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Recent demographic changes in Western countries have resulted in higher rates of partnership dissolution and serial partnering, and an increase in childbearing across multiple partnerships. This has given rise to more complex family dynamics including multi-partner fertility (MPF), defined as having biological children with two or more partners. Yet estimates of MPF in the UK have not previously been available. This paper describes an 'indirect approach' to estimate the prevalence of MPF in the UK, for men and women, given different assumptions. The paper additionally explores differences in MPF according to own and parental educational attainment. Amongst those born in Britain in 1970, 12–14% of men and 15–18% of women experienced MPF by age 42, depending on the assumptions made. For most of the cohort, MPF occurred with two different coresidential partners. We have established that MPF is a common family formation in the UK, but there are large educational disparities in MPF prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores what needs to be done to better address the growing and substantial inequalities in the UK and how the 'Levelling Up' policy that seeks to address them could be improved. It argues that a much longer-term vision and a sharper, cross-government focus on fewer challenges is required to make a more tangible impact. Four key findings are identified: a focus on health and education is fundamental for our social and economic prosperity; there is a need for greater devolution of power, with transparent and robust accountability; an open, nationwide knowledge base to share what works and what does not, and the lessons learned from innovative pilots, is required; and a more holistic approach is needed to support businesses and provide them with better-quality support. This paper argues that without these issues being taken into consideration, the lives and well-being of our disadvantaged citizens, our children and our economy will continue to worsen. It concludes that making economic development a statutory function, putting it at the very heart of our public services, is needed to ensure that the levelling up outcome is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on an oral history project which focuses on former coalminers' experiences of education and training. It presents the stories of five participants, all of whom undertook significant programmes of post-compulsory education during or immediately after leaving the coal industry and achieved a degree of social mobility over the course of their working lives. The paper compares and contrasts their experiences with those which now exist in Britain's former coalmining communities which, it is argued, have been substantively attenuated over time, especially for young men. Whilst it is evident that individual choice and motivation can play an important role in helping (or hindering) young people's journeys through education and employment, the central argument of the paper is that individual labour market success lies at the intersection of structure and agency – although the data presented also demonstrate the extent to which opportunities available to young men in the former coalfields have been diminished by de-industrialisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive science-informed approaches have gained considerable influence in education in the UK and internationally, but not much is known about how teachers perceive cognitive science-informed strategies or enact them within the contexts of their everyday classrooms. In this paper, we discuss the perceptions and experiences of cognitive science-informed strategies of 13 teachers in England. The paper critically explores how the teachers understood and used cognitive science-informed strategies in their teaching, their views of the benefits and challenges for different subjects and groups of learners, and their reflections on supporting factors and barriers for adopting the strategies in their schools. The teachers' accounts illustrate some of the many complexities of adopting cognitive science-informed approaches in real-life educational settings. Drawing on their narratives, the paper emphasises the importance of acknowledging different contextual dimensions and the dynamic interactions between them to understand when and how teachers enact cognitive science-informed approaches in their classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Expanding and sustaining student nurse placements outside of the acute sector is a universal challenge. This paper aims to evaluate the Care Home Education Facilitator Role introduced in one area of Wales, United Kingdom, and to report on the outcomes achieved from this novel role. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders including the Care Home Education Facilitator postholder leading the pilot, care home managers, higher education institutions' placement managers/coordinators, student nurses and national health service staff. Results: Five key areas were identified, which included timing of introducing the post and establishing a clear rationale and understanding of the intention of the role. The benefits, challenges and suggested improvements to the Care Home Education Facilitator initiative are provided. Conclusion: Introducing the role of the Care Home Education Facilitator to work closely with key stakeholders resulted in increased placements for student nurses, but investing time in developing relationships with these stakeholders was critical to the success of the role. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? There is a universal shortage of clinical placements for nursing students, particularly within a care home setting.The number of studies exploring how we might grow the number of nurses needed in this setting is limited. What this paper adds? This study evaluated a novel initiative introduced in South Wales, United Kingdom, that focuses on the development of nursing placements in the care home setting.Engaging with stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the Care Home Education Facilitator initiative, a roadmap was provided to illustrate the stepped approach required to support an active care home placement including key governance arrangements. The implications of this paper: For those involved in identifying and developing student placements, this study provides valuable insight to a role that can help increase student numbers in a care setting often overlooked.It identifies viable career options for nurses at the point of registration.The role assists with widening networks for the care homes across health and social care sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines responses to the trend for increasing participation in tertiary education, linking developments in higher education with those in apprenticeship systems, in Australia and the United Kingdom. In both sectors, expansion proceeded for several decades, but was robustly criticised in both countries. The expansion of access to these two forms of tertiary education, therefore, was contested and potentially precarious. The paper finds, through analysis of official data, that participation in higher education and in apprenticeship was actually almost static, or fell, in both countries in the 2010s. Yet criticism of expansion continued in media commentary during this decade. The paper both explains and takes issue with the arguments against expansion, which have been influential in both sectors. It discusses some ways forward to understand the phenomenon better, and also the need to address the problems caused by the restriction of opportunities. Comparative analysis between the two sectors has not previously been undertaken. It is argued in the paper that such analysis enriches the theoretical lenses through which expansion of access may be viewed, and that it may suggest avenues for future research, and perhaps, for advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the socio-economic disadvantages of women from different ethnic minority heritages in the UK. Using data from the Labour Force Survey (2014–2023), which contains detailed information on parental class and respondents' socio-economic conditions, we examine four domains of life chances which are crucial for ethnic integration: educational attainment at the degree level, risks of unemployment, access to professional-managerial (salariat) position and earning power. We proceeded with the gross differences and then examined the differences by ethno-gender status and parental class combinations, controlling for many confounding factors. We also examined the net ethno-gender differences over the life course and the trends of social fluidity over the period covered and across the ethno-gender groups. We found that women from all ethnic origins were doing well in education but faced multiple disadvantages in the labour market, especially in access to the salariat and in earning power. Women of Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritages faced pronounced unemployment risks, especially at the earlier life stages. There is a significant increase in fluidity over the period covered, but this is marked by considerable ethnic and class differences, with Black Caribbean, Black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women from more advantaged class origins being unable to secure advantaged class positions and those from working-class families unable to make long-range upward mobility as effectively as White men. Overall, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Black African and Black Caribbean women are found to be considerably disadvantaged, but there are also signs of social progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the landscape of education. The challenge lies in harmoniously blending the directive PUSH strategies, which focus on structured guidance, with the exploratory PULL methods, centered around the learner's initiative. To illustrate this, the realms of science and art as examples are used, showcasing how these strategies can be interpreted and applied in different educational contexts. The educational systems of selected countries are considered from the viewpoint of the novel framework involving PUSH and PULL methodologies in the delivery of education. China's emphasis on a structured and orderly educational process, Finland's dedication to student autonomy and flexibility, and the UK's integrative, hybrid model. Nevertheless, there is still a need for a cohesive approach that effectively combines the structured science education methods with the more fluid and interpretative methods used in art education. This paper deals with a comparative analysis of how educational systems in China, Finland, and the UK navigate the PUSH-PULL dynamics. In this article, we propose and develop a new model for understanding the role of students in the educational system. This model, which we are introducing, views the student in a dual capacity: as both an integral part of the larger educational framework and as the primary consumer of state-provided knowledge. Our model aims to reframe the traditional perspective on students' roles in education. By introducing the "Dual Lex" concept, this study aims to merge (melt) two principal different educational models into a cohesive whole. The term "Dual" emphasizes the simultaneous use of these two methodologies, while "Lex" suggests a set of principles or rules governing this integration. Overall, this approach seeks to establish an educational framework that is as methodical and precise as it is creative and expressive, thereby equipping students with the skills and knowledge for a versatile and dynamic educational journey and more flexible and student-centered preparation for their future professional careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically fitness testing has been identified as a common but controversial physical education (PE)-for-health practice across the globe. Despite this, little is known about the current prevalence and implementation of fitness testing. This paper therefore reports on findings from a survey which gathered both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the 'if?', 'why?' and 'how?' of fitness testing and provide new insights into teachers' learning intentions, pedagogical practices, and attitudes towards it. The survey was distributed to PE departments in secondary schools across the UK, and responses were analysed and reported descriptively and thematically. Responses from 260 schools highlighted that fitness testing remains a common practice in PE, with 80% of PE teachers reporting it to feature in their curriculum. There was less consensus surrounding the 'why?' and 'how?' of testing, with variation evident in teachers' stated learning intentions, pedagogical practices, and attitudes. Despite its prevalence, PE teachers expressed concerns over negative pupil outcomes potentially arising from fitness testing, and over 60% of teachers were uncertain or agreed that fitness testing can have a negative impact on pupils' psychological health. Given the findings and the reported widespread prevalence of fitness testing, further research should explore pupils' perspectives, responses, and outcomes of fitness testing, including their motivational and emotional responses to testing. Working with teachers and encouraging them to critically reflect on the 'if?', 'why?' and 'how?' of fitness testing is recommended and will hopefully help to bridge the gap between research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A broad range of health professionals can obtain the authority to prescribe in the UK upon successful completion of an accredited non-medical prescribing programme. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many approved education institutions have adopted more permanent blended approaches to their programmes. This literature review aims to explore blended approaches to delivering postgraduate education to health professionals, with a view to improving the performance and satisfaction of students undertaking non-medical prescribing programmes. Seven papers were selected from a database search; five were research literature and two practice literature. The results suggest that social constructivism and laying a 'foundation' for effective study are key to student satisfaction. Advising students to engage with the provider's Virtual Learning Environment before a programme commences, dividing students into small groups that are designed to create communities of practice, scheduling face-to-face activities to provide early opportunities for social interaction and further research are recommended to enhance education for non-medical prescribers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the possible relationship between religious education and social justice. A consideration of what it is that education in the public sphere should seek to achieve, in a normative sense, is followed by an explanation of how we conceptualise social justice in this paper. This leads us to be able to explain why the relationship between teacher and child or young person is significant and why it is insufficient to conceptualise religious education only in terms of knowledge. Instead, we propose that the teacher's first responsibility when beginning any course of study is to bring the child to attend to their experience and that of their wider community. We argue that curriculum cannot be made in isolation of the context of the child and that education is not something that takes place in abstraction. Rather, it requires the teacher to be attentive to this particular child, the one who is here now, and in this particular place. Having begun to set out the educational position of our argument, we show how this is working practically guided by a Locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education: Living Difference IV, in religious education taught in a school in an area of high deprivation in the southeast of Hampshire. UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review and critically evaluate UK psychiatry national recruitment process for 2021, which was re-structured following the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this paper aims to review the empirical evidence of the selection methodologies in psychiatry recruitment. Design/methodology/approach: The UK national psychiatry recruitment process is discussed, with a focus on the changes made to recruitment in 2021. The advantages and disadvantages of different selection methodologies are explored, with an emphasis on evaluating the validity, acceptability and reliability of different recruitment selection methodologies. The potential impact of the changes to psychiatry recruitment are explored. Findings: The decision of the National Recruitment Office to remove certain selection methods for recruitment in 2021 may have limited their ability to choose the best candidate for the training place and be fair to the applicant. Overall, there is a lack of research into the validity of the selection methods used in psychiatry recruitment. A framework for outcome criteria relevant to psychiatry recruitment should be developed, which would allow research into selection methods and guide the NRO to examine the evidence base effectively. Originality/value: This paper examined the recruitment methods used to choose doctors for psychiatry training in the UK, demonstrating that the empirical evidence base for psychiatry recruitment is limited. This paper can contribute to our understanding of selection methodologies used in psychiatry recruitment and highlights the value of different recruitment approaches for choosing the best psychiatrists of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccines and treatments produced during the global coronavirus crisis demonstrated the importance of university research and teaching. There was widespread celebration of university–industry partnerships and collaborations across disciplines and geographical locations. However, simultaneously, higher education institutions in England faced serious financial and organisational challenges throughout the pandemic, which has implications for the relationship between teaching and research, for who undertakes each, and for the students' experience of teaching and learning (some of whom become the next generation of researchers). The rapid movement to online learning created further tensions within an already demoralised, precarious and divided workforce. This paper considers the potential social good of universities' two core missions, research and teaching in a post-pandemic world, exploring the inherently political nature of the link, as well as its encoded inequalities and dysfunctions. Drawing on documentary and secondary data analysis, this paper explores, first, the long-standing sectoral and institutional discrepancies through analysing trends in student recruitment rates and research funding. Second, it investigates how student and staff experiences of the link between research and teaching were changing in the pandemic, pointing to substantive equity issues in how the pandemic response affected access to research opportunities and to research-led teaching. The paper argues that a more equitable and inclusive university that appreciates the research-teaching nexus and is flexible and collaborative in nature is key to contribute to tackling global and local challenges, such as environmental destruction, climate change, conflict and socio-economic inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using administrative data linkage, this paper sought to quantify the impacts of family homelessness on pupil absence from school. It addresses a gap in United Kingdom (UK) homelessness research, which draws predominantly on qualitative methods and where there is a greater focus on people who fall outside of the statutory system, i.e., single people living on the streets, rather than families. Education records for the academic years 2012/13 to 2015/16 relating to pupils aged 5 to 15 years old living in a coastal city in Wales, UK, were linked to data on households assessed by the statutory housing service operating across the same region. Analysis of mean half-day sessions absent from school, and Poisson panel regression were used to explore associations between absenteeism (authorised, unauthorised, and total), and whether pupils were living in a household making a statutory homelessness application, i.e., experiencing family homelessness. On average, in any given academic year, pupils experiencing family homelessness (PEFH) missed 5 days more of school than pupils not experiencing family homelessness (PnEFH). Adjusted regression analysis found that the rate of total absence was 7% higher amongst PEFH compared to PnEFH, whilst for unauthorised absence it was 13% higher. When a student experienced family homelessness, this led to an increase in their rate of total absences by 5%--adjusting for other factors--compared to when they were not homeless. Findings have implications for statutory education and housing provision, specifically the need for greater cross-disciplinary working to prevent and alleviate the harms caused when families experience homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Speech and language therapy (SLT) education must meet the needs of the future workforce, training enough students who are competent practitioners able to meet the workforce demands. Increasing student numbers and the impact on placement providers mean students must be equipped for learning on placement. Simulation is a way of supporting students to develop their clinical skills and decision‐making in a safe, supportive environment. Aims: To explore the perspectives of SLT students who were introduced to simulation during their undergraduate degree at a UK university as part of a pilot study. The aim of the pilot was to listen to the students' voices to begin to understand their lived experiences of simulation and to gather views on how simulation can support their clinical learning. Methods & Procedures: Focus groups and semi‐structured interviews were carried out with second‐year BSc SLT students in semester 2 following the simulated learning activities and clinical placement. Qualitative data were gathered and thematic analysis was applied to the data to identify the barriers and enablers to students' clinical learning in simulation. Outcomes & Results: A total of 11 students responded out of a cohort of 38. Three key themes were identified from the analysis: individual learning needs, facilitator skill and programme‐level organization. Conclusions & Implications: Student experience of simulation was positive. One of the key elements students found to support their clinical skills was the importance of the safe space; support for learning instead of correction led them to engage in active learning. Key barriers to simulation related to having sufficient prior knowledge, the skills of the facilitator, group size and the wider learning landscape of the programme. In response to this pilot, there are plans to continue developing this model of simulation and embed simulation across the programme, led by a sound pedagogical approach with clear preparation and planning and building the necessary infrastructure. Other SLT programmes and practice educators developing simulation as part of their programmes or placement may wish to consider some of these findings to support the use of simulation in their workplace. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: Simulation as a teaching methodology is widely used in medicine and nursing programmes. It is now used in various allied health professions and in some SLT programmes. There is evidence to suggest simulation increases student confidence and clinical skills without increasing the capacity on those offering clinical placements in practice. What is already known on this subject: This study offers a practical example of introducing simulation in an established undergraduate programme for SLT students. It explains the background to this innovative way of teaching clinical skills and explains why this approach could be beneficial for the future speech and language therapist. What are the clinical implications of this work?: This study gives practical examples of how simulation can work to facilitate student clinical learning and knowledge. It may offer ideas to those working in clinical practice to organize placements differently or add simulation elements to improve the student experience. Other educational establishments and placement educators may find the recommendations helpful in developing their own simulation approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of structural barriers, inadequate student welfare provision and the absence of psycho-social and academic support make higher education access for forcibly displaced students challenging. Many of these students will have experienced many stressful and potentially traumatic events that may have or may continue to impact their mental health and wellbeing. This article draws on reflections by educators and findings from eight interviews with students who participated in a twelve-week preparatory course for access to higher education for refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. The paper firstly problematizes trauma as an organizing concept and challenges the dominant deficit approaches in forced migration studies when working with displaced students. Then, based on qualitative data collected from students and educators, it explores how creative skills were integrated and the importance of the student's voice as a culturally sustaining pedagogical approach to strengthening trauma-informed teaching approaches. The programme was designed to strengthen individual agency and promote well-being and mental health. Finally, this paper argues that working collaboratively with forcibly displaced students from an asset-based stance appeared critical in creating and sustaining a welcoming higher education environment which could contribute to promoting mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews prior applications of co-production principles and their potential impact on the mental health and wellbeing of care leavers. There is minimal research available on care leaver narratives of their experiences and consequent mental health and wellbeing needs. This paper explores the relevance of different, sometimes opposed, approaches to co-production, the knowledge which can be gained about the mental health and wellbeing needs of care leavers, and finally the potential for lifelong learning through co-production with care leavers. A systematic review was selected to draw conclusions about how the method of co-production could improve awareness of and provisions for care leaver mental health and wellbeing. This review included 14 sources with a total of 541 participants. Following a rigorous systematic review on these themes, conclusions were drawn suggesting that co-production involving care experienced individuals, whilst faced with a range of considerations to ensure success, can have largely positive impacts on care leaver mental health and wellbeing and is therefore a recommended methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency legislation introduced internationally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the closure of all levels of educational settings and a shift to remote teaching. Drawing lessons from an independent child rights impact assessment (CRIA) in Scotland, United Kingdom, this paper reviews the impact of COVID-19 measures on children and young people's rights to, and experiences of, education during the current crisis. Findings highlight that while measures sought to preserve the best interests of children and their basic rights to safety, a distinct lack of consultation on the impacts of the measures undermined the interdependency and indivisibility of children's human rights. Three human rights principles – participation and inclusion, non-discrimination, and mutual accountability of family and the State – were identified as being particularly significant in this assessment. Looking forward, findings point to the need for extending the range of perspectives involved in child rights impact assessments in times of crisis – where human rights are at even greater risk of being breached – and the significance of a children's rights-based perspective for re-imagining education altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In lieu of a cure, the idea that dementia might be preventable through risk-factor moderation has latterly gained popularity. Prevention research is an evolving field that will likely undergo significant shifts in the near future. This paper aims to engage with that future as it is imagined in the present. Design/methodology/approach: This study explores the futures envisaged by dementia prevention researchers in the UK, based on interviews with six practitioners at the forefront of the field. Findings: Participants foresaw a pivot away from "dementia prevention" toward "brain health", and advocated for blended policy, community and lifestyle interventions. They were excited by the prospects for a lifecourse dementia hypothesis to inform new interventions but uncomfortable with the ethics of early intervention. Originality/value: These findings complicate simplistic depictions of prevention researchers as pursuing responsibilised lifestyle approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a conversation that took place via Zoom on 6 September 2022, between Adriana Schneider Alcure and Bruce Adams, curated by Pedro de Senna. In it, Alcure and Adams discuss their experiences, respectively, at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and Middlesex University, London (MDX). Both universities offer BA courses in theatre directing, but follow very different models. Both universities also offer MAs in Theatre Arts (MDX) and 'Artes da Cena' (UFRJ), with similar interdisciplinary ethea. Mediated by de Senna's experience of both cultural contexts, Adams and Alcure talk about commonalities and differences, addressing two key pedagogical questions: in what ways can directing be taught, if at all? And: what is the role of theatre (and theatre directors) in society? The conversation is not directly transcribed, but edited and organised by de Senna, drawing on the themes explored, and addresses contemporary theatre director training from an intercultural perspective. The exchange touches on questions of academic and artistic labour, student cohorts, curriculum design, interdisciplinarity; and the relationship between 'training' and 'education', when it comes to the performing arts in general, and theatre directing in particular: are these terms even adequate? It is clear that these questions are imbricated with those relating to the purpose of, and access to, the arts and education more broadly, in societies that, while very different, have more in common than might at first be acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunities for children to be involved in the decisions made about them is a part of current statutory educational legislation. Person‐centred planning (PCP) has been proposed as an appropriate method of meeting statutory requirements. However, there is a dearth of research into its application within education. The paper describes a systematic literature review of current research into PCP within education for pupils with SEMH and the associated outcomes. PCP appears to be an effective way of engaging children, young people and their families but research within education is currently limited and methodologically weak. More rigorous research is needed into PCP and its effectiveness and should include the use of standardised and/or observable measures, more varied ranges of contexts and participants, and longitudinal and child‐led designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the peer-reviewed literature relating to the education of children from armed forces families (service children) is presented. In England, service children have been identified by the Office for Students as an under-represented group in higher education. However, their educational journeys through compulsory education and towards higher education are relatively under-researched. Exploring literature from countries with similar educational, linguistic and armed forces cultures enables opportunities for researchers in the United Kingdom to be highlighted. The review identified a general lack of peer-reviewed research into educational outcomes for service children, a lack of consensus on the impact of service life on children, and a tendency to focus on the barriers and challenges arising through service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Contemporary organisational landscapes offer opportunities for hybrids to thrive. Public–private partnerships (PPPs) are one thriving hybrid form incorporating the use of resources and/or structures from both public and private sectors. The study examines the impact of such a hybrid structure on governance and accountability mechanisms in a context of institutional complexity. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses an approach that draws on institutional logics and hybridity to examine governance arrangements in the PPP policy created for the delivery of UK schools. Unusually, it employs a comparative case study of how four local governments implemented the policy. It draws on a framework developed by Polzer et al. (2017) to examine the level of engagement between multiple logics and hybrid structures and applies this to the delivery of governance and accountability for public money. Findings: The Polzer et al. framework enables a study of how the nature of hybrids can vary in terms of their governance, ownership and control relations. The findings show how the relationships between levels of engagement of multiple logics and hybrid structures can impact on governance and accountability for public money. Layering and blending combinations led to increased adoption of private sector accountability structures, whilst a hybrid with parallel co-existence of community and market logics delivered a long-term governance structure. Research limitations/implications: The paper examines the operation of hybrids in a complex education PPP environment in only four local governments and therefore cannot provide representative answers across the population as a whole. However, given the considerable variation found across the four examples, the paper shows there can be significant differentiation in how multiple logics engage at different levels and in varying combinations even in the same hybrid setting. The paper focuses on capital investment implementation and its evaluation, so it is a limitation that the operational stage of PPP projects is not studied. Practical implications: The findings have political relevance because the two local government bodies with more robust combinations of multiple logics were more successful in getting funds and delivering schools in their geographical areas. Originality/value: The study extends Polzer et al.'s (2017) research on hybridity by showing that there can be significant differentiation in how multiple logics engage at different levels and in varying combinations even in what was planned to be the same hybrid setting. It shows how in situations of institutional complexity certain combinations of logics lead to differentiation in governance and accountability, creating fragmented focus on the related public accountability structures. This matters because it becomes harder to hold government to account for public spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the diagnostic reasoning skills of two nurse practitioner student cohorts. Introduction: Nurse practitioners continue to play a pivotal role in health care provision. Diagnostic reasoning is a core skill of advanced practice. A comparative diagnostic reasoning study between two student cohorts was undertaken between 2018 and 2019. Methods: A validated diagnostic reasoning scale was completed by nurse practitioner students in the United Kingdom and the United States of America at the beginning and end of their clinical placements. The study utilized descriptive quantitative statistics from the data submitted by 22 survey respondents from an online survey. Results: Analysis of the diagnostic reasoning skills suggested there was a difference in the structural memory scores when compared with the beginning of their clinical placements and the final semester of their clinical placements. Conclusion: Diagnostic reasoning skills are a core skill of advanced practice. As students progress through their training, these skills improve. Despite the statistical difference in diagnostic reasoning scores, caution should be made in determining any larger implications due to the small number of participants in this study. Further study is needed in this area. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Diagnostic reasoning is a core skill for nurse practitioners.There is minimal research in this area.Diagnostic accuracy is vital for ensuring patient safety. What this paper adds? Structural memory scores improved at the end of nurse practitioner clinical placements. What are the implications of this paper for policy/practice/research/education? Further global research in the field of diagnostic reasoning for nurse practitioners and nurse practitioner students is needed to validate these findings.It is important to ensure nurse practitioners have competency in diagnostic reasoning to reduce diagnostic error.Curricula could be designed to incorporate the use of the DTI to evaluate a student's progress throughout the clinical portion of the nurse practitioner programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurse‐led research and innovation is key to improving health experiences and outcomes and reducing health inequalities. Clinical academic training programmes for nurses to develop research and innovation skills alongside continued development of their clinical practice are becoming increasingly established at national, regional and local levels. Though widely supported, geographical variation in the range and scope of opportunities available remains. It is imperative that clinical academic opportunities for nurses continue to grow to ensure equity of access and opportunity so that the potential of nurse‐led clinical academic research to improve quality of care, health experience and health outcomes can be realised. In this paper, we describe and report on clinical academic internship opportunities available to nurses to share internationally, a range of innovative programmes currently in operation across the UK. Examples of some of the tangible benefits for patients, professional development, clinical teams and NHS organisations resulting from these clinical academic internships are illustrated. Information from local evaluations of internship programmes was collated to report what has worked well alongside 'real‐world' set‐up and sustainability challenges faced in practice. Clinical academic internship schemes are often opportunistically developed, making use of hybrid models of delivery and funding responsive to local needs and available resources. Key enablers of successful clinical academic internship programmes for nurses were support from senior clinical leaders and established relationships with local universities and wider organisations committed to research capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people have, in effect, had two years of normality taken from their lives by the pandemic—and for many this has occurred at a crucial time of development. Using the ASPIRE framework of Agency, Safety, Positivity, Inclusion, Respect, and Equity, this paper explores what has happened to adolescents in the UK and elsewhere, the impact this may have had on identity formation and establishing a meaningful sense of self, feelings of belonging and safety, mental health, hope for the future, and relationships. Students already facing disadvantages and adversity have been particularly hard hit. School attendance levels are falling, giving rise to further concerns about wellbeing. Referring to each principle, we discuss the options for responding in ways that support a more positive future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To ascertain the perceptions and experiences of candidates of national recruitment and multi‐station interviews for the selection of oral surgery specialty trainees to UK during the first 3 years of being introduced. Material and methods: A pre‐piloted questionnaire was administered in paper format to applicants immediately following completion of the final recruitment day. Applicants were asked six questions regarding appropriateness of each of the stations using a Likert scales (1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree). Results: During a 3‐year period, feedback was favourable for those stations most likely to be associated with a career in oral surgery, which was in stark contrast to the critical appraisal station which consistently received feedback regarding the time allocated to it. Survey feedback each year was presented to the working group and helped to develop and inform future stations. Conclusions: Candidates considered national recruitment to be both a fair and transparent process, which the majority supporting the move away from traditional CV‐focused interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found varied effects of informal care provision on the carer's health status. Few studies have, however, examined this relationship dynamically. This paper is the first to analyse trajectories of care among men and women in mid-life and their impact on health outcomes using a nationally representative prospective cohort study. Data from three waves of the United Kingdom (UK) National Child Development Study (N = 7,465), when the respondents were aged 46, 50 and 55, are used to derive care trajectories capturing the dynamics of care provision and its intensity. Logistic regression investigates the impact of caring between the ages of 46 and 55 on the carers' report of depression and poor health at age 55. At age 46, 9 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women provided some level of informal care; rising to 60 per cent for both genders at ages 50 and 55. Just 7 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men provided care at all observation points, with the most common trajectory being 'starting to care' at ages 50 or 55. New carers experienced a lower risk of depression at age 55, reflecting that they may not have experienced the caring role long enough to have an adverse impact on their wellbeing. The findings highlight that the majority of individuals with surviving parents experience caring at some point during mid-life, underlining the need for further longitudinal research to better understand the complex relationships between care-giving and health for different groups of cares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemistry education of future researchers is crucial if we are to decarbonise economies and reach targets for net zero, and this arguably begins with education in electrochemistry within undergraduate degrees. This paper reviews the teaching of electrochemistry in UK universities at the undergraduate degree level. We review where and how electrochemical concepts are introduced into chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science programmes. We provide some motivation for this review, which was stimulated by discussions from a workshop on the 'Future of Fundamental Electrochemistry Research in the UK', held in 2022. We summarise briefly how consensus on UK degree programme course content has been reached and inconsistencies that remain. Electrochemistry curriculum content from a convenience sample of UK universities, and disciplines, has been collected and is summarised, with a reflection on some trends. Finally, we present some implications for policy. A roadmap is suggested to ensure that the teaching of electrochemical fundamentals is addressed in the curriculum at an appropriate level to underpin the many technically relevant applications of electrochemistry that graduates will encounter in their further education or employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines findings from exploratory research undertaken by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) considering questions of supply of and demand for town planners. Three themes are identified in the literature in this field: skills and training needs, recruitment and retention issues, and perceptions of the planning profession. Noting that these strands are often interdependent, the paper discusses solutions and findings. As an exploratory exercise, the paper points towards the other avenues of research for which it sets the ground, recognising that the results of this and other research will help the RTPI refine its educational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operative and non-technical skills exposure of urology trainees has reduced due to a number of factors, including the European Working Time Directive, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Simulation-based education (SBE) is an innovative addition to clinical experience which can begin to address the skills-based learning deficiency in order to help trainees meet their curriculum requirements and optimise the exposure required for a trainee to become a competent general urology consultant. Surgical simulation is an effective training tool but has a complex implementation process, requiring considerable planning tailored to specific educational targets, to ensure it is sustainable and reproducible. Methodology from the field of implementation science offers an invaluable approach to design an effective simulation-based training adjunct, as exemplified by the example of the UK Urology Simulation Boot Camp (USBC), a comprehensive training course which incorporates core technical and non-technical skills based on the current Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST) urological training curriculum to equip newly appointed urology trainees to work as competent junior registrars. Delivered annually in Leeds since 2015, the course has had excellent feedback and results in improving the urological knowledge of trainees, as well as increases in trainees' confidence. This paper will provide a summary of how the course was designed, delivered, reproduced, sustained and evaluated. Its success is demonstrated by its incorporation into the UK urology training programme, and since 2018, it is now recommended to all new urology residents in the UK. The course implementation model would be applicable to other surgical specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research report follows on from three previous theory-based papers in which the authors explored connections between existentialism, education and psychotherapy teaching, and identified a distinction between teaching about existentialism and teaching existentially. Here, they describe a phenomenological research study in which the primary research question was 'What is it like to teach existential therapy in the UK?'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents conclusions based on intercultural studies of the significance of passive strategies relating to the declared teachers' needs as construed by transactional analysis. The study participants included 322 educators from Guatemala, the United Kingdom and Poland. The findings referred to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, comparing individualism and collectivism. The study used a questionnaire, specifically the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ) and the "Educator's Reality" one. The study findings disclose connections consistent with Hofstede's theory assumptions where the factor protecting teachers coming from the most collectivist culture worldwide (Guatemala) from passivity is the satisfaction of needs in a relationship with another human being (recognition hunger), while in the most individualistic cultures (the UK), this factor will be the satisfaction of individual needs not connected with relationships (structure hunger). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the effect of individual (gender and education) and organizational (organizational sector) characteristics on work ethics in the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates. This research is centered around a survey conducted among managers, from the UK, the UAE, and Serbia. Their main task was to evaluate the aspects of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) short form. The MWEP was chosen for this study as it does not explicitly address work ethics with religion, making it a suitable tool for examining work ethics across three cultures with different religious practices. This study contributes to existing literature by exploring how organizational factors influence work ethics in three countries that share business interests and have cultural and economic ties. The findings indicate that these factors have an impact on work ethics in studied countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertility awareness should be taught to everyone. The International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC) designed a fertility poster in 2019 but did not have a specific target group in mind. Studies have been conducted in Denmark and Sweden to determine how the poster can be redesigned. In this study, we carried out focus groups with young adults in the UK to ask their views of the poster, with the aim of redesigning it. Six focus groups were undertaken with twenty seven, 18–25 year olds. Five questions were asked: 1. What are your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the poster? 2. Did you learn anything from the poster? 3. How has reading the poster impacted your opinions or thoughts about having children? 4. What are your opinions about using a poster format to inform and start reflections regarding family building? 5. Reading through each point are there any changes to be made? Content analysis was performed. Themes identified revealed the information on the poster gave the participants some anxiety and apprehension, especially regarding the effect of age on fertility, perceptions of IVF, and gaps in knowledge. The fertility education poster is a good resource for education, but other resources should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a continuation of a history of the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of the West Indies (UWI) at St. Augustine. It thus extends an account of its formative decade 1961-1971 previously published (in 2013) in The West Indian Journal of Engineering. The three subsequent decades covered herein encompass milestones, and transformations: (a) beginning of graduate level research, (b) commencement of anMSc programme in Construction Engineering and Management, (c) change of name from Civil to 'Civil and Environmental' for embracing the heightened awareness of environmental concerns, (d) relocation into a purpose-built building with a floor space of approximately 5,000 m2, (e) construction of new environmental engineering, engineering geology, highway engineering, soil mechanics and structural engineering laboratories, (f) expansion and modernisation of the fluid mechanics laboratory, and (g) introduction of the semester system with its credit-based curriculum and assessment. Besides, there was a fivefold increase in student enrolment, followed by a sharp decline, and an increase in academic staff strength from six to twenty. This period also witnessed a gradual loss of regional diversity of its undergraduate students from a high of approximately 50 % in 1972 to less than 10% in 2001. On the other hand, there was a notable, and opposite, change in gender (female/male) ratio among the students - from less than 10%/90% in 1972 to approximately 50%/50% in 2001. Finally, the accreditation of the department's degree programmes by the Engineering Council in the United Kingdom (UK), as well as the triennial visit of overseas external examiners, inherited from its inception, were maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The author investigates the effects of human capital on labor income share in the 15 sectors of the European Union (EU)-13 countries and the United Kingdom (UK) over the period 2008–2015. Design/methodology/approach: The author employs pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation with panel data, using the EU KLEMS database. Findings: The results show that when education level increases, labor income share increases and gender-based labor income share differentials decrease. Return to education is higher in qualitative sectors in contrast with the other sectors. Moreover, there are gender-based labor income share differentials at the sectoral level. These differentials are higher in nonqualitative sectors, while they are relatively lower in qualitative sectors. Research limitations/implications: The biggest limitation of the study is that the data range cannot be expanded because of the database. The author is of opinion that the empirical findings will guide to policy makers in terms of wage setting. Originality/value: The expected contribution of this study to the literature is to investigate the effect of human capital on labor income share at the sectoral level for the EU-13 countries and the UK. As far as the author knows, there is no study which investigates this topic at the sectoral level such a comprehensive, in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years since Dr Tudor-Hart's publication of the 'Inverse Care Law', all-cause mortality rates and COVID-19 mortality rates are higher in more deprived areas. Part of the solution is to increase access and availability to healthcare in underserved and deprived areas. This paper examined how socio-economically representative the undergraduate general practice placements are in Northern Ireland (NI). A quantitative study of general practices involved in undergraduate medical placements through Queen's University Belfast, comparing practice lists by deprivation indices, examining both blanket deprivation and deprivation quintile trends for teaching and non-teaching practices. Deprivation data for 135 teaching practices were compared against the 323 NI practices. Teaching practices had fewer patients living in the most deprived quintiles compared with non-teaching practices. Fewer practices with blanket deprivation were involved in undergraduate medical education, 32% compared with 42% without blanket deprivation. Practices in areas of blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices, 10%, compared to 14% of NI general practices that met this criterion. Practices with blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices. Exposure to general practice in deprived areas is an essential step to improving future workforce recruitment and ultimately to closing the health inequalities gap. Ensuring practices in high-need areas are proportionately represented in undergraduate placements is one way to direct action in addressing the 'Inverse Care Law'. This study is limited to NI and further work is required to compare institutions across the UK and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing is not, and has never been, our only means of communication or communion. In the university, writing continues to occupy the dominant position in terms of how ideas 'should be' communicated – and, more importantly, assessed. This is the case even in the visual arts where it is well understood that written language can feel limiting. This article considers the impact that the value afforded to the traditional academic essay has on working-class students, whose relationship to writing often differs from the norm. Impacts that are often conveniently forgotten – and set to become worse under the current UK government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe where clinical information is contemporarily and commonly found in UK primary care, what is favoured by clinicians, and whether this is (1) publicly funded (2) has commercial potential conflicts of interest. Design and setting: A mixed methods study, consisting of (1) site visits to general practices in Scotland, (2) online questionnaire, focused on UK general practice (3) analysis of materials cited by professionals. Methods: Data about sources of clinical information used was obtained verbally, visually and via search histories on computers from visits. This was used to inform a questionnaire in which primary care clinicians in the four nations of the UK were invited to participate. This obtained data about the information sources used and preferred by clinicians. This information was searched for data about funding and conflicts of interest. Results: Over 2022, four practices were visited. 337 clinicians, 280 of whom were general practitioners completed an online questionnaire. 136 different resources were identified. These were mainly websites but sources of information included colleagues, either in practice or through online networks, apps, local guidelines, health charities, and learning resources aimed at GPs. Of these, 70 were not publicly funded, and were a mixture of membership organisations, charities, or sponsored venues. Conclusions: Primary care clinicians obtain information for themselves and patients from a wide variety of sources. Funding is from a variety of sources and some contain advertising and/or sponsorship, risking commercial bias. Protocol: Pre-published at https://osf.io/wrzqk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Occupational therapists require research and evaluation skills to deliver evidence-based care, making research education integral to their training. We aimed to develop a student and staff-informed strategy to further embed research into the occupational therapy programmes and enhance the research culture at a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution. Method: We used group concept mapping to gather ideas from students and staff on how to embed research and improve research culture within the occupational therapy programmes at a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution. Participants generated, sorted and rated ideas for importance and success. We analysed the data to create a concept map and identified rating values for the themed clusters and their ideas. Results: The concept map contained four themed clusters of ideas: Wider research community, Integration of research into the core programme, Advanced research support and capacity building and Research awareness. Successes and improvement targets were identified within each cluster. Conclusion: Group concept mapping provided a structured and comprehensive method to develop a strategy for embedding research and fostering a research culture in occupational therapy programmes at a higher education institution. The four-themed concept map and identified priority targets serve as a foundation for implementing the strategy and improving research integration in occupational therapy education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sibling correlation (SC), which estimates the total effect of family background (i.e., social origins), can be interpreted as measuring a society's inequality of opportunity. Its sensitivity to observed and unobserved factors makes the SC an all-encompassing measure and an attractive choice for comparative research. We gather and summarize all available estimates of SCs in educational attainment (M =.46, SD =.09) and employ meta-regression to explore variability in these estimates. First, we find significantly lower SCs in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark than in the United States, with U.S. correlations roughly.10 (i.e., 25%) higher. Most other (primarily European) countries in our study are estimated to fall in between these countries and the United States. Second, we find a novel Great Gatsby Curve–type positive association between income inequality in childhood and the SC, both cross-nationally and within countries over time. This finding supports theoretical accounts of the Great Gatsby Curve that emphasize the role of educational inequality as a link between economic inequality and social immobility. It implies that greater equality of educational opportunity likely requires reduced economic inequality. Additionally, correlations between sisters are modestly higher, on average, than those between brothers or all siblings, and we find no overall differences between cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a rapidly changing healthcare environment, we need a robust evidence base to inform effective education and training. This study aimed to examine factors perceived to determine career progression in clinical education research in the UK. Six online focus groups were conducted, with 35 participants from a range of medical, dental, nursing, and allied health professions who identified as aspiring or early career clinical education researchers. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis. Two themes and associated subthemes were constructed to illustrate perceived factors impacting on career development: (1) A cultural challenge from clinical norms. Challenges included differences between the epistemological assumptions of biomedical and clinical research, and the underlying philosophy of education research, which is more closely aligned with the knowledge generation of the social sciences. This led to difficulty communicating the impact of education research to patient care. There were also blurred boundaries between education delivery and research, with the latter lacking a clearly defined group identity. (2) Structures, systems and relationships for career progression. Practical considerations included time and funding (or lack thereof), the opportunity to undertake formal training, networking and role models. This research highlights a number of systemic barriers and facilitators to careers in clinical education research and offers targets of intervention to enable a sustainable academic workforce in clinical education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]