Aspirations, expectations and rethinking outreach

‘Aspirations’ are a wonderfully simple concept. The problem is that it’s becoming increasingly clear they are of little worth in terms of understanding pathways towards higher education, as...

Get out of your comfort zone with a different presentation style

Attending an international conference as an early career researcher (ECR) can be daunting. In September, 2018 I had the opportunity to attend, and present at, the European Conference on...

Drawing a line in the sand: Reflective practice using ‘sandboxing’ with HE students

The future of educational research in Wales

The ability to reflect in and on practice (Schön, 1983; 1991) is an integral professional skill within the field of education. This metacognitive process develops effective practitioners and...

Adopting a MasterChef approach to studies: Further anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

This blog is part of the series ‘From Zero to Hero: Anecdotal Tales in Pursuit of the Elusive Doctorate’. Click on the links to read part 1 (the introduction), and part 2 (‘Having a...

How might teacher design help to support sustainable innovation in higher education?

Higher education around the world is facing the significant challenge of providing excellent teaching in response to complex, shifting pressures. Institutions must adapt to changing student...

Easier access to quality CPD for teachers while saving the taxpayer money: Can it really be this easy?

If someone were to come up with an idea that would facilitate the take-up by teachers of CPD of proven quality that would reduce teacher debt and, at the same time, save the taxpayer money, most...

Connecting the dots: painting, thesis and writing

I am a newly minted PhD from the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield. Two months after graduation, I am still coming to terms with the ‘what...

Having a critical friend: Further anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

Recently, we published our first BERA Blog about doctoral journeys and how low educational starting points don’t necessarily prohibit academic achievement. In that blog, we identified five key...

Elite universities, fields of study and top salaries: Which degree will make you rich?

As more people gain university degrees, people are increasingly aware that some degrees may be worth more than others. We know that the British socioeconomic elite is dominated by people who have...

Did socially engaged students make more cognitive contribution?

According to a report prepared for the Higher Education Funding Council for England, online and distance courses have increased significantly in the UK over the past decade; a survey by the UK's...

From here to home: A small note on PhDscapes

In 2014, when I started my PhD at the University of Huddersfield about globalisation and higher education in Vietnam, I found myself thinking, ‘Why do I need to go halfway around the world to do...

From zero to hero: Anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

Dave and I met in 2004 when we both moved from teaching to become senior lecturers. We also embarked on our doctorates at the same time, and ended up keeping close company during our studies. The...