Special Interest Group

Alternative Education

The Alternative Education SIG takes the broadest approach to ‘alternative’ that we can. We are interested in all forms of out of school educational provision and with ‘alternative’ approaches within schools. We will facilitate debate, discussion and exploration around the many issues, philosophical, political, pedagogical and ethical, that surround alternative education from PRUs to home education. We aspire for this SIG to be a meeting ground for the education which takes place in museums, libraries, homes and open spaces as well as in alternative schools, democratic schools and flexi schools, and to give a voice to those who realize education and learning differently. We aim to promote network of critical discussion and supportive resources for researchers, practitioners, writers and thinkers. We aim to be lively in our debate and in our SIG activity and to represent a vibrant forum of voices in this important and growing area. Research interests within the SIG are widespread and include, but are not restricted to:

Home education
Flexi- schooling
Adult education
Forest Schools
Free Schools
Democratic Schools
Self-managed learning
Museum education
Pupil Referral Units
Disruptive innovations in learning and teaching

Twitter: @BERA_AltED

BERA Alternative Education Forum

SIG Convenors

Fadoua Govaerts

University of Bath

Sarah Gillie

Sharon Smith, Dr

University of Chester

Stefania Romano, Dr

Lecturer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of Leeds

Content associated with this SIG

SIG Meet & Discuss: Alternative Education

20 Nov 2025

We warmly invite members of the BERA Alternative Education SIG—and anyone with an interest in alternative education—to join us online this November for our upcoming Meet and Discuss session....

Upcoming eventVirtual

Encouraging Intercultural Sharing and Community Building through Embodied Learning in an Alternative Education Space

23 Oct 2025

Emily Dobrich was awarded best presentation for Alternative Education at the 2024 BERA/WERA conference for her presentation: An Embodied Educational Research Project to Build Solidarity and...