Special Interest Group
The Alternative Education SIG takes the broadest approach to ‘alternative’ that we can. We are interested in all forms of out of school educational provision and with ‘alternative’ approaches within schools. We will facilitate debate, discussion and exploration around the many issues, philosophical, political, pedagogical and ethical, that surround alternative education from PRUs to home education. We aspire for this SIG to be a meeting ground for the education which takes place in museums, libraries, homes and open spaces as well as in alternative schools, democratic schools and flexi schools, and to give a voice to those who realize education and learning differently. We aim to promote network of critical discussion and supportive resources for researchers, practitioners, writers and thinkers. We aim to be lively in our debate and in our SIG activity and to represent a vibrant forum of voices in this important and growing area. Research interests within the SIG are widespread and include, but are not restricted to:
Researcher at University of Bath
Fadoua Govaerts is affiliated with the University of Bath in the Department of Education and is the founder of RE-KnoX (Research in Education – Knowledge Exchange), an initiative through which she organises international conferences in the...
Senior Lecturer at University of the West of England
Sarah Gillie is a former primary school teacher whose research interests relate to inclusion in education across and beyond ‘compulsory’ schooling. Family diagnoses of neurodivergence have only strengthened her conviction that inclusive...
Assistant Head of Teaching & Learning: Outcomes at Tute, VL and Research Associate at University of Chester
Sharon Smith is a Visiting Lecturer and Associate Researcher at the University of Chester. Sharon completed her PGCE (2006) and MA in Teaching and Learning (2010) at Manchester Metropolitan University, before completing her Doctorate at The...
While the right to education is guaranteed under the Irish constitution (Kennedy & Smyth, 2018) educational inequality is a continuing feature within the education system (Cahill, 2020). On...
This series celebrates one decade of the BERA Blog, as an important and growing space to explore current and varied issues and questions of concern to the education community. To mark this...
BERA is partnering with the Kusuma Trust to deliver several research projects with the aim to improve the school experience and academic attainment of young people who are neurodivergent. The...
This case study considers the ethical issues that can arise when conducting participatory research with young people. It highlights the nuanced nature of participation preferences and the ethical...
50 think pieces on education, policy, practice, innovation & inclusion
International comparative education
In an era characterised by rapid technological advancements, globalisation and shifting labour market dynamics, the concept of employability has emerged as a central concern in education. As...
The British Educational Research Journal (BERJ) is pleased to launch its Early Career Reviewer Scheme that aims to build early career researchers’ capacities in academic peer reviewing. This...
