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Special Interest Group

Arts Based Educational Research

Arts Based Education Research aims to understand education through arts-based concepts, techniques and practice. Practitioners use a variety of arts-based methodologies to undertake their research and / or to communicate their understanding through such diverse genres as autobiography, narrative, poetry, visual arts, drama, dance, music and performance. There is a relatively new but rapidly growing body of both literature and shared practitioner knowledge which directly addresses concepts of art as research, the nature of knowing aesthetically and learning aesthetically, the processes of making, and the use of art as a platform for recording and analysing data. We intend the ABER SIG to provide a platform for theoreticians and practitioners working in arts, education and other fields to discuss, share and reflect on research practice and outcomes, both illuminating and problematical. It will provide a focus for other parties and individuals who may be interested in ABER but who have, so far, not ventured into this particular domain. It will welcome and encourage transdisciplinary knowledge-making with fields such as business and policy studies as well as the social sciences and humanities more generally. This SIG has a close allegiance to the workings of AERA and the bi-annual UK Arts Based Education Research conference in that it will explore the genres of arts and social science research – both their similarities and their differences – and promote the use of arts-based methods of disseminating educational and human science research. It conceives of ABER as an inclusive, democratic, participatory ethical form of inquiry in which research participants are consulted and involved in the process rather than being done to.

SIG Convenors

Profile picture of Adam Hart
Adam Hart, Dr

Lecturer at University of Salford

Adam Hart is a lecturer in music technology at the University of Salford. He has a background in secondary education and audio programming, and his research interests involve digital technology, musical communication and creative pedagogy, and...

Profile picture of Jill Lloyd-Jones
Jill Lloyd-Jones, Ms

Co convenor Arts based EDucationalResearch/Author/Educator/ Presenter Arts-Drama-Literacy-Social Justice at N/A

Jill Lloyd-Jones is a Drama Specialist with an M.Ed. in Arts Curriculum and has been a popular teacher and consultant for schools and universities in Canada. As a teacher practitioner, her classroom was the focus of research by British and...

Profile picture of Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan
Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan, Professor

Professor at University of Nottingham

Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan is an education professor at the University of Nottingham. Her work inspires educators and other professionals to see themselves as curious, resourceful learners with the power to effect context-appropriate,...

Rebecca Berkley, Dr

Associate Professor in Music Education at University of Reading

Rebecca Berkley is an Associate Professor in Music Education at the University of Reading. Her areas of interest are classroom musicianship, choral education, musical leadership and musical cognition. She is the co-director of the Postgraduate...

Content associated with this SIG

BERA Conference 2023

12 September 2023 to 14 September 2023Aston University/ Conference Aston

Welcome to the BERA Annual Conference 2023 Authors notified of outcome of submission on the 17th March 2023 BERA is delighted to announce a record number of abstract submissions for our BERA...

Upcoming conference12 Sep 2023