Research Impact

We have a national and international reputation for impactful research. Our central goal is to conduct research that addresses the overarching aim of improved education and learning as a route to enhanced self-efficacy, economic well-being and improved life chances.

Below you can read some examples of how our research is providing solutions to many of the challenges education practitioners and learners face.

Improving multilingual education

By helping teachers to understand how language knowledge and skills develop, researchers at the IoE are equipping them to better meet the needs of their pupils – including those whose home language is not English.

Language and literacy skills are widely considered as vital to develop at an early age. For those learning English as an additional language, these skills are a gateway to academic success. Learning another language such as French, German or Spanish can bring many social, emotional and economic benefits, including enhanced creativity, empathy and understanding of others’ lives.

However, teachers’ capacity to fully develop these skills is hampered by a lack of understanding of how to meet the needs of EAL learners, how to make best use of the often limited lesson time they have for foreign language teaching, and what kind of progress learners should be expected to make. They may also lack confidence in their own language abilities.

Drawing on evidence from a range of long-term studies conducted in collaboration with teachers, we are providing important insights into talk-rich teaching strategies that support EAL learners’ literacy development, rates of progression in primary languages, and how teachers can maximise the benefits to learners of foreign language study using digital tools. Our work also has important implications for making sure that all learners’ transition from primary to secondary school is an effective one.

Schoolchildren at classroom with raised hands answering teacher's question and smiling.

Ready to Read

Ready to Read is an early literacy project in Reading, Berkshire. Our mission is to bring books and a love of reading to young families across the Reading and beyond and to provide support to parents, teachers and other community members who are passionate about getting children reading. We take a participatory approach because we know that there is essential knowledge and expertise within communities and by harnessing this, we are more likely to develop engaging and successful initiatives.

Read our article in the Conversation magazine about our work here: bit.ly/4iU6fkf

And watch our researchers talking about the project here: https://bit.ly/4kfoNga

Project website: https://research.reading.ac.uk/ready2read/

2. Maths Through Stories

Transforming the way mathematics is taught and learned globally – one mathematical story at a time

The idea of using mathematical story picture books (MSPBs) to enrich mathematics learning is not a new idea. In fact, it has been around for almost three decades, particularly in the early years setting. What is less common is using MSPBs to enrich mathematics learning beyond the early years level. But this approach could also benefit mathematics learning of older pupils. The use of MSPBs could: foster pupils’ conceptual understanding through multi-representation of mathematical concepts, variation of mathematical situations and the use of common misconceptions as a teaching point; develop language skills; and foster engagement with mathematics learning. This project investigates that possibility.

Project website: https://www.mathsthroughstories.org/

Girl is doing homework in the living room if her home. She is writing in a book, using a digital tablet to study.

Teacher wearing protective face mask while holding a class to group of teachers during coronavirus epidemic.

Concentrated school boy studying online from home, wearing headset, sitting in front of laptop and taking notes, copy space

Raising aspirations and inspiring learning: Working with local communities

Through projects aimed at improving parents’ and young peoples’ confidence and educational aspirations and children’s literacy, IoE researchers and residents in local communities are developing shared insights into how to improve lives through education.

Our research has shown that confidence is internalised in people’s self-identity and how this affects their own educational aspirations and ambitions can and does impact those of their children. Drawing on these findings, IoE researchers set up the Marvellous Mums project. They worked with a group of 27 mums from Reading on a 10-week programme to boost confidence through setting goals, focusing on skills, and self-reflection. The project helped raise aspirations of both mums and their children.

IoE research has also shown that while books are a key way to build vocabulary and language skills in young children, parents are not always able to support their children because of lack of access to books and confidence in reading stories together at home. In the Ready to Read project, positive home reading environments are being developed through parent-child storybook sessions for children, drawing on IoE research findings and also co-designed with local community groups to ensure that the sessions meet their needs and priorities. Locally housed reading resources and an online reading toolkit are also being developed.

Both of these projects are making a significant contribution to local communities, as well as enriching researchers’ understanding of the importance of community partnership.