Research Groups

Research in the department is organised under three Themes which demonstrate our focus on learning across the life-course. The three Themes are made up of eight Research Groups.

• Applied Linguistics (Professor Ernesto Macaro)

• Child Learning (Professor Terezinha Nunes)

• Families, Early Learning and Literacy (FELL) (Professor Kathy Sylva)

• Self-concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation (SELF) (Professor Herb Marsh)

• Comparative and International Education (Professor David Phillips)

• Higher Education and Professional Learning (Dr Hubert Ertl and Dr Geoff Hayward)

• e-Learning (Dr Chris Davies)

• Teaching and Teacher Education (T&TE) (Dr Jane McNicholl and Professor Anne Edwards)

Research Centres

Our five Research Centres collaborate with other departments across the University or with other Universities. They too generate research, organise seminars and provide support for higher degree students and staff.  Staff and students frequently affiliate with both Centres and Groups.

• Skills Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) – (Professor Ken Mayhew and Dr Geoff Hayward)

• Self-concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation (SELF) – (Professor Herb Marsh)

• The Oxford Centre for Sociocultural and Activity Theory Research (OSAT) – (Professor Anne Edwards)

• Comparative and International Education (Professor David Phillips)

• Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment (Professor Gordon Stanley)

The Work of the Groups

Research groups provide opportunities for researchers, higher degree students and research officers to obtain critical commentary on ongoing research, develop their research thinking and plan new research projects. The groups organise specialist research seminars and provide the context within which academic visitors contribute to and benefit from the research activity of the Department. There is, inevitably, overlap between the research areas and international work is represented across the areas. For this reason, many members of the Department work in more than one research group. Membership is open to all academic and research staff, doctoral students and individuals from outside the Department (e.g. GTC, LEAs, QCA) with shared interests in research. Masters students are invited to join research groups relevant to their interests and regularly attend seminars. All research students are encouraged to make regular presentations on their work at seminars in the department.Details of the activities, seminars and projects of each research group can be obtained from the department news website.