About

I am Programme Leader for Education Studies at the Institute of Education. I coordinate and direct the continuing development of the programme. I also teach a number of modules and supervise both postgraduate and doctoral students in education. 

Before that, I worked as an Education Researcher at the International Centre for Guidance Studies at the University of Derby. I was undertaking research into education, higher education and vocational education and training. I gained experience in applied research while working as Pedagogic Research Assistant in the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development at Oxford Brookes University and at the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes University.

I also taught for five years in the Swiss further education sector and was a Programme Leader for Languages. My overseas experience includes an exchange year at the University of Costa Rica and three months of voluntary work in Bulgaria.

Teaching responsibilities

BA (Hons) Education Studies

• Education through the Ages
• Lessons from History of Education
• The Future of Education
• Curriculum Frameworks
• Contemporary Debates in Education
• Research Methods for Independent Study students
• Educational Independent Studies 

Professional interests

I have an MSc in Social Policy Research from the London School of Economics and a long-standing interest in understanding social inequalities, particularly in relation to higher education. My PhD, The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students, is a study of philosophical and pedagogical approaches to student educational experiences. The findings of the study were published in the book, The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students: An Examination of Contemporary Policies and Practice, by Routledge in 2018.

I am an Executive Committee Member of the British Education Studies Association (BESA). 

Research interests

• Higher education policy and practice
• The idea of 'student experience' and the implications of its expansion in higher education
• Social inequalities in higher education
• Historical and recent developments in Education Studies as a subject
• Knowledge-based education
• Vocational education and apprenticeship training
• The philosophy and methodology of educational research
  

Doctoral supervisions

• Su Wall: Children and their relationship with nature
• Luna Mandal: The McDonaldization of Universities in the 21st Century
• Louise Pidgen: An Exploration of Employment Outcomes and the Contributing Factors for Joint Honours Graduates in the United Kingdom. (completed)
• Folasade Lamikanra: The Educational Legacy of Colonialism in South-Western Nigeria. (completed)

Doctoral examinations

• EdD Examination: Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills of Arab Public High School Students in Israel: A Case Study. Derby: the University of Derby, Institute of Education

Membership of professional bodies

• Executive Committee Member of the British Education Studies Association
• Member of the Society for Educational Studies 
• Member of the History of Education Society

Qualifications

• PhD in Higher Education, University of Derby
• MSc Social Policy Research, London School of Economics and Political Science
• MSc Social Policy and Planning for Developing Countries, London School of Economics and Political Science
• BA (Hons) Latin American Studies, Middlesex University
• Diploma in Higher Education Teaching, Akademie für Erwachsenenbildung, Switzerland

Recent conferences

• Mieschbuehler, R. (2023) Research with Children and Young Adults, BLSS CREC Webinar, Derby: University of Derby, 27 February
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2021) The Racialisation of Campus Relations, Online, Midlands Higher Education Policy Network, 17 February
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2022) Letters on Liberty: The liberating power of education, Buxton: Battle of Ideas Festival Buxton, 5 November
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2021) Transforming the Economy Post-Pandemic, Buxton: Battle of Ideas Festival Buxton, 30 October
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2020) The Racialisation of Campus Relations, Online, Don't Divide Us, 23 November
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2019) By Erasing the Past, Are Universities Racialising the Campus?, Derby, Brunswick Inn, East Midlands Salon, 28 November 
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2019) From Zero Hours to Apprenticeships: Young People at Work, Battle of Ideas Festival (BoI), 2-3 November
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2019) How to Promote Real Equality in Higher Education, Higher Education Institutional Research (HEIR) Conference, Wolverhampton: the University of Wolverhampton, 11-13 September
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2019) Equality in Higher Education, 15th Annual Conference of the British Education Studies Association (BESA), Swansea: University of Wales Trinity St David, 27-28 June
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2018) The Appeal of Relativism: Antidotes from Socrates to Siegel, 14th Annual Conference of the British Education Studies Association (BESA), Bolton: the University of Bolton, 28-29 June
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2017) The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students, 13th Annual Conference of the British Education Studies Association (BESA), Liverpool: Liverpool Hope University, 29-30 June
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2016) You're hired! Who Wants to be an Apprentice? Battle of Ideas, London: Barbican Centre, 22 and 23 October
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2016) How Can Schools Help Build the Northern Powerhouse? British Educational Suppliers Associations, Wakefield, 15 September
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2016) Developing World-Class Apprenticeship Standards, Pearson Hot Breakfast Policy Seminar, London: Pearson UK, 23 May
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2016) Higher Apprenticeships: Benefits and Barriers, 4th Annual Apprenticeship4England Conference, London: Emirates Stadium, 25 and 26 February
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2015) The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students, Annual Staff Development Conference, Buckinghamshire: Buckinghamshire New University, 17 September
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2015) Employers’ Experience of Higher Apprenticeships: Benefits and Barriers, 11^th Journal of Vocational Education and Training Conference: Researching Policy and Practice in Vocational Education and Training, Oxford: Worcester College Oxford, 3-5 July

Experience in industry

Universities

• Programme Leader for Education Studies, Institute of Education, the University of Derby
• Education Researcher, International Centre for Guidance Studies iCeGS, the University of Derby
• Pedagogic Research Assistant, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Oxford Brookes University
• Research Assistant, Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice (CDPRP), Oxford Brookes University
• Research Assistant, Quality Enhancement Department OED, the University of Derby
• Programme Leader for Languages, Benedict Hotel Management College, Switzerland
• English Language Teaching, Sprachfix Language College, Switzerland

External engagements

External examiner

• External examiner MSc Educational Studies and MEd Educational Studies, University of Glasgow 2021 - 2024
• External examiner BA (Hons) Education Studies, University of Winchester 2020 - 2024
• External examiner validation of the BA (Hons) Education and SEND programme at Newman University, Birmingham 2023
• External examiner revalidation of the BA (Hons) Education Studies programme at the School of Education, Roehampton University in 2017
• External examiner revalidation of the BA (Hons) Education and Professional Practice programme at Havering College, an Open University accredited programme, in 2017

Reviewer

• Reviewer British Journal of Educational Studies
• Reviewer International Journal of Training Research
• Reviewer Educationalfutures Journal, British Education Studies Association
• Reviewer Transformations Journal, British Education Studies Association
• Reviewer of education book proposals for Sage Publishing, Education and Routledge Education

Other

• Judge for the BETT Awards, British Educational Suppliers Association 2017 - 2021
• Delegate at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Education Inquiry, London 2016

International experience

• Programme Leader for Languages, Benedict Hotel Management College, Lucerne, Switzerland
• English Language Teacher, Sprachfix Language College, Sarnen, Switzerland
• Voluntary work for the Cooperation for Voluntary Services (CVS-BG), Sofia, Bulgaria

Additional interests and activities

• Executive Committee Member of the British Education Studies Association (BESA)
• Member of the Society for Educational Studies (SES)
• Member of the History of Education Society (HoE)
• Member of the Higher Education Research Network (HERN), Institute of Education, University of Derby
• Associate Member of the Academy of Ideas
• Associate Member of the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, University of Derby

I am also one of the organisers of the East Midlands Salon and a session producer for the Battle of Ideas, two fora that organise public discussions and debates.

Recent publications

• Mieschbuehler, R. (2020) The Racialisation of Campus Relations, London: Civitas
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2020) How to bring about real equality in higher education, in Bartram, B. Understanding Contemporary Issues in Higher Education: Contradictions, Complexities and Challenges, London and New York: Routledge
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2018) The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students: An Examination of Contemporary Policies and Practice, London and New York: Routledge
• Mieschbuehler, R. (2017) Beyond the student experience, in Hayes, D. (Ed.) Beyond McDonaldization: Visions of Higher Education, London and New York: Routledge
• Mieschbuehler, R. and Hooley, T. (2016) World-Class Apprenticeship Standards: Report and Recommendations, Derby and London: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby and Pearson Education UK
• Mieschbuehler, R., Hooley, T. and Neary, S. (2015) Employers’ Experience of Higher Apprenticeships: Benefits and Barriers, Derby and Melton Mowbray: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby and Pera Training
• Mieschbuehler, R. and Vickers, R. (2015) Research update 2014, Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling. April (34): 55-58
• Hayes, D. and Mieschbuehler, R. (2015) The refuge of relativism, in Cottle, V. A. and O’Grady, A. (Ed.) Exploring Education at Postgraduate Level, London: Routledge
• Mieschbuehler, R. and Dodd, V. (2015) New Model of Employer Driven Postgraduate Provisions in the Engineering Sector: Evaluation Report, Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby. (Unpublished Report)
• Mieschbuehler, R., Dexter, B., (2011), Engaging the Hearts and Minds: An alternative approach to ethnic inequalities in higher education, proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the European Access Network at Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden, 14-16 June 2010
• Hutchinson, J., Neary. S, Hooley, T., Hewitt, D., Mieschbuehler, R., Dodd, V. and Langley, E. (2015) Evaluation of the NAHT Aspire, Executive Summary. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby