Skip to main content

Educational Research

Currere Cymru: How can autobiographical curriculum theorising enhance teachers’ curriculum work in Wales?

Posted on 27 February 2024 by Kevin Smith

The Future of Educational Research in Wales During my tenure as a Council Member (2015-2020) for the British Educational Research Association (BERA), I worked closely with Professor Gary Beauchamp, a […]

Perceptions & Purpose: Pupils’ perceptions of learning and using Welsh

Posted on 12 May 2020 by Kevin Smith

In a previous post, Dr Mirain Rhys presented findings from research inspired by results from the WISERDEducation multicohort study, a project involving nearly 1,500 pupils in 29 schools across Wales. […]

Sut ddylem ni addysgu Cymraeg mewn ysgolion?

Posted on 1 May 2020 by Kevin Smith

Mae hwn yn "gofnod gwestai" arbennig gan fy ffrind da a chydweithiwr, Dr Mirain Rhys, darlithydd mewn Seicoleg ym Mhrifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd. Yn y cofnod hwn, mae'n trafod ymchwil y […]

Curriculum Theory & Theorising

Posted on 17 April 2020 by Kevin Smith

Education in Wales is currently undergoing a remarkable period of reform, with one key element being the creation of a national curriculum framework. Educators from across Wales, many fatigued by […]

Curriculum & Culture: How should we teach Welshness?

Curriculum & Culture: How should we teach Welshness?

Posted on 16 December 2019 by Kevin Smith

Recently, I spoke at the “What’s Next? A discussion about the next steps in education in Wales?” event organised by Mrs Rebekah Bawler (@RCCS_MissBawler) and colleagues at Risca Comprehensive School […]

Best Practices vs Enacted Values

Posted on 20 July 2019 by Kevin Smith

"...rather than empowering teachers when we claim to offer them "best practices" for the 21st century classroom, we are, in fact, disempowering them. First, it makes them "objects" of other specialists' research and reduces them to mere consumers of pre-packaged products that someone else in the edutocracy created and will profit from. This perpetuates a cycle of consumerist desire, a constant and regenerating market for education consumption. Second, it also fails to equip teachers to live fully into their calling and, especially, to do the very things we so often say we value, namely to improve the lives of the young people in our charge."

Aphorisms & Axioms: Finding Purpose in Teaching.

Aphorisms & Axioms: Finding Purpose in Teaching.

Posted on 8 July 2019 by Kevin Smith

What do we mean when we say we want to help young people "achieve their full potential?" Often it seems this phrase is used when we as educators can't articulate our purposes, aims and priorities. To empower our pedagogy, perhaps we should focus less on achieving "potential" and more on specific, achievable aims for us and our learners.