International Conference on ‘Responsible Research and Transformation in Education’

The London School of Management Education is pleased to announce its fourth International Conference based on the theme of ‘Responsible Research and Transformation in Education’.  The Conference will be held on the 5^th to 7^th April 2017, at the Grange City Hotel in London EC3N 2BQ.

This follows the International Conferences held in January 2015 and January 2016, with the respective themes of Quality Management in Education and Responsible Research in Education and Management and its Impact. LSME also co-organised, with the Panjab University a successful Conference on Responsible Research in Chandigarh, India in August 2016.

By organising these Conferences, LSME provides a platform for presentation, discussion and engagement with scholarly research and the dissemination of this research to local and international society.

In Education, this process is especially important, because the effects of research may directly affect the life chances of children and young people, and the possibilities of transformation through adult learning. Currently, educational research, whilst diverse and motivated by sound intentions, is fragmented and has little impact on policy and practice. We believe that Responsible Research and Innovation in education will:

• Promote social justice, inclusion and equity;
• Increase the influence of research on policy and practice;
• Increase the commitment of pupils and parents, through active involvement in research.

Objectives of the Conference

• To encourage researchers, especially research students and early career researchers, to develop new ways of thinking about dissemination, impact and social responsibility;
• To provide examples of Responsible Research as an inspiration to others;
• To recognize participants as ‘Responsible and Transformational Researchers’.

Criteria for Acceptance

The Conference will provide an opportunity for researchers to showcase the practical application of results to serve the public good. Papers will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Have the researchers actively engaged with their potential stakeholders, such as teachers, students, patients or workers?
• Does the study actively serve the needs of these stakeholders?
• Does the study show evidence of reflection on its own purpose and methods?
• Will any new knowledge that it generates provide benefits for society?
• Have the authors consulted researchers from other disciplines, who may bring new insights to the problem?
• Has the study taken a critical approach to the literature and to previous studies in the area?
• Does the research take account of gendered perspectives, including consideration of the cultural or economic situation in which the research is embedded?
• Will the results of the research be open and accessible to stakeholders and the wider public?

Clearly, it will be difficult for researchers to meet all these criteria, but we believe that asking the above questions will be of long-term benefit to researchers and their stakeholders. Taking this approach will make the outputs and processes of research more valuable to society, and will also help to attract increased recognition and funding for researchers.

All accepted papers will be presented in plenary, in order to stimulate inter-disciplinary debate. As this limits the number of papers that can be accepted for presentation, we will provide those authors not chosen to present in plenary with three options:

• Poster presentation, including a dedicated session where authors will be able to discuss their posters with other participants.
• Video presentation on the Conference website.
• Paper published in an annex to the Conference proceedings.

All Conference documents will be made available on an open access basis.

More details of the Conference including the Call for Abstracts, and Conference Brochure with the Conference Registration Form are available on the LSME website which can be directly accessed at https://lsme.ac.uk/conferences/london-conference-april-2017.