Educational Research

I went to Trinity College Dublin in 1961 to read English Lit. and Lang. I graduated with a 2(I) in 1969 having spent three years in Australia (‘65-‘68), including a period studying Old Norse Lang. and Lit. and Medieval Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra.

After taking a post-graduate certificate in Education at the University of Cambridge in 1971, I taught English in Cambridge schools for fourteen years (1972-1985) and was Head of the English Department at Parkside Community College from 1980.

Later I moved into higher education.

In 1983-84 I took an MA in Applied Research in Education (UEA), and worked as a part-time tutor at Cambridge Institute of Education.

I was Curriculum Development Officer at Netherhall Educational Software, 1985-86

From 1986 to 1987 I was a Research Fellow at Cambridge Institute of Education, and from 1987 to 1995 was a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Applied Research in Education at the University of East Anglia.

My PhD from UEA in 1993 was on the topic of: ‘Computers, Professional Identity and Curriculum Development: An Exploration of the Role of Values and Rituals in Educational Innovation.’

From 1995 to1997 I worked in Edinburgh as Depute Director of the Scottish Council for Research in Education.

From 1997 to 1999 was Professor and Dean of the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield.

From 1999 to 2008 I was Professor of Educational Research at Manchester Metropolitan University, and later Professor Emeritus.

My special interests included action research, the use of information technology in education, and the management of change. I was a Coordinator of the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) from 1987 until 2008, and a founding and managing Editor of the Educational Action Research Journal.

After retirement from MMU, I held Adjunct Professorships at The University of Canterbury, New Zealand; and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Perak, Malaysia.

My Research Projects included:

1988-90	Co-ordinator: Pupil Autonomy in Learning with Microcomputers (PALM), funded by the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET)
1990-92	Co-ordinator: Initial Teacher Education and New Technology (INTENT), funded by NCET
1992-93	Evaluator: Business Education with Technology Project (BITE), funded by HEFCE Teaching and Learning Technology Programme
1994-96	Principal Investigator and Coordinator: Management for Organisational and Human Development (MOHD), a Research Network involving five countries funded by the EU.
1998	Director: Scoping Study : Improving College Effectiveness, funded by the Further Education Development Agency
1999-2001	ImpaCT2 Evaluation of the impact of ICT on Pupil Attainment, (DfEE/Becta) (with Nottingham University and the Open University)
2001-2003	Evaluation of the GridClub educational website service (DfES/Becta)
2003-2006	Evaluation of the ICT Test Bed Project (Becta)
2003-2006	Developing Pedagogies with E-Learning Project (PELRS), funded by GTC/MMU
2004-2006	Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project (DfES)
2005-2008	Evaluation of the Partners in Learning (PiL) Programme in England and Wales (Microsoft)
2011-2014	International Consultant: Research Study on the Pilot Scheme on e-Learning in Schools. University of Hong Kong, directed by Professor Nancy Law.

My Publications include:

Books

• Somekh, B. (2007), Pedagogy and Learning with ICT: Researching the Art of Innovation. London and New York, Routledge.

• Somekh, B. (2006), Action Research: a Methodology for Change and Development. Buckingham UK, Open University Press.

• Feldman, A., Altrichter, H., Posch, P. and Somekh, B. (2018), Teachers Investigate Their Work: an introduction to action research across the professions. 3rd edition. London and New York, Routledge.

• Somekh, B. and T. Schwandt, Eds. (2007), Knowledge Production: Research Work in Interesting Times. London and New York, Routledge.

• Noffke, S. and B. Somekh, Eds. (2009). Handbook of Educational Action Research. Sage Publications: London and Thousand Oaks CA.

• Somekh, B. and C. Lewin, Eds. (2011). Theory and Methods in Social Research, 2nd edition. London and Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage.

Chapters in books

• Somekh, B (2006). "New Ways of Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age: implications for curriculum studies", in Moore, A (ed), Schooling, Society and Curriculum. London and New York: Routledge.

• Somekh, B. (2007). "The Interplay between Policy and Research in relation to ICT", in Education in the UK: Issues from Twenty Years of Programme Evaluation. Educational Research and Policy-Making. L. Saunders (Ed.). London and New York: Routledge.

• Somekh, B. (2008) "Factors Affecting Teachers’ Pedagogical Adoption of ICT", in J.Voogt and G.Knezek (Eds.) International Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education. New York: Springer.

• Somekh, B. (2009). "Agency through Action Research: constructing active identities from theoretical models and metaphors", in S. Noffke and B. Somekh (Eds.) Handbook of Educational Action Research. Thousand Oaks CA and London UK: Sage.

• Somekh, B. (2010). "The practical power of theoretically-informed research into innovation", in A. McDougall, J. Murnane, A. Jones and N. Reynolds (Eds.) Researching IT in Education: theory, practice and future directions. London and New York: Routledge.

• Somekh, B. (2011). "Localization or Globalization? The dynamic variations of Action Research." in N.Mockler and J.Sachs, Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education. Springer.

Articles in peer-reviewed journals

• Somekh, B (2006). "Constructing Inter-Cultural Knowledge and Understanding through Collaborative Action Research", Journal for Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, Special Issue ‘The Dark Side of the Moon': A critical look at teacher knowledge construction in collaborative settings. Vol 12, no 1, pp 87-106.

• Pearson, M & Somekh, B (2006). "Learning Transformation with Technology: a question of socio-cultural contexts?", Qualitative Studies in Education vol 19. no 5. pp 519-539.

• Somekh, B. and L. Saunders (2007). "Developing knowledge through intervention: meaning and definition of ‘quality’ in research into change", Research Papers in Education 22(2): 183-198.

• Somekh, B. and C. Lewin (2008). "Information and Communication Technologies and the Culture of Schooling: Understanding innovation and designing research for radical reform.", Information Technology, Education and Society 9(2): 49-64.

• Somekh, B. and K. Zeichner (2009). "Action Research for Educational Reform: remodelling action research theories and practices in local contexts.", Educational Action Research 17(1): 5-21.

• Somekh, B. (2010). "The Collaborative Action Research Network - 30 Years of agency in developing educational action research.", Educational Action Research 18(1): 103-121.

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