Ep 256: Damian Bebell Ph.D: Lessons from Seymour Papert, Meaningful Data and Small Shifts That Transform Schools.

For more than two decades, Damian has worked alongside teachers, school leaders and policymakers to explore how research and thoughtful reflection can strengthen teaching and learning in technology-rich classrooms. As a research professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, his work focuses on designing and leading research that helps schools make sense of innovation and translate ideas into meaningful practice. Damian is a widely respected author and speaker, contributing numerous articles, book chapters and the book The School Mission Statement, which explores how a school’s local vision can shape, illuminate, and sometimes even limit the ways we define and measure success. He is also the founder of Reflective Educational Research, where he serves as a “Researcher in Residence” supporting thousands of classrooms across Apple Distinguished Schools. Through this work, Damian helps schools democratise access to research tools so educators can better understand their impact and continue refining their practice. This conversation explores research, reflection, and the powerful role schools play in defining what success truly means. It is a thoughtful and practical discussion about how evidence, curiosity and collaboration can help education keep evolving.