18 December 2001
'BBC' college comes from nowhere in research
THE UK's biggest provider of teacher training is now emerging as a top class research centre.
Manchester Metropolitan University's Institute of Education, which starred in the BBC1 'Class Act' series in the Autumn and trains more than 2,000 teachers every year, was one of just three universities to jump two grades in the HEFCE research assessment exercise.
It was also the best performing "new" university, the only one in fact to achieve a 4 grade.
Professor Ian Stronach, research coordinator said: "We have come from nowhere and now only 14 institutions have a higher rating. The Institute is now well placed to go for a 5 next time."
The IoE, based at Didsbury, Manchester and Crewe, Cheshire, entered research paper on a range of issues including, how children learn to punctuate, how children learn via the telephone, the development of Chinese adolescents and the home/school relationship.
Professor Dave Hustler, believes the success is due to maintaining strong links regionally, nationally and internationally.
He said: "Regionally, we have worked closely with education action zones and early excellence centres; nationally, among other things we edit the British Educational Research Journal; and on an international stage, people like Professor Bridget Somekh has strong ICT research links abroad. Professor Ian Stronach, of course, set up a unique research alliance with the University of Illinois, USA and the University of Deakin, Australia."
