IOE Insights

You’re not dreaming! There’s so much going on in the field of sleep and research right now. We take a closer look at how things have crossed over into tech and AI, cancer and our wellbeing.

Professor Dagmara Dimitriou leads a lab that takes a multi-disciplinary approach to examine sleep’s role in affecting our cognitive, behavioural and academic abilities and has also been working with the likes of the NHS and the US Army on a wide variety of projects.

Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/apr/sleep-and-tales-our-mental-health-might-tell-rftrw-s22e01

This season of Research for the Real World is all about mental health, and we’ll be hearing from researchers whose work encompasses such wide-ranging areas and offer solutions to address these challenges.

• Professor Dagmara Dimitriou on the role of sleep on neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer
• Dr Mukdarut Bangpan and Dr Kelly Dickson on humanitarian emergencies and the impact it has on mental wellbeing
• Dr Amy Harrison on social-emotional functioning and cognitive skills in eating disorders

More episodes of Research for the Real World: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/researchfortherealworld⁠⁠

The IOE Podcast: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/ioepodcast⁠

In this podcast, Mark Quinn and Dr Polly Glegg talk about what makes great professional learning for teachers and leaders.

Polly and Mark, the masterminds behind UCL’s High Quality Outcomes for Great Professional Learning, explain how their thinking about professional learning has been influenced by research and practice.

They also let us into some of their secrets about how they, as seasoned facilitators, make sure participants encounter these high quality outcome in their professional learning sessions.

Full show notes, transcript and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/mar/if-participants-dont-value-their-learning-then-what-left-ecf-staffroom-s03e08

ECF Staffroom speaks to Early Career Teachers, mentors and participants at all levels of the UCL Early Career Teacher Development programme.

In this podcast, we discuss how eating disorder symptoms affect men. We cover what our guests have learned about how to ask for help and care for themselves. We speak about how eating disorders affect friendships and sexual relationships, and reflect on what our guests have learned through their experiences about how to cope with challenges in life.

Content warning: this podcast contains information about eating disorders, experiences of mental health difficulties and sex and sexual experiences. There is some language that may offend.

Full show notes, transcript and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/feb/two-men-and-their-experiences-eating-disorders

In this podcast, George Wolstenholme talks about messing up, forgiveness, and being on the way to becoming the teacher he wishes to be.

"Everyone's experience with neurodiversity is going to be different."

George Wolstenholme – or Mr. W to his pupils – tells us how his practitioner inquiries have granted him his independence, liberating him to try things out and learn from his failures as well as his successes.

He explains why neurodivergent teachers should be given their moment, and how he is learning to handle his environment and himself within it.

Full show notes, transcript and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/jan/be-ambitious-and-fail-dont-fail-be-ambitious-s03e07

ECF Staffroom speaks to Early Career Teachers, mentors and participants at all levels of the UCL Early Career Teacher Development programme.

This podcast hears about the impact of the UK's School Meals Service on schools and their communities since its inception in 1906, and how it can adapt to the challenges of food insecurity and the impact of the economic crisis on children's learning.

Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/jan/history-free-school-meals-how-its-past-dishes-out-lessons-future-servings-rftrw-s21e03

Research for the Real World is an IOE Podcast series featuring conversations about education and social science research and its impact on policy, practice and our everyday lives.

Nancy Karmali-Belmonte and Farzana Akther respond to our ECTs' questions, and remind us that looking after wellbeing and being a good teacher are two sides of the same coin.

"It is up to the induction tutors, I think, to set the school culture so that those more challenging feedback conversations are couched in a framework of support and everyone moving forward and growing."

Mark and Elaine hear Nancy and Farzana discuss the importance of Induction Tutors, and the important role of ensuring ECTs find their advocates in the staffroom and are able to build their supportive communities.

They discuss building a culture that is open and filled with a willingness to share advice and listen – which includes listening to ECTs and knowing what they need.

Full show notes, transcript and links: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2024/jan/fostering-strong-professional-relationships-find-your-staffroom-friends

ECF Staffroom speaks to Early Career Teachers, mentors and participants at all levels of the UCL Early Career Teacher Development programme.

Mark and Elaine speak to Louise Dwyer, Assistant Headteacher at the Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, and discuss how the ECF builds upon a growing movement of evidence-informed practice, enabling a more accessible exchange of ideas.

"There will still be that joy to be found in teaching."

Louise says that if we want to keep teachers in the profession, we need them to see the joy that is to be found in the classroom. And the ECF, she says, gives new teachers a shared language that helps them to ‘grow together'.

In this episode, she also talks about her love of delivering training and challenging early career teachers through continuing professional development (CPD), and through modelling the realities of the classroom.

Full show notes, transcript and links: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2023/dec/giving-ects-springs-run-marathon-louise-dwyers-enthusiasm-ucls-ecf-programme

ECF Staffroom speaks to Early Career Teachers, mentors and participants at all levels of the UCL Early Career Teacher Development programme.

In the context of a cost-of-living crisis and increased child poverty, this podcast hears about the growing use of food banks, how they operate and the impact this has on children whose families use them.

Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2023/dec/what-impact-do-food-banks-schools-have-childrens-learning-rftrw-s21e02

This podcast hears how mental health and life chances of young people and their parents are being dramatically affected by post-pandemic cost of living pressures.

Not only is there an elevated risk of psychological distress, the research also found food bank use and long-term poverty is associated with lower GCSE attainment. This sparks additional concerns about the long-term impact of the current cost-of-living crisis.

Full show notes and links: coming soon 

More IOE podcasts: https://bit.ly/ioepodcast