Imagining Better Education: Conference Proceedings 2018

Abstract

Durham University’s first Post-Graduate Educational Research Conference, entitled Imagining Better Education, marked an exciting milestone for Post-Graduate Research (PGR) students here at the School of Education. Our first student-led conference saw PGRs from across the department come together to organise a two-day event in which they presented their research findings to staff and colleagues. There were 28 presentations produced by scholars and practitioners from across a range of different countries. 18 papers are included in this proceedings volume. The conference provided a supportive and collaborative environment for PGRs to discuss their research with their peers. This acted as a forum for students to learn from each other whilst sharing their own insights into what it means to design and ‘do’ research. Similarly, the publication process for these proceedings was intended to support students’ academic growth. Every presenter was given the opportunity to submit a manuscript for the conference proceedings. Through a blind review process, each author received feedback from two peer-reviewers. This was supported by a two-hour workshop on writing and reviewing for publication. Our aim was to make the review and editing process a learning opportunity for authors by working with an editorial team. We hope that students benefitted from the experiences of presenting, writing, and reviewing; making them more confident and accomplished authors. It is important to acknowledge these highlights as they demonstrate the dedication of our PGR students; not only to their studies at the School of Education, but also to their desire to improve Education. The contributions by the authors in the following proceedings reflect their commitment to ‘Imagining Better Education’ for learners. Major themes of featured papers include: technology, Higher Education, and SEN. This breadth of coverage reflects the School of Education’s standing as one of the major leaders in Educational research; with the efforts of our PGR community continuing in this endeavour by shaping policy and practice for the future. In this way, these first published proceedings build a legacy of scholarly contribution for the School of Education and its PGR students. I would like to express my gratitude to all of the authors in contributing their papers for publication in the Imagining Better Education 2018 Conference Proceedings. They provide a fascinating insight into how we can imagine, and strive for, better Education.