Q&A with Professor Alice Bradbury
Alice is Professor of Sociology of Education at UCL Institute of Education.
What attracted you to take up your position at IOE?
Having studied at IOE, I was keen to engage with cutting-edge research and leading academics in my field of Sociology of Education.
What is the focus of your research and what benefits do you hope your discoveries or insights will bring?
My research focuses on the interaction of education policy and issues of inequality, particularly differences in attainment by ethnic group. My aim is to examine how policies play out in practice and to shed light on the processes within and outside schools which contribute to disparities in attainment and experience.
What do you most enjoy about your position and why?
I enjoy supporting my PhD students with their exciting projects and conducting my own research – listening to teachers' and pupils' views on the education system.
IOE is a centre of excellence with a reputation for critical research on policy and equality, which attracts visitors from all around the world. Being in London allows me to easily make contact with other education organisations and to visit schools for my research.
What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
I am proud of producing research on inequalities in Early Years and Primary Education, and making education for younger children a focus in the Sociology of Education. I am also proud that research I have conducted, for example on Baseline Assessments for five-year-olds, has influenced government policy.
Last updated 27 July 2023.
View Professor Alice Bradbury's research profile (IRIS)
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