Equity and Equality in Education

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Focus of our research Key researchers Project spotlight PhD opportunities

Focus of our research

In the Equity and Equality in Education theme, we explore inclusion and attainment in education through a social justice lens. We examine power dynamics, marginalised perspectives, and pedagogical approaches across diverse local, national and global educational contexts. We promote agency and multiple literacies to address educational challenges and improve educational outcomes.

Our research highlights the importance of equitable education as a social good. By focusing on inclusive pedagogies, addressing systemic barriers, and promoting accessible learning, we aim to investigate educational experiences that benefit both learners and educators.

We primarily align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, but also other SDGs, such as SDG 10, Reducing Inequalities; SDG 5, Gender Equality and SDG17, Partnering for the Goals.

If you wish to find out more about this theme, please get in contact with Professor Marina Orsini-Jones.

Research sub-themes

Within the Equity and Equality in Education research theme we bring together three focused areas of expertise and interest:

1. Language and Literacy

We focus on improving educational outcomes by analysing how language functions in academic and non-academic settings. Using approaches like Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and corpus linguistics, we examine language bias and how language bias can affect inclusion and/or attainment.

Research areas include:

Inclusive Language Education – Investigating plurilingual approaches and curriculum decolonisation. Project ViVEXELT explores for example an inclusive approach to professional development for English language teachers in the UK and Vietnam at the time of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Child Literacy Development – Researching the impact of different storybook reading approaches in early years education through the Story Choices project, which measures vocabulary acquisition from children’s books.

Language in Higher Education – Examining discourse strategies in academia, including lecturer speech in English-Medium Instruction (EMI)/Education (EME) and student writing patterns through corpus-based research.

2. Mathematics and Statistics Support

Our research focuses on improving engagement and achievement in mathematics and statistics, turning these subjects into enablers of success rather than barriers to progression. For many students, a major barrier is mathematics anxiety and our research aims to address this.

Our principal areas of research focus include:
Higher Education – Investigating best practices in mathematics and statistics support at individual, institutional, national and international levels, including the effective functioning of national networks of providers, as illustrated for example by project Enhancing mathematics and statistics support through developing individual practices and establishing effective networks.

Anxiety and Resilience – Exploring how building mathematical resilience can address the debilitating symptoms of mathematics and statistics anxiety experienced by students, their parents and teachers (see for example project: Co-development of CPD for GCSE and A-Level Mathematics teachers on Maths Anxiety and self-explanations).

Secondary Education – Designing and evaluating interventions, incorporating tools such as self-explanation training and logical processes, to help students succeed in GCSE and A-level Mathematics.

3. Diversity, Intersectionality, and Inclusion

We investigate equity in educational access, attainment, experiences, and learning approaches across different contexts. We explore how identity shapes knowledge acquisition and aim to create more inclusive learning environments for all.

Research areas include:

Inclusive Education – Examining challenges in education that hinder equitable learning (e.g., in relation to disability, neurodivergence, socio-economic status and ethnicity). We have for example an active partnership with the Positive Youth Foundation in collaboration with staff from the Global Education and Society Theme. This includes a review of Positive Youth Foundation’s work, and a developing body of research around supporting young people towards positive futures. Project Race Xchange, a collaboration between Coventry University and the University of Warwick, aims at improving access, participation, and attainment for under-represented and/or racially minoritised ethnic groups in Higher Education. A final example in this area is the ALIGN project, that aimed to bring together partners in selected countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to explore opportunities in supporting disabled students to access quality higher education experiences and to develop inclusive practices.

Women in Higher Education – This theme investigates issues relating specifically to gender equality, researching for example factors preventing women from advancing to leadership positions in academia, e.g. project Tamkeen, linked to the Leadership and Policy as Enables cross-subtheme in the centre, and/or identifying equality issues to close gender gaps and gender-related inclusion issues in HE, such as Female Voices in the Third Space that researches digital inclusion, equity, equality and accessibility through Thid Space learning.

4. Cross-Centre Themes

Leadership and Policy as Enablers

Acknowledging the critical evaluation of the structural issues and global leadership and policy challenges that shape educational practices, both locally and globally, this cross centre sub-theme explores how leadership within educational institutions and across international platforms can act as a driving force in overcoming barriers to inclusive education, social justice, and sustainability.

By examining global policy frameworks, leadership strategies, and their impacts on educational systems, we are researching how effective governance, policy reforms, and transformative leadership can enable educational environments that foster equity, diversity, and collaboration. Studies within this theme contribute to shaping evidence-based, forward-thinking policies to support the global education agenda.

Digital Challenges & Opportunities in Education (including Artificial Intelligence)

Critically examining the evolving role of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in reshaping education, this second cross-centre sub-theme explores both the challenges and opportunities presented by digital innovations in teaching, learning, and management, with a focus on how they can enhance educational equity, accessibility, and effectiveness.

Our studies here investigate the implications of AI and other digital tools on pedagogy, learner engagement, and educational policy, while addressing issues such as digital divides, access and inclusion in online spaces, data privacy, and ethical considerations.

Our research, including our studies in Collaborative Online International Learning – Virtual Exchange (COIL-VE), aim to harness the potential of digital pedagogies using technologies to create inclusive and adaptive learning environments, preparing educators and learners for the future of education in a rapidly changing digital landscape, with an emphasis on heightening their agency and ownership in the use of new technologies.

See our projects for research across these theme areas.

Key researchers


Name	Title	Email
Professor Marina Orsini-Jones	Theme Lead	m.orsini@coventry.ac.uk
Professor Lynn Clouder	Research Centre Director	hsx059@coventry.ac.uk
Professor Duncan Lawson	Director sigma	mtx047@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Charlotte Price	Associate Professor	ad5778@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Carlo Tramontano	Assistant Professor	ab7890@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Mark Hodds	Assistant Professor	ab7634@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Sian Alsop	Assistant Professor	ab2358@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Emmanuel Johnson	Postdoctoral Research Fellow	ae1522@coventry.ac.uk
Dr Beate Grawemeyer	Aspire Fellow	ac7655@coventry.ac.uk
Mrs Jenny Wells	Research Assistant	ab2229@coventry.ac.uk

Projects

The interest of our research goes beyond the influence of the classroom to consider a diversity of learning spaces which interweave to impact on educational opportunities and outcomes.

A record of our current projects can be found in the University Research Portal.

PhD opportunities

We welcome self-funded or sponsored applications in areas which align with our theme narrative, sub-themes and centre cross-themes. We offer full time, part time and structured online doctoral study opportunities. We also offer cotutelle study opportunities with universities located outside the UK, such as Deakin in Australia and Aarhus in Denmark.

We have a thriving doctoral community of practice and we obtained excellent feedback on the quality of our supervision for doctoral students and the opportunities we offer them (that include obtaining a teaching in Higher Education qualification from Advance HE) in the national Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) in 2023.

Examples of current PhD titles in our theme include:

Exploring Feedback Literacy Amongst Postgraduate Students on Health Courses
What does it mean to be Black in academia? Exploring the lived experiences of Black women students in academia
Investigating the Racial Experiences of Students and Academics that identify with a Mixed Ethnic Background in Higher Education
The impact of social learning in Mathematics and Statistics Support
Exploration of the relationship between Early Career Teacher experiences and teacher retention when mentoring styles are theory driven
Developing prospective mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) through lesson study
The impact of feedback practices and student background: voicing the student perspective

Equity and Equality Theme PhD Students’ Testimonials

"My supervisory team have eased me with kind support and firm guidance into a journey of growth and exploration. Their expertise has challenged me to think expansively and ethically about my research. I am grateful to be mentored by a caring and inspiring team" - Precious Madueke, Full Time Cotutelle PhD Coventry University/Deakin University (Australia).

Thesis title: Intersection of Identity, Values and Lived Experiences of Women Middle Managers in three HEI country contexts (Australia/Nigeria and UK)

"Being a PGR student at Coventry University was not only academically enriching, but also culturally transformative. Experiencing the differences between Brazilian and British cultures helped me value my own background while developing a deeper understanding of British culture. I have felt fully supported by my supervisors, and the research environment has been both inclusive and inspiring" - Adriana da Costa Barbosa, Full Time Cotutelle PhD Coventry University/Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Brazil).

Thesis title: Experiences of autistic students in Higher Education: A comparative study between one university in Brazil and one in England.

"Like many of my fellow PGRs, I am juggling full-time work alongside my studies, which can be quite challenging. Initially, I was hesitant about pursuing a part-time degree, as I feared that the level of support might not be the same as for full-time students who have more opportunities to meet their supervisors in person. However, I am pleased to say that this has not been the case with my supervisors. From our very first meeting, they put me at ease. They have been incredibly supportive.Their calm, professional, and reassuring manner has been invaluable to me" - Rahiana Ali, Part Time PhD in Global Education.

Thesis title: Applications of global professional development strategies to improve teaching standards in Further Education colleges with a focus on addressing key Ofsted grading criteria

"From day one, I have felt welcomed and supported by both my peers and mentors. The Research Centre for Global Learning is not just a place to conduct research, but a caring community of scholars. There is always someone ready to assist with both academic and non-academic matters. In terms of supervision, I have been fortunate to have a space to express myself, to question, to be uncertain, and to make mistakes—in short, to truly learn"
- Yessy Hidajat, Full Time Cotutelle PhD Coventry University/Deakin University (Australia).

Thesis title: Feedback and Underperformance in Higher Education.

"During my programme, I was given the opportunity to be part of a community of learning, which supported me to make a meaningful contribution to a subject I am deeply passionate about. I am autistic and disabled, and accommodating me was far from easy, but I never felt like I couldn’t reach out for help. I continue to apply my PhD in my professional life" - Dr Sam Grant who completed his doctoral programme in February 2024.

Thesis title: Uncontrollable Behaviour: Questioning Perceptions of Neurodiversity in State Provision.