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Special Interest Group

Educational Effectiveness and Improvement

Providing a forum for sharing, developing and disseminating research that explores, informs and improves outcomes in education.

We recognise that the field of education is diverse and political and as such this SIG is interested in research that questions educational policy and practice from the early years to higher education and beyond. Our aim is to provoke intellectual debate in a supportive forum that stimulates thinking and inter-disciplinary collaboration to influence government policy making and the funding of education in the future.

Research interests 

  • Questioning education
  • Small scale empirical research into educational effectiveness
  • Quality improvement in education from the early years to higher education and beyond
  • Improving outcomes for children
  • The role of the special educational needs coordinator
  • (De)professionalising the educational workforce
  • Rural and costal schools
  • Small schools
  • How different philosophies of education improve outcomes for children
  • Large scale quantitative research in educational effectiveness

SIG aims: 

This special interest group is concerned with educational effectiveness and improvement and aims to

  • Provide an inclusive and accessible forum for students, early career researchers, established educational researchers and educators, to discuss issues relating to educational effectiveness and improvement.
  • Share, stimulate, support and raise awareness of high quality research through networking events, conferences and workshops.
  • Create opportunities to disseminate findings from research within the academic community and beyond.
  • Influence government(s) educational policy, funding agencies and key stakeholders on issues relating to educational effectiveness and improvement.
  • Collaborate with other SIGs to promote interdisciplinary research with a common purpose of improving educational outcomes.
  • Collaborate with other educational research associations nationally and internationally on common issues relating to educational effectiveness and improvement.

SIG Convenors

Profile picture of Tanya Ovenden-Hope
Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Professor

Professor of Education & Dean at Plymouth Marjon University

Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope is Provost and Professor of Education at Plymouth Marjon University. In 2018 she developed and opened Marjon University Cornwall based in Truro, which she leads. Tanya is a committed and enthusiastic educationalist...

Profile picture of Victoria Bamsey
Victoria Bamsey, Dr

Lecturer at University of Plymouth

As a lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Education and Programme Lead for the National Award for SEN Coordination at the University of Plymouth I am interested in questioning education, what education means, what it looks like and where it...

Sean Hayes, Mr

Education Consultant and Educational Researcher (Retired) at University of Durham

Sean is a retired local government manager and educational researcher. He managed a team of 20 data analysts/researchers in Hounslow LA, covering Education and Children’s Services. He now has a part-time career as an educational researcher and...

Content associated with this SIG

Winter 2024

Reclaiming teacher education: Opportunities for a research informed & politically engaged profession

Research Intelligence22 Nov 2024

BERA and the Curriculum

Following the General Election on the 4th July 2024, The Labour Government committed to a range of policies, relating to education, in the King's Speech. The Labour manifesto pledged to a review...

Ongoing project