Gary Thomas is Professor in Education, University of Birmingham, having previously worked as a teacher and as an educational psychologist. His teaching and research have focused on inclusion, special education, and the methods used in social science research. He has written more than 20 books and over 100 articles on his research work in education, which has been funded by UK Research Councils, the Nuffield Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, charities and national and local government. He has been the editor of several major journals in education, including Educational Review and the British Educational Research Journal.