Institutional & Professional Development
The Institutional and Professional Development Centre offers support for schools, colleges, universities and policy makers to develop their practice with the goal of improving the experience of learners. Our focus is on the educational, social, personal, emotional, and ethical development of individuals, institutions and professions and the organisational and policy contexts that promote such development. IPD also includes a number of researchers whose main focus is in sport, with expertise and interests in various disciplinary approaches to sport and physical activity. Our research is characterised by:
- A critical and independent perspective on current policy trends;
- Involvement of users, in particular those who often fail to have a voice in research and policy making, such as learners, and parents;
- Application of innovative ideas and methodologies to educational and professional contexts, including a grounded theory approach, work on personal narratives, and the use of ICT in research;
- Developing and critiquing the evidence base;
- Multi-disciplinary and inter professional approaches.
Members of the Centre have extensive national and international research experience in a variety of professional contexts, including schools, further education and sixth form colleges, higher education, the health sector and sport.
We support research into:
- Educational leadership, management and administration
- School improvement and effectiveness
- The emotions and education
- Marketing and marketisation in education
- Biography and education
- Computers in education
- Sport and Physical Activity
Members of the centre edit three journals - Education, Knowledge & Economy edited by Professor Anthony Kelly, Health Education edited by Professor Katherine Weare and International Studies in Educational Administration edited by Professor Jacky Lumby and Professor Nick Foskett. Major funded and other research projects connected with the Centre include studies funded by the QCA, the ESRC, the European Union and the Higher Education Authority. Our research student projects include studies on distributed leadership, the social and emotional impact of loss and bereavement on HIV/AIDS orphans in the Gambia, sex and relationships education, bullying in the workplace, and novel pedagogical approaches to teaching.
Contact: Dr Gill Clarke
Email: gmc@soton.ac.uk
Click here to go to IPD Student Conference web page
