This conversation traces Professor Li Wei’s path from classroom teacher to Director and Dean of the UCL Institute of Education, showing how lived experience drove his research questions. He explains language shift in three generations and why some children become English‑dominant despite living in multilingual homes. With deep expertise in bilingualism and multilingual education, he shares evidence‑based ways to support heritage language maintenance. There's practical insights for educators, families, and early career researchers alike.

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

In an increasingly digital landscape, what can teachers do to guide, safeguard and support their students?

Teacher training is largely designed for an analogue world, but teachers now find themselves in exactly the opposite of that. Disinformation and misinformation are on the rise and conspiracy theories have become ubiquitous.

In conversation with our hosts Mark and Elaine, Jeremy Hayward weighs up the consequences of all this for the profession and provides some much-needed practical guidance for teachers and leaders.

"I don't think we're adequately preparing young people for a life online... We need a real reform of the curriculum, and we need to spend more time reflecting on why we believe what we believe."

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/mar/disinformation-misinformation-and-conspiracy-theories-staffroom-s06e06

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

We explore retirement readiness, gender gaps in pension wealth, and the real-life consequences of inequality across the life course.

Dr Amy Harrison speaks with Dr Sam Parsons about what long-running birth cohort studies can reveal about people’s lives as they approach retirement.

Full show notes and links to follow.

More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe