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- Qualifications:BA (Hons), MA (Lon, distinction), PhD (UCL), SFHEA
- Position:Professor of Education Policy in Critical Education
- Department:ACE - Education and Childhood
- Email:Alpesh.Maisuria@uwe.ac.uk
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About me
Alpesh Maisuria is a Professor of Education Policy at the University of the West of England, Bristol. He has two primary areas of interest.
1: Alpesh's research and teaching focuses on understanding how education policies shape society and often contribute to inequalities. He approaches this work from perspectives in critical education and critical realism to explore the political and ideological mechanisms that generate policy decisions. He has published widely in these areas and received several awards amnd nominations for his teaching and research, including "Best Lecturer" on three occasions.
Alpesh has a background in international and comparative studies. He has carried out doctoral and funded research in Sweden, taught about Cuba’s education system, and regularly invited to speak at research events around the world. He currently working with a funded network of scholars exploring education finance in the USA, UK, and France.
He is also an Editor for the Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies and he is an organiser of the International Conferences on Critical Education (ICCE). In 2022, he edited the Encyclopaedia of Marxism and Education, the first book of its kind, featuring contributions from scholars worldwide. His recent co-edited book, Working with Critical Realism (2023), was nominated for the prestigious Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize.
2: Alpesh's second area of interest is Parliament.
From 2022 to 2025, Alpesh served as a Parliamentary Academic Fellow in the UK House of Commons, working in the Research Service of the Members Library where he specialised in schools’ policy. In this role, he wrote topical briefing papers, and addressed confidential enquiries from MPs to enable them to fulfil their legislative duties and constituency representation. In addition, he was an advisor for the Education Select Committee to help scrutinise the Government through writing briefings and witness selection. He has also worked with APPGs, and undertook roles to prepare for the new Parliament in 2024, including helping new MPs with Maiden Speech writing, and being a New Members Buddy to induct MPs to UK Parliament.
Alpesh is keen to help other academics through interactive and tailored workshops on Parliament's structure, knowledge exchange, and impact. These sessions are aimed at:
- Researchers – to strengthen bid writing, knowledge exchange, and impact strategies
- Teaching staff – to enrich teaching and learning through using policy documents and speeches
- Students – to help with assessment, especially at Post-Graduate level
- If you are interested in knowing more, email alpesh.maisuria@uwe.ac.k
Area of expertise
Education policy,
Sociology of education,
Parliamentary Studies,
Critical education,
Marxist theory,
Critical realism,
Social class.
Particular areas of concern include: Public education, student fees, marketisation, academic working conditions, private schools, Academies/free schools, testing, league tables, de-professionalisation of educators, alternative education policies and systems
Alpesh welcomes doctoral applicants and media enquiries in any of these areas.
Current Doctoral students:
Aga Kowalska (PhD Director) Policy, Practice and Power: A Bourdieusian Analysis of Head Teacher's Perspectives in the Exclusion of Children with Autism from Secondary Schools
Craig Lennox (EdD Director) To what extent are neoliberal policies in Higher Education in England impacting on academic identities?
Daniel Scullane (PhD Supervisor) Further Education Successful Governance (tbc)
Justin Vafadari (PhD Director) A Case Study to Explore the Pedagogical Principles of Decolonisation by School Leaders in Bristol
Anna Birchfiel (PhD Director) Crisis in Education: The Case for a National Education Service
Stephen Beresford (PhD Director) Grammar Schools and Social Mobility in England
Joe Brown (EdD Director) School Readiness in ECEC Settings in England
Anne-Marie Layet (EdD Director) How do we share talking? A Critical Realist informed participatory research study into the cultural linguistic community of children in their first year of school
Euthan Newman (EdD Director) How University Lecturers Carry out Assessment and Marking
External Doctoral candidates
Robert Michael Parry (PhD Supervisor), Workers Education in England, University of Malta (with Prof Peter Mayo)
Publications
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