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Educational studies

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An image to illustrate studying the doctorate in education with The Open University

The Educational Studies Research Cluster is located in the Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET). United by a common interest in pedagogy, professionalism and policy, researchers in the cluster employ a range of methodologies to explore teaching and learning in formal and informal contexts in homes, schools, higher education and work-based settings.

We are well known for our research into pedagogy and the curriculum, teacher education (including developing world contexts) and professional development. Recent externally funded cluster projects have included an examination of storytelling and story acting in the early years, creativity in maths and science teaching, learning across Europe, teacher education in developing countries, creative primary practice in England, teachers researching children’s literacy lives through undertaking Learner Visits to homes, and the nature of extra-curricular reading groups in the context of the reading for pleasure agenda.  In addition, the work around qualitative methodology and ethnography is widely cited, as is much of our co-participative research with teachers, creative practitioners and other partners. Our cluster research seeks to contribute to knowledge expansion and make an impact on educational agendas, locally, nationally and internationally. Members of the cluster are extensively involved in policy initiatives and subject associations and societies.

Qualifications available:

PhD. See also our Master of Research (MRes) and our Doctorate in Education (EdD).

Fees:

For detailed information on current fees visit Fees and funding.

Entry requirements:

Minimum 2:1 (or equivalent)

Potential research projects

  • Curriculum
  • Pedagogy and practice
  • Creativity in education
  • Creative teaching and learning
  • Early years and primary education issues
  • Inclusion and equity issues
  • Literacy, mathematics and science teaching and learning
  • Assessment
  • Learners’ and professionals’ identities, agency and voice
  • Approaches to teacher education, including the use of new technologies
  • Professional development in the UK and international contexts
  • Education policy, practice and professionalism
  • Education in the information age.

We are interested in research topics related in some way to the above themes. 

Current / recent research projects

Students’ projects explore a diverse range of issues including, for example:

  • Writing at home and at school
  • Arts-partnerships and creativity in primary education
  • The impact of national literacy policies
  • The nature and characteristics of teacher talk and possibility thinking in drama
  • Secondary science teachers and shifts in pedagogic practice in response to curriculum change
  • Digital literacy practices in homes and classrooms
  • Teachers’ professional identities and practices, including their literate identities
  • Formative approaches to professional development in secondary contexts
  • Formative assessment from a sociocultural perspective in the teaching and learning of primary writing
  • Contexts, voices and perspectives of female teachers in rural Sub-Saharan Africa
  • An analysis of ICT policy development and practice in teacher education in Kenya
  • Teachers’ beliefs about research: a Syrian case
  • Principles and practice of syllabus designing and material production at secondary school education in Bangladesh

Potential supervisors

Further information

If you have an enquiry specific to this research area please contact:

Name:
Mrs Anne Foward
Email:
creet-student-enquiries@open.ac.uk
Phone:
+44 (0)1908 655364

For general enquiries please contact the Research Degrees Team via the link under ‘Your questions’ on the right of the page.

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