Fully-funded PhD studentships will include fees and maintenance for three years, depending on satisfactory progress. Anticipated stipend for 2026/2027 is approximately £20,780 per annum.
The Research-Informed Language Teaching (RILT): Monitoring, Assessing and Enhancing Evidence-Based Pedagogy project aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice within the field of languages education in Languages Other than English (LOTE). It seeks to explore how practitioners engage with and in research, whether research-informed teaching is taking place, and how stakeholders perceive it and engage with it. By investigating the perspectives of both practitioners and researchers, the project examines the nature of the dialogue between theoretical frameworks and classroom realities, and considers the extent to which this interaction is shaping or improving pedagogical practices. Particular attention is given to contemporary issues in languages education such as team-teaching, or the decolonisation of the curriculum—topics that are widely discussed in academic literature but for which there is limited empirical evidence regarding their practical
The RILT project invites PhD or EdD candidates to identify a specific area of enquiry within the field of languages education and investigate the extent to which recent trends or research developments in that area are being applied in pedagogical practice. To address the prevailing English-language bias in the field, it is a requirement that the proposed project focuses on one or more languages other than English (LOTE). Candidates are encouraged to select an educational context that aligns with their interests and, if applicable, experience—whether in primary, secondary, further, or higher education—and to explore the interaction between research and practice from a perspective of their choice. This may involve examining how practitioners engage in research (for example, through participation in reading groups or collaborative research initiatives), or how they engage with research (such as through the integration of research-informed activities into their teaching). The project should aim to generate insights into how research is interpreted and enacted in a specific language teaching context. application.
Conditions of the award
Applications for October 2026 start are now open. Based in Milton Keynes (UK).
The RILT project invites PhD or EdD candidates.
Funding is available for UK, EU and international students.
Dr Mara Fuertes Gutiérrez
mara.fuertesgutierrez@open.ac.uk