Special Interest Group
Fostering Insight and Innovation in Socio-Cultural and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory
Our Special Interest Group is dedicated to exploring socio-cultural theory and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory in the pursuit of understanding how societal and cultural contexts shape human behaviour. We strive to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and apply these insights to address real-world challenges, enriching both academic and practical realms.
Learning and Development
Classroom Dynamics
Language and Literacy
Technology in Education
Teacher Education and Professional Development
Curriculum Development
Motivation and Engagement
Identity and Learning
Educational Policy and Reform
Informal Learning Environments
Support and promote cutting-edge research initiatives that expand the boundaries of socio-cultural and Cultural-historical Activity Theory
Translate theoretical insights into practical solutions and strategies applicable in various fields such as education, organisational development, and social policy
Initiate and support collaborative projects and studies among members from diverse professional backgrounds
Regularly host webinars, workshops, and conferences for knowledge exchange and professional development within the community.
BERA Socio-Cultural and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Forum
Lecturer at University of Sheffield
Louise Kay is a lecturer in early childhood in the School of Education at the University of Sheffield. She is a qualified teacher and has worked across all three primary key stages, with the majority of her career spent teaching in the early...
Associate Professor at Plymouth University
Dr Jan Georgeson is Associate Professor of Education at University of Plymouth with a professional background as teacher of young children with special educational needs. She has also worked and volunteered as a Portage worker supporting parents...
This award celebrates the publication of educational research and is awarded to a scholarly book on education deemed to be high quality, engaging and innovative.
2025 marks 10 years of the BERA Blog, and we’re so proud of all that it has accomplished! Thank you to all those who have contributed to the Blog, whether as authors, editors, or readers. The...
Autoethnography holds significant relevance as a methodology in social justice work within educational research and practice (Boylorn, 2006; Ellis, 2002; Skousen, 2022). It is defined as a...
Continue reading blog postIn April and July of 2023, the BERA Social Justice special interest group (SIG) held an event titled ‘Beyond “Navel-gazing”: Autoethnography as a catalyst for change’. This event brought...
This blog series celebrates one decade of the BERA Blog, as an important and growing space to explore current and varied issues and questions of concern to the education community. To mark this...
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, BERA has collected together a set of 50 landmark studies that have had a significant impact on educational policy, educational practice, research...
This blog post is based on one of the findings from my PhD research, which highlights teachers’ identification of their professionalism in the research context of Oman. Teacher professionalism...
Continue reading blog post50 think pieces on education, policy, practice, innovation & inclusion
