Morag Henderson

Professor Morag Henderson is a Professor of Sociology at University College London's UCL Institute of Education, where she holds a position in the Social Research Institute and Centre for Longitudinal Studies. She serves as the Principal Investigator of Next Steps, a major English longitudinal study tracking individuals born in 1989-90. Henderson leads the Introduction to Sociology module for BSc Social Sciences and BSc Social Sciences and Quantitative Methods courses.

Her educational background includes a DPhil in Sociology from the University of Oxford, completed in 2013. Henderson's research primarily focuses on educational inequalities and related sociological phenomena, with particular attention to socioeconomic factors affecting educational outcomes.

Henderson's research spans multiple interconnected areas examining how social structures influence educational and life trajectories. Her work investigates the socioeconomic attainment gap, educational transitions across different life stages, how subject choices affect future educational and career outcomes, parenting practices, academic self-concept, and mental health and wellbeing. This research often utilizes longitudinal methodologies to track changes over time and across generations, with particular emphasis on British birth cohort studies.

Analysis of Henderson's recent publications reveals consistent focus on educational inequality through multiple lenses including social class, gender, and subject specialization. Her work frequently examines how early educational experiences shape later life outcomes, with particular attention to STEM fields and career pathways. Henderson demonstrates methodological versatility, employing both quantitative analysis of large datasets and qualitative approaches to understand the complex mechanisms behind educational mobility.

Henderson actively contributes to major longitudinal research infrastructure in the UK, particularly through her leadership of the Next Steps study. Her work has been disseminated through numerous academic publications and policy-relevant reports that have garnered significant attention in both academic and policy circles, with several publications being picked up by news outlets and referenced in policy documents.

As Principal Investigator of Next Steps, Henderson oversees one of Britain's major longitudinal studies, directing research teams that collect and analyze data on educational, social, and economic development from adolescence into adulthood. Her leadership extends to collaborative projects like the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration, which creates secure research environments for population data science.