Dr Ruth Boyask

Biography

Memberships: British Educational Research Association (Elected Member of BERA Council) British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society American Educational Research Association Centre for Culture, Community and Society, IHC, Plymouth University Centre for Methodological Innovations, IHC, Plymouth University Learning Outside of Formal Education Research Cluster, Plymouth Institute of Education

Research Interest

My interests are centred upon socially just educational/social policy within an environment of privatisation and individualism. My main area of interest is how different institutions negotiate between economic and democratic values, and I am particularly interested in examples of practice that are attempting to mitigate the effects of competition and work towards more just forms of practice within a socio-political environment that does not readily support such endeavour. I have been investigating: schools with ties to the state loosened through deregulation and privatisation (e.g. independent, free and academy schools) but also have a commitment to some form of social justice (e.g. democratic, co-operative or community schools); how publicly funded arts organisations manage their commitment to the public interest in a time of financial constraint and high accountability; and how local authorities are addressing their responsibility to the public good through their services to schools.