Written by: Sara Yadollahi PhD Research Programme in Education
Attending the BERA Annual Conference 2026 was highly valuable to my doctoral and professional development. The conference began with a keynote panel that included an engaging presentation from the University of Stirling on curriculum-making through critical collaborative professional enquiry.
Given the breadth of the programme, I selected sessions aligned with both my doctoral research and academic background. I focused on sessions related to arts-based methodologies and responsible AI in education. A Lancaster University study of epistemic injustice in GenAI literature-search tools produced particularly surprising findings, while Imperial College London’s GenAI-assisted feedback bot raised questions about assessment, human-centred feedback, curriculum integration, and ethics. Together, these sessions strengthened my critical thinking and understanding of research integrity.
I also attended networking sessions held by BERA’s Sexualities and Gender SIG and Arts-Based Educational Research SIG, where I connected with researchers in related fields and explored diverse creative approaches to educational research.
The conference highlight for me was Professor Gina Rippon’s keynote, The Lost Girls of Autism: It’s Not About the Boys, on the underdiagnosis of autism in women and its consequences in educational settings. Despite my background in psychology, I had not considered how systemic gender bias might contribute to this issue. The lecture challenged my assumptions and reminded me that academic work requires openness to questioning established knowledge and continuous learning.
On the final morning, I presented my own research. The presentation was warmly received, and Aimee Quickfall, Chair of BERA’s Conference and Events Committee, shared it on LinkedIn. The discussion focused particularly on the layered ethical considerations within my study and the accessibility of my flexible photovoice task. This experience strengthened my confidence in communicating complex methodological and ethical ideas, facilitated meaningful knowledge exchange, and expanded my academic network within the UK.
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