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Welcome to the School of Education

The School of Education submitted thirty-nine members of staff, comprising 35.15 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff, to the REF Education Unit of Assessment (UoA).  The submission included five Early Career Researchers.

Find out more about us
2nd for Outstanding Research in Education (REF 2021)
Top 100 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
1st Equal for Impact (REF 2021)
1st for Outputs (REF 2021)

About the School of Education

We are one of the leading Schools of Education in the United Kingdom. Guiding the School of Education’s research activity is our vision of a more equitable world in which education, informed by innovative high-quality research, plays a vital role in enabling individuals, communities and societies to flourish. To this end, our research and impact strategy has enabled us to undertake research over the course of the REF period that: 1) positively impacts on regional, national and global policy and practice; and 2) shapes and develops educational research, research methodology and research capacity in the UK and internationally.  

We have succeeded in meeting these objectives by: maintaining a vibrant, intellectually inclusive research environment, in which staff are passionate about their research and the difference it can make; securing prestigious research funding to enable us to pursue boundary-pushing research in a sustainable way; publishing innovative and distinctive high-quality open access outputs; further embedding world-leading impact (through our impact case studies); and developing research collaborations and partnerships within and beyond education.  

As a leading School of Education, we will continue to conduct internationally excellent research which both advances the state-of-the-art and has a positive impact on individuals, organisations, and society. We will continue to ; create a knowledge-base that provides evidence to facilitate effective decision-making in education, both in terms of policy and practice, ; develop all staff (experienced academics and Early Career Researchers/ECRs) across the full range of research skills and competencies, while ensuring that they continue to work in a flourishing, nurturing research environment; and continue to build a sustainable research environment (e.g. by investing in new research centres, and supporting the development of international projects and partnerships). As an international group of researchers and educators, we embody equality, diversity, and inclusion (evidenced in our Athena SWAN Bronze Award). We link our international research perspectives and collaborations to our teaching to inspire our students (both postgraduate and undergraduate) to become the future architects of an equitable, socially just, and sustainable world. 

Education REF Impact Case Studies

Four impact case studies about different aspects of education.

Click below to read more about our case studies

Improving the educational outcomes of children starting school in five countries (iPIPS)

The iPIPS project is a monitoring system for the first year of school which has had significant and extensive impact on pedagogical understanding.
A group of children in an education setting

The Dyslexia Debate and its relevance for policy and practice

Professor Joe Elliott’s research, has demonstrated that current dyslexia assessment and diagnosis practices are scientifically problematic.
Someone at a lectern in a lecture theatre

The Pupil Premium Toolkit: Evidence for Impact in Education

The Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an evidence-based resource for schools seeking guidance on improving outcomes for learners.
Students being creative in a workshop

Defending and improving schooling for disadvantaged pupils

Using randomised trials, we evaluated school interventions intended to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged learners.
Student crafting education tools

 

 

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Research Clusters

Our academic staff and PGR students are aligned to one or more of our thematic Research Clusters: Durham University Evidence Centre for Education, Higher and Further Education, Intercultural, International, and Comparative Education, Psychology and Education, and Pedagogy and Curriculum

More about our Research Clusters

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Education research at Durham is interdisciplinary and international, with research collaborations drawing in staff from the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, disciplines such as Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Computer Science, Business, the N8 research partnership, the Russell Group, the European Coimbra Group and the global Matariki network. 

  • Durham University Evidence Centre for Education

    This Research Centre has members from other social science departments, and a national and international user group. Its work involves generating, assessing, synthesising, critiquing, and promoting robust evidence to help inform education policy and practice.
    A classroom full of children holding their hands up to answer a question
  • Research and Impact

    Guiding the School of Education’s research and impact activity is our vision of a more equitable world in which education, informed by innovative high-quality research, plays a vital role in enabling individuals, communities and societies to flourish.
    Students laughing during a seminar

Durham University Evidence Centre for Education

This Research Centre has members from other social science departments, and a national and international user group. Its work involves generating, assessing, synthesising, critiquing, and promoting robust evidence to help inform education policy and practice.
A classroom full of children holding their hands up to answer a question

Research and Impact

Guiding the School of Education’s research and impact activity is our vision of a more equitable world in which education, informed by innovative high-quality research, plays a vital role in enabling individuals, communities and societies to flourish.
Students laughing during a seminar