What matters in education?
A panel discussion seminar series asking new questions about how research, policy and practice can best interact to empower educators and create an education system that works for all.

Jointly hosted by IOE and the ESRC Education Research Programme (ERP), the ‘What matters in education?’ panel discussions will spark new thinking across education, social research and the wider social sciences on how research, policy and practice can most productively interact.

A mix of speakers from research, policymaker, public, professional or third and private sector backgrounds will consider an educational topic that matters for different stakeholder groups: parents, families and pupils as well as practitioners, policymakers and researchers.
Speakers will reflect on what they know and understand about that issue from their own working context. Audience Q&A will clarify differences in approach, knowledge gaps that need to be filled and an agenda for educational change that would benefit from partnership working.
See the briefing notes for the seminar series.
Upcoming events
- The Curriculum Review: What works, what’s missing, what’s next? – 17 March 2025, 5:30pm–7:00pm
More events to be announced soon, sign up to be notified of the next event.
Past events
- Education in a broken welfare state – the role schools play in supporting their communities – 09 December 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Democratic decision-making in English education: whose voices count? – 9 October 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- More or less technology in the classroom – the value and purposes of technology use in school – Tuesday 16 July 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Education after the election: priorities for change – Tuesday 25 June 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Investing in the Early Years: priorities and challenges – Tuesday 26 March 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Pupil absence: Questions for policy, for research and in practice – Monday 22 January 2024, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Practical policies or bright ideas? How particular topics get to the front of the policy queue – Thursday 19 October 2023, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Teacher recruitment, retention and development – rethinking policy and practice priorities – Monday 3 July 2023, 5:30pm–7:30pm.
Join the conversation

The ESRC Education Research Programme 2021–26