Black British teens’ experience of school life: race, identity and belonging

Black British teens’ experience of school life: race, identity and belonging

by | BERA, General, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

Right now, in the UK, Black young people continue to experience persistent racism (Bhopal 2024). At the same time, many institutions are quietly stepping back from explicit commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) (Osuh and Mohdin 2025). Against this troubling backdrop, a recent study based in the North of England set out to ask a vital question: how do Black teenagers of African heritage form their racial identities, and how does that shape their time at school?

Crucially, the research centres young people’s own voices – letting them describe, in their own words, the challenges they face at home, at school, and in their wider communities. The answers reveal that while these young people are often deeply proud of who they are, schools frequently fail to recognise, respect, or reflect that identity. And that failure matters, not just for feelings of belonging, but for engagement, motivation, and the ability to learn.

The study

Thirty seven young people aged 11 to 16, all of African heritage and living in the North of England, took part in the study. Instead of relying on surveys or second-hand reports, the researchers trained young people of African heritage to undertake individual interviews to let the teens share their experiences of education as a Black person. They asked three main questions: How do you understand your own racial identity? What role does your family play in shaping that identity? And how does your identity affect your education for better or for worse? The study was a community research project undertaken in partnership with two universities and a third sector organisation.

The findings

One of the most striking findings is the strength and pride these young people feel about their identities. Far from being confused or ashamed, most had a clear sense of who they are – rooted in heritage, culture, religion, language, and connections to family in other countries. That pride does not appear by accident.

Families play a crucial role, providing emotional security, cultural grounding, and consistently high aspirations. Parents and relatives teach their children to know where they come from and to aim high despite the obstacles. In short, the home often acts as a place of connection to culture and community, and a site of support for young people growing up in a predominantly white society.

A strong theme emerges of the role of family and parenting. Family is both the force which forges racial identity and the touchstone and safe place that supports the navigation of Black African identities in a white society with institutions which can exhibit a lack of understanding and indifference to those identities.

They support your racial identity and make you feel supported and they don’t make you feel like a burden towards like other people … so they would like tell you to like be proud of who you are and not to feel like different, because obviously we live in the UK and there’s not like a lot of people from the same background as you, they kind of told us to feel proud.
RPP14 Yorkshire/African

The study found that Black teens do experience racism – both the obvious kind and the quieter, more subtle daily slights. Teachers sometimes fail to understand or respect cultural practices around hair, names, or religious observance. Even when incidents are reported, responses from staff are inconsistent: some teachers are supportive, while others ignore, downplay, or mishandle the situation.

There was one time, I think in Year 10, when I remember people touching my hair and I really felt uncomfortable … and then like the entire class was mocking and laughing about it … so I reported those situations to the teachers and they were like OK we’ll sort it out … I feel like it should have been taken a lot further, but they didn’t do anything at all, and there was like other people who were saying that like other Black people have had issues of racism … they should really have taken it seriously.
RPP17 Nigerian/Northern Irish

Beyond social interactions, the curriculum itself can be a problem. Young people described lessons that felt overwhelmingly Eurocentric – history, literature, and examples that rarely, if ever, reflected their African heritage. Add to this the reality of living in a predominantly white society, and the result is a constant, exhausting feeling of being different, out of place, or invisible.

So like usually the curriculum in like English history, just everything in general is just more focused on like English stuff, and like yeah, I get that because we’re in England, but I really wish it’d be more diverse … I think they should just make the curriculum more, like, just more diverse and to include more topics than, not just about England, like teach about other stuff, other cultures, other heritage.

RPP11 Black African

Racial identity shapes nearly every aspect of school life (Hirsch 2018). It affects a young person’s sense of belonging – who they trust, where they feel safe, and whether they see themselves as a real part of the school community. It affects peer relationships: some teens find solidarity with other Black or minority students, while others face stereotyping, exclusion, or pressure to assimilate, and some can experience difficulties in relationships with their peers when parents restrict out of school socialising. Most importantly, racial identity affects engagement with learning. When a student’s identity is ignored, disrespected, or simply absent from the classroom, motivation drops. When that same identity is seen, valued, and reflected in what is taught, engagement rises. The study’s overall finding is clear: racial identity is not a side issue. It is central to how young people experience school.

Wider implications

This study is not just about 37 young people in the North of England. It speaks to a much broader challenge facing education in England, and far beyond. The insights have wider resonance for any context where Black young people navigate interpersonal or institutional racism that negatively affects their educational experiences and outcomes. But the underlying issues surfaced here go even deeper.

Questions about identity, inequality, the operation of power, belonging, and community are truly universal in significance (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992; Brah and Phoenix 2004). They matter in every classroom, every neighbourhood, and every society. Furthermore, given the resurgence of ethno-nationalist politics across the globe, the implications of this research transcend national boundaries. When a plurality of voices is pushed out of the democratic public realm, everyone loses (Arendt 2017). This study is a powerful reminder that listening to young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, is not just an educational issue. It is a democratic necessity.

Conclusion

The message from this study is both hopeful and urgent. Black teenagers of African heritage in the North of England have proud, strong identities that are built and supported by their families. But too often, schools make those young people feel that their identities do not fully belong. Real equality in education will not come from policies alone (Gilbourn et al. 2021).

It starts with a simpler act: letting young people define who they are, and then building schools that truly see them. For teachers, parents, youth workers, and anyone who cares about education, the path forward is clear. Listen to young people. Take their experiences seriously. And act on what they say.

Key Messages

  • Proud identities start at home: Black teens of African heritage have strong identity awareness and pride, grounded in family, culture, religion, language, and transnational connections.
  • Schools are failing to match that pride: Young people regularly experience racism, cultural misunderstanding, inconsistent teacher responses, and a Eurocentric curriculum.
  • Racial identity shapes everything at school: It affects belonging, peer relationships, and engagement with learning – for better or worse.
  • Change requires more than policies: Schools need knowledge justice, decolonial pedagogies, proactive anti-racist practices, and better teacher education.

Dr Margaret Wood

York St John University, UK

Dr Margaret Wood, Associate Professor of Education, York St John University, UK. An academic, researcher and author whose work is concerned with relational pedagogies and democratic, inclusive approaches in education.

Dr Feng Su

Liverpool Hope University, UK

Dr Feng Su, Associate Professor of Education, Liverpool Hope University, UK. The prime focus of his research and writing is education policy analysis, innovative pedagogical approaches and student learning experiences and outcomes.

Dr Andrew Pennington

York St John University, UK

Dr Andrew Pennington, Post-doctoral Researcher in Education, York St John University, UK. A senior leader and researcher focusing on social justice, democratic engagement and community empowerment in the governance of schools.

Dr Spencer Swain

York St John University, UK

Dr Spencer Swain, Associate Professor of Education, York St John University, UK. Researcher examining identity, migration, and inequality, focusing on Somali diaspora UK, educational disparities, policy impact, and inclusive, student-centred teaching approaches.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Anthias, F., and N. Yuval-Davis, eds. (1992). Racialised Boundaries: Race, Nation, Gender, Colour and Class and the Anti-Racist Struggle. London: Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203992920/racialized-boundaries-floya-anthias-nira-yuval-davis

Arendt, H. (2017) The Origins of Totalitarianism. Penguin Classics. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/306643/the-origins-of-totalitarianism-by-hannah-arendt/9780241316757

Bhopal, K. (2024) Race and Education: Reproducing White supremacy in Britain. Pelican https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/445906/race-and-education-by-bhopal-kalwant/9780241537336

Brah, A., and A. Phoenix. (2004). “Ain’t I A Woman? Revisiting Intersectionality.” Journal of International Women’s Studies 5 (3): 75–86. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol5/iss3/8/

Gillborn, D. et al, (2021) Evidence for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. Birmingham: University of Birmingham CRRE. DOI: 10.25500/epapers.bham.00003389 https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/publications/evidence-for-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities/

Hirsch, A. (2018) Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging. Vintage. https://www.afuahirsch.com/product/british-on-race-identity-and-belonging/

Osuch, C. and Mohdin, A. (2025) Firms ‘rebranding’ diversity initiatives to avoid unwanted political attention. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/26/firms-rebranding-diversity-initiatives-avoid-unwanted-political-attention (Accessed 22/07/2026)

Equal grades, unequal chances: How implicit expectations shape school transition recommendations

Equal grades, unequal chances: How implicit expectations shape school transition recommendations

by | NW 7 Social Justice and Intercultural Education, WERA

Imagine two children at the end of elementary school. They have the same grades, the same achievements, and the same skills. When it comes to school track recommendations for lower secondary education, the similarity ends. One child is recommended for the path towards higher education, the other towards basic education. The difference? The latter has a migration background. Scenarios like this are not invented – they are an everyday reality. 

Ethnic penalty – or disadvantage by default

The phenomenon of the ethnic penalty describes the disadvantages individuals experience because of their ethnic background, i.e., a background that differs from the majority population. Studies show that this effect is not only prominent in the labour market regarding chances to get job interviews and a higher salary, but also in education. It is well-documented across various national contexts. 

Research consistently proves that the educational gap between students with and without a migration background is, to a large extent, a consequence of socio-economic disadvantages rather than ethnic background per se. Findings from international, representative large scale studies like TIMSS, PIRLS and PISA show that, when controlled for socio-economic background, negative associations between migration background and achievement mostly disappear (Rolfe & Yang Hanse, 2022). This finding is robust and important since it points to structural inequalities that demand structural responses.

Yet this is not the complete picture. Studies also find that even after controlling for socio-economic status, language skills, and measured achievement, a residual gap in educational outcomes and track placement persists in Western European countries (Heath & Birnbaum, 2014). Experimental evidence goes even further. An experimental study with Hungarian teachers shows that when teachers are presented with identical student profiles, perceived ethnic background influences their recommendations independently of performance (Kisfalusi, Hermann & Keller, 2025). A systematic review by Batruch et al. (2023) also highlights that tracking recommendations may be influenced by ethnic background. It is worth noting that the empirical evidence here is more mixed and inconsistent than the findings regarding socio-economic status. 

Taken together, observational and experimental evidence suggests that ethnic background operates as an independent factor in educational sorting, even if its impact is smaller and less consistent than socio-economic effects. 

Why then do equal grades lead to unequal recommendations?

When teachers decide which school track to recommend, they draw on grades, test results, and additional classroom observations. But research consistently shows that they also draw on something else – an implicit sense of whether a child fits the academic path ahead, a feeling that is not measurable. This has nothing to do with active discrimination. Most teachers are genuinely committed to their students’ success. The problem lies in cognitive processes that operate below the level of conscious decision-making.

The Pygmalion effect and implicit bias as key factors

Teacher expectation effects (Pygmalion/Rosenthal effects) are one of the most robust findings in educational psychology. When teachers hold lower expectations of a student, e.g., based on family background, name, or perceived ethnicity, it shapes their interactions with that student. They give them less challenging tasks, show less encouragement and overall investment. In reponse, the student tends to perform in line with what is expected. This dynamic, first described by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) and replicated extensively since then, is not unique to any one country or school system.

Implicit bias adds a second layer. Even educators who explicitly reject ethnic stereotypes carry implicit associations that can influence their judgement. In the context of school track recommendations, which involve a degree of subjective assessment, these associations come into play. This bias can lead to an objectively inadequate track recommendation.

The result is a compounding effect: lower expectations reduce academic investment, implicit bias shapes the recommendation itself, and the child ends up on a lower track – not because of what they achieved or could achieve, but because of their teacher’s unconscious expections of what they could achieve. This does not make discrimination the primary driver of educational inequality. But it means that addressing socio-economic disadvantage alone is not sufficient because one part of the mechanism operates through an entirely different channel.

An international problem with varying intensity

This pattern holds across Europe, but its intensity varies. Countries with early, rigid tracking systems show larger residual gaps between students with and without a migration background than countries with more flexible systems. The earlier children are sorted into tracks, the less information teachers have available, and the more room remains for factors other than measured achievement to shape the decision.

Countries with later separation, such as Finland or Sweden, show smaller ethnic gaps in educational outcomes, even after controlling for socio-economic composition (Rolfe & Yang Hanse, 2022). Implicit bias nonetheless exists in these countries. But this finding suggests that structural design choices determine how much space cognitive biases have to develop.

What can be done to reduce the ethnic penalty?

Although these mechanisms are well-documented, their implicit nature makes them difficult to address through individual-level interventions alone. Awareness campaigns and diversity training have shown mixed results in changing actual recommendation behaviour. Structural approaches are more promising – standardised assessment criteria, anonymised recommendation processes, and mandatory second opinions reduce the space in which implicit bias can happen. Nevertheless, these approaches remain the exception rather than the rule across European school systems.

For educational researchers, this raises a slightly uncomfortable question: How much of what we measure as achievement gaps is a reflection of how schools sort children, rather than what those children actually know? And what would it take to build systems that are genuinely blind to the factors that should not matter? 

Key Messages

  • The educational gap between students with and without a migration background is largely explained by socioeconomic disadvantage – but this does not tell the whole story.
  • Experimental studies show that perceived ethnic background influences teacher track recommendations independently of student performance.
  • Two mechanisms are key: Pygmalion effects (lower expectations shape student outcomes) and implicit bias (ethnic background influences judgement at the moment of recommendation).
  • Early tracking systems give implicit bias more room to operate and countries with later tracking show smaller ethnic gaps.
  • Structural interventions show more promise than awareness training alone, but remain the exception across European school systems.
Marisa Urban

Marisa Urban

University of Hamburg, Germany

Marisa Urban, M.A., is a doctoral researcher at University of Hamburg, where she investigates environmental knowledge and education for sustainable development (ESD) using international large-scale assessment data. She also teaches a seminar on heterogeneity and inequality in schools for pre-service teachers and leads the third-party funded science communication project TIMSS Connect. Her research interests include educational inequality, multilingual education, and the measurement of competencies in international comparative contexts.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0991-5458

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-urban-8ba084226 

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Batruch, A., Geven,S., Kessenich, E., & van de Werfhorst, H.G. (2023). Are tracking recommendations biased? A review of teachers’ role in the creation of inequalities in tracking decisions. Teaching and Teacher Education (123).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103985

Heath, A. & Brinbaum, Y. (2014). The Comparative Study of Ethnic Inequalities in Educational Careers’, in A.Heath & Y. Brinbaum (eds), Unequal Attainments: Ethnic educational inequalities in ten Western countries, Proceedings of the British Academy. https://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197265741.003.0001

Kisfalusi, D., Hermann, Z. & Keller,T. (2025). Discrimination in track recommendation but not in grading: experimental evidence among primary school teachers in Hungary. European Sociological Review, 41(3), 411–425.https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcae044 

Rolfe, V., & Yang Hansen, K. (2022). Family Socioeconomic and Migration Background Mitigating Educational-Relevant Inequalities. In: T. Nilsen, A. Stancel-Piątak & J.E. Gustafsson (eds), International Handbook of Comparative Large-Scale Studies in Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88178-8_50

Rosenthal, R. & Jacobson, L.(1968).  Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils’ Intellectual Development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(196904)6:2%3C212::AID-PITS2310060223%3E3.0.CO;2-U

 

Disclosure: Claude.ai was used for grammar, spelling, and style check of some parts of the blog post. Most of the corrections and suggestions were accepted. 

Reflections of an ERC bursary awardee: How the global forum of ECER promotes self education

Reflections of an ERC bursary awardee: How the global forum of ECER promotes self education

by | Emerging Researchers' Group, General, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

I feel blessed and honored to have been chosen as one of the winners of the Emerging Researchers’ Conference bursary, which provides opportunities to join the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) and the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2025.

This opportunity provided me with many valuable experiences. The first being that this was the furthest that I have travelled in my whole life. Starting from my home country of Indonesia, the route to Belgrade took almost 48 hours. Second, this was the first time I had attended a global forum with so many participants – the conferences were attended by 3076 participants from 70 countries. For me, one of the most valuable moments as a young researcher was the “Network Meeting”. This connected me with researchers from around the world who work on the topic of my doctoral study.

The importance of ECER and ERC as a global forum for PhD students

A group of ERC bursary winners on stage, being celebrated at the EERA conference

The global forum holds regular meetings including the education community. A global forum is a conference, symposium, or workshop that brings together participants from many countries and regions, not just one nation or institution. There are several ways in which PhD students can connect to global forums. One is to attend international conferences that are relevant to their research discipline. For example, as a PhD student in educational research, I chose the EERA conference. As EERA is an organization that brings together several research associations in regional and national education in Europe, attending the conference provided direct interaction with international researchers, either related to my work directly or other fields. Through this global forum, I had the opportunity to connect and exchange contact information with them, and begin building a professional network that will bring many benefits in the future. For PhD students who need financial support, many organizations offer scholarships to help students attend the conference. One of them is the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) Bursary.

Global forum and whole self education

Whole self education, sometimes referred to as holistic education or education for the whole person, is the idea of wholeness: of connections, inclusiveness, and oneness across intellectual, emotional, social, and ethical dimensions. It is an approach to education that views learning not only as the acquisition of academic knowledge but also as a process that develops the person as a whole. (Kwak, 2020; Saito & Akiyama, 2024)

As I reflected on my experiences at ERC, I was inspired by the book Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls. One chapter discusses Forum as a Transformative Method of Whole Self Educationby Jeff Snipes (Snipes J, 2025), and this really resonated with me. The chapter introduces the Forum Theory of Change model, which explains the four fundamental principles that shape whole self-education.

  • Be with awareness
  • Feel with compassion
  • Think with wisdom
  • Do with purpose

Applying the four principles through my ERC and ECER experience

My experience of attending ERC and ECER in Belgrade offered real examples of how these four principles can shape academic and personal growth:

  • Be with awareness

Self-awareness and our relationship with others and our environment affect our psychological health. This capacity has a positive effect on various aspects of our lives, including academic performance. When I attended ERC, I met with other young researchers from around the world and exchanged results from our research. The large number of ECER participants also meant there were many discussion rooms where I could explore new knowledge from other fields. This encouraged me to reflect on my research, compare how other presenters explain their work, and consider the feedback from others. I felt these experiences emotionally and they reminded me to be aware of my role as a PhD student in the future, both for my academic community and for my country.

  • Feel with compassion

A five-year longitudinal study with1090 participants showed that compassion for oneself and for other people is linked to reduced loneliness and increased mental health positivity throughout life (Lee et al., 2021). One of the valuable experiences from ECER and ERC was feeling compassion from others. After a long trip, I found it difficult to carry my travel bag, and local Belgrade residents around me offered their help. This was a memorable experience that helped me understand the culture of Belgrade. I realized that compassion can be found even in countries so far from my own. This also includes how I experienced the academic interactions (workshops, discussions, etc) that occurred during the ERC and ECER. I interacted with researchers from various countries, experiencing mutual respect in giving and receiving advice and feedback.

  • Think with wisdom

According to Grossmann et al. (2020), a person is said to be wise when they consider multiple viewpoints, combine opposing perspectives, reflect deeply, and show intellectual humility (Grossmann et al. 2020). When I participate in global forums such as ECR and ECER, as a PhD student it gives me the opportunity to develop my thinking with wisdom. For example, I can practice listening openly to a presenter when joining a parallel session, engage thoughtfully with new information, or offer suggestions in a supportive, not patronizing way.

  • Do with purpose

Damon et al. (2019) describe purpose as a stable and general intention for achieving something that is meaningful for the self, but also has an impact on others. One of the memorable moments of the ERC was in the opening ceremony, when the President of EERA, Marit Honerød Hoveid addressed all participants of ERC, saying, “…you are the future.” Her words remind me of my responsibility as a young researcher and as part of a new generation in my country – to do my best and build a network within the global community. Attending the ERC and ECER encouraged deep reflection, providing space to think about educational issues in my country and consider what role I can play in addressing them in the future.

Key Messages

  • Participating in global forums is a meaningful way to foster whole self education.
  • Global forums create opportunities to meet with various researchers from different countries around the world
  • ERC and ECER provide space to reflect on educational issues and envision the roles we can play in the future.
  • Global forums nurture a sense of identity and responsibility as emerging researchers
Mutmainna

Mutmainna

Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia

PhD candidate of Educational Research and Evaluation, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia. Mutmainna is a lecturer in the Physics Education Department at Universitas Sulawesi Barat. Her research interests include physics conceptual understanding and misconceptions, curriculum and instruction, and assessment in physics learning.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 351–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018807

Lee, E. E., Govind, T., Ramsey, M., Wu, T. C., Daly, R., Liu, J., Tu, X. M., Paulus, M. P., Thomas, M. L., & Jeste, D. V. (2021). Compassion toward others and self-compassion predict mental and physical well-being: A 5-year longitudinal study of 1090 community-dwelling adults across the lifespan. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 397. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01491-8

Snipes, J. (2025). Forum as a Transformative Method of Whole Self Education. In Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls (pp. 155-178). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Physical Education in the UK: Exploring provisions across the four home nations

Physical Education in the UK: Exploring provisions across the four home nations

by | BERA, NW 18 Research in Sport Pedagogy, SERA

This blog is the first installment of the EERA-funded seminar series on ‘Physical Education Curriculum Learning across European Borders’ and focuses on the curricula of the United Kingdom (UK), with the four home nations of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The UK presents an interesting context, with a devolved system of government, meaning each nation has responsibility for the development and delivery of its own localised education policy. As such, there are significant differences in the structure and content of national curricula across the UK, driven by varying political agendas as well as a desire for countries to forge a distinct path and educational identity. For example, in both Scotland and Wales, PE is positioned within the curricular area of Health and Wellbeing and, as such, has an explicit role to play in this regard (more detail on this below). As noted in the opening blog in this series, our recent cross-border curriculum analysis work as the UKPE Collaborative has evidenced this, with a specific focus on the context of physical education (PE) and Health and Wellbeing (see Gray et al., 2022a; Gray et al., 2022b). 

This blog seeks to provide an overview of some key findings in relation to our cross-curricula analysis. What follows is a brief overview of the curricula landscape in each country context, with a focus on the relevance for PE and Health and Wellbeing. Subsequently, we offer a brief analysis of similarities and differences across the home nations and reflections on the implications for curriculum development/reform.

 

PE curriculum in Scotland

In Scotland, the current curriculum is the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), introduced in 2010 for learners aged from 3 to 18. Within CfE, PE sits within the curriculum area of Health and Wellbeing (HWB). Here, PE teachers are guided by Experiences and Outcomes, statements which describe what children and young people should experience and achieve as they progress through school. Alongside physical objectives, they focus on social, emotional and mental objectives, written as ‘I can’ statements that position the learner as central to the planning, teaching and learning processes.

A key feature of the Scottish PE curriculum is this strong alignment with wider HWB outcomes. PE teachers are responsible not only for young people’s physical learning and development, but also for supporting, for example, their confidence, motivation, resilience and relationships. Interestingly, although the curriculum provides details on whatlearners should achieve (I can recognise improvements and achievements), it offers only limited guidance on how this learning should be achieved. Despite this, through collaboration, professional learning and engagement with research, many PE teachers in Scotland have developed pedagogical approaches that meaningfully embed personal development and wellbeing, positioning PE as a subject that supports the whole child (e.g., Lamb et al., 2021; Teraoka & Kirk, 2022).

PE curriculum in England

In the English context, the National Curriculum sets out programmes of study and attainment targets for all subjects across 4 Key Stages (KS1/2 – primary, KS3/4 – secondary), comprising learners from 5-16 years. More specifically, the PE offer is shaped by the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE), last revised in 2014 (and currently undergoing a review). The four overarching aims of the NCPE are to ensure that all pupils:  

  1. develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
  2. are physically active for sustained periods of time
  3. engage in competitive sports and activities
  4. lead healthy, active lives.

The purpose across all stages is to inspire pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities, thus helping them to build character and embed values such as fairness and respect. Across all stages of learning, pupils should also be provided with opportunities to become physically confident in ways that support their health and fitness. The current NCPE is a brief document and has been described as ‘traditionalist and minimalist’ (Herold, 2020). However, the brevity of the NCPE can also be seen to afford teachers autonomy and support the use of professional judgement in shaping practice to meet the needs of diverse learners.

PE curriculum in Wales

The Curriculum for Wales (introduced in 2022) is the national framework guiding education for learners aged 3–16. It is underpinned by the Four Purposes, which act as the starting point for all learning, and places strong emphasis on pedagogy, teacher agency, and subsidiarity, enabling schools to design curricula that reflect their learners and local contexts. Learning is organised into six Areas of Learning and Experience: Expressive Arts; Health and Wellbeing; Humanities; Languages, Literacy and Communication; Mathematics and Numeracy; and Science and Technology.

For PE, one of the main implications of this new curriculum is that it is not considered a separate subject but is embedded within the holistic Area of Health and Wellbeing. This Area is structured around five Statements of What Matters, which recognise the interconnected physical, social, emotional, cognitive, affective, and psychological aspects of wellbeing. These emphasise lifelong physical health, mental and emotional responses to experiences, informed decision-making, the influence of social factors on wellbeing, and the importance of healthy relationships. Together with the Principles of Progression and Descriptions of Learning, these statements support teachers in designing locally responsive curricula that develop in complexity as learners progress.

PE curriculum in Northern Ireland

Following its revision in 2007, the Northern Ireland curriculum (NIC) underwent a significant shift towards a more skills-based, flexible curriculum with greater emphasis on Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities and the introduction of cross-curricular skills (Communication, Using Maths, Using ICT). Specifically, the NIC was designed to help young people develop as:

  • Individuals
  • Contributors to society
  • Contributors to the economy and environment

Across all stages of the curriculum – Foundations (4 – 6 years); KS1 and KS2 (6-11 years); KS3 (11-14 years) and KS4 (14 – 16 years) – PE is a compulsory area of learning.

Within the NIC, PE aims to develop learners’ physical skills and fitness, knowledge of movement, and health and personal and social skills (e.g. teamwork, confidence, resilience) though the focus varies across stages. In Foundation and KS1 and KS2, the emphasis is on children’s physical development, health and wellbeing, though there is a somewhat narrow focus on sport and physical skills here. In contrast, KS3 concentrates more on holistic development, with the skills-based element focusing not only on performance but also on thinking skills and personal capabilities. KS4 then continues the holistic development focus, but with an increased recognition of health, wellbeing and lifelong participation, reflecting the wider aims of the NIC.

Cross-border curriculum analysis

Examining and comparing the messages conveyed across each national curriculum in the UK has highlighted both similarities and differences in how health is conceptualised within PE. Across all four nations, we found references to a public health discourse, positioning PE as a response to concerns such as low physical activity levels and sedentary lifestyles – although the strength of this message varies across contexts.

In England, public health is the dominant narrative, but this is less so in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where health is framed more holistically – as ‘health and wellbeing’, encompassing social, emotional and mental health. This is perhaps unsurprising, given the position of PE in Scotland and Wales (aligned with Health and Wellbeing), and the emphasis on cross-curricular learning in Northern Ireland.

Our analysis also revealed that performance remains a strong curriculum discourse for PE across the UK, except for in Wales where recent reform has encouraged a more holistic approach. This offers useful comparative insights, encouraging us to consider what PE might look like if it moved beyond performance discourses focused on sport, skills and competition. There are implications here for future curriculum development and reform (see Gray et al., 2024 for further reflections).

Conclusion

By generating comparative insights about PE curricula from across the UK, we hope to reveal different perspectives on what PE is for and could become. Alongside the subsequent blogs detailing PE curricula from across Europe, this discussion contributes to a cross‑border learning journey that opens spaces for dialogue, critical reflection and new ideas for future curriculum development.

Key Messages

The devolved system of government in the UK makes for significant differences in the structure and content of the four national physical education (PE) curricula.

While there are some similarities across the four nations, there are also some interesting differences.

Comparing PE curricula from across the UK offers insights and different perspectives on what PE is for and what it could become.

Cross-border conversations like this are useful for future curriculum learning and reform.

Explore all blog posts from the cross-border PE curriculum seminar series 

Physical Education in the UK: Exploring provisions across the four home nations
This blog, the first in the EERA-funded seminar series on Physical Education Curriculum Learning across European Borders, explores PE curricula
Introducing a new series: Exploring Physical Education curriculum across European borders
Physical education has long been criticised for being narrow and exclusionary — but what happens when researchers and teachers from
Dr Rachel Sandford

Dr Rachel Sandford

Loughborough University, UK

Dr Rachel Sandford is a Reader in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. She is also the Co-Lead of the UNESCO Chair in Sport, Physical Activity and Education for Development. Her research centres on young people’s attitudes towards, experiences of and development in/through sport and physical activity. She has a particular interest in issues around popular culture, embodied identity and positive youth development. Dr Rachel Sandford | Loughborough University

Dr Shirley Gray

Dr Shirley Gray

University of Edinburgh, UK

Dr Shirley Gray is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on issues relating to gender and equality, social and emotional learning, pupil motivation and the professional learning of teachers. Dr Shirley Gray | University of Edinburgh 

Dr Anna Bryant

Dr Anna Bryant

Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Dr Anna Bryant is Director of Teacher Education and Professional Learning and Reader in Physical Health Education at the Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on physical health education, the health and wellbeing curriculum, and physical literacy. She co-leads the Teacher Education and Physical Health Education for Lifelong Learning (PHELL) Research and Innovation Group. Dr Anna Bryant | Cardiff Metropolitan University

Dr Julie Stirrup

Dr Julie Stirrup

School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, UK

Dr Julie Stirrup is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. Julie’s research focuses on policy and curriculum enactment across formal and informal physical education. Specifically exploring how teachers enact policy/curriculum and how this impacts learners across a range of social and cultural contexts. Julie Stirrup | School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences | Loughborough University

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Gray, S., Hooper, O., Hardley, S., Sandford, R., Aldous, D., Stirrup, J., Carse, N., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A health(y) subject? Examining discourses of health in physical education curricula across the UK. British Educational Research Journal, 48(6), 1161–1182. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3820 

Gray, S., Sandford, R., Stirrup, J., Aldous, D., Hardley, S., Carse, N. R., Hooper, O., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of discourses shaping physical education provision within and across the UK. European Physical Education Review, 28(3), 575–593. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X211059440

Gray, S., Sandford, R., Hooper, O., Hardley, S., Bryant, A.S. & Carse, N. R. (2024). Exploring the re-legitimisation of messages for health and physical education within contemporary English and Welsh curricula reform. Sport, Education and Society, 29(8), 939–951. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2023.2240822

 Herold, F. (2020). ‘There is new wording, but there is no real change in what we deliver’: Implementing the new National Curriculum for Physical Education in England. European Physical Education Review, 26(4), 920–937. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X19892649

 Lamb, C. A., Teraoka, E., Oliver, K. L., & Kirk, D. (2021). Pupils’ motivational and emotional responses to pedagogies of affect in physical education in Scottish secondary schools. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), Article 5183. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105183

Teraoka, E., & Kirk, D. (2022). Exploring pupils’ and physical education teachers’ views on the contribution of physical education to health and wellbeing in the affective domain. Sport, Education and Society, 27(8), 935-945. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2021.1940917

The unfixable university? Equity, politics, and Higher Education reform

The unfixable university? Equity, politics, and Higher Education reform

by | Emerging Researchers' Group

Richard Budd is a Lecturer in Higher Education at Lancaster University and the keynote speaker at the Emerging Researchers Conference 2026 in Tampere. His keynote, “Making Space for Socially Just Academic Practice,” draws on the themes explored in this post.

University staff around the world are being made redundant, courses are closing, departments are being restructured, and the institutions hit hardest are often the most inclusive ones. The current state of higher education raises a question that educational researchers can’t easily answer – can universities ever actually be fixed? 

What’s wrong with Higher Education?

The list of problems encountered by and within universities is considerable. As an illustration, the sector I work in, in the UK, is shrinking and being substantially reshaped. The term crisis is potentially overused in analyses of higher education, but it is hard to see it as hyperbole in this case when virtually every institution is in the process of implementing extensive internal reorganisations, large scale redundancies, and course closures. This has been a nervous time for me, still is for many others, and the worst-case scenario has already been realised for tens of thousands of dedicated staff.

How we arrived here – as well as how we are trying to get out of it – has been widely discussed. It is the result of policies which frame education solely as a financial investment and knowledge as a commodity for exploitation, with management approaches complementing this mindset. It is notable that the institutions hardest hit are those with the most inclusive admissions and pedagogical cultures, while the subjects at the greatest risk are those in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This potentially takes those subjects away from students who are not privileged, which is a travesty. At the same time staff workloads are known to be too high, and precarious work is widespread. Staff morale is understandably low, and there are ongoing concerns for students’ deteriorating mental health.

The implications for both equity and quality are troubling. Despite decades of international research highlighting how and why students and staff from historically marginalised groups are systematically disadvantaged in (higher) education, and policies and interventions seeking to address this, progress towards better representation, experiences, and outcomes has been excruciatingly slow. This is manifest in resilient awarding gaps between White and global majority students, an overrepresentation of White, middle class men in the professoriate, and exclusionary cultures within universities themselves. With the cuts and changes impacting our capacity to teach well, support students, administer our processes, and undertake research, these are troubling times.

Not just a UK problem

While the precise manifestations of this are specific to the UK, with its particular political history and a starkly hierarchical society and university system, these themes will be familiar to many. Worldwide increases in student populations over time presents governments with a conundrum around how to fund and steer this either directly or at a distance, and how they and universities themselves (are able to) resolve this varies widely. As elsewhere, these are intertwined with the impact of interrelated global conflicts, climate change, and economic disruptions, increasing inequality and political polarisation, the rise of the far right, and questions around the risks and affordances of Generative Artificial Intelligence. What a time to be alive.

To many stakeholders for a consensus? 

Solutions are a question of perspective, and this is complicated through universities’ connection with virtually every social sphere. We educate and train a large proportion of our populations, particularly those who work in professions and who wield influence, and research virtually every aspect of our world (as well as beyond it).

This means that everyone – and everything, from a post-humanist stance – is a ‘stakeholder’ in higher education. Some have a consistent and focused interest in universities, in particular students and staff, but this extends to research funders, mission groups, think tanks, accreditors, student unions, academic publishers, and university rankers. Others may have a sustained or intermittent connection to what we do, ranging from local and national governments, schools, political parties, mainstream media, NGOs, professional bodies, employers, churches, suppliers, and financial institutions.

These constituencies have their own specific interests and priorities, some of which may operate in conflict, and possess varying degrees of leverage when it comes to being heard and effecting change. While the state looms large, it not unrestricted in its reach, and the distribution of agency and voice throughout higher education is uneven, influenced by formal and informal inherited practices, structures, and ways of thinking and doing. Students and staff want appropriate facilities and conditions for learning, living and working, but budgetary, space, and other constraints limit what is possible. They may have little influence individually but can collectively call for (or resist) change through feedback and committee structures, extending to their unions and even leading to nation-wide protests, such as those ongoing in Serbia.

Diverging interests and ideologies

Other examples can be seen through research funders’ imposition of thematic directions, often in response to what they perceive as the most pressing (or lucrative) topics, but their mandatory administrative procedures can impede the research they are seeking to support. A current issue is the need for many universities to recruit fee-paying international students but at the same time xenophobic immigration policy is making this increasingly difficult. Similarly, employers have long demanded work-ready graduates, but the world of work is changing, and labour markets can be unpredictable, such as the sudden rise in unemployment for architects after the 2008 economic crash. At a more fundamental level, clashes in underlying ideologies within and outside higher education promote or hinder change. While many – including me – would argue that our curricula, pedagogy, and practices need decolonising to broaden our knowledge and be more inclusive, others see this as a threat to cultural and disciplinary norms (and dominant groups’ advantages). This observation connects the seemingly disparate moves to stifle protests on university campuses in Australia, state attacks on equity in US higher education, and the bar on women progressing beyond primary education in Afghanistan, among others.

Where does this leave us?

Most of the ongoing debates around higher education relate to these tensions, particularly where there is a shift in the precarious balance between universities’ multiple purposes, values, and practices. Because of the diversity of groups in and around universities, where we are at a given time will never please all of them as they want different things, and someone’s interests are always being extended, retained, or denied, at the expense of others. In some ways these dynamics are what makes studying them so fascinating as we try to make sense of where we are, while being mindful of our histories, as we imagine – and try to shape – our future trajectories. It remains, however, enormously frustrating that we have the knowledge to improve universities, but progress is remains glacial, and at times, even operates in reverse.

Key Messages

Crisis is not hyperbole. UK universities are shrinking, shedding staff, and closing courses — and the institutions hit hardest are the most inclusive ones.

Policy is the problem. Treating education as a financial transaction and knowledge as a commodity drives inequity and erodes quality.

Progress on equity is agonisingly slow. Despite decades of research, awarding gaps, exclusionary cultures, and underrepresentation persist.

Everyone is a stakeholder — but not everyone has a voice. Power in higher education is unevenly distributed, and competing interests make change messy and contested.

We know what needs to happen. The evidence exists. What’s lacking is the political will and structural conditions to act on it.

ERC Keynote

At the Emerging Researchers Conference (ERC) 2026 in Tampere, Richard Budd will give the ERC Keynoteon “Making space for socially just academic practice”.

Richard Budd

Richard Budd

School of Social Sciences at Lancaster University, UK

Richard Budd is a Lecturer in Higher Education in the School of Social Sciences at Lancaster University, UK. His research interests relate to conceptualising and investigating how different groups experience and negotiate studying at or working in universities. This incorporates relational and social justice questions around personal and professional identity, organisational cultures and practices, and the geographical and physical elements of university campuses. He is particularly interested in exploring how these questions compare on a domestic and international basis. Alongside and within this work, he is actively involved in moves to decolonise higher education and his own practice.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

24 | HESA. (n.d.). Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/28-01-2025/higher-education-staff-statistics-and-data-202324

AI and the Future of Universities. (2025, October 16). HEPI. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/reports/right-here-right-now-new-report-on-how-ai-is-transforming-higher-education/

Arday, J., Zoe Belluigi, D., & Thomas, D. (2021). Attempting to break the chain: Reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(3), 298–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1773257

Australia’s universities have found themselves in crisis. But it has been decades in the making. (2026, March 16). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/australias-universities-have-found-themselves-in-crisis-but-it-has-been-decades-in-the-making

Boero, G., Karanja, B., Naylor, R., & Thiele, T. (2025). Awarding gaps in higher education by ethnicity, schooling and family background: A UK university case study. Education Economics, 33(3), 462–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645292.2024.2357652

Cassidy, C. (2024, July 7). University of Sydney students and staff blast new ‘draconian’ protest crackdown. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/08/university-of-sydney-students-and-staff-blast-new-draconian-protest-crackdown

Global conflict and co-operation: Trends Shaping Education 2025. (2025, January 22). OECD. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/trends-shaping-education-2025_ee6587fd-en/full-report/global-conflict-and-co-operation_7bb5cc7d.html

Homepage. (n.d.). The Post-18 Project. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://post18.co.uk/

London, K. C. (n.d.). Student mental health problems have almost tripled, study finds. King’s College London. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/student-mental-health-problems-have-almost-tripled-study-finds

Macfarlane, B. (2024). The ideology of crisis in higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 78(4), e12500. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12500

Percival, J. (2009, March 20). Architect job losses soar as crunch hits construction. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/mar/20/architecture-job-losses-construction-unemployment

Political Polarisation. (n.d.). VoxDev. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://voxdev.org/voxdevlit/political-polarisation

Protecting the right to education for all Afghans | UNESCO. (2026, August 14). https://www.unesco.org/en/emergencies/education/afghanistan

Review of research bureaucracy. (2024, February 9). GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-research-bureaucracy

Schoonover, J. (n.d.). Academic precarity negatively impacts research culture. Wonkhe. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://wonkhe.com/blogs/academic-precarity-negatively-impacts-research-culture/

Stevens, M. L., Armstrong, E. A., & Arum, R. (2008). Sieve, Incubator, Temple, Hub: Empirical and Theoretical Advances in the Sociology of Higher Education. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 127–151. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.34.040507.134737

UK HE shrinking. (2024, March 23). https://qmucu.org/qmul-transformation/uk-he-shrinking/

Who gets to collaborate? Diversity and inclusion in a decade of research into higher education at ECER

Who gets to collaborate? Diversity and inclusion in a decade of research into higher education at ECER

by | NW 22 Research in Higher Education

At the annual European Conference for Education Research (ECER), the symposia format is one that requires participants from a minimum of three countries. Thus, preparing and participating in a symposium is a promising way to foster both international cooperation in research and deepen knowledge about various educational systems, justifying the prominence of symposia in the annual ECER programme. Typically, symposia enable researchers from different countries to interchange ideas over a certain topic, encouraging inclusiveness by fostering “cooperation and communication between the various educational research communities in Europe” (Deleye et al., 2025), in line with EERA’s goals.

Examining a decade of research – what we studied and how

EERA Network 22 Research into Higher Education recently developed a project to contribute to deepen knowledge about international collaboration within this field of research. We examined research and researchers involved in NW22 symposia held at ECER from 2014 to 2024. It should be highlighted that ECER symposia are self-organised by one or more researchers that invite other colleagues and propose who is presenting as well as a discussant.

The dataset for this study was compiled from publicly available conference program materials on the EERA’s website. The data gathered included details of the institutional and country affiliations of symposia chairs, discussants and presenters. The team also identified key topics, theoretical frameworks, methods, and national contexts being researched in each paper presented within symposia. Data was explored throughout thematic analysis and social network analysis, aimed at characterizing collaboration patterns within the NW22 symposia.

What the data revealed

The project revealed that Network 22 ECER program between 2014 and 2024 included 33 symposia in total and, except for ECER 2022, there were symposia held every year. This exception is likely related to the fact that ECER 2022 was an unusual conference, i.e., the first after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. ECER 2022 was attended by a smaller number of participants – both in person in Yerevan and online – than the yearly conferences before the pandemic and since 2023.

The project results (see figure 1) suggest that :

The UK seems to be a central hub: It serves as an important bridge in the network, with other major actors in the NW22 symposia being the Netherlands and Germany. Despite its geographical distance, the USA also demonstrates a central position in the network, as it collaborates with a wide number of countries, and does so frequently. This pattern aligns with the results of various overviews of the higher education research field (Fu et al., 2022; Akbaritabar & Barbato, 2021; Tight, 2019).

It also highlights the role of linguistic similarity more than of geographical distance in fostering international collaboration in research. However, the Netherlands and Germany also emerged as major actors in the NW22 symposia network, due to their connections to the most influential countries in the network and to other countries. Moreover, the social network analysis results show that Nordic countries tend to collaborate frequently with each other, but much less with other countries and this could serve as another example of the silos tendency described by Tight (2019).

Greece as a bridge: An unexpected finding in the network analysis was Greece’s high betweenness centrality, which highlights that the country acts as bridge between otherwise weakly connected parts of the network (Landherr et al., 2010). Results show that it is part of a tightly-knit group with Portugal, Romania, and Spain, somewhat isolated from the rest of the network. As Fishberg (2022) notes, the production of knowledge rarely stems from a level playing field and this seems to be reflected in symposia as well as within collaborative research projects. Nevertheless, in this case, Greece participated in only one symposium in 2024, leading to infer that despite a limited participation, a country can take a structurally significant position if it links separate clusters or sparsely connected regions.

The periphery: Additionally, social network analysis results suggest that countries such as Croatia, Estonia, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Malta, Romania, Spain, and Turkey occupy peripheral positions in the network. Their limited participation in symposia and their tendency to connect primarily with each other rather than with more centralized actors creates a network structure in which a densely interconnected core is surrounded by a periphery of countries. This might echo the claim that research terrain tends to reflect the hierarchical ordering of global higher education, since studies are disproportionately located in the global centres of higher education (Warren et al., 2021).

An isolated entry: Until 2019 the network expanded in a cohesive way: each new country that appeared in the symposia became integrated into the existing collaboration structure, adding to the same interconnected group of countries. In 2019, however, Mexico appeared in the data through a symposium on graduate employability that included three studies written by authors affiliated with the same Mexican institution. Because this symposium involved only Mexican researchers and no co-participation with authors from other countries, Mexico did not connect to the existing collaboration network. Instead, it appeared as a separate, isolated part of the graph.

What the data reveals – patterns of inclusion and exclusion

Although the limitedness of the data analysed in this project, it is possible to highlight the following key messages:

  • The idea of international collaboration being framed by inequalities and asymmetries is confirmed by our results, even if there are also signs of openness to the emergence of more peripherical countries and establishment of new links between countries.
  • There is room for international collaboration within symposia, but more diversity can be ensured reinforcing ECER NW22 as a collaborative environment with researchers from diverse backgrounds and including more critical matters in higher education research within the organization of symposia.
  • The challenge of ensuring equal value to the diversity of linguistic and epistemological traditions and practices within the research field in HE is reinforced. This stresses the need to think about strategies to face this challenge within ECER NW22.
  • Symposia can be an even more effective tool to present and foster a diverse and inclusive perspective on higher education research in terms of international contexts, topics, issues, and methodologies which inspire NW22 participants and especially early career researchers.

Would you like to find out more about our research, or would you like to get more involved in higher education research? Get in touch with Network 22 directly, or come along to the Network 22 sessions at the upcoming ECER in Tampere.

The Authors

Mariana Gaio Alves

Mariana Gaio Alves

Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa, Portugal

Jani Ursin

Jani Ursin

University of Jyväskylä Finnish Institute for Educational Research

Serap Emil

Serap Emil

Middle East Technical University (METU)

Kaisa Silvennoinen

Kaisa Silvennoinen

Finnish Institute for Educational Research

Anil Ersoz

Anil Ersoz

Middle East Technical University (METU)

Andreia Veiga

Andreia Veiga

Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa

Christine Teelken

Christine Teelken

VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rosemary Deem

Rosemary Deem

Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

Liudvika Leysite

Liudvika Leysite

TU University Dortmund, Germany

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Akbaritabar A, Barbato G. An internationalised Europe and regionally focused Americas: A network analysis of higher education studies. Eur J Educ. 2021; 56: 219–234.https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12446

Deleye, M., Carmona, C., Ciolan, L., Dovigo, F., Figueiredo, M., Grell, P., Schindler, C., &Hoveid, M. H. (2025). Mapping European Educational Research: Insights from topic modelling of ECER abstracts. European Educational Research Journal, 24(5), 614-638. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041251346817 

Fishberg, R. (2022 ). EU Social Science Collaborations as unequal Europeanisation: an ethnographic study of people and practices in EU funded research  Roskilde]. Denmark ISSN 0909-9174

Fu, Y.C., Marques, M., Tseng, YH. et al. An evolving international research collaboration network: spatial and thematic developments in co-authored higher education research, 1998–2018. Scientometrics 127, 1403–1429 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-04200-w

Landherr, A., Friedl, B., & Heidemann, J. (2010). A critical review of centrality measures in social networks. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 2(6), 371-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-010-0127-3

Tight, M. (2019). Higher Education Research – the developing field, Bloomsbury Academic.

Warren, S.; Starnawski, M.; Tsatsaroni, A.; Vogopoulou, A.;  Zgaga, P. (2021).How does research performativity and selectivity impact on the non-core regions of Europe? The case for a new research agenda, Higher Education (2021) 81:607–622, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00559-6

Introducing a new series: Exploring Physical Education curriculum across European borders

Introducing a new series: Exploring Physical Education curriculum across European borders

by | BERA, NW 18 Research in Sport Pedagogy, SERA

In a world of cultural, economic and social change, physical education (PE) as a curriculum subject has remained something of a constant (e.g., Penney, 2008; Tinning, 2012). That is, at its core, PE remains a subject focused on the development of sports skills and/or an opportunity to engage in physical activity for the development of lifelong physical activity habits. These forms of PE have been criticised by some for being narrow (Gray et al., 2015), neoliberal (Evans, 2014), gendered (Camacho-Miñano et al., 2021) and ableist (Evans and Penney, 2008), working more for the benefit of some than others.

However, such views perhaps do not tell the whole story. For example, our recent work analysing PE curricula, and working with PE teachers from across the four nations of the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), demonstrated that whilst recurrent features of PE were evident, there were also notable differences in how PE was conceptualised and enacted across country contexts (Gray et al., 2022).

What we learned from talking across borders

Reflecting on these differences – in conversation with others – afforded opportunities for critical thinking, learning and innovation. Our analyses of the teachers’ discussions revealed that, in sharing and analysing curriculum experiences across jurisdictions, practitioners began to generate critical questions and discussions about the nature and purpose of PE in general, and in their own context specifically (Gray et al., 2022).

Such learning has been valuable within our own contexts, but we were keen to extend this conversation across European borders and therefore sought opportunities for further discussions through which we might learn more with/from European colleagues.

This resulted in the creation of the EERA-funded seminar series – ‘Physical Education Curriculum Learning across European Borders’.

Introducing the EERA Network 18 seminar series

This blog serves as an introduction to the seminar series, which is being led by Dr Shirley Gray and Dr Oliver Hooper (Link Convenor of Network 18 – Research in Sport Pedagogy) and supported by the UKPE Collaborative as well as members of NW18. The aim of the year-long project – commencing in October 2025 and running until August 2026 – is to facilitate cross-border dialogue among PE researchers and practitioners (e.g., teachers and student teachers) from across Europe, to support critical and creative thinking and to allow participants to begin to re-imagine PE for a more socially just future.

The series comprises seven online seminars and covers, in addition to the UK, 12 different country contexts (namely, Austria, Spain, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands), allowing researchers from across Europe to share their research and/or their critical perspectives on their local PE curricula. During each seminar, presenters and audience members explain and explore the different PE curricula and consider the value of cross-border dialogue to facilitate critical thinking and professional learning. The series culminates at ECER 2026, with a pre-conference, in-person workshop that looks to:

  • Synthesise the issues/discussions raised during the seminar series and consider the implications for PE across European borders,
  • Critically reflect on these issues, identifying key areas of learning around PE curriculum,
  • Co-create new ideas/principles for future PE curricula across Europe, and
  • Reflect on the value(s) of cross-border curriculum dialogue and learning.

After each seminar, speakers are invited to write a short blog post summarising their presentation and reflecting on their cross-border learning. Collectively, these blogs will help sustain and extend the conversations beyond the seminar series, as well as generate ideas for future research in this area.

Key Messages

  • Physical education (PE) as a curriculum subject often remains focused on the development of sport skills and lifelong physical activity habits.
  • PE has therefore been critiqued for being narrow, neoliberal and ableist, working more for the benefit of some than others.
  • Cross-border conversations about curriculum policy and enactment can support critical discussion, facilitate learning and shape more inclusive practice.
  • An EERA-funded seminar series has been established to explore PE curricula across 12 European contexts and facilitate cross-border learning for a more socially just future.
Dr Rachel Sandford

Dr Rachel Sandford

Loughborough University, UK

Dr Rachel Sandford is a Reader in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. She is also the Co-Lead of the UNESCO Chair in Sport, Physical Activity and Education for Development. Her research centres on young people’s attitudes towards, experiences of and development in/through sport and physical activity. She has a particular interest in issues around popular culture, embodied identity and positive youth development. Dr Rachel Sandford | Loughborough University

Dr Oliver Hooper

Dr Oliver Hooper

Loughborough University, UK

Dr Oliver Hooper is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. Oliver’s research explores young people’s experiences within physical education, health and youth sport contexts with a specific focus on the experiences of marginalised youth. He is particularly interested in youth voice and the use of participatory methods to facilitate young people’s meaningful involvement within research. Dr Oliver Hooper | Loughborough University

Dr Shirley Gray

Dr Shirley Gray

University of Edinburgh, UK

Dr Shirley Gray is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on issues relating to gender and equality, social and emotional learning, pupil motivation and the professional learning of teachers. Dr Shirley Gray | University of Edinburgh 

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Camacho-Miñano, M. J., Gray, S., Sandford, R., & MacIsaac, S. (2022). Young women, health and physical activity: Tensions between the gendered fields of Physical Education and Instagram. Sport, Education and Society, 27(7), 803–815. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2021.1932455

Evans, J. (2014). Neoliberalism and the future for a socio-educative physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 19(5), 545–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2013.817010

 

Evans, J., & Penney, D. (2008). Levels on the playing field: The social construction of physical ‘ability’ in the physical education curriculum. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 13(1), 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408980701345576

 

Gray, S., Hooper, O., Hardley, S., Sandford, R., Aldous, D., Stirrup, J., Carse, N., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A health(y) subject? Examining discourses of health in physical education curricula across the UK. British Educational Research Journal, 48(6), 1161–1182. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3820

 

Gray, S., MacIsaac, S., & Jess, M. (2015). Teaching ‘Health’ in Physical Education in a ‘Healthy’ Way. RETOS: Nuevas Tendenies En Educacion Fisica Deportes y Recreacion, 28, 165–172. https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/teaching-health-in-physical-education-in-a-healthy-way/

 

Gray, S., Sandford, R., Stirrup, J., Aldous, D., Hardley, S., Carse, N. R., Hooper, O., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of discourses shaping physical education provision within and across the UK. European Physical Education Review, 28(3), 575–593. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X211059440

 

Penney, D. (2008). Playing a political game and playing for position: Policy and curriculum development in health and physical education. European Physical Education Review, 14(1), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X07085708

 

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Empowering racialised women in European academia: Collaboration across borders

Empowering racialised women in European academia: Collaboration across borders

by | NW 33 Gender and Education

Foto de Shantanu Kumar en Unsplash

Across Europe, the persistent underrepresentation of racialised women in academia — understood as women positioned within racial categories through historical and social processes of racialisation that produce symbolic and material hierarchies shaping their experiences —  reflects deep-seated structural inequalities rooted in colonial histories, racial hierarchies, and gendered exclusions. The project “Exploring Wellbeing and Progression Experiences among Racialised Women in Postgraduate Education” investigates how early-career researchers (ECRs) who identify as racialised women navigate these complexities within higher education institutions in England, France, Portugal, and Spain.

The project Exploring Wellbeing and Progression Experiences among Racialised Women in Postgraduate Education is supported by EERA Network 33: Gender and Education. It grew out of two related initiatives: the COST Action VOICES (CA20137, Making young researchers’ voices heard for gender equality), and the UCL-funded Global Engagement project examining the lived experiences of Black women in postgraduate education in England and France through an intersectional lens.

Building on these foundations, our project set out not only to analyse these racialised women’s experiences in academia, but also to build capacity among racialised women researchers by creating transnational spaces of exchange, reflection, and empowerment.

The project was carried out by a multidisciplinary and transnational research team, bringing together scholars with extensive expertise in gender, race, and higher education.

  • Professor Victoria Showunmi of University College London, UK (Team Lead)
  • Dr Anne-Sophie Godfroy of École Normale Supérieure – PSL, France
  • Dr Edna Falorca da Costa of University of Minho, Portugal
  • Dr Marian Blanco Ruiz of Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain.

Their collaboration exemplifies the project’s commitment to cross-border learning and to fostering inclusive research practices within European academia.

Politics, power, and post-colonial past

The project is situated within a critical political moment. Across Europe, right-wing populist movements continue to gain ground, often combining anti-gender rhetoric with nativist and xenophobic ideologies. Within this climate, racialised women scholars from former colonies face overlapping challenges – negotiating academic careers while contending with the residual power of colonial structures and the cultural expectations of “belonging” in European higher education.

“The transnational comparison across very different national contexts, more or less sensitive to reflexivity on racial inequalities, allows common patterns of exclusion and shared strategies of resistance to emerge”.

Anne-Sophie Godfroy

Researcher in France

By drawing comparisons across four post-imperial national contexts, the study explores how histories of empire continue to shape institutional cultures. Taking inspiration from Fradera’s (2018) work on the ongoing relationship between former empires and colonies, the project examines how racialised women ECRs relate to colonial/decolonial culture and how they interpret their academic identities through it.

Rethinking identity – Intersectionality as a starting point

Rather than treating race as an afterthought to gender, the study asks: how is gender itself constructed through the lived experiences of racialised women? Intersectionality — understood as an analytic framework that elucidates how multiple dimensions of identity, including but not limited to gender, race, social class, sexual orientation, and disability, intersect and mutually constitute one another — serves as the project’s principal analytical lens, drawing upon Black feminist and postcolonial theoretical traditions.

Women in higher education are not a single story; intersectionality ensures we see the full narrative. Only by acknowledging the complexity of their identities can we create truly inclusive and transformative academic spaces.
Victoria Showunmi

Lead Researcher of the project

 This sentiment encapsulates the project’s central aim of linking personal experience with structural analysis.

The project’s theoretical foundation combines Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, hooks’ Black feminist critique of representation, and Mohanty’s decolonial analysis of feminism (2003), highlighting how race, gender, and history intersect in academic life. These ideas are placed in dialogue with European reflections on universalism and citizenship by Balibar (1997),Diagne (2013), and Fassa, Lepinard, and Roca Escoda (2016). This exchange exposes the gap between Europe’s universal ideals and institutional realities, where “sophisticated racism” (Showunmi & Tomlin, 2022) persists beneath claims of neutrality and meritocracy.

Voice as method – Listening, trust, and shared space

At the heart of the research were focus groups held in each country throughout 2025, bringing together 24 postgraduate participants. These sessions were designed to create safe, reflective spaces where participants could articulate their experiences and develop new ways of discussing race and discrimination. A carousel approach was adopted, where researchers travelled between the four countries and observed how national contexts shaped both academic life and the language of inclusion.

The focus groups encouraged participants to move beyond isolation and build a shared sense of solidarity. Common themes emerged: the burden of “representing diversity,” the invisibility of racialised women in leadership, and the emotional labour of navigating majority-white academic environments. Yet there was also a strong thread of resilience – participants described finding strength through community, mentorship, and shared purpose.

Collaboration as capacity building

One of the project’s most significant achievements lies in its collaborative methodology. The transnational partnership between universities in England, France, Portugal, and Spain created a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange. Each team brought distinct disciplinary perspectives and cultural insights, ensuring that the research was both locally grounded and globally relevant.

This collaborative design became a form of capacity building in itself, as the discussion sessions brought together racialised ECR women who shared a common feeling and space, highlighting their expertise and visibility within their institutions. The script had an iterative design, meaning that interesting findings from one discussion group were implemented in the next, thus developing a model that illustrates how inclusive research practices can foster personal development while promoting collective understanding.

By empowering racialised women ECRs and their allies, the project helped participants develop new tools for addressing racial and gender-based inequalities. These included:

  • Strategies for self-advocacy
  • Ways of confronting microaggressions
  • Approaches to mentoring that centre on empathy and inclusion.

Participants reported that these skills translated into stronger engagement in their academic and professional environments.

Strengthening the European research community

The project’s outcomes extend beyond its participants. By incorporating the lived experiences of racialised ECRs, it enriches the European research landscape with perspectives that have often been marginalised. It challenges established narratives about who “belongs” in academia and what counts as legitimate knowledge.

Moreover, the collaboration strengthens EERA’s Gender Network by expanding its focus to include racial and postcolonial dimensions of gender inequality. Through links with initiatives such as COST Action CA20137 VOICES, the project connects individual empowerment with institutional change. This alignment fosters greater coherence across European research networks committed to diversity and inclusion.

The project also offers valuable insights for policymakers and institutions. By understanding how exclusion operates differently across contexts, universities can design more effective equity measures—ensuring that diversity initiatives move beyond symbolic gestures to produce tangible outcomes.

From research to reflection

This project demonstrates how research can serve as both analysis and intervention. The collaborative process not only generated empirical findings but also built networks of trust, understanding, and shared purpose among scholars across Europe. In doing so, it illustrates how capacity building can begin with listening: by valuing the lived experiences of those at the margins, research becomes a means of collective empowerment.

The findings will continue to inform ongoing dialogue within EERA’s Gender Network and beyond. Plans are underway to develop future projects that build on this foundation, fostering intersectional and transnational approaches to inclusion in European academia.

Ultimately, this study reminds us that collaboration across borders –and across difference – is not just a research strategy, but a necessary step towards transforming academia itself.

Key Messages

– The project examines how racialised women in postgraduate education across England, France, Portugal, and Spain experience wellbeing, academic progression, and structural exclusion within higher education systems shaped by colonial legacies and intersecting inequalities. – Through a transnational comparative approach grounded in Black feminist and postcolonial theory, the study identifies common patterns of invisibility, emotional labour, and “diversity burden,” as well as shared strategies of resistance, solidarity, and identity formation. – By creating collaborative, safe spaces for dialogue, the project strengthens capacity building, amplifies marginalised voices, and provides practical tools for transforming European academic cultures toward greater inclusion and equity.
Prof. Victoria Showunmi

Prof. Victoria Showunmi

Institute of Education, University College London, UK

Prof. Victoria Showunmi is Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Gender, Race and Identity at the Institute of Education (IOE), University College London (UCL). Her interests are gender, identity, and race through the lens of intersectionality, focusing on leadership and the lived experience of Black women and girls.

She develops fresh conceptual frameworks focusing on equity and social justice, especially the interplay between people and the sophistication of behaviours which lead to disengagement with the promotion of equality. Her work shows how culture and cultural background have the potential to disrupt power structures and lead to transformational change. She has an international profile based on the dissemination of her research through publication and teaching and was the recipient of BERA’s inaugural Academic Citizen of the Year award in 2023. This new award was created to honour a member of the wider academic community who has gone above and beyond in supporting colleagues and contributing to the wider discipline.

Prof. Showunmi is a member of the Gender and Education Executive, Past Chair of the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society, Chair of the International Studies Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Educational Research Association and co-convenor of the Gender Network of the European Educational Research Association.

Dr. Anne-Sophie Godfroy

Dr. Anne-Sophie Godfroy

University of Paris-Est Créteil, France

Anne-Sophie Godfroy is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris-Est Créteil in France. Her research interests include knowledge production and circulation, the role of science in society, responsible research and innovation, the relationship between gender and science, international comparisons, and the epistemology and methodology of multidisciplinary contexts.

Over the past decade, she has participated in several European-funded research projects on science and society, including the HORIZON structural change projects GEnderTime and ACT.

From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the COST Action VOICES, ‘Making Young Researchers’ Voices Heard for Gender Equality’. She is currently chairing the COST Innovator Grant Next Gender, which aims to build the capacity of the next generation of researchers and evaluators to engage in inclusive sex and gender research.

Dr. Edna Costa

Dr. Edna Costa

University of Minho, Portugal

Dr. Edna Costa is an Assistant Professor at the School of Economics, Management and Political Science at the University of Minho and an integrated researcher at the Research Centre in Political Science (CICP-UM). She holds a PhD in Political Science from NOVA-FCSH (2018), with a thesis on work-family capabilities in Portugal and Spain. Her research interests focus on gender and politics, as well as youth political participation and representation, topics on which she has published nationally and internationally. She has also participated in several projects, among which, the study on “The political participation of Portuguese youth” (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), the COST Action “VOICES” on gender equality and early career researchers, and the SDSN-Portugal Work Group on “Meaningful Youth Engagement”.

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2341-6482
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/edna-falorca-da-costa-b5457630

Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz

Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz

Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain

Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz is a Lecturer in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain). She holds a PhD in Media Research from Carlos III University of Madrid. Her research is grounded in feminist and gender-based approaches to media studies, with a focus on gender representations, digital and symbolic violence, and the impact of emerging technologies on youth, minors, and women’s mental health.
She has also participated in several projects, among which, is the leader of the project “The pressure of the ‘perfect mother’: the influence of digital media on women’s perception and mental health during motherhood and early childhood.” She is a member of the Core Group of the COST Action VOICES (2021–2025) and co-editor of the journal Communication and Gender. 


Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7920-5978 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianblancoruiz/ 

 

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References and Further Reading

Balibar, É. (1997). Racisme et universalisme. Raison Présente, 122, 63–77. https://www.persee.fr/doc/raipr_0033-9075_1997_num_122_1_3401 

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Diagne, S. B. (2013). On the Postcolonial and the Universal? Rue Descartes, 78(2), 7–18. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275877851_On_the_Postcolonial_and_the_Universal 

Fassa, F., Lepinard, E., & Roca Escoda, M. (2016). L’intersectionnalité: enjeux théoriques et politiques. La Dispute. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311577224_Intersectionnalite_enjeux_theoriques_et_politiques 

Fradera, J. (2018). The Imperial Nation. Princeton University Press. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691167459/the-imperial-nation?srsltid=AfmBOopzeD1qDM_CvZu4YYz6yoii8HUGk1d4scxfn559XtdjxgBndK0K 

hooks, b. (1981). Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. Cambridge, MA: South End Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315743264 

Mohanty, C. T. (2003). Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11smp7t

Showunmi, V. & Tomlin, C. (2022). Understanding and Managing Sophisticated and Everyday Racism. Rowman & Littlefield.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382720644_Understanding_and_Managing_Sophisticated_and_Everyday_Racism_Implications_for_Education_and_Work