Alumnus Sam Akroyd was honoured with the prestigious BERA Masters Dissertation Award for groundbreaking research on AI in education. Award-winning alumnusIn an inspiring achievement, Sam Akroyd, a recent graduate from the MSc Education programme at Moray House School of Education and Sport, was awarded the esteemed the British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2025 Masters Dissertation Award. Each year, BERA honours a Master of Education student for outstanding academic achievement and rigorous research. This highlights BERA's dedication to promoting educational research and celebrating excellence within the education research community.AI in educationAkroyd's dissertation delved into the ethical challenges of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into formal education, exploring its potential impact on student selfhood and social justice.Akroyd's research approached the concept of selfhood as a complex interplay between personal identity and context, examining how AI educational tools might inadvertently limit students' autonomy or favour specific knowledge over others. Central to the dissertation was the development of a critical-ethical framework comprising three core principles: Autonomy and ResponsibilityDifference and ConnectionCriticality and Dialogue This framework aims to guide AI's ethical design and implementation in educational contexts, ensuring diverse selfhoods are protected and inequalities are not heightened. ReflectionsReflecting on his success, Akroyd noted that while he hoped the originality and rigour of his work contributed to the award. AI, being a hot topic in education, surely held significant relevance for the judges. Akroyd said, "I think much of this excitement is focused on quite a naive understanding of the negative effects of this new technology. This is especially true in education, where the choices and potential mistakes we make now will have real, lasting impacts on students making their way through the system in the coming years." He expressed further thoughts about AI's ethical implications in education, "maybe my success is a recognition of the immediate need for more focus on the ethical implications of AI."Surprised and thrilled upon receiving the award notification, Akroyd said, "It was a complete and utter surprise; I really couldn't believe it. I had entered on the advice of my dissertation supervisor, but I didn't expect to win."Akroyd's time at Moray House was described as intense but with rewarding challenges, culminating in a rich learning experience despite the demanding pace of completing a Master's programme in a year. He expressed gratitude for the exceptional academics who led his courses, noting their ability to facilitate an engaging environment. Sam Akroyd "Ambiguity and selfhood"As he embarks on the next chapter of his career, Akroyd is currently working at an experimental high school in Vienna. Simultaneously, he is transforming his Masters work into publishable articles and developing a PhD proposal for 2026, saying, " I hope to continue the work I began with this dissertation, using ambiguity and selfhood construction as frameworks for the critiquing and reimagining of pedagogical theory and practice."Akroyd leaves future students with some advice: "Make sure you are pursuing the areas of study that really matter to you. A Masters degree, especially one that is only an academic year, is an enormous strain on you emotionally and mentally. I made it through, and can look back on the experience positively, because I studied the Masters that interested me the most. "Sam's journey stands as a testament to the impact of thoughtful research in shaping the future of education. We look forward to reading more about his research in AI in education.Related information:Read Sam's DissertationMSc EducationBERA Masters Dissertation Award Tags Alumni Awards and funding Celebrations and ceremonies Technology and AI Education news Publication date 15 Jul, 2025
