Research
School of Education and Social Work
What is CSPACE?
The Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education (CSPACE) is an inclusive research collective that draws its membership primarily from staff in the School of Education and Social Work but also from faculty and university colleagues, as well as a vibrant Doctoral Research College. Our research members work across subject areas and education phases from early years to higher education, which brings a strong interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral culture to the work we do. A distinguishing feature and commitment of CSPACE’s work is our focus on participatory practitioner research. Practitioner research is the ‘golden thread’ that connects our research groups, specialisms and projects. CSPACE is committed to work that serves social justice aims by enabling the communities we work with to become research-engaged, knowledge-producing, self-transforming and sustainable. CSPACE is directed by Professor Matt O’Leary, supported by Dr Fadia Dakka as Deputy Director.
Research Environment
Find out more about our research environment and what it's like to work as a researcher in education at BCU. You can also find out more about PhD opportunities.
Members and Partners
Birmingham City University is home to a wealth of knowledge and our staff have considerable experience of working within an education and social work setting.
Research Projects
We are currently working on a number of projects within CSPACE. View them all on our project page. You can also see our past projects or view our individual research groups to see a filtered list of projects aligned to our specialisms.
CSPACE blog
The CSPACE blog will offer insight into our inventive and creative approaches to research, as well as promoting our work on inclusion and social justice across a range of educational fields.
News and Events
The Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education runs a variety of research seminars, conferences and more across the centre. View our latest events and news to see how our research impacts the wider world.