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Gender, race and education research

Explore our work in gender, race and education


Social exclusion sometimes works in subtle ways, and it can be hard to identify when children and young people are being deprived of the same opportunities to do well and thrive.

Through our research in Gender, Race and Education, we aim to identify, explore and engage with these subtler forms of discrimination, in order to find new ways of bridging the gap and make an active contribution to a fairer, more equal world.

For example, we're looking into the ways in which dimensions of identity can lead to specific forms of inclusion and exclusion in schools, how pregnancy and parenthood can act as constraints to educational attainment, and whether the gender of teachers matters in relation to learning.

Our work is regularly published in leading academic journals within the field, including Gender and Education, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, and Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education.

Our research focuses on the following key topics

  • Gender, race and education
  • Intersectionality
  • Gender in the Global South

Partnerships

Through the Erasmus programme, we benefit from a number of partnerships with other universities in Europe, and we also have collaborative relationships with organisations in the rest of the world, including in South Africa, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Locally, we're connected with a number of charities, such as The Girls Network, whose work aims to broaden the aspirations and possibilities for young girls coming from contexts of disadvantage.

Within the University, we also work collaboratively with other schools and faculties – and we're currently carrying out a study, with the Faculty of Engineering, on the participation and engagement of girls with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. Our work is also frequently funded by organisations such as the British Academy.

Recent publications

  • Emerson, A., and Kovinthan Levi, T. (2020) "Textbooks, gender, and conflict in South Asia: building the nation", In P. M. Sarangapani, anbd R. Pappu (Eds.), Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia

  • Pastore, M., and Salvi, F. (2023) "Play and learn: children’s agency through the COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique", Children and Society

  • Wijaya Mulya, T., Salvi, F., Gorczynski, P., and Wells-Brown, T. (2021) "The state and my happiness: youth mental health, citizenship education, and discursive contestations in contemporary Indonesia", Children and Society

  • Sims-Schouten, W., and Gilbert, P. (2022) "Revisiting ‘resilience’ in light of racism, ‘othering’ and resistance", Race and Class

  • Sims-Schouten, W., Jabbar, N., and Gilbert, P. L. (2021) "Learning about white privilege isn’t harmful to white working class children – viewpoint", The Conversation.

Discover our areas of expertise

Gender, race and education is one of our five areas of expertise in Education research – explore the others below.

Early years education

In this area of expertise, we're exploring the experiences and opportunities that play a role in the development of young children.

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Further education

We're exploring all aspects of further education, from adult education to transitions from military service, leadership and management to further education student experience.

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Higher education

We're researching into issues in higher education, and finding solutions to them. Explore our higher education research.

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Youth, development and social practices

Our work provides a platform that showcases research, innovation and wider activities being developed in collaboration with young people, community members and practitioner and academic colleagues.

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Research groups

Education, Social Justice and Transformation Research Group

We're seeking to open up opportunities to share and explore critical, radical, alternative and liberatory approaches to the research and practice of education across multiple global contexts.


Interested in a PhD in Education?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Education postgraduate research degrees page.