Connection and creativity despite Covid-19: Playful learning at university during the pandemic

The playful academic

Over the past decade, interest in play and playful learning in higher education (HE) has grown significantly (James & Brookfield, 2014; James & Nerantzi, 2019). Publications, conferences and...

Positioning ‘play’ purposefully in the adult language learning classroom

The playful academic

Times are tough for university students and teachers alike in this pandemic world. ‘Play’ could offer an easy antidote to the soulnessness of digital overload. Incorporating ‘fun’ and...

Does playfulness have a place in higher education? A reflection on using playfulness when teaching research methods to postgraduate students

The playful academic

Playfulness has been defined as a disposition (Barnett, 1991) a mindset (Skilbeck, 2017) and fundamental for creativity (Cheng-Ping Chang, 2013). I have spent many years working in play and...

Playful praxis: A student’s perspective

The playful academic

Now in my fifth year of higher education (HE), I am in the unfortunate position to have more years as an undergraduate to reflect on than most, yet still have more to look forward to. Yes, I am a...

Becoming a playful academic: A personal story

The playful academic

Throughout my life I have been exposed to an increasingly stressful and demanding expectation to perform, dictated not only by society (cultural pressures) but also through beliefs deeply...

Rent strikes and the continuing relevance of Paulo Freire at 100

Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, student rent strikes took place in many universities in England. Lockdowns and moves to online learning meant that students were at times required to...

Loneliness and collegiality in the academy: Isolated by a neoliberal ideology

The problems of loneliness and isolation are often raised in academia. How can we understand loneliness and respond to it within the academic community of our time? I suggest that the ideology of...

Who wants to be an academic?

The good… Academic staff are driven by the thrill of creating new knowledge. New knowledge also stimulates the passion that academics bring to teaching their students. When these two things...

Has Athena Swan lost its way?

The Athena Swan charter was established in 2005 to advance the careers of female academics in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). Yet it now discourages academic...

Reflecting on ethical dilemmas as a teacher-researcher: Taking a virtues-based stance

Insider forms of research typically present unexpected and ongoing ethical dilemmas for a researcher. These dilemmas often stem from pre-existing and ongoing working relationships with...

Mobilising critique through Twitter: Exploring the ITE sector response during the ITT market review

The initial teacher education (ITE) sector has experienced significant change over the last few years, with the introduction of the core content framework (CCF), the early career framework (ECF)...

New series of the BERA podcast

This autumn we have launched a new series of the BERA podcast. Over the next few weeks we will continue to feature emerging research which connects to policy and practice.  Already we have...