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Diego Santori

Dr Diego Santori

Senior Lecturer in Education and Society

Research interests

  • Education

Biography

Research

Dr Diego Santori's research is in the field of policy-sociology, with particular interest in how policy structures and assumptions shape or bound our social imaginary. Taylor (2004, p. 23) uses the notion of social imaginary to describe ‘the ways people imagine their social existence, how they fit together with others, how things go on between them and their fellows, the expectations that are normally met, and the deeper normative notions and images that underlie this expectation’.

Currently, Diego is interested in the role of high-stakes testing and school performance data in contemporary education systems, and the ways in which they produce new cultural forms and practices. This is, the ways in which test-driven policies and initiatives impact on educational institutions, shaping the curriculum as well as teachers, parents and pupils’ practices. In particular, he has researched the impact of standardised testing and league tables on school practices in Chile, with attention to the role of affect and emotions in the production of test scores.

Diego is also interested in the key role of policy networks in education, and how they mobilise resources (both material and symbolic) and eventually legitimise certain initiatives, discourses and practices. Together with Professor Stephen Ball and Carolina Junemann, Diego has worked on a Leverhulme Trust-funded research on the role of philanthropy and venture capital in education policy. This research looked into a set of new forms and methods of global education policy and governance focusing on the development of chains of low-fee private schools for the poor in sub-Saharan Africa. In the context of this research Diego had the chance to visit low-fee school chains in Accra, Kumasi and Nairobi, which was a wonderful opportunity to explore how ideas, 'things' and money move across the globe.

    Research

    women at wokr
    Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)

    The Centre for Public Policy Research is an interdisciplinary research centre research developing critical analyses of social change and social in/justice in education and other policy arenas, sectors and contexts to inform national and international policy debate, social activism, and personal, professional and organisational learning.

    International hero 1903x558
    King’s International Education Research Network

    The King’s International Education Research Network explores key areas of international education.

    News

    ECS confirmed again as leading institution for education research in London

    The School of Education, Communication & Society (ECS) is top in London and among the highest achieving 10% of UK universities submitting to the Education...

    Books on shelves in a library - by susan-q-yin

    Events

    26OctGlobal Governance of education book

    The shifting power dynamics in the global governance of education

    Experts will discuss the new book 'Global governance of education: The historical and contemporary entanglements of UNESCO, the OECD and the World Bank'.

    Please note: this event has passed.

      Research

      women at wokr
      Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)

      The Centre for Public Policy Research is an interdisciplinary research centre research developing critical analyses of social change and social in/justice in education and other policy arenas, sectors and contexts to inform national and international policy debate, social activism, and personal, professional and organisational learning.

      International hero 1903x558
      King’s International Education Research Network

      The King’s International Education Research Network explores key areas of international education.

      News

      ECS confirmed again as leading institution for education research in London

      The School of Education, Communication & Society (ECS) is top in London and among the highest achieving 10% of UK universities submitting to the Education...

      Books on shelves in a library - by susan-q-yin

      Events

      26OctGlobal Governance of education book

      The shifting power dynamics in the global governance of education

      Experts will discuss the new book 'Global governance of education: The historical and contemporary entanglements of UNESCO, the OECD and the World Bank'.

      Please note: this event has passed.