Example education dissertation topic 2:

Adopting the model of widening participation in Britain’s elite universities to professional football.

As Britain works to widen participation amongst elite universities, not merely by facilitating attendance by state school pupils, but by offering courses that appeal to a broader range of intellectual abilities, this dissertation asks why such a proposal could not work within the wealthy elite of professional football teams. Given that the intellectually superior must accept that the contributions of those with differing levels of ability or life-readiness are just as valid as their own, this thesis suggests that professional soccer should emulate this by offering places to players who struggle to achieve the higher standards of their colleagues. In so doing, Britain could demonstrate to the world its willingness to show compassion to all sectors of society, rather than dividing society into the ‘cans’ and ‘cannots’. In addition to secondary research on the benefits of equal participation regardless of ability, the project seeks to include students of all abilities on top sports teams at the University of Loughborough.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Light, R. and Curry, C. (2009). ‘Children’s reasons for joining sports clubs and staying in them: A case study of a Sydney soccer club’, ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal, Vol. 56(1), pp. 17-22.
• Thomas, L. (2001). ‘Power, assumptions and prescriptions: A critique of widening participation policy-making’, Higher Education Policy, Vol. 14(4), pp. 361-376.
• Warren, D. (2002). ‘Curriculum design in a context of widening participation in higher education’, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, Vol. 1(1), pp. 85-99.