The turn toward democratisation of research – what does it mean for education?

Abstract

Social theory helps us to see the social movements that we are living through (or alongside). One such global movement is democratisation with the shifts towards broader and greater consultation and participation in decision-making. Research has inevitably been touched by (and arguably adds to) this democratisation, with research relationships and the power dynamics within them coming under the spotlight. There is a flourishing movement towards more participatory, emancipatory, co-produced or inclusive research involving a stronger sense of dialogue between the researchers and the researched or even a more radical shift in these roles. The drivers for this are complex and include pragmatic, some might say cynical moves by academics as well as principles positions and grass roots campaigns technological change has acted as a catalyst or enabler for some. In this keynote presentation the democratic turn in research will be examined, both in terms of what it means for the people involved and what it means for research. Against this background, the implications for educational research and in turn for education are explored. The questions raised include: What is old and what is new in all this? Where do trade-offs become inevitable when research becomes more inclusive? And how might the potential for bringing about educational change (for example towards inclusive education) be exploited?

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ORCID for Melanie Nind: orcid.org/0000-0003-4070-7513

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