An International Approach to Developing Early Career Researchers

‘An International Approach to Developing Early Career Researchers: A Pipeline to Robust Education Research, edited by Professors Stephen Gorard and Nadia Siddiqui, provides compelling evidence on the benefits of the research pipeline for all those involved. This book illustrates how early career researchers have benefited from the research pipeline through their exposure to the expertise and knowledge of established researchers and Professors in the field of education, and the opportunity to advance their own learning and understanding of the research process through an established network. In turn, this process has assisted with the production of high-quality research in education as reflected in this book.

This book clearly evidences how the research pipeline provides early and mid-career researchers with invaluable experience of working and leading complex research projects, some of which are conducted in the international field. A testament to the importance of, and commitment to, mentorship in academia is indirectly articulated throughout this book and is strongly illustrated through the research pipeline process, which as the Editors reflect upon, is not a one-off event, but an ongoing process of providing researchers with support and exposure to a high-quality research environment to gain experience and learn from.

This book was a truly enjoyable read that provides a spotlight on the work of early, mid and established education researchers in a range of areas such as student development within and outside of school settings, disadvantage at schools and its implications for students, and teacher supply and retention. In each of these areas, discussions are related to policy and practice, demonstrating the practical application of the research to societies across the international context. The chapters in this book also draw upon a range of methods to provide a robust evidence base in the international context on topics such as student development, disadvantage at school, postgraduate education uptake and teacher supply issues.’

- Dr Erin Early, Lecturer in Social Policy, School of Applied Social & Policy Sciences, Ulster University, UK

‘This book is a fascinating resource for aspiring researchers. I am please to see that each chapter is an example of rigorous research that not only contributed high quality evidence but also supported researchers in their career building stages.’
- Dr Tomas Zelinsky, Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow of Czech Academy of Sciences, Faculty of Economics, Technical University Kosice, Slovakia

‘At a time of increasing interest in the use of evidence to improve outcomes for learners, this book provides an important and timely addition for both policymakers and scholars in this field. We know that the generation of high-quality evidence in education is key to improving the standard of teaching and learner experiences, but the lack of robust research available to inform policy and provision in schools is currently a serious limitation. This welcome collation of fifteen high quality studies shows us how strong research designs based on a questions-to-methods approach can help answer important education questions and demonstrates how early career researchers can be supported to make valuable contributions to the evidence base. The editors have skilfully aligned the research into themes focused on: (i) learner outcomes, (ii) addressing disadvantage; and (iii) structural problems in the supply and retention of teachers. The chapters provide clear and accessible accounts of the use of a variety of research designs, including systematic reviews, randomised control trials and secondary data analysis, and this book will be of great interest to postgraduate and more experienced researchers alike.’

- Dr Richard Watkins, Research and Evaluation Lead for the North Wales Regional School Improvement Service (GwE) and co-director of the Collaborative Institute for Education Research, Evidence and Impact (CIEREI), Bangor University, UK