Teachers have very little to do with why some kids are better at school than others, our research shows. This contradicts the popular view that teachers matter most (after genes) when it comes to academic achievement. Previous research has suggested teacher quality – which includes their qualification level and ability to organise the class – can account […] … learn more→

If you are interested in the study of the human mind, then you’ve probably considered becoming a psychologist at one point or another. Providing therapy for the people around you is a rewarding and meaningful way of putting this study to good use, but becoming a psychologist isn’t the only way of integrating psychology into […] … learn more→

Pregnant teachers in classrooms are routine these days. But the law didn’t always protect expectant women in any workplace. As part of her stump speech, Sen. Elizabeth Warren tells a story about being fired from her job as a speech pathologist for special needs children once she became pregnant back in 1971. Sharing this chapter in her […] … learn more→

There are two specific ways I was positioned as a minority during my PhD: being an Asian woman and being a medieval scholar. Being a medieval scholar was the more difficult of the two! I was one of the few women postgraduates working regularly – or even occasionally – in the postgraduate room where I […] … learn more→

As pro-vice-chancellor global at a university that has just declared a climate emergency, I face the daunting challenge of taking forward our ambitious plans for further internationalisation without increasing our carbon footprint. I am not alone, of course. This is one of the biggest challenges currently facing every university around the world. So how do […] … learn more→

First of all, an introductory note: to propose a one-size-fits-all definition of colonialism would be itself quite a colonial approach, and I would instead prefer to point you at this extensive reading list. For the purpose of this article, it will suffice to say that colonialism is about the oppressive domination of lands and people […] … learn more→

When one reads a great philosopher, even if he has been dead for more than two centuries, one has the strange feeling of reading one of our contemporaries, of hearing a voice so strong and so strong that it still speaks to us. This is the case when one examines the major texts that Nicolas de Condorcet (1743-1794) […] … learn more→

When it comes to university choices for both students and academics, it might seem like everyone wants to study and work in the institutions that top the league tables and the world rankings – but research seems to indicate this isn’t the case. As part of the background analysis for my new book Experiences of Academics from a […] … learn more→

Our schools are bloated down with administrative staff. They call themselves “leaders” in education but having worked closely with quite a few of them, having studied carefully the true nature of their jobs…I’ve often wondered what, exactly, they did to justify their very high paying and extremely cushy jobs. Primarily what they did is acquire […] … learn more→

It is tempting to be suspicious of the research impact agenda – not least the new industry it has created. With the value of a 4* impact case study in the 2014 research excellence framework estimated at £324,000, it is not surprising that specialist jobs in research offices, impact-focused workshops and consultancy opportunities have emerged. […] … learn more→