This year, the British Educational Research Association (BERA) announced their 2024 Undergraduate Award Winner – Em Quinton, a BSc Psychology in Education graduate from the University of Bristol’s School of Education.

According to the BERA website, the organisation ‘celebrates excellence in undergraduate educational research by awarding the undergraduate award to an individual who completed an undergraduate degree in education or a related subject during the previous year.’

Each nominees’ undergraduate thesis is judged according to BERA’s set criteria, including its ‘rationale, methodological rigour, conceptual or theoretical underpinning, presentation of findings and potential implications for research and practice.’

Em’s undergraduate thesis, entitled ‘How has no-one told me this before? Queer Experiences of Sex Education and its Associated Psychological Impacts,’ which was written during her final year of undergraduate study in 2023, earned her the prestigious award.

Em was inspired to choose her research subject by her own and her friends’ experience of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).

Within her research, Em discovered a ‘close link between heteronormative narratives in RSE and individual identity suppression,’ with participants in her surveys also identifying specific teaching moments which contributed to feelings of sexual anxiety.

Overall, Em’s undergraduate thesis explored a highly important topic and highlighted areas in which RSE can be taught in new and more inclusive ways.

On receiving the prestigious award, Em Quinton said: ‘Receiving the award was a real honour. Writing a dissertation can become your whole life for a while (it did for me), so having an award reinforce that effort is lovely.’

‘I’ve been doing some unrelated work since I graduated, umming and ahhing about returning to study. The award a nudge to get back to it!’

On behalf of the School of Education, we congratulate Em and wish her all the best of luck with her future plans.