to dissipation and rendering these issues, invisible. 

We will strive to ensure that ‘race’ and ethnicity issues are not subsumed within more general equality policy and pedagogy, but raise the profile of the SIG, BERA and like-minded organisations by working with and for its members.  This will be done through our regular Members’ meetings, research and learning, in journals, including production of special issues, at conferences and online. 

Research interests 

  • Critical Race Theory 
  • Intersectionality with feminism, able-ism, social class etc.
  • Black and Asian student teachers oppressions
  • Minority ethnic people’s lived experiences of barriers, hurdles and successes
  • Racism and anti-racism in formal and informal educational institutions
  • Culturally responsive pedagogy
  • Black Men in higher education
  • Black Leaders and Managers in Higher Education

SIG aims:

  • Hold regular Members’ meetings that listen to, represent their voices to BERA.
  • Encourage high-quality academic research, through invitations to write abstracts for BERA Annual conference and its other events across the year.
  • Develop the work of Early Career Researchers through inviting academic presentations at Members’ meetings.
  • Disseminate our work and events and provide a space online, via ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).
  • Encourage members to be involved in other BERA work, such as BERA Council and other committees.

 

BERA Race, Ethnicity and Education Forum

SIG Convenors

Profile picture of Saima Salehjee
Saima Salehjee, Dr

Senior Lecturer in Education at Brunel University

Dr Saima Salehjee is a Senior Lecturer in Education at Brunel University London. She is responsible for teaching and research work, particularly on Science Education. Saima has received grants to continue her research with underprivileged...

Profile picture of Christine Callender
Christine Callender, Professor

Professor of Educational Equity and Social Justice at University College London

Christine is an academic, lecturer and researcher of race in teacher education. She has been an educator for over twenty years, initially working in schools before moving to Higher Education. She was also a Regional Director for the National...

Profile picture of Janet Ramdeo
Janet Ramdeo, Dr

Visiting Lecturer at University of Surrey

Dr Janet Ramdeo (PFHEA) is an experienced teacher educator, having worked in a variety of academic and programme leadership roles in universities across London and Cambridge. She has primarily worked in international teacher education and initial...

Profile picture of Belinda John-Baptiste
Belinda John-Baptiste, Dr

Research Fellow at University College London, Institute of Education

Belinda is a Research Fellow at UCL’s Institute of Education, working on a national study exploring how the British Empire and its legacies are taught in English secondary schools. She is also an experienced educator with over twenty years’...

Content associated with this SIG

Call for book proposals: The BERA Guides series

Call for book proposals: The BERA Guides series BERA, in collaboration with Emerald Publishing, invites book proposals for new titles in The BERA Guides series. This series aims to provide short,...

Publishing opportunity