Professor Sheila Riddell
Chair in Inclusion and Diversity

- Moray House School of Education and Sport
- Education, Community and Society (ECS)
- Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity
Contact details
- Tel: +44 (0)131 651 6597
- Fax: +44(0)131 651 6459
- Email: sheila.riddell@ed.ac.uk
- Web: CREID website
Address
- Street
-
Moray House School of Education and Sport, SLH
- City
- University of Edinburgh (Holyrood Campus)
- Post code
- EH8 8AQ
Background
Sheila Riddell is former Director of the Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh. She previously worked as Director of the Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research, University of Glasgow. Her research interests are in the broad field of equality and social inclusion, with particular reference to gender, social class and disability in the fields of education, training, employment and social care. Sheila is currently working on projects investigating higher education, lifelong learning policy, and special and inclusive education across Europe.
Centre for Research in Education Inclusion & Diversity (CREID) website
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Current PhD students supervised
- Yan Liang
- Project title: Gender Inequality in Higher Education in China: A Comparative Analysis between Eastern and Western China
- Xue Qin
- Thesis title: Gender differences of the elderly in receiving lifelong learning in first-tier cities in China
- Shrikant Wad
- Thesis title: Social disparities amongst undergraduate disciplines: a realist inquiry into choice and affirmative action in India
- Joy Lan
Past PhD students supervised
- Lucy Hunter Blackburn
- Project title: PhD: The Social Distribution of Student Debt in Scotland and the Rest of the UK
- Sarah Minty
- Project title: PhD: Young people’s higher education decisions in Scotland: the influence of social class and family attitudes to higher education costs
- Ania Byerly
- Project title: PhD: Scottish primary school teacher perspectives on multicultural and anti-racist education
- Jessica Pei Wen Chong
- Project title: PhD: Discourses, Decisions, Designs: an international comparative analysis of “special” educational policymaking
- Chia-Wen Chang
- Project title: PhD: Head teachers’ views on the inclusion of students with special educational needs in Taiwan
- Katherine Friend
- Project title: PhD: Assessing the intersections of masculinity, social class, and underrepresented student transition during the first year of university at three peer institutions: Edinburgh, Scotland; Durham, England; Madison, Wisconsin
- Kilines Gwajima
- Gender representations in English literature texts in Tanzanian secondary schools
- Evgenia Karampesini
- The Economic Crisis and Inclusive Education In Greece
- Kristina Konstantoni
- Young children’ views of ethnic diversity in Scotland
- Richard Purves
- The role of Scotland’s colleges: Balancing economic and social objectives
- Kevin Wright
- Classroom assistants in Scottish schools: Discourses of love and work
- Jian Zhu
- Gender differences in the employment expectations of final year undergraduates in a university in Central China
Research summary
- Widening access to higher education
- Inclusion and diversity
- Equality and human rights
- Lifelong learning
- Additional support needs
Affiliated research centres
Project activity
(in latest-to-earliest chronological order)
- Living and Studying at Home: Commuter Students in the Aftermath of the Pandemic
- Making rights a reality for children with additional support needs
- Autonomy, Rights and Children with Special Needs: A New Paradigm?
- Choosing the PGDE: Influences and motivations amongst students with and without widening participation indicators
- Exploring the intersections of violence in childhood, learning outcomes and educational practices: Towards a new conceptual model
- Access to higher education for people from less advantaged backgrounds in Scotland and the rest of the UK
- ENLIVEN: Encouraging Lifelong Learning for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe
- Pupils as citizens: Pupil views on school citizenship and the transition from primary to secondary school
- Attracting diversity: Identifying underrepresented groups
- Research into widening participation at the University of Edinburgh: the student’s perspective
- Improving young people’s knowledge of student finance in Scotland
- Keeping Youth Away from Crime: Searching for Best European Practices
- Evidence Base behind Widening Access to University Education
- Higher Education in Scotland, the Devolution Settlement and the Referendum on Independence
- Post-school transitions of people who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Research to identify key issues from national discussion on Community Learning and Development Strategic Guidance
- PhD: Improving Understanding of the Experiences of Gypsy-Travellers in Scotland
- Evaluation of Education Provision for Children & Young People Educated Outside the School Setting (EOTAS)
- Special Education and Policy Change: A Study of Six Jurisdictions
- Investigating the case for supported employment
- Scottish Sensory Centre evaluation of educational provision for children and young people with sensory impairment in Scotland
- Dispute resolution in additional support needs: Working together to improve children’s and families’ experiences in Scotland
- Evaluation of the All Wales School Liaison Core Programme
- Skills for Scotland: Learning in and for businesses
- Muslim Families’ Experiences of the Education System in England and Scotland (MFEEES)
- Achievement and opportunities for deaf students in the United Kingdom: The deaf achievement Scotland study
- Disabled people, employment and skills evaluation
- Towards a lifelong learning society in Europe: The contribution of the education system
- Dispute resolution and avoidance in education: A study of special and additional support needs in England and Scotland
- Analysis of workplace literacies pilot project
- The Impact of the Education (additional support for learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 on deaf and hearing impaired children: A project for the National Deaf Children’s Society
- Religious education in a multicultural society: School and home in comparative context
- Literature review: Skills Development Scotland
- Knowledge exchange on public policy in Scotland: Promoting best practice on equality and human rights in Scotland
- Reporting on progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons made by public authorities in Scotland
- Literature review: Attitudes to vocational learning
- The development of care co-ordination services in Scotland
- A feasibility study into setting up a Scottish Centre for Research on Equality and Human Rights
- Research report on Disability Discrimination Act, Education Legislation Pre 16 and Implications for Single Equality Act
- Redress the Balance
- Evaluation of the Scottish pilot of restorative practices in school settings
- Enhancing the quality and outcomes of disabled students' learning in higher education
- Managing progress
- Disabled people and direct payments: A UK comparative study
- Implementation of direct payments for people who use care services
- Literature review: Pupils with additional support needs
- Public policy, equality and diversity: A seminar series
- Evaluation of ENQUIRE, the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning
- Treatment of equalities in regeneration outcome agreements
- Gender balance of the teaching workforce in publicly funded schools
- Evaluation of the discipline task group recommendations: The deployment of additional staff to promote positive school discipline
- Disability and employment in Scotland: A review of the evidence base
- Equality and diversity in the further education workforce
Invited speaker
- Lifelong learning and transitions for adults with disabilities. 20 Nov 2018, National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Research Conference.
- The Rights of Children and Young People with ASN: Rhetoric and Reality. Holyrood Magazine's seminar ASN Provision in Education: Meeting the Needs of Young People. 31 Oct 2018, COSLA.
- Key issues for Additional Support for Learning (ASL) provision in Scotland. Scotland Policy Conferences “Scotland Policy Conferences Keynote Seminar: Next steps for Additional Support for Learning provision: Access, funding and improving outcomes”. 24 Apr 2018, Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- Children with Additional Support Needs: What can we learn from the statistics? 27 Feb 2018, an induction training on ASN, organised by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland.
- Social Justice and Provision for Children with Additional Support Needs in Scotland. 12 Dec 2017, University of Burgos.
- Disability, Gender and Social Class in Education: Making the Connections. 30 Nov-1 Dec 2017, International Symposium Umea ‘Gender, Disability and Special Education - Intersectional and Interdisciplinary Research’, Umeå University, Sweden.
- Disability, Gender and Social Class in Education: Making the Connections in European Higher Education. "Diversität (ent)Grenzen?! Herausforderungen einer diversitätsgerechten Hochschule" conference, 12 Feb 2018, University of Leipzig.
-
Embedding equal opportunities in education: unrealistic dream or achievable vision? 19 Jan 2017, University of St Andrews
-
International Education Symposium 2016 26-27 Oct 2016, City of Glasgow College
-
European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) 2016 22-26 Aug 2016, University College Dublin
-
UNIversal Inclusion Rights and Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in the Academic Context 12-14 May 2016, University of Turin
-
Social justice, access and diversity in higher education: home international comparisons 16 February 2016, Cardiff University
Organiser
-
Transforming children’s rights? Dilemmas, challenges and implementation 1 May 2019, University of Edinburgh
-
Post-School Education and Training for Young People on the Social Margins: Evidence from Scotland 28 Feb 2018, University of Edinburgh.
- Autonomy, rights and children with special needs: International perspectives 13 Jun 2018, University of Edinburgh.
- Seminar – Choosing the PGDE: Motivations and influences for WP students 16 Nov 2017, University of Edinburgh.
-
Higher Education, Funding and Access: Scotland and the UK in International Perspective 31 August 2017, University of Edinburgh
-
MHSE Public Lecture - Rethinking Education: Equity concerns in today’s global learning landscape 5 May 2017, University of Edinburgh
-
Seminar - Higher Education and Social Class: Scotland in Comparative Perspective 31 May 2016, University of Edinburgh
-
Reconceptualising Participation and Inclusion in Higher Education Network 11 Jan 2016, University of Edinburgh
More video
- CREID seminar - Higher Education and Social Class: Scotland in Comparative Perspective
- CREID seminar - Widening Access to Scottish Higher Education: Getting in, Getting by and Getting on
In the press
-
05/07/2017 - Free tuition hasn’t improved university access, says Lucy Hunter Blackburn
-
30/06/2017 - Attainment gap still large for looked-after children, Sheila Riddell (Education) tells ministers
-
27/03/2017 - Sheila Riddell (Education) says students from wealthier homes get more academic support
-
02/03/2017 - Sheila Riddell (Education) says dyslexia diagnosis – and support – more likely for better-off students
-
01/03/2017 - Prof Sheila Riddell comments on local authority variation and impact of social background
-
01/03/2017 - Prof Sheila Riddell (Moray House) says additional support training is spotty in Scotland
-
21/12/2016 - Prof Sheila Riddell (Education) highlights skills shortage in schools teaching disabled children
-
19/12/2016 - Prof Sheila Riddell (Education) highlights skills shortage in schools teaching disabled children
-
16/12/2016 - Prof Sheila Riddell (Education) highlights harmful effects of grouping school pupils by ability
-
16/12/2016 - Prof Sheila Riddell (Education) highlights harmful effects of grouping school pupils by ability
-
27/05/2016 - Vast majority of Scottish access students go to college, not university
-
27/05/2016 - Prof Sheila Riddell reveals class divide in Scottish university admissions
-
12/04/2016 - Riddell's and Blackburn's remarks in News Statesman