If you are starting out on a PhD you are probably expecting it to be hard work. That’s not wrong. A doctorate isn’t easy – it’s an extended piece of work over a long period of time. It takes energy and effort to stay focused and working on working on.  Stamina. But you can’t expect to […] … learn more→

Up to 90% of brain development occurs in the first five years of life. Early learning matters, and creates a solid foundation for future development. Philosophical underpinnings in early education matter too. They influence the interactions between teachers and children, the environment design and beliefs about how children learn. The demographic diversity of Australia means no single […] … learn more→

When Donald Trump won the US presidency in 2016 despite the myriad doubts about his character and personal affairs, his victory was attributed at least in part to his opponent’s unpopularity. Surely, many voters lamented, a country of 320 million people ought to be able to produce two better candidates than Trump and Hillary Clinton. […] … learn more→

There have been many seminal periods in the long and continual struggle for racial equality. Perhaps this will be one of them. The killing of George Floyd has illuminated the inequality that continues to pervade many societies and has prompted a global discourse around the power and privilege that accompanies whiteness. Higher education institutions may […] … learn more→

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, so does universities’ reliance on online teaching, prompting complaints from students that they are not getting full value from tuition fees. Students who have returned to campus fear that their university experience as a whole is being diminished. Manchester Metropolitan University has moved first-year teaching online as students self-isolate. The University and College Union has […] … learn more→

Materials produced by groups with “extreme political stances” have been barred from English classrooms by the UK government under new guidance for the relationships, sex, and health curriculum. Most of these extreme principles – racism, antisemitism and authoritarianism – are uncontroversial. But the list also includes opposition to capitalism: the “desire to overthrow democracy, capitalism, or the […] … learn more→

“You should be in bed by now and we haven’t even brushed your teeth yet,” do you despair as your 4 year old son runs down the hallway, knocking over the pile of clean laundry you just put down? This kind of situation may sound familiar to many parents: around the world, the consequences of […] … learn more→

Whether children are currently going to school in person, learning remotely or doing a mix of both, digital tools and texts are becoming much more commonplace for K-12 education during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m a professor who researches the use of technology in education. I’m also the father of three children between the ages of 4 and 9 […] … learn more→

On seeing two paths diverge in an autumn wood, Robert Frost was famously “sorry [he] could not travel both/And be one traveller.” The Road Not Taken reminds us that some choices shape our identity and shadow us with the imagined alternative. Not all choices are binary, but as the leaves turn and I prepare frantically […] … learn more→

Many universities around the world pay academics to publish their research. Our recent study in South Africa, though, suggests they should be cautious of such practices. The country’s Department of Higher Education and Training funds public universities for every article published in academic journals on any of six accredited lists. The lists include journals that meet various quality indicators such […] … learn more→