½¿É«µ¼º½

This award recognises the highest quality and most original and impactful articles published in ½¿É«µ¼º½â€™s magazine Research Intelligence. Guest editors of issues published in 2025 were invited to select one article from their special section and four nominations were received. A panel of judges from the ½¿É«µ¼º½ Publications Committee assessed the nominations for impact, quality, originality, links to evidence-based practice and sustainability. The guest editors and ½¿É«µ¼º½ congratulate the winning and shortlisted authors, whose articles can be downloaded for free below.

Research Intelligence Article of the Year Award 2025

The winner is:

Mycroft, L. (2025). Different metrics for a different future: The co-creative research possibilities of Green Changemakers. In C. Donovan, D. Bogard, & J. I.-H. Chen (Eds.), (Re)shaping the future of research in further education: Opportunities, barriers and beyond. Research Intelligence, 163, 28–29. /publication/summer-2025

The guest editors nominated this article because they feel it offers an impressively original and deeply thoughtful contribution to the current conversation about sustainability in further education (FE). Lou’s writing introduces an innovative research approach that blends co-evaluation, storytelling and theories of hope, and the guest editors found the way Lou brings these together both intellectually rigorous and genuinely inspiring. Particularly striking is the conceptual clarity and methodological care with which Lou articulates a new way of thinking about climate action and educational change. Her argument for developing metrics grounded in the ‘Long Now’ feels both courageous and necessary, especially in a sector so often driven by short-term pressures. The significance of this article lies not only in its scholarly originality, but also in the sense of possibility it opens up – for FE researchers, practitioners and institutions – about what sustainable impact could look like in practice and over time. The Green Changemakers’ Virtual Green Skills Hub project was a winner at the prestigious EAUC Green Gown Awards on 6 November 2025.

Shortlisted articles

The other articles shortlisted for this year’s award were:

O’Connor, R. (2025). Developing ‘safe spaces’ in personal tutoring through reverse mentoring. In D. A. Miller, J. Gabi, & P. Banerjee (Eds.), International comparative education. Research Intelligence, 162, 22–23. /publication/spring-2025

The guest editors revealed it was a challenge to select just one article from their special section, as every piece is great and contributes meaningfully to practice. They selected Rachael O’Connor’s article for the following reasons. Rachael’s work on reverse mentoring offers a timely and incisive contribution to current debates on equity in higher education. Her article interrogates the often taken-for-granted idea of ‘safe spaces’, illuminating ways in which entrenched staff–student hierarchies can undermine students’ sense of belonging, particularly for those from racially minoritised, under-represented and marginalised communities. Rachael’s initiative on reverse mentoring as a mechanism for disrupting deficit, single issue narratives and redistributing power provides a practice-based model that meaningfully reframes student–staff relationships towards more authentic, accountable and validating learning experiences. At a moment when the higher education sector continues to grapple with persistent inequalities, including the racial awarding gap, class inequalities and disability exclusion, her work offers a route for institutions to move beyond surface-level interventions and rhetoric towards structurally informed, transformative change. Rachael’s articulation of reverse mentoring as both a pedagogical and organisational intervention gives the higher education sector a practical framework that can be adopted, adapted and integrated. The article’s originality, rigour and potential for sector-wide impact make it an outstanding piece of scholarship. It is therefore highly deserving of recognition through the ½¿É«µ¼º½ Research Intelligence award.

Jo. (2025). My experience of education in prison. In R. Earle, B. Davies, E. Patterson, & R. Hestad Jenssen (Eds.), Education in prisons: Generating hope, escaping stereotypes. Research Intelligence, 164, 14. /publication/autumn-2025

The guest editors chose to nominate this article as it exemplifies everything that their special section was about. Too often prisoners and ex-prisoners are passive recipients within society, and the inclusion of Jo’s article enabled active participation of this often maligned demographic. Jo’s article was raw and honest, and it took a lot for them to write their story. It is hard to find another piece of writing that manages to say so much in so little time.

Kohli, D. (2025). Reflections on emerging technologies for people with disabilities. In F. Altinay, Z. Altinaygazi, & R. Shadiev (Eds.), Integrating inclusiveness and accessibility in education: Emerging technologies and learning in people with disabilities. Research Intelligence, 165, 22–23. /publication/winter-2025-26

The guest editors commented that Deepika Kohli’s reflection points out the whole scope of their special section and gives insights on considering the role of emerging technologies in disability for future directions. In this research reflection, Deepika underlines the importance of policies and service sustainability when using artificial intelligence and virtual reality to foster inclusivity. This study provides insights for all types of disabilities by putting emphasis on accessibility, inclusivity and services for all.

´¡²ú´Ç³Ü³ÙÌýResearch Intelligence

Research Intelligence is ½¿É«µ¼º½â€™s quarterly magazine, available to all members in print and digital formats. The magazine covers a wide range of topics related to education research, including announcements, news and feature articles. For each issue of the magazine, a team of guest editors commissions and edits a themed special section. Recent themes include:

• Cultivating quality in higher education
• Integrating inclusiveness and accessibility in education
• Education in prisons
• (Re)shaping the future of research in further education
• International comparative education

Research Intelligence is free with ½¿É«µ¼º½Â membership and paid subscriptions are also available. For more about the magazine, click here.