IOE Insights

Phonics matters, but children also need language, stories, motivation and meaningful opportunities to read and write.

Debates about early reading often present teachers with a choice between phonics and reading for pleasure. Mark Quinn hears about Professor Dominic Wyse and Charlotte Hacking's argument that effective literacy teaching needs both, alongside writing, talk and sustained engagement with meaningful texts. They explain how the "double helix" of reading and writing brings these elements together while beginning with each child’s languages, identity and experience.

The episode also examines why teachers can feel compelled to follow approaches they believe are too narrow, and what this means for their professional knowledge. There are also takeaways for schools to consider how they can develop skilled, confident and motivated readers and writers.

Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/oct/what-really-helps-children-learn-read-and-write-research-real-world

More Research for the Real World: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Photo: FAMILY STOCK / Adobe Stock

The first years of a child’s education can shape their relationship with learning for the rest of their life. But creating educational experiences that work for every child requires more than good intentions. It takes robust research, close collaboration with educators and a clear understanding of what children need.

That is the focus of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy at the UCL Institute of Education.

Founded in 2018, the Centre brings together researchers, educators and partners to improve the educational experiences of children from birth to 11, and to explore how education can contribute to a more equitable society.

We’ll meet the people behind the research, hear about projects shaping classrooms and communities, and explore how evidence can influence educational policy and practice.

• Dominic Wyse and Charlotte Hacking - reading and writing
• Dominic Wyse and Yana Manyukhina - children’s agency
• Alice Bradbury and Emily Ranken - special educational needs and disabilities, and learning English as an additional language

More Research for the Real World episodes: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Dr Leda Kamenopoulou and contributors examine the barriers, technologies, and design decisions that can either enable or restrict participation in education, work, and society.

Accessibility is often viewed as an additional feature rather than a fundamental requirement, yet for people with deafblindness it can determine whether participation is possible at all. In this episode, a disability advocate and an accessibility researcher and designer share their lived experiences and professional expertise to explore the realities of navigating a world that is not always designed with sensory diversity in mind.

The discussion considers everyday barriers encountered in communication, public services, social activities, and physical and digital environments, while reflecting on the opportunities and limitations of assistive technologies.  

The conversation also challenges listeners to think beyond individual accommodations and towards inclusive design from the outset. By exploring deafblindness as a diverse spectrum of experiences, the episode highlights how small but intentional changes can have a significant impact on access, participation, and belonging. 

Drawing on perspectives from advocacy, research, and user experience design, the discussion offers practical insights into how organisations, educators, designers, and policymakers can move from awareness to action and create environments that work for everyone.

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/oct/deafblindness-and-accessibility-are-we-including-everyone-inclusive-voices-deafblindness

Image: New Africa via Adobe Stock.

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

As societies face growing political and social tensions, citizenship education is increasingly being asked to help young people make sense of the world around them.

In this episode, Jason Ilagan hears from Hans Svennevig about research into the knowledge citizenship teachers need and how classrooms can support informed, active participation in society. The conversation explores democracy, human rights, identity, sustainability, peace education and the ethical challenges raised by artificial intelligence.

Hans reflects on what it means to educate citizens for an uncertain future and why citizenship education is ultimately about empowering young people to take action.

Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/oct/how-young-people-can-find-their-place-changing-world-research-real-world

More Research for the Real World: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Dr Leda Kamenopoulou and contributors explore the 2026 Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving. They also explore the government consultation, SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First.

They examine their implications for inclusion, specialist provision, and outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly those with sensory impairments and complex needs.

As the government seeks to reform SEND provision in England, questions remain about how policy ambitions translate into meaningful change for learners and families. In this episode, a panel of experts on sensory impairment, inclusive education, and teacher education reflects on the opportunities and challenges presented by the Government’s White Paper. 

The discussion considers key themes including early identification and intervention, workforce development, and the extent to which current proposals address the needs of children and young people with hearing, vision, and multisensory impairments.  

The episode also explores broader debates about inclusion and educational outcomes. Contributors examine: 

• the relationship between mainstream and specialist provision
• the expertise required to support learners with sensory and complex needs, and
• how success should be measured beyond academic attainment alone. 

Drawing on research, policy analysis, and professional experience, the conversation offers a balanced and thought-provoking perspective on what is needed to ensure that reforms lead not only to higher standards, but also to genuine belonging, participation, and equitable opportunities for all learners.

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/achieving-and-thriving-experts-respond-schools-white-paper-inclusive-voices-deafblindness

Image: New Africa via Adobe Stock.

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

10 years after the Brexit referendum, was Britain’s departure from the European Union inevitable or did it depend on a series of political choices?

Mark Quinn speaks with Dr Roch Dunin-Wąsowicz and Max Josef Migden about their research comparing Britain’s experience with the prospect of Poland leaving the EU. They introduce a framework exploring how national structures, political narratives and the actions of influential politicians can combine to make "Polexit" possible.

Why would a largely pro-European population continue to elect Eurosceptic leaders? Could Poland leave without holding a referendum?

We also hear how the EU has changed since Brexit and why populist politicians may now be more interested in reshaping it than leaving it.

Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/how-other-countries-could-leave-eu-research-real-world

More Research for the Real World: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Photo: FotoDax / Adobe Stock

Dr Leda Kamenopoulou chairs this conversation about how we can use research and professional expertise to promote a more accurate understanding of this complex and often misunderstood disability.

Deafblindness (or multisensory impairment, MSI) is frequently associated with assumptions that do not reflect the realities of those who experience it. In this episode, we unpack some of the most common myths, including the belief that all deafblind people are totally deaf and blind, that deafblindness is always present from birth, or that everyone with deafblindness has the same needs.

Through discussion with specialists in inclusion, deafblind education and habilitation, the episode highlights the diversity of deafblind experiences and the many ways in which individuals use their remaining senses, communicate, learn, navigate and engage with the world around them.  

The conversation also explores why deafblindness should be understood as a distinct and highly individual condition rather than simply the combination of hearing and vision loss. Drawing attention to the role of communication, environment, and accessibility, the episode challenges listeners to move beyond stereotypes and recognise the importance of personalised support and inclusive practice. 

Ultimately, it encourages educators, families, and professionals to question assumptions, embrace complexity, and develop a deeper understanding of the varied experiences of people with deafblindness.

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/what-deafblindness-breaking-down-myths-inclusive-voices-deafblindness

Image: New Africa via Adobe Stock.

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

We explore how conservative Christian women have become influential organisers, campaigners and political actors in the United States.

Jason Ilagan is joined by Dr Katie Gaddini, who has drawn on a decade of ethnographic research with her new book ‘Esther’s Army’ challenging assumptions that women in right-wing movements are politically passive, instead revealing the diverse ways they organise, mobilise and influence political life.

We hear how ideas around motherhood, protection and empowerment have become powerful political tools, and considers what these developments can tell us about the future of political mobilisation both in the US and beyond.

The episode examines what these trends mean for policymakers, educators and anyone seeking to understand an increasingly polarised political landscape.

Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/women-reshaping-conservative-politics-america-research-real-world

More Research for the Real World: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Photo: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Political movements are crossing borders and challenging established ideas about power and participation. Researchers take us inside political movements in the US and Europe before turning to the classroom to ask how people can learn to navigate disagreement, uncertainty and change.

Upcoming episodes:

• The role of Christian women in right-wing American politics - Dr Katie Gaddini
• A Polish Brexit and populism in Europe - Dr Roch Dunin-Wasowicz and Max Midgen
• How schools and teachers can help young citizens navigate social and political division - Hans Svennevig

More Research for the Real World episodes: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

In this episode of Academia et al, Zeinab El-Khateeb talks to Professor Norbert Pachler about shaping the beginnings of mobile learning in a time when most phones still had small screens and physical buttons. He reflects on bringing international researchers from different disciplines together to understand how mobile technologies were changing society, culture and education. Professor Pachler also shares advice for early career academics on finding collaborators, contributing to professional communities and developing ideas that can grow over time.

Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/aug/learning-went-mobile-academia-et-al

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe