Research news

Kristina Hultgren, WELS Professor of Sociolinguistics and Applied Linguistics, has been awarded £100,000 towards her study of the role English-medium education plays in gender inequality within low and middle-income nations.

The Open University (OU)’s commitment to research and societal impact is recognised today (Thursday 12 May), with 82% of its research impact assessed to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*) by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

The Reading for Pleasure coalition is celebrating five years of incredible growth and successful social justice-driven projects and initiatives. It is estimated that the OU RfP research has influenced the reading lives of over 180,000 children.

Researchers in the OU’s School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care have received a grant from the Hallmark Foundation, a charity that invests in the future of care, to work together to further explore the concept of ‘relational care’ and how it can successfully be delivered in UK adult care settings with a focus on older adults.

WELS Research Fellow, Dr Hannah R. Marston, has provided evidence in a recently published report on the need for more life-enhancing technologies for disabled and older people.

An OU study to professionally develop maths teachers in low- and middle-income countries is one of the projects within Edtech Hub’s first research portfolio, and will investigate the impact of technology on teaching in Bangladesh. 

Dr Manik Gopinath has received £280,000 in funding to explore the effect living conditions have on the wellbeing of older Bangladeshi communities in East London.

An OU team carrying out storytelling-led research will simultaneously analyse whether the method reinforces inequality rather than challenges it.

The Faculty of WELS has launched a new research centre, the Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD), which will aim to advance human wellbeing through global development research. The launch event featured a special message from UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J Mohammed.

Thousands of children and young people are negatively affected by the impact of their caring responsibilities. The OU’s Carers Research Group have taken action by launching a new network called the Young Carers Alliance, alongside a growing coalition of organisations and individuals.