Is written informed consent always required for educational research?

The challenges and solutions for qualitative researchers in gaining ethical approval and consent

While informed consent is important, obtaining written consent from participants can be problematic.

Autumn 2019

New perspectives on international, intercultural and global education

In pursuit of the elusive doctorate: Managing the last half-mile and getting home

From Zero to Hero: Anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

Frustration and confusion can dominate the doctoral writing experience, and never more so than during the last half-mile.

Earth surface modeling for education: How effective is it?

Mixed or inconclusive results regarding the effect of computer simulations in enhancing students’ learning have been reported in the literature (see for example Edsall & Wentz, 2007)....

Engagement in business simulation games: A self-system model of motivational development

The concept of student engagement has attracted increasing attention over recent years due to its potential predictiveness of students’ learning outcomes, and to the fact that student...

Challenging consumerism through education as human development

The culture of transforming everything into products to be ‘consumed by the market’ is manifesting itself as a global pathology. This trend is destroying longstanding communities of practice...

Where is the ‘theory’ within the field of educational technology research?

We know that research in the field of educational technology has grown substantially in importance over the last decade or so – mainly due to the huge investment by many governments in...

Exploring learning entanglement

Learning spaces are changing. Classrooms, once filled with uniform furnishings and distinct ‘teacher’ and ‘student’ territories, are being reimagined to provide learning spaces that...

Having a secure and safe place to conduct the fieldwork: Further anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

From Zero to Hero: Anecdotal tales in pursuit of the elusive doctorate

In this blog we consider the more logistical aspects of completing a PhD – namely, ensuring that you have a secure and safe place in which to conduct the fieldwork. We both feel strongly about...

The Future of Educational Research in Wales

This report, published by BERA in partnership with the Welsh Government, presents the proceedings of and lessons from the Future of Educational Research in Wales conference. Held in Cardiff on 14...

Linking school teachers’ practice with research in educational technology: A call to action

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET), Melissa Bond (University of Oldenburg), Dr Olaf Zawacki-Richter (University of Oldenburg) and Dr Mark...

Peering through the looking glass: Making sense of the observation process in HE

This blog is inspired by two recent experiences. The first was attending Matt O’Leary’s recent seminar at Liverpool John Moores’ University on ‘Observing teaching and learning in higher...