Research in Plymouth Institute of Education (PIOE) is both excellent and highly distinctive, with its lifelong and life-wide approach; foregrounding the vital role learning plays in society and culture. Our researchers explore how and why people learn at every stage of life, from babies to the very old. They conduct research in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities, but also in multiple informal contexts: in the home, at work, in nature, in the community, in arts and leisure and in volunteering and activism.
We have strong research links and networks across the world and a wide range of externally funded national and international research projects. Through our four nodes of research excellence: Children and Families, Learning outside Formal Education, Inclusion and Education Policy world-leading academics work with colleagues, doctoral students, international fellows and practitioners, promoting a vibrant and participative research culture. Our wide range of specialist interests include: philosophy for children, outdoor learning, comparative education policy, autism, rural education, posthumanism and maths education. Theoretical innovation and participative methodologies combine with promoting social justice: impacting positively on practices and policies, both locally and globally, for example in University Practice Partnerships.
