Imagining Better Education: Conference Proceedings 2019

Abstract

The Imagining Better Education conference, an event organised by our Post-Graduate Research students at the School of Education at Durham University, has provided a fruitful space for collaboration, learning and engagement for our student research community. This was the second student-led conference, following its successful launch one year ago. The two-day conference was an excellent networking opportunity where the students came together, presented their research findings, learnt from one another and engaged in constructive dialogue and fruitful debate. There were 22 presentations produced by scholars and practitioners from across a range of different countries. A workshop on networking and communication skills in addition to a keynote speech on evidence-based education were also useful highlights of the conference. Nine papers are included in this proceedings volume. The research areas are wide ranging and employ diverse methodologies, appropriate for the unique educational and professional settings that are investigated. The papers included in the proceedings explore systematically the following themes: cross-cultural teaching, internationalisation and English for Academic Purposes in higher education, teacher effectiveness, reading attainment, the role of written feedback in promoting student self-regulation, language teaching and academic writing in a variety of contexts. This breadth of coverage attests to our students’ passionate engagement with areas of personal and professional interest. It also reflects the School of Education’s standing as one of the major leaders in educational research. The publication process for the proceedings aimed to offer space for the students’ academic development. Two peer reviewers who were part of the editorial team blind reviewed all submitted manuscripts. The opportunity to offer and receive feedback provided a learning opportunity for both the authors and the editorial team. We hope that all participants found the experience of presenting, writing, reviewing and engaging in dialogue and networking with like-minded researchers exciting, motivating and constructive. We are all extremely proud of our very talented and competent research students that made this conference a success for another year. Their passion and commitment to imagine and help realise a better education for all is testimony to their insatiable drive and motivation.