The School of Education's Education PhD enables students to develop advanced research skills and build new knowledge with an emphasis on providing a pathway for those interested in a career in education research.
We welcome applications through research proposals to study for an Education PhD at the University of Brighton.
As an Education PhD student, you will undertake applied research, combining theoretical analysis with fieldwork data collection to produce leading edge studies.
The research of our supervisory staff generates knowledge that advances social justice and fosters critical understanding of learning and teaching in diverse cultures and complex worlds.
Staff and PhD student research spans broad areas of education, including for example: investigating children and young people’s rights in UK and international contexts; researching the learning, development and working lives of educators in different educational settings; mentoring and coaching in education settings; and examining pedagogical practices in higher education.
We carry out innovative, creative and participatory research involving children, young people, adults and those who work with them. We also specialise in narrative and biographical methodologies and approaches and, as part of this, listen to educators’ and learners' stories and examine their life histories, to better understand their experiences and world views.
Our PhD students have gone on to a variety of different roles following the successful completion of their research. These include academic posts as lecturers and postdoctoral research assistants at Brighton and elsewhere. Many have gone on to management positions in related areas such as business consultancy.