Department of Education, University of Oxford

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Department of Education, University of Oxford

The Department of Education at the University of Oxford, based in Norham Gardens, is part of the Social Sciences Division. It combines teacher education, educational research, and policy work to improve education both in the UK and around the world.

History and influence
The department has shaped educational thinking for more than a century. Oxford began teacher training in 1892, offered a Diploma in Education by 1896, and in 1919 a statute created a University Department for the Training of Teachers. In 1921 it moved to Norham Gardens, where it remains today. Notable contributions include helping develop the International Baccalaureate philosophy under Alec Peterson and leading educational research through scholars such as Harry Judge and the Oxford Education Research Group.

Rankings and recognitions
The department is highly regarded in education studies. On 26 October 2023, Times Higher Education ranked it 3rd worldwide in education, and in 2024 it topped the UK rankings for its subject. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, about 69% of submissions were classed as world-leading. Its Postgraduate Certificate in Education has received an Outstanding rating in every Ofsted inspection since 2005. Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, spoke at the department’s 2023 annual lecture about how research informs education practice.

Research and themes
Research at the department covers three main themes: language, cognition, and development; pedagogy, learning, and knowledge; and policy, economy, and society. It hosts several research centres, including a new centre announced in 2024 to boost Chinese language learning in the UK.

Teaching and courses
The department offers postgraduate programs such as DPhil, MSc, and PGCE, with study areas including Applied Linguistics, Educational Assessment, and Teacher Education.

Engagement and outreach
The department runs an annual lecture series and public seminars. It leads and participates in outreach projects like TalkTogether, a UKRI GCRF-funded study on oral language development in urban areas (in countries such as India and the Philippines). The AIEOU hub, launched in December 2024, focuses on ethical, human-centered AI in education. The department collaborates with 39 local secondary schools through partnerships that help put research into practice, and it works with the Oxford Education Deanery to support teacher development and research dissemination. It also collaborates with the Department for Education on national studies such as PISA and PIRLS.

Website: www.education.ox.ac.uk