Page 17 - ELG2207 Jul Issue 481

SPECIAL FEATURE

PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ref ranking:

Ref ranking:

education
education

University of Bath

How the universities did when it came to research in education

ll the top education departments with ELT-related (in black) dominate the top 10, both the ‘plate glass’ universities
Master’s listed here had research assessed as founded in the 1960s (in blue) and the post-1992 universities
world-class and/or internationally excellent by (in red) are on the rise.
A the REF. While the Russell Group universities
7) University of Manchester 14) University of Bath
1) University of Oxford 8) University of Glasgow 15) University of Sterling
2) University of Birmingham 9) University of Nottingham 16) Ulster University
3) University of York 10) Queen’s University Belfast 17) University of Leeds
4) King’s College London 11) University of Warwick 18) University of Exeter
5) UCL Institute of Education 12) University of Roehampton 19) Sheffield Hallam University
6) University of Bristol 13) University of Edinburgh 20) Open University

Case study:

Sheffield Hallam

One reason the newer universities are on the rise is that
the REF 2021 paid less attention to ‘research power’,
which counts the sheer amount of research done, and
laid more emphasis on the social and economic impact
of the work.
To demonstrate their impact, universities were required
to submit case studies which showed both the reach of
their work and its significance. For newer universities like
Sheffield Hallam, which already ran successful education
projects around the world, it gave them a chance to have
that work recognised.
“We already knew that local, national and international
communities, policymakers and practitioners valued
our work, but it’s always good to have this validated
externally,” Professor Mark Boylan, of the Sheffield
Institute of Education told the Gazette, picking out its
work in disability studies, higher education and TESOL
as prime examples.
In essence, the REF 2021 emphasised the application
of research, as Nick Moore, leader of the MA TESOL,
explains: “The strong performance for Sheffield Hallam
University in the latest REF exercise shows how our
research strengths lie in the application of knowledge.
For the Sheffield Institute of Education, our research has
had a significant impact on a wide range of educational
contexts. Our TESOL team includes researchers who have For the Latest course information, visit
contributed to these impacts ...developing TESOL-related www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus
research in teacher education, reading and writing skills, For more information and details on entry
requirements please contact The Tesol
and the role of language in classrooms.” Centre on +44 (0) 114 225 5555 or email
sioe@shu.ac.uk
editorial@elgazette.com 17