Following a new generation to understand childhood and inequality | Research for the Real World
From IOE Insights by UCL Institute of Education
April 13, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
Professor Alissa Goodman discusses the Generation New Era study, which aims to follow 30,000 babies born in the UK in 2026 to explore childhood and inequality.
What does it take to create a study designed to last for generations? Professor Alissa Goodman joins Mark Quinn to talk about Generation New Era, a new birth cohort study that will follow 30,000 babies born in the UK in 2026. She describes how new approaches to data collection, including regular digital contact with families and the use of video data, will provide richer insights into children’s development. We hear about the challenges facing children growing up today, including economic uncertainty, digital technologies and pressures on families. The discussion considers how researchers balance responding to current policy priorities with building evidence that remains relevant in the future. Professor Goodman also reflects on the responsibility and opportunity involved in creating a public data resource that can support better decision-making for many years to come. Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/apr/following-new-generation-understand-childhood-and-inequality-research-real-world More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe
People in this episode
Host: Mark Quinn
Guest: Professor Alissa Goodman
Topics covered
- childhood
- inequality
- birth cohort study
- data collection
- children's development
- economic uncertainty
- digital technologies
Keywords
- Generation New Era
- birth cohort study
- children's development
- economic uncertainty
- digital technologies
- data collection
- public data resource
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UCL Institute of Education
Places: UK
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