Lizzi Milligan

My research interests focus on issues of social justice, rights and educational quality in low income countries. I particularly explore the disjuncture between policy and practice and the impact this has on inequalities in learning experiences and outcomes. I advocate the use of mixed-methods approaches to enable greater understanding of the impact of policies for teachers, learners and parents in school and community settings.
My recent research includes the potential for language supportive learning in English Medium classrooms in Rwanda; the barriers to the effective use of teaching and learning materials in Rwanda and South Africa; local and national perspectives of educational quality in Free Day Secondary Education in Kenya; and the processes of innovation in educational research. I also have a strong interest in cross-cultural research, particularly regarding researcher positioning and ethics.
I am on the editorial board of the journal Compare and have been a member of the executive committee for the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE).

Research interests

• Rights and Social Justice perspectives of education
• Education and International Development
• Education policies in low income countries
• English Medium Instruction
• Research in cross-cultural contexts

Current and recent projects

• Research ethics in International and Comparative Education
• Improving learning outcomes through language Supportive Textbooks and Pedagogy in Rwanda
• The effective use of teaching and learning materials in African classrooms
• Strengthening the environment for Innovation in the Rwandan Ministry of Education

I am interested in supervising new PhD students researching topics related to:

• Education and International Development
• Educational inequalities
• Children’s rights and social justice perspectives
• English Medium Instruction
• Comparative Education