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2. Intersectionality in Education: Rationale and Practices to Address the Needs of Students' Intersecting Identities. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 302
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Directorate for Education and Skills, Samo Varsik, and Julia Gorochovskij
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Intersectionality highlights that different aspects of individuals' identities are not independent of each other. Instead, they interact to create unique identities and experiences, which cannot be understood by analysing each identity dimension separately or in isolation from their social and historical contexts. Intersectional approaches in this way question the common classification of individuals into groups (male vs. female, immigrant vs. native etc.), which raises important implications for the policy-making process. In education, analyses with an intersectional lens have the potential to lead to better tailored and more effective policies and interventions related to participation, learning outcomes, students' attitudes towards the future, identification of needs, and socio-emotional well-being. Consequently, as elaborated in this paper, some countries have adjusted their policies in the areas of governance, resourcing, developing capacity, promoting school-level interventions and monitoring, to account for intersectionality. Gaps and challenges related to intersectional approaches are also highlighted.
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- 2023
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3. Autonomous Schools, Achievement and Segregation. Discussion Paper No. 1968
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Natalie Irmert, Jan Bietenbeck, Linn Mattisson, and Felix Weinhardt
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We study whether autonomous schools, which are publicly funded but can operate more independently than government-run schools, affect student achievement and school segregation across 15 countries over 16 years. Our triple-differences regressions exploit between-grade variation in the share of students attending autonomous schools within a given country and year. While autonomous schools do not affect overall achievement, effects are positive for high-socioeconomic status students and negative for immigrants. Impacts on segregation mirror these findings, with evidence of increased segregation by socioeconomic and immigrant status. Rather than creating "a rising tide that lifts all boats," autonomous schools increase inequality
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- 2023
4. University of Northampton: Waterside Story. HEPI Debate Paper 35
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom), Nick Petford, Robert Griggs, and Terry Neville
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In this HEPI Report, Nick Petford, Robert Griggs and Terry Neville explore the rationale and development of the University of Northampton's Waterside Campus, one of the UK's most ambitious university relocation projects. They conclude with a series of lessons learned.
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- 2024
5. Learning with Treescapes in Environmentally Endangered Times. Occasional Paper Series 50
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Bank Street College of Education, Samyia Ambreen, Kate Pahl, Samyia Ambreen, Kate Pahl, and Bank Street College of Education
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Issue #50 of the Bank Street Occasional Paper Series, "Learning With Treescapes in Environmentally Endangered Times Learning with Treescapes in Environmentally Endangered Times," is intended to be hopeful. Articles in this issue contribute to the envisioning of new practices and to an architecture of knowledge to waymark a more sustainable route into the future. Trees are vital for the present and future health of the planet, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. They store carbon and breathe out oxygen. Their leaves filter dangerous pollutants. Their branches provide shade and a shelter for a myriad of other beings, allowing diverse species to thrive. They provide cooling, control erosion, and filter water. Articles in this issue include stories from teachers and their students about learning with trees, and descriptions of how engagements with trees can transform research and ways of thinking, feeling, and being. Across multiple pieces, authors reflect on how connecting with trees facilitates greater connection among humans and between humans and the more-than-human occupants of our planet.
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- 2023
6. Indicators of Inclusion in Education: A Framework for Analysis. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 300
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Directorate for Education and Skills, Cecilia Mezzanotte, and Claire Calvel
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Calls for increased monitoring and evaluation of education policies and practices have not, so far, included widespread and consistent assessments of the inclusiveness of education settings. Measuring inclusion in education has proven to be a challenging exercise, due not only to the complexity and different uses of the concept, but also to its holistic nature. Indeed, measuring inclusion implies analysing a variety of policy areas within education systems, while also considering the different roles of the system, the school and the classroom. This paper discusses the application of the input-process-outcome model to the measurement of inclusion in education, and key indicators that can be adopted by education systems and schools to this end. It makes considerations relevant to policy makers when designing indicators to measure inclusion, such as the extent of their application, the constraints related to data disaggregation and the relevance of intersectional approaches to inclusion.
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- 2023
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7. Catching up on Lost Learning Opportunities: Research and Policy Evidence on Key Learning Recovery Strategies. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 292
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Minea-Pic, Andreea
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Climate change and natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical shocks have increasingly disrupted school education around the world in recent years. Whether leading to school closures, school destructions or repeated interruptions in students' learning experiences, these external shocks have translated into lost learning opportunities for students. In this context, education systems face heightened pressure to become ever more resilient, enhance the efficiency of public spending and address emerging learning gaps. This working paper highlights key education strategies for helping students catch up on lost learning opportunities and bridge learning gaps, based on a review of research and policy evidence from OECD and non-OECD countries. It examines a range of academic strategies to address learning gaps, including: (1) adapting instructional strategies and pedagogies to individual needs; (2) extending and adapting the time of instruction; and (3) providing curricular flexibility and enabling fluid learning pathways within the school system. It provides research evidence on the effectiveness of such strategies, together with examples of their large-scale implementation and cost-effectiveness considerations. While this paper presents programmes of general interest for all countries, a separate policy brief targets learning recovery strategies for students in Ukraine.
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- 2023
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8. Economic Benefits of Meeting the Ambitions Set out in the Schools White Paper
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Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)
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This government's Levelling Up mission for schools is that, by 2030, 90% of children will leave primary school having achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, up from 65% in 2019. In addition, this white paper sets an ambition to increase the national GCSE average grade in both English language and in maths from 4.5 in 20193 to 5, for all secondary school pupils by 2030. In this report it is estimated the economic returns associated with achieving these ambitions. To achieve the Levelling Up mission, around one in four pupils will need to make sufficient improvements in Key Stage 2 (KS2) attainment by 2030 to reach the expected standard. It is estimated that the size of the attainment improvement will need to be equivalent to 0.87 of a standard deviation, or around 10 months of progress.
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- 2022
9. The Changing Nature and Role of Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Volume 7: VET from a Lifelong Learning Perspective: Continuing VET Concepts, Providers and Participants in Europe 1995-2015. Cedefop Research Paper No. 74
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Department for VET Systems and Institutions (DSI)
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This research paper is one in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of how CVET is conceptualised in various international level policy documents and how it is referred to across countries. It discusses national conceptions of CVET, the providers, participation by IVET graduates in non-formal education and training (NFE), and participation of adults in VET education institutions in European Union Member States, Iceland and Norway. The paper describes how the provision of CVET by different types of provider has changed over the past two decades, discussing the main drivers of this change and speculating about possible future trends. One of the main findings is that there are many dominant conceptions of CVET across Europe and the use of this term is not consistent, sometimes not even within countries. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH, led by Dr Jorg Markowitch; the consortium includes the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]
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- 2019
10. Managing Student Transitions into Upper Secondary Pathways. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 289
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Directorate for Education and Skills and Perico E Santos, Anna Vitoria
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Many factors influence students' experiences in upper secondary education and beyond, including upper secondary curricula, programme design and support for students. But a good transition from earlier levels of education is the first, essential step in a successful journey through upper secondary education and into further education and/or employment. The design of transition systems can mitigate existing inequities in education, but it can also accentuate them. Transitions can also influence student well-being. They can have either a negative impact, for example through highly competitive systems that can be stressful for students and narrow their development, or a positive impact, for example by helping to construct young people's sense of agency and ability to make informed decisions about their future. This paper looks at how countries manage students' transition into upper secondary education and the main policy implications of each transition point and how they can influence student outcomes.
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- 2023
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11. A Framework for Developing Student-Faculty Partnerships in Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes Assessment. Occasional Paper No. 53
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National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, Curtis, Nicholas, and Anderson, Robin
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In her April 2010 NILOA paper, "Opening Doors to Faculty Involvement in Assessment," Pat Hutchings called for institutions to involve students in assessment, citing the potential to increase faculty engagement. In Curtis and Anderson (2020), the first author interviewed numerous partnership experts in both the United Kingdom and the United States regarding student-faculty partnerships and the extent to which students currently engage in the assessment process. Findings from the study make it clear that there currently exists little student-faculty partnership in assessment at the program- or system-levels. Combining existing research on partnership and the expert responses from the Curtis et al. study, we present a framework, based on prototyping, for developing student-faculty partnerships in program-level student learning outcomes assessment.
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- 2021
12. Singing from the Same Hymn Sheet? UK Policy Responses to the NEET Agenda. SKOPE Research Paper No. 130
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE), Maguire, Sue, and Keep, Ewart
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This paper provides an overview of government policy on young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) across the four UK nations. The paper argues that policy in England on this topic is less well-developed and coherent than in the other UK nations, and that the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic will serve to amplify the negative impacts of a set of underlying changes that have been taking place in the youth labour market and in employers' recruitment and selection practices. In addition, the paper notes that in much of the activity directed at reducing those with NEET status has been funded through the EU's European Social Fund and that uncertainty now clouds the continuance of these schemes, and that in England government has increasingly relied on the charities to help fill gaps in outreach and provision.
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- 2021
13. A Half Century of Progress in U.S. Student Achievement: Ethnic and SES Differences; Agency and Flynn Effects. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 21-01
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Harvard University, Program on Education Policy and Governance, Shakeel, M. Danish, and Peterson, Paul E.
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Principals (policy makers) have debated the progress in U.S. student performance for a half century or more. Informing these conversations, survey agents have administered seven million psychometrically linked tests in math and reading in 160 waves to national probability samples of selected cohorts born between 1954 and 2007. This study is the first to assess consistency of results by agency. We find results vary by agent, but consistent with Flynn effects, gains are larger in math than reading, except for the most recent period. Non-whites progress at a faster pace. Socio-economically disadvantaged white, black, and Hispanic students make greater progress when tested in elementary school, but that advantage attenuates and reverses itself as students age. We discuss potential moderators.
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- 2021
14. The True Returns to the Choice of Occupation and Education. Discussion Paper No. 1746
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Clark, Andrew E., Cotofan, Maria, and Layard, Richard
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Which occupations are best for wellbeing? There is a large literature on earnings differentials, but less attention has been paid to occupational differences in non-pecuniary rewards. However, information on both types of rewards is needed to understand the dispersion of wellbeing across occupations. We analyse subjective wellbeing in a large representative sample of UK workers to construct a measure of "full earnings", the sum of earnings and the value of non-pecuniary rewards, in 90 different occupations. We first find that the dispersion of earnings underestimates the extent of inequality in the labour market: the dispersion of full earnings is one-third larger than the dispersion of earnings. Equally, the gender and ethnic gaps in the labour market are larger than data on earnings alone would suggest, and the true returns to completed secondary education (though not to a degree) are underestimated by earnings differences on their own. Finally, we show that our main results are similar, and stronger, for a representative sample of US workers. [Funding for this report was provided by an Écoles Universitaires de Recherche, EUR (University Research Schools, EUR) grant.]
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- 2021
15. Reforming the UCAS Personal Statement: Making the Case for a Series of Short Questions. HEPI Debate Paper 31
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom), Fryer, Tom, Westlake, Steve, and Jones, Steven
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There are increasing calls for the UCAS personal statement to be reformed. These calls are based on the claim that the current personal statement gives unfair advantages to more privileged applicants within higher education admissions. While this topic has attracted political attention, there is much about the personal statement that remains unknown. Of the evidence that does exist, it suggests that applicants from under-represented backgrounds face larger challenges with their personal statements, and that this results in fewer offers from more selective higher education providers. However, there has been less attention on understanding applicants' perspectives and the specific challenges they face in writing their UCAS personal statement. This report offers two new pieces of evidence to address this gap: (1) By analysing 164 personal statement drafts from 83 applicants from under-represented backgrounds, this report outlines the challenges applicants face when writing a UCAS personal statement. Particular challenges were found on including an appropriate academic discussion, with 83 per cent of drafts failing to supply an evidence-based opinion about a topic in their subject area. Similarly, applicants struggled to organise their statement in an effective way, with 35 per cent of applicants struggling in at least one draft to write with cohesive paragraphs; and (2) Surveys and interviews with under-represented applicants. The applicants describe three main challenges in writing their statements: (a) the opening paragraph; (b) meeting the character limit; and (c) knowing what would impress the admissions tutors. Applicants tell of the large toll of the personal statement, with some spending 30 to 40 hours on it, which requires sacrifices in both their studies and their wider lives. Combining this new evidence and the existing literature, the report then assesses the case for reforming the UCAS personal statement by considering its compatibility with Universities UK and GuildHE's "Fair admissions code of practice." Four options for reform are considered, and it is argued that a series of short-response questions is most compatible with the "Fair admissions code of practice." To be compatible, these short-response questions should assess 'baseline' suitability for a course rather than being used to distinguish between applicants that demonstrate competencies above this. The report concludes with three example short-response questions, arguing that these have considerable potential to increase fairness in higher education admissions. [For the related policy note, see ED630778.]
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- 2022
16. COVID-19 -- Potential Consequences for Education, Training, and Skills. SKOPE Issues Paper 36
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and Keep, Ewart
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The main focus of the paper is on youth unemployment and wider transitions into work, but it also has some thoughts on adult unemployment and re-training. This paper is founded upon a basic assumption -- namely that if the public money available across the United Kingdom to support measures around skills and unemployment is finite, then targeting those most at risk and defining which kinds of measures are the most cost-effective will be important. The information already available (Wilson et al, 2020) suggests that it is known which sectors, occupations, localities and kinds of people will most likely be hardest hit by the coming recession. The main issues will be deciding: (1) What groups to prioritise, which interventions will work best and most cost-effectively, and also which can be delivered to swiftly address the immediate problems liable to emerge as the furlough scheme is wound down and school, college and university leavers hit a disrupted labour market; and (2) what additional measures will be needed in the longer term as some groups experience extended periods of unemployment.
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- 2020
17. Perspectives on the Year Abroad: A Selection of Papers from YAC2018
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Research-publishing.net (France), Salin, Sandra, Hall, Damien, Hampton, Cathy, Salin, Sandra, Hall, Damien, Hampton, Cathy, and Research-publishing.net (France)
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This volume draws together a selection of papers from YAC2018, the first meeting in the annual Year Abroad Conference series, which took place at Newcastle University in September 2018. The contributions collected here examine some of the opportunities, gains, and challenges the Year Abroad brings for both students and staff. They are presented around the five broad themes around which YAC2018 was organised: mental health, year abroad preparation, student perception of the year abroad, year abroad assessment, and employability. This volume will be of interest to academics and professional services staff involved in the preparation, administration, and management of the year abroad. [Newcastle University and the School of Modern Languages in particular provided organisational and financial support in the preparation of the event.]
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- 2020
18. Generation COVID: Emerging Work and Education Inequalities. A CEP COVID-19 Analysis. Paper No. 011
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Major, Lee Elliot, Eyles, Andrew, and Machin, Stephen
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The purpose of this brief paper is to present initial findings from the recently collected London School of Economics and Political Science-Centre for Economic Performance (LSE-CEP) Social Mobility survey, which was undertaken as part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) project 'Generation COVID and Social Mobility: Evidence and Policy'. These are the first results from a project that is producing a detailed assessment of COVID-19's impact on education and economic inequalities and offering an assessment for the longer term consequences for social mobility in the UK. Alongside the survey findings, the authors have also analysed economic and education outcomes of individuals in April 2020 in the Understanding Society (USoc) national household panel data. Before the pandemic, younger generations were already facing declining absolute social mobility and real wage decline (Elliot Major and Machin, 2018, 2020a). Education inequalities were also widening. Here new findings are presented on inequalities in the workplace and the classroom that have emerged following the pandemic.
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- 2020
19. The Inclusion of LGBTQI+ Students across Education Systems: An Overview. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 273
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), McBrien, Jody, Rutigliano, Alexandre, and Sticca, Adam
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Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or somewhere else on the gender/sexuality spectrum (LGBTQI+) are among the diverse student groups in need of extra support and protection in order to succeed in education and reach their full potential. Because they belong to a minority that is often excluded by heteronormative/cisgender people, they are often the targets of physical and psychological harassment. Such discrimination can place them at risk for isolation, reduced academic achievement, and physical and mental harm. This paper provides a brief history of how the LGBTQI+ population has often been misunderstood and labelled in order to understand challenges faced by students who identify as a part of this population. It continues by considering supportive educational policies and programmes implemented from national to local levels across OECD countries. Finally, the paper considers policy gaps and discusses policy implications to strengthen equity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ students.
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- 2022
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20. Could Universities Do More to End Homelessness? HEPI Debate Paper 30
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom) and Hurst, Greg
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Applications to local authorities for homelessness assistance per head are significantly higher in university towns and cities in England compared with areas without a university (1,428 per 100,000, compared with 1,007). Rates of households living in temporary accommodation are more than twice as high (475 per 100,000, compared with 218). The prevalence of rough sleeping is more than three times greater (13 per 100,000, compared with 5). Similar patterns are found in Scotland and, to some degree, in Wales. In this Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) Debate Paper Greg Hurst, a former Education Editor at The Times, calls on universities to do much more to tackle homelessness in a variety of ways. [Foreword written by Mary Stuart.]
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- 2022
21. Key Competences in Initial Vocational Education and Training: Digital, Multilingual and Literacy. Cedefop Research Paper. No 78
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
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Key competences are important for personal development, employment, integration into society and lifelong learning. They are transversal and form the basis for all other competences. Acquiring key competences is possible through various learning pathways, including vocational education and training (VET). However, little is known at the European level of how VET supports the key competence development. This research paper investigates three key competences: digital, multilingual and literacy. It analyses the extent to which they are included in initial upper secondary VET in the EU-27, Iceland, Norway and the UK, as well as national policies supporting their development since 2011. It focuses on four areas of intervention: standards, programme delivery, assessment and teacher/trainer competences.
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- 2020
22. Neo-Nationalism and Universities in Europe. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.7.2020
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University of California, Berkeley. Center for Studies in Higher Education and van der Wende, Marijk
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The European Union is likely the most far-developed cross-border public space for higher education. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA) both span an even larger number of countries including associate and partner countries of the EU. Based on shared European values, such as academic freedom, cross-border cooperation, and mobility, these policy frameworks have been developed in Europe over the last decades and with much success. HE systems in this area are thus well-positioned to benefit from cross-border mobility and collaboration but may at the same time face a certain loss of control over HE, for instance with respect to access due to the cross-border flows of students. This seems to make them vulnerable to populist tendencies and neo-nationalist politics seeking to inhibit the free movement of students, scholars, and data. Such tendencies have never been completely absent on the "old continent" but resurged over the uneven outcomes of globalization, the effects of the global financial and consequent Euro crisis, and the refugee crisis. Meanwhile, the impact of the coronavirus crisis is still by and large unknown. Populist tendencies seem now to be turning against the EU, with its freedom of movement for persons (i.e. open borders) as one of its cornerstones and are therefore of concern for the HE sector. Countries such as the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands have a different position in the European landscape but are all struggling with the complexity of combining the virtues of an open system with constrained national sovereignty. Sovereignty is required in terms of steering capacity in order to balance access, cost, and quality, i.e. the well-known "higher education trilemma." In open systems this is challenged by the "globalization trilemma", which states that countries cannot have national sovereignty, (hyper)globalization and democracy at the same time. How are the EU, its Member States, and the HE sector responding? Will the Union stay united (i.e. Brexit)? Are the legal competencies of the EU in HE strong enough? What about the many European university associations, leagues, and networks? And what do the millions of (former) Erasmus students have to say?
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- 2020
23. Inequalities in Student to Course Match: Evidence from Linked Administrative Data. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1647
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Campbell, Stuart, Macmillan, Lindsey, Murphy, Richard, and Wyness, Gill
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This paper examines inequalities in the match between student quality and university quality using linked administrative data from schools, universities and tax authorities. We analyse two measures of match at the university-subject (course) level, based on student academic attainment, and graduate earnings. We find that students from lower socio-economic groups systematically undermatch for both measures across the distribution of attainment, with particularly stark socio-economic gaps for the most undermatched. While there are negligible gender gaps in academic match, high-attaining women systematically undermatch in terms of expected earnings, largely driven by subject choice.
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- 2019
24. Empowering Individual Workers through Skills -- A New Labour Project Revisited. SKOPE Research Paper No. 129
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and Keep, Ewart
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This article explores the efficacy and cost effectiveness of New Labour's skills-based policies to help low paid workers adjust to the pressures generated by globalisation, of which the leading example was Train to Gain (T2G). It also analyses the more general issue of how, why and under what circumstances education, training and skills can help imbue low paid workers with greater bargaining power within the labour market.
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- 2019
25. Widening the High School Curriculum to Include Soft Skill Training: Impacts on Health, Behaviour, Emotional Wellbeing and Occupational Aspirations. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1630
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Lordan, Grace, and McGuire, Alistair
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From 2020 the health and relationships aspects of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education will be compulsory in UK schools for adolescents. However less is known about how it can be taught in an effective manner. We examine, through a randomised trial, the impact of an evidenced based health related quality of life (HRQoL) curriculum called "Healthy Minds" that ran in 34 high schools in England over a four-year period. We find robust evidence that "Healthy Minds" positively augments many physical health domains of treated adolescents. We also find some evidence that "Healthy Minds" positively affects behaviour, but has no significant impact on emotional wellbeing. We find notable gender effects, strongly favouring boys. We also present evidence that "Healthy Minds" changes career aspirations, with those exposed to treatment being less likely to choose competitive work and more likely to choose work that involves "people-skills". Overall our work illustrates the potential for later childhood interventions to promote HRQoL and develop the career aspirations of adolescents.
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- 2019
26. The Social and Economic Rationale of Inclusive Education: An Overview of the Outcomes in Education for Diverse Groups of Students. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 263
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Directorate for Education and Skills and Mezzanotte, Cecilia
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Since UNESCO's Salamanca Declaration in 1994, inclusive education has progressively attracted attention in international debates around education policy. While some evidence exists on the positive impact that inclusive education reforms can have on the academic and personal outcomes of diverse students -- and in particular of students with special education needs -- limited information is available on the economic sustainability of such reforms. Starting from the literature on the correlations between education and individuals' life outcomes, this paper reviews the existing evidence on the potential benefits and costs of inclusive education reforms. Specifically, the paper discusses the evidence on the shortcomings of current education settings for diverse groups of students -- with specific sections on students with special education needs; immigrant and refugee students; ethnic groups, national minorities and Indigenous peoples; gifted students; female and male students; and LGBTQI+ (which stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex') students. It highlights the individual and societal costs deriving from the low academic, social and emotional outcomes of these students and the socio-economic costs these yield for societies. Where possible, the paper also presents evidence on the effects of inclusive education reforms on diverse student groups.
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- 2022
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27. Teaching Assistants, Computers and Classroom Management: Evidence from a Randomised Control Trial. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1562
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (United Kingdom), Johnson, Helen, McNally, Sandra, Rolfe, Heather, Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer, Savage, Robert, Vousden, Janet, and Wood, Clare
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Many students still leave school without a good grasp of basic literacy, despite the negative implications for future educational and labour market outcomes. We evaluate a programme that involves changing how resources are used within classrooms to reinforce the teaching of literacy. Specifically, the programme involves training teaching assistants to deliver a tightly structured package of materials to groups of young children. Further, we compare the effectiveness of computer-aided instruction using available software with the paper equivalent. We implement the experiment in the context of a Randomised Control Trial in English schools. Both interventions have a short-term impact on children's reading scores, although the effect is bigger for the paper intervention and more enduring in the subsequent year. This paper shows how teaching assistants can be used to better effect within schools, and at a low cost.
- Published
- 2018
28. Exploring Historical Colonial Relationships in North-South School Partnerships. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning. Practitioner Research Fund Paper 13
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and England, Ruth
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This small-scale qualitative research study examines the extent to which teachers involved in Global North-South School Partnerships engage with learning about shared colonial histories. Existing research in this field suggests that teachers' lack of knowledge and confidence leads to historical context being largely absent from such projects. Further, it is suggested that such omissions can fuel unhelpful stereotypes and assumptions about Global South regions and peoples. In this study, Postcolonial theory has been used to reflect on the importance of including historical colonial context for learning in Global North-South Partnerships and its potential for helping to develop historically conscious practice and a more critical view of development and global issues. The study involved interviews with two UK-based teachers involved in school partnerships to discuss and explore the challenges and barriers they faced in engaging with historical colonial relationships in Global North-South Partnerships and also the benefits to diverse British communities. The recommendations build on the findings from these discussions and aim to contribute to shifting Global North-South Partnerships from sites that potentially uphold, reinforce and reproduce colonial framing, to sites that critically engage with colonial history and its legacy. [This paper was published by Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning in collaboration with the Development Education Research Centre (DERC). The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) programme is funded by the British Council and UK aid.]
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- 2022
29. Exploring the Impact a School Partnership Can Have on the School Community in Challenging Stereotypical Images. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Practitioner Research Fund Paper 12
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Cook, Stewart
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This research project aims to evaluate the impact that a British Council Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning project had on the children and parents' stereotypical views and images of the Middle East. This study focuses on a largely monocultural school in rural Lincolnshire and a large, diverse school in the centre of Beirut, Lebanon. It begins by identifying the children and parents' initial perceptions and views of the Middle East. After a series of small-scale projects to widen children's knowledge of the area, pupils and parents' perceptions are collected again, using the same method. These results are then analysed and compared to see if the project can impact on the stereotypical views of the parents and pupils. [This paper was published by Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning in collaboration with the Development Education Research Centre (DERC). The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) programme is funded by the British Council and UK aid.]
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- 2022
30. The Prospects for Skills and Employment in an Age of Digital Disruption: A Cautionary Note. SKOPE Research Paper No. 127
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE), Brown, Phillip, Lloyd, Caroline, and Souto-Otero, Manuel
- Abstract
Almost in a blink of the eye the policy focus on the 'knowledge' economy, with mass ranks of high skilled workers, has given way to claims of widespread 'technological unemployment'. This Working Paper will examine competing claims on the relationship between automation, skills and the future of work. It examines the research evidence on the scale of job losses anticipated as a consequence of digital disruption. It presents three scenarios of the impact of digital disruption on future skill requirements, before considering how evidence on automation and digital disruption is used to influence and inform UK government policy interventions on skills, employment and labour markets. In conclusion, we recommend caution in interpreting existing evidence. While high profile reports on digital disruption make for eye-catching headlines, they make for poor policy formulation. A key message is that technology is not destiny. It is human decisions that will determine the future of work.
- Published
- 2018
31. Indicators of Teenage Career Readiness: An Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Eight Countries. OECD Education Working Papers. No. 258
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Covacevich, Catalina, Mann, Anthony, Santos, Cristina, and Champaud, Jonah
- Abstract
The aim of the OECD Career Readiness project is to identify patterns of teenage attitudes and activities that are associated with better transitions into employment by analysing multiple national longitudinal datasets. This paper looks for further evidence of the link between teenage activities, experiences and career-related thinking and adult career outcomes by analysing 10 new datasets from eight countries. Overall, the results of this paper find further evidence that secondary school students who explore, experience and think about their futures in work frequently encounter lower levels of unemployment, receive higher wages and are happier in their careers as adults. The findings of this paper are analysed together with the evidence from the two previous working papers of the Career Readiness project, concluding that there is international evidence to support 11 out of the 14 potential indicators that were explored as indicators of career readiness.
- Published
- 2021
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32. Looking through Both Lenses: Exploring Long Term School Partnerships from the Perspectives of Both Cumbrian and Tanzanian Teachers. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning. Practitioner Research Fund Paper 10
- Author
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Ager, Jen
- Abstract
This research project aims to illustrate the journey of school partnerships between primary schools in Cumbria, UK and Moshi, Tanzania. Using a qualitative approach, the study shares the processes involved from making first contact with an oversees link school to expanding a successful model of partnership working to a cluster of schools in both countries. The shift of moving from a charitable giving approach to one of social justice, and how this has been achieved, is a suggested method for other schools who currently have school partnerships or are due to embark on the journey. This research focuses on three main themes: sustainability; reciprocity, and equity. By using an insider researcher to construct the narrative of the research and explore the themes, an honest, subjective insight highlighting the successes, obstacles and scope for longevity is shared.
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- 2022
33. A Study Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Overseas School Partnerships. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning. Practitioner Research Fund Paper 2
- Author
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Meredith, Alyson
- Abstract
The aim of this research was to assess how the COVID-19 global pandemic impacted overseas school partnerships in 2020, through to January 2021. It was undertaken with teachers involved in the British Council Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) programme to provide insight into how and why partnerships have been impacted. It also looks at what these teachers perceive to be the challenges that make it difficult for schools to maintain partnerships in a time of global crisis and provides examples of how schools have overcome these challenges. Online questionnaires were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data and were distributed to teachers in UK using a network of British Council Local Advisors. 52 questionnaire responses were collected and analysed to explore the impact of the global pandemic on overseas school partnerships.
- Published
- 2022
34. Bridging Research and Practice in Science Education: Selected Papers from the ESERA 2017 Conference. Contributions from Science Education Research. Volume 6
- Author
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McLoughlin, Eilish, Finlayson, Odilla E., Erduran, Sibel, Childs, Peter E., McLoughlin, Eilish, Finlayson, Odilla E., Erduran, Sibel, and Childs, Peter E.
- Abstract
This edited volume presents innovative current research in the field of Science Education. The chapter's deal with a wide variety of topics and research approaches, conducted in a range of contexts and settings. Together they make a strong contribution to knowledge on science teaching and learning. The book consists of selected presentations from the 12th European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, held in Dublin, Ireland from 21st to 25th August, 2017. The ESERA community is made up of professionals with diverse disciplinary backgrounds from natural sciences to social sciences. This diversity enables a rich understanding of cognitive and affective aspects of science teaching and learning. The studies in this book will stimulate discussion and interest in finding new ways of implementing and researching science education for the future. The twenty-two chapters in this book are presented in four parts highlighting innovative approaches to school science, emerging identities in science education, approaches to developing learning and competence progressions, and ways of enhancing science teacher education. This collection of studies showcases current research orientations in science education and is of interest to science teachers, teacher educators and science education researchers around the world with a commitment to bridging research and practice in science teaching and learning. [Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]
- Published
- 2019
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35. Mixed Media: What Universities Need to Know about Journalists so They Can Get a Better Press. HEPI Debate Paper 26
- Author
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom) and Bennett, Rosemary
- Abstract
In this HEPI debate paper on the media and higher education, Rosemary Bennett provides a commentary on the interaction of the two sectors and proposes ideas on how universities might best engage with journalists to promote themselves and their research. [Foreword by Adam Tickell.]
- Published
- 2021
36. 'Best paper' prize winners for 2023 and in the current issue: entry to UK ENT specialist training.
- Author
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Fisher EW and Fishman J
- Subjects
- Humans, United Kingdom, Awards and Prizes
- Published
- 2024
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37. Weekly Policy Papers.
- Subjects
EDUCATION ,TEACHERS ,EDUCATIONAL leadership ,CHILD abuse - Abstract
The article focuses on providing details of policy papers published in the past week, covering topics such as the 2024 pay award for teachers and leaders, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement overview, and duties to report child abuse in England. It categorizes the papers into sections, including those from the UK Government, parliamentary libraries, and other think tanks or non-governmental bodies, offering comprehensive insights into recent policy developments within the education sector.
- Published
- 2024
38. Titles of Scientific Letters and Research Papers in Astrophysics: A Comparative Study of Some Linguistic Aspects and Their Relationship with Collaboration Issues
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Méndez, David I. and Alcaraz, M. Ángeles
- Abstract
In this study we compare the titles of scientific letters and those of research papers published in the field of astrophysics in order to identify the possible differences and/or similarities between both genres in terms of several linguistic and extra-linguistic variables (length, lexical density, number of prepositions, number of compound groups, number of authors and number of countries mentioned in the paper bylines). We also carry out a cross-genre and cross-journal analysis of the referred six variables. Our main findings may be summarized as follows: (1) When compared to research paper titles, scientific letter titles are usually shorter, they have a lower lexical density, they include a higher number of prepositions per number of words and a lower number of compound groups per number of words, although they have more up to 4-word compound groups, i.e. the simplest ones. As a consequence, scientific letter titles include less information, which is also less condensed, than research paper titles. (2) The predominance of compound adjectives over compound nouns in the titles of both genres highlights the scientificity of astrophysical discourse. (3) In general terms, our data show a positive correlation between title length and the number of countries mentioned in the bylines for both genres. The positive correlation between title length and number of authors is only met in the case of research papers. In light of these findings, it may be concluded that scientific letters are a clear example of a timeliness and more "immediate" science, whereas research papers are connected to a more timeless and "elaborate" science. It may also be concluded that two different collaboration scenarios are intertwining on the basis of three separate geographic and linguistic publication contexts (Mainland Europe, The United Kingdom and The United States of North America).
- Published
- 2017
39. The Changing Nature and Role of Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Volume 5: Education and Labour Market Outcomes for Graduates from Different Types of VET System in Europe. Cedefop Research Paper. No 69
- Author
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Department for VET Systems and Institutions (DSI)
- Abstract
This research paper is the fifth in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). Based on comparative analysis of labour force survey data from 2014, the report analyses the vocational effect on labour market and education outcomes, asking whether any advantages conferred by vocational qualifications in early career would be offset by disadvantages later in life. The report explores the functioning of the safety net and the diversion effects across countries, demonstrating how these vary considerably with the specific institutional structure of schooling and work-based training. The results indicate that VET graduates are potentially sacrificing the longer-term gains associated with further education in favour of short-term benefits. [This research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH and including the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]
- Published
- 2018
40. Meeting Skills and Employability Demands: Thematic Peer Group Report. Learning & Teaching Paper #13
- Author
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European University Association (EUA) (Belgium)
- Abstract
The 2020 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on "Meeting skills and employability demands" explored how universities can ensure that their study programmes reflect the dynamic demands of society and the labour market, and address skills demands throughout the student experience. In this paper, employability is considered as part of universities' mission to educate and to contribute in general to future graduates' personal and professional development, including in lifelong learning. It outlines challenges associated with this mission and provides recommendations to tackle them.
- Published
- 2021
41. Engineering Graduates for UK Manufacturing: 'Further Confirmation of the Evident Minimal Impact of Possible Workforce-Planning Policy Responses to Sectoral Shortage Reports.' SKOPE Research Paper No. 125
- Author
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and Dixson, Matthew
- Abstract
This paper examines evidence from the HESA DLHE six-month Censuses and 3½ year ('longitudinal') surveys relating to three aspects of the flows of those who have left university with Higher Education Engineering qualifications, to test the robustness of the conclusions of SKOPE Research Paper No. 122 (Dixon, 2015), which showed strong evidence that most Engineering graduates do not go on to work in the sectors of the economy that might be expected, in particular in the 'natural' Manufacturing sub-sector. Specifically, the paper examines three questions: (1) whether evidence of starting salary levels for those from particular disciplines going into particular sectors could explain the relative flows (on the assumption that higher salaries for graduate vacancies in a particular sector would attract more applications); (2) whether evidence of sector destinations three years on from the (six-month after graduation) Census data analysed in Dixon (2015) would show up significantly different levels of 'leakage'; and (3) whether those entering employment having completed Taught Masters (as opposed to First Degree) courses in particular Engineering disciplines would tend (in the light of their apparent greater interest and deeper understanding in the specific discipline) to enter the "expected" sectors more than their Bachelors colleagues. The "bottom line" answers to these questions is that -- with rather minor exceptions -- none of the relevant broader evidence from HESA DLHE data over a ten-year period significantly questions the very considerable 'leakage', away from the 'natural' Manufacturing sub-sector, that was found and presented in Dixon (2015). (1) There is "some" correlation between the "average salaries offered" (by employers in each 'destination' sector to cohorts from each Engineering discipline examined) and the "size of the flows" from each discipline into each sector, but it is limited and rarely strong. While there might be reasons why average salary differences might not be large enough to provide a sufficient incentive for Engineering graduates to choose one sector over another, evidence of considerably greater correlation would have been helpful to justify the traditional response of classical economics to employers' concerns about shortages: "offer more money"! (2) While there are sample size issues constraining the statistical precision of comparisons between the two DLHE surveys, these have been addressed, and comparisons of the "linear flows" of graduates from each discipline into the natural Manufacturing sub-sector show (a) comparatively very small differences, and (b) on balance, slightly "greater" 'leakage' three years on; and (3) More MSc's in "Automotive" and "Aerospace Engineering" have, over the ten years examined, then gone into the "Manufacture of Motor Vehicles"... and "Air and Space craft manufacture" (respectively) than BEng's from these disciplines. However, for the other disciplines compared, there is little difference, and -- in terms of entry into Manufacturing as a whole, for the most recent year in the period - the fraction of the disciplinary cohorts entering "any type of Manufacturing" is slightly "higher" for MSc's than First Degree (FD) graduates in "three" Engineering disciplines, though "lower" for MSc's than FD's in "four"! This new evidence, therefore, only serves to "strengthen" the great importance of NOT assuming linear flows of Engineering graduates into the "natural" Manufacturing sub-sectors corresponding to their discipline, in particular in policy responses to reports of shortages from such sub-sectors.
- Published
- 2017
42. Education and Skills: The UK Policy Agenda. Election Analyses Series. Paper No. CEPEA041
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), McNally, Sandra, and Wyness, Gill
- Abstract
The UK's overall school budget has been protected in real terms but does not provide for funding per pupil to increase in line with inflation. Because pupil numbers are increasing, large falls in expenditure per pupil are expected over the next few years unless more funding is allocated. The situation facing post-16 education is a lot worse. A more widespread adoption of grammar schools is very likely to increase socio-economic segregation by school type and is unlikely to lead to any increase in average educational attainment in the country. Although increasing intermediate skills among young people and adults is needed, many concerns have been raised about the how apprenticeship policy is being implemented. This includes an emphasis on quantity over quality and differences in the provision of training opportunities for large employers compared with small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Published
- 2017
43. Evaluation of Dried Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Filter Paper Spots for Storing and Transporting Clinical Material for the Molecular Diagnosis of Invasive Meningococcal Disease.
- Author
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Kwambana-Adams, Brenda A., Clark, Stephen A., Tay, Nicole, Agbla, Schadrac, Chaguza, Chrispin, Kagucia, Eunice W., Borrow, Ray, and Heyderman, Robert S.
- Subjects
- *
MENINGOCOCCAL infections , *FILTER paper , *MOLECULAR diagnosis , *CEREBROSPINAL fluid examination , *CEREBROSPINAL fluid , *NEISSERIA meningitidis , *NUCLEOTIDE sequencing , *WHOLE genome sequencing - Abstract
To improve the storage and transport of clinical specimens for the diagnosis of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) infections in resource-limited settings, we have evaluated the performance of dried blood spot (DBS) and dried cerebrospinal fluid spot (DCS) assays. DBS and DCS were prepared on filter paper from liquid specimens previously tested for Nm in the United Kingdom. Nm was detected and genogrouped by real-time PCR performed on crude genomic DNA extracted from the DBS (n = 226) and DCS (n = 226) specimens. Targeted whole-genome sequencing was performed on a subset of specimens, DBS (n = 4) and DCS (n = 6). The overall agreement between the analysis of liquid and dried specimens was (94.2%; 95% CI 90.8–96.7) for blood and (96.4%; 95% CI 93.5–98.0) for cerebrospinal fluid. Relative to liquid specimens as the reference, the DBS and DCS assays had sensitivities of (89.1%; 95% CI 82.7–93.8) and (94.2%; 95% CI 88.9–97.5), respectively, and both assays had specificities above 98%. A genogroup was identified by dried specimen analysis for 81.9% of the confirmed meningococcal infections. Near full-length Nm genome sequences (>86%) were obtained for all ten specimens tested which allowed determination of the sequence type, clonal complex, presence of antimicrobial resistance and other meningococcal genotyping. Dried blood and CSF filter spot assays offer a practical alternative to liquid specimens for the molecular and genomic characterisation of invasive meningococcal diseases in low-resource settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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44. Simultaneous and Comparable Numerical Indicators of International, National and Local Collaboration Practices in English-Medium Astrophysics Research Papers
- Author
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Méndez, David I. and Alcaraz, M. Ángeles
- Abstract
Introduction: We report an investigation on collaboration practices in research papers published in the most prestigious English-medium astrophysics journals. Method: We propose an evaluation method based on three numerical indicators to study and compare, in absolute terms, three different types of collaboration (international, national and local) and authors' mobility on the basis of co-authorship. Analysis: We analysed 300 randomly selected research papers in three different time periods and used the student's t-test to determine whether the paired two-sample differences observed were statistically significant or not. Results: International collaboration is more common than national and local collaboration. International, national and local authors' mobility and intra-national collaboration do not seriously affect the indicators of the principal levels of collaboration. International collaboration and authors' mobility are more relevant for authors publishing in European journals, whereas national and intra-national collaboration and national mobility are more important for authors publishing in US journals. Conclusions: We explain the observed differences and patterns in terms of the specific scope of each journal and the socio-economic and political situation in both geographic contexts (Europe and the USA). Our study provides a global picture of collaboration practices in astrophysics and its possible application to many other sciences and fields would undoubtedly help bring into focus the really big issues for overall research management and policy.
- Published
- 2016
45. Beyond Business as Usual: Higher Education in the Era of Climate Change. HEPI Debate Paper 24
- Author
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom) and Facer, Keri
- Abstract
With climate change continuing to be the biggest global threat, this paper argues that universities and colleges should take a leading role in putting the world on a more sustainable footing. Making use of the latest research and powerful case studies, the author makes a series of recommendations for students, staff and policymakers that would deliver a new approach, from changes to day-to-day operations to the core educational mission and civic role of the university. These recommendations include: (1) Redesigning the day-to-day operations of universities and colleges; (2) Reinvigorating the civic role of institutions; (3) Reshaping the knowledge structures of the university; and (4) Refocusing the educational mission of the institution to support students.
- Published
- 2020
46. Education Policy Evaluation: Surveying the OECD Landscape. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 236
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Golden, Gillian
- Abstract
This paper aims to survey the current landscape of education policy evaluation across OECD countries and economies by examining recent trends and contextual factors that can promote more robust education policy evaluation, as well as identifying key challenges. It takes a view of policy evaluation as an activity that takes place throughout the entire policy cycle, before, during, and after a reform is implemented. It proposes a supporting framework for education policy evaluation that integrates institutional factors which can help to build robust underpinnings for policy evaluation. It also presents some specific considerations to take into account for individual policy evaluation processes. Analysis of more than 80 evaluations across OECD education systems provides an indication of the diversity of approaches taken in the policy evaluation process. Key findings refer to the "who", "when", "what", "how", "for what" and "what next" of policy evaluation processes through a comparative lens.
- Published
- 2020
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47. Identifying Work Skills: International Approaches. Discussion Paper
- Author
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia), Siekmann, Gitta, and Fowler, Craig
- Abstract
The digital revolution and automation are accelerating changes in the labour market and in workplace skills, changes that are further affected by fluctuations in international and regional economic cycles and employment opportunity. These factors pose a universal policy challenge for all advanced economies and governments. In the workplace, people seek to acquire contemporary and relevant skills to gain employment and retain transferable skills to maintain employment. The central purpose of this paper is to investigate how other nations or regions are dealing with these issues. What approaches are they taking to understanding the mix and dynamics of the skills attained by individuals and, more broadly, the totality of skills that in aggregate constitute a highly capable and adaptable labour force, one that supports firm viability and greater national productivity. This research has examined a range of initiatives and approaches being developed or in use in selected countries, including the United States, Singapore and New Zealand, and agencies/organisations; for example, the European Commission and the Skills for the Information Age Foundation. In doing so, it showcases the good practices used to ensure that occupational-level skills information remains current and widely accessible. [For "Identifying Work Skills: International Case Summaries. Support Document," see ED579875.]
- Published
- 2017
48. Libraries: Learning Places of Choice. The Response of the Library and Information Commission [to]'The Learning Age: A Renaissance for a New Britain.' Policy Paper.
- Author
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Library and Information Commission, London (England).
- Abstract
The Library and Information Commission believes that libraries can make a unique contribution to making the vision of lifelong learning a reality in the United Kingdom. Libraries and information services are intimately related to learner needs and already serve as gateways to learning by providing learners with learning materials and personal support and by championing learners in developing individual competence. Libraries should be positioned at the heart of the learning age and supported by evidence-based approaches to show libraries as catalysts for learning. The commission is well placed to help the government develop the policies and programs required for the United Kingdom to play a leading role in the global information economy. The commission supports the following key themes from recent policy consultation papers: libraries must be seen more widely as part of the mosaic of local and national provision; public libraries complement formal educational provision by providing a resource base and a platform for people of all ages to participate in lifelong learning; public libraries have a key role to play in stimulating a personal thirst for learning and self-improvement and helping to create an informed and information technology-literate society; and libraries can play a major role in widening access to essential services. (MN)
- Published
- 1999
49. Re-Heated Meals: Revisiting the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Practical Cookery in Schools. Conference Paper
- Author
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Cambridge Assessment (United Kingdom), Elliott, Gill, and Ireland, Jo
- Abstract
The place of practical cookery within school subjects in England has, in recent years, been debated as part of concerns about the nation's health and obesity. Cookery has been a school subject for over a century, but has only ever held a minority place in the curriculum. In 2017 we surveyed teachers of practical cookery in schools, in a repeat of a survey first carried out in 2007. We asked them about the ingredients used and the skills taught in practical cookery lessons at school and also about the issues they faced delivering practical cookery teaching and assessment through the school food curriculum. We have found that the nature of the products being taught in schools has changed, with less emphasis on sugary baked items than previously, which is consistent with the development of healthy eating initiatives and awareness. However, many of the issues surrounding the teaching of cookery skills in schools identified in 2007, such as insufficient equipment, lesson time and parental support, remain unchanged. In this paper we will present the results of our study in full and discuss the implications of this research and the role of practical cookery teaching and assessment in schools in the future.
- Published
- 2019
50. The Role of Labour Market Information in Guiding Educational and Occupational Choices. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 229
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Hofer, Andrea-Rosalinde, Zhivkovikj, Aleksandra, and Smyth, Roger
- Abstract
Governments recognise that careers guidance, underpinned by accurate labour market information, can help learners make post-secondary education choices that match their interests, aptitudes and abilities, and lead to rewarding employment. For this reason, they have invested in building linked education/employment information systems and other information resources which are displayed on websites targeted to learners and their families. However, researchers and governments agree that these efforts are often ineffective in informing learners' decisions -- access to information is not sufficient to provide effective support to student choice. Drawing upon the insights of behavioural economics, this paper examines how learners access and use information, and what this implies for the design of public study and career choice websites that aim to effectively support student choice. The report also takes stock of the career guidance websites in use in the majority of OECD countries, and sets out to provide actionable advice for policy makers to guide the design of effective information policy levers that support student choice.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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51. Culture and Tourism in the Learning Age: A Discussion Paper.
- Abstract
Cultural services and tourism are among the United Kingdom's fastest growing sectors in terms of employment and consumer demand. Cultural services and tourism bring the following elements to lifelong learning: active rather than passive learning; a means of interpreting the world around us; exposure to cultures other than one's own; confidence and interpersonal skills; innovative uses of new technology; team-building skills; an expanding sector that values training and development; an accessible and inclusive environment; buildings and spaces that cost nothing to enter; a powerful means of communicating ideas; the experience of risk in a controlled environment; an opportunity to test the body and the mind; introduction to the natural world and the world of our ancestors; flexibility; opportunities for independent learners; options for learners to determine their own level of engagement; and fun. The cultural services and tourism sectors should promote their contribution and be represented in Early Years and Learning Partnerships. The forthcoming Learning and Skills Council should seek to establish links with cultural services and tourism. The Best Value initiative and new duty to promote economic, social, and environmental well-being will present local authorities with opportunities to take a holistic approach to strategic planning in the areas of education, lifelong learning, culture, and tourism. (Seven case studies are included.) (MN)
- Published
- 2000
52. Teacher Quality, Test Scores and Non-Cognitive Skills: Evidence from Primary School Teachers in the UK. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1472
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) and Flèche, Sarah
- Abstract
Schooling can produce both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, both of which are important determinants of adult outcomes. Using very rich data from a UK birth cohort study, I estimate teacher value added (VA) models for both pupils' test scores and non-cognitive skills. I show that teachers are equally important in the determination of pupils' test scores and non-cognitive skills. This finding extends the economics literature on teacher effects, which has primarily focused on pupils' test scores and may fail to capture teachers' overall effects. In addition, the large estimates reveal an interesting trade-off: teacher VA on pupils' test scores are weak predictors of teacher VA on non-cognitive skills, which suggests that teachers recourse to different techniques to improve pupils' cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Finally, I find that teachers' effects on pupils' non-cognitive skills have long-run impacts on adult outcomes such as higher education attendance, employment and earnings, conditional on their effects on test scores. This result indicates that long-run outcomes are improved by a combination of teachers increasing pupils' test scores and non-cognitive skills and has large policy implications.
- Published
- 2017
53. Position Paper: Should the Scottish National Party Support Scotland to Legalize, Decriminalize, or Prohibit Cannabis?
- Author
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Jhaveri, Sujata
- Abstract
The UK has the highest rate of cannabis use among young people worldwide. Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports, "Every year more than 100,000 people, most of them adolescents, seek treatment for their inability to control their marijuana use." According to the Scottish Drug Misuse Statistics in Scotland 2002, 51% of individuals under 20 years have used cannabis. Cannabis use is not limited to youth; it is also the single-most used illicit drug among adults. Because of their widespread negative impact, illicit drugs have become a focus of the agenda of the English Parliament and there is ongoing debate on how to combat this problem. As the research assistant of Michael Matheson (MSP), the author compiled this report to gather information on cannabis and to assess approaches that would form the most effective cannabis policy. This research explores whether or not the recent change toward decriminalization is adequate, or if it needs further revising.
- Published
- 2005
54. Developing a disease-specific patient reported outcome measure to enhance understanding of the lived experiences of ANCA associated vasculitis: A protocol paper.
- Author
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Floyd, Lauren, Dhaygude, Ajay, Mitra, Sandip, and Rowland, Christine
- Subjects
- *
PATIENT reported outcome measures , *PATIENT experience , *RENAL replacement therapy , *ANTINEUTROPHIL cytoplasmic antibodies , *PATIENTS' attitudes - Abstract
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) is a chronic, relapsing-remitting condition associated with increased morbidity. Previous research has shown patients with AAV report high levels of fatigue, pain, depression and anxiety. Over recent years successful work has been carried out to improve clinical outcomes, resulting in reduced mortality and end stage kidney disease (ESKD). Despite this, little work has been done to better understand the role of the patient within this condition. The prevalence of AAV is increasing and to date, there is a shortage of specific tools that assess and measure key features relating to patient reported outcomes (PROs). This protocol details how we can better understand the lived experiences of those with AAV through the development of a disease specific, patient reported outcome measure (PROM), to be used in clinic practice. This will allow us to recognise and validate PROs and the impact the disease and its treatment has on patients' health related quality of life (HRQoL). In addition, we aim to identify potential differences in PRO's between demographics, organ involvement and treatment subgroups in AAV as well as outcomes relating to the patient experience. Patients from a single centre in the UK will be recruited to take part in the exploratory qualitative study which will include focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The inclusion criteria comprise anyone with a diagnosis of AAV and willing to participate, including those who have active or relapsing disease, those are economically active, unemployed, retired and patients receiving renal replacement therapy. The aim of the project is to identify key issues patients experience in relation to their disease and its management and how these can be better assessed in a new PROM developed for use in the clinic setting. This will enable better delivery of individualised care and inform shared decision making, while also serving as a platform for future research looking at PROs in other glomerulonephritides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
55. The Quality of Lower-Track Education: Evidence from Britain. Working Paper 30174
- Author
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Clark, Damon
- Abstract
For much of the 20th century, British students were tracked into higher-track (for the "top" 20%) or lower-track (for the rest) secondary schools. Opponents of tracking contend that the lower-track schools in these systems will inevitably provide low-quality education. In this paper I examine this claim using a 1947 reform that increased the minimum school leaving age from 14 to 15. First, I show that over 95% of the students affected by the reform ("compliers") attended lower-track schools. Second, using new data, I show that for both men and women, the additional schooling induced by the reform had close to zero impact on a range of labor market outcomes including earnings. Third, I show that lower-track schools featured, among other things, large classes and a curriculum that promoted practical education. I conclude that my findings shed new light on the potential consequences of educational tracking.
- Published
- 2022
56. Refugee Education: Integration Models and Practices in OECD Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 203
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Cerna, Lucie
- Abstract
The recent refugee crisis has put many Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries under considerable pressure to accommodate and integrate large numbers of refugees. Refugee students are a particularly vulnerable group due to their forced displacement, but their needs are not always met by education systems, which can hinder the integration potential of these students. This poses considerable challenges as the integration of refugee students in education systems is important for their academic outcomes as well as their social and emotional well-being. The success (or lack of) integration in schools can also affect the future labour market and social integration potential of these children and youth. While there is a growing body of research on the integration of immigrants, policy-relevant research on refugee children and youth from an educational perspective is rather limited, fragmented and case specific. Detailed surveys and research projects focusing on the current wave of refugees that allow for cross-country comparisons are not yet available. Drawing on research from previous refugee waves, the paper examines key needs of refugee students and factors that promote their integration. It proposes a holistic model of integration in education that responds to the learning, social and emotional needs of refugee students. Furthermore, the paper examines what type of policies and practices are in place in OECD countries that support the integration of refugee students. Nonetheless, evaluations of practices and policies are often missing, which makes it difficult to assess whether they are successful. The paper finishes with some policy pointers on how to promote the integration of refugee students.
- Published
- 2019
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57. The Economic Impacts of Learning Losses. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 225
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Hanushek, Eric A., and Woessmann, Ludger
- Abstract
The worldwide school closures in early 2020 led to losses in learning that will not easily be made up for even if schools quickly return to their prior performance levels. These losses will have lasting economic impacts both on the affected students and on each nation unless they are effectively remediated. While the precise learning losses are not yet known, existing research suggests that the students in grades 1-12 affected by the closures might expect some 3 percent lower income over their entire lifetimes. For nations, the lower long-term growth related to such losses might yield an average of 1.5 percent lower annual GDP for the remainder of the century. These economic losses would grow if schools are unable to re-start quickly. The economic losses will be more deeply felt by disadvantaged students. All indications are that students whose families are less able to support out-of-school learning will face larger learning losses than their more advantaged peers, which in turn will translate into deeper losses of lifetime earnings. The present value of the economic losses to nations reach huge proportions. Just returning schools to where they were in 2019 will not avoid such losses. Only making them better can. While a variety of approaches might be attempted, existing research indicates that close attention to the modified re-opening of schools offers strategies that could ameliorate the losses. Specifically, with the expected increase in video-based instruction, matching the skills of the teaching force to the new range of tasks and activities could quickly move schools to heightened performance. Additionally, because the prior disruptions are likely to increase the variations in learning levels within individual classrooms, pivoting to more individualised instruction could leave all students better off as schools resume. As schools move to re-establish their programmes even as the pandemic continues, it is natural to focus considerable attention on the mechanics and logistics of safe re-opening. But the long-term economic impacts also require serious attention, because the losses already suffered demand more than the best of currently considered re-opening approaches.
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- 2020
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58. "The Will to Survive": The Lives of Young People with "No Papers" in the United Kingdom.
- Author
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Deveci, Yeṣim
- Subjects
- *
YOUNG adults , *WELL-being , *RESEARCH personnel - Abstract
This article considers how undocumented youth in the UK survive and construct their everyday lives in precarious circumstances. Drawing on multiple in-depth narrative interviews with (n = 7) undocumented youth, I illustrate how these young people focus on the future and engage in purposeful activities as a way of enduring the everyday challenges of living with no papers. I reflect on the relationships, which young people draw on to enable them to endure adversity and rebuild their everyday lives. I conclude that the presence of love and community is critical for young people's survival, safety and wellbeing, and I suggest how practitioners and researchers might make use of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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59. High stakes. Commentary on the 2023 United Kingdom government white paper on gambling reform.
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Rogers J, Roberts A, Sharman S, Dymond S, Ludvig EA, and Tunney RJ
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- Humans, Government, Advertising, United Kingdom, Gambling
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- 2023
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60. Management of Impacted Fetal Head at Caesarean Birth: Scientific Impact Paper No. 73 (June 2023).
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Cornthwaite, Katie, Bahl, Rachna, Winter, Cathy, Wright, Alison, Kingdom, John, Walker, Kate F., Tydeman, Graham, Briley, Annette, Schmidt‐Hansen, Mia, and Draycott, Tim
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- *
BRAIN injuries , *PENILE prostheses , *INFANTS , *CLINICAL prediction rules , *PELVIS , *UTERUS - Abstract
Plain language summary: Over one‐quarter of women in the UK have a caesarean birth (CB). More than one in 20 of these births occurs near the end of labour, when the cervix is fully dilated (second stage). In these circumstances, and when labour has been prolonged, the baby's head can become lodged deep in the maternal pelvis making it challenging to deliver the baby. During the caesarean birth, difficulty in delivery of the baby's head may result – this emergency is known as impacted fetal head (IFH). These are technically challenging births that pose significant risks to both the woman and baby. Complications for the woman include tears in the womb, serious bleeding and longer hospital stay. Babies are at increased risk of injury including damage to the head and face, lack of oxygen to the brain, nerve damage, and in rare cases, the baby may die from these complications. Maternity staff are increasingly encountering IFH at CB, and reports of associated injuries have risen dramatically in recent years. The latest UK studies suggest that IFH may complicate as many as one in 10 unplanned CBs (1.5% of all births) and that two in 100 babies affected by IFH die or are seriously injured. Moreover, there has been a sharp increase in reports of babies having brain injuries when their birth was complicated by IFH. When an IFH occurs, the maternity team can use different approaches to help deliver the baby's head at CB. These include: an assistant (another obstetrician or midwife) pushing the head up from the vagina; delivering the baby feet first; using a specially designed inflatable balloon device to elevate the baby's head and/or giving the mother a medicine to relax the womb. However, there is currently no consensus for how best to manage these births. This has resulted in a lack of confidence among maternity staff, variable practice and potentially avoidable harm in some circumstances. This paper reviews the current evidence regarding the prediction, prevention and management of IFH at CB, integrating findings from a systematic review commissioned from the National Guideline Alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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61. COVID-19 and ENT SLT Services, Workforce and Research in the UK: A Discussion Paper
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Patterson, Joanne M., Govender, Roganie, Roe, Justin, Clunie, Gemma, Murphy, Jennifer, Brady, Grainne, Haines, Jemma, White, Anna, and Carding, Paul
- Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the UK government's subsequent coronavirus action plan have fundamentally impacted on every aspect of healthcare. One area that is severely affected is ear, nose and throat (ENT)/laryngology where speech and language therapists (SLTs) engage in a diverse range of practice with patients with a range of conditions, including voice disorders, airway problems, and head and neck cancers (HNCs). A large majority of these patients are in high-risk categories, and many specialized clinical practices are vulnerable. In addition, workforce and research issues are challenged in both the immediate context and the future. Aims: To discuss the threats and opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic for SLTs in ENT/laryngology with specific reference to clinical practice, workforce and research leadership. Methods & Procedures: The relevant sections of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) health systems building blocks framework (2007) were used to structure the study. Expert agreement was determined by an iterative process of multiple-group discussions, the use of all recent relevant policy documentation, and other literature and shared documentation/writing. The final paper was verified and agreed by all authors. Main Contribution: The main threats to ENT/laryngology SLT clinical services include increased patient complexity related to COVID-19 voice and airway problems, delayed HNC diagnosis, reduced access to instrumental procedures and inequitable care provision. The main clinical opportunities include the potential for new modes of service delivery and collaborations, and harnessing SLT expertise in non-instrumental assessment. There are several workforce issues, including redeployment (and impact on current services), training implications and psychological impact on staff. Workforce opportunities exist for service innovation and potential extended ENT/SLT practice roles. Research is threatened by a reduction in immediate funding calls and high competition. Current research is affected by very limited access to participants and the ability to conduct face-to-face and instrumental assessments. However, research opportunities may result in greater collaboration, and changes in service delivery necessitate robust investigation and evaluation. A new national set of research priorities is likely to emerge. Conclusions & Implications: The immediate impact of the pandemic has resulted in major disruption to all aspects of clinical delivery, workforce and research for ENT/laryngology SLT. It is unclear when any of these areas will resume operations and whether permanent changes to clinical practice, professional remits and research priorities will follow. However, significant opportunity exists in the post-COVID era to re-evaluate current practice, embrace opportunities and evaluate new ways of working.
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- 2020
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62. Miseducation: Decolonising Curricula, Culture and Pedagogy in UK Universities. HEPI Debate Paper 23
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom) and Liyanage, Mia
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Decolonisation is rapidly becoming a familiar term in higher education institutions. Students and activist groups have helped decolonisation move onto the national agenda, backed by recent worldwide events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. Despite its newfound popularity, there is still substantial disagreement and misunderstanding about what 'decolonisation' actually entails. Using testimony from 16 interview respondents across academia, activism and policy, this report addresses the common misconceptions about decolonisation and recommends a series of practical steps towards its implementation. The recommendations include: (1) Get educated about decolonisation and end its conflation with equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives; (2) Reprioritise: decolonisation is both pedagogically necessary and academically rigorous; (3) Fund Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) research; (4) Tackle discrimination, hostility and unconscious bias; and (5) Institutionalise decolonisation: create departmental roles and engage students. The findings of "Miseducation" demonstrate that decolonisation is both a vital and a beneficial next step for our universities. [Foreword written by Iyiola Solanke.]
- Published
- 2020
63. Do Income Contingent Student Loan Programs Distort Earnings? Evidence from the UK. NBER Working Paper No. 25822
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Britton, Jack W., and Gruber, Jonathan
- Abstract
Government backed income contingent student loans are an increasingly being used to fund higher education. An income contingent repayment plan acts as an incremental marginal tax on labor earnings, which could cause individuals to distort their work effort. This paper uses an administrative dataset from the UK that links student loan borrowers between 1998 and 2008, to their official tax records between 2001/02 and 2013/14. Using a combination of techniques, including bunching and difference-in-difference methodology, our findings strongly reject the hypothesis that the UK's income-contingent repayment plan distorts labor supply. [The Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC's) Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy at IFS provided financial support for this work.]
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- 2019
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64. The Other 17 Hours: Valuing Out-of-School Time. Occasional Papers 30
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Bank Street College of Education, Teitle, Jennifer, Teitle, Jennifer, and Bank Street College of Education
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This issue of "Bank Street Occasional Papers" explores the value of time outside of school. Educators have given relatively little scholarly attention to young people's nonschool lives. Ignored or valorized, nonschool spaces show up in educational research only as a backdrop, implying that school learning is the yardstick by which to measure the young people's lives. Even scholars who focus primarily on nonschool spaces are limited by their inability to theorize nonschool learning without framing it in terms of school learning (Sefton-Green, 2012; Teitle, 2012). Yet this myopic view of school outcomes only serves to narrow the purpose and possibilities of nonschool time. Therefore, the editors of "Bank Street Occasional Papers" asked authors to expand the conversation about young people's lives outside of school. Contributing authors both engage with current literature on nonschool spaces and offer new and exciting ways to conceptualize nonschool activity and learning. Articles in this issue include: (1) What (and Where) Is the "Learning" When We Talk About Learning in the Home? (Julian Sefton-Green); (2) Global Childhoods, Asian Lifeworlds: After School Time in Hong Kong (Nicola Yelland, Sandy Muspratt, and Caja Gilbert); (3) Becoming-Belieber: Girls' Passionate Encounters with Bieber Culture (Kortney Sherbine); (4) Building After-School Islands of Expertise in "Wrestling Club" (Victor Sensenig); (5) Mapping the Social Across Lived Experiences: Relational Geographies and After-School Time (Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur and Louai Rahal); (6) Changing Through Laughter with "Laughter for a Change" (Laurel J. Felt and Ed Greenberg); (7) Enhanced Participation: Creating Opportunities for Youth Leadership Development (Clara Waloff); (8) Witnessing the Power of El Sistema in Urban Communities: Sister Cities Girlchoir (Erika Kitzmiller); and (9) Playing Outdoors: The Importance of the City as a Playground for Skateboarding and Parkour (Michael Jeffries, Sebastian Messer, and Jon Swords). Individual articles contain references.
- Published
- 2015
65. The Use of Independent Training Providers in Vocational Education and Training--Wider Considerations for Employers and Policy Makers. SKOPE Issues Paper 34
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University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and Morris, Gary
- Abstract
The employer benefits arising from the direct participation of employees in learning at work are clear: apart from developing the requisite skills and abilities to be productive, both task discretion and organisational participation are significantly related to better quality training. Against a background of falling employer investment in education and training the Government has supported the growth of independent training providers (ITPs) in the hope that this will drive up employer engagement in formal vocational education and training (VET) schemes. The case for doing so is, on the face of it, persuasive but when account is taken of the variable impact that outsourcing VET can have on organisations it becomes clear that this is dependent on how well it is managed. The factors that affect the success with which organisations engage ITPs appear to be poorly understood. This report highlights some of the associated areas that need to be looked at more closely to inform the development of best practice and public policy.
- Published
- 2016
66. Nutrition Tea Club; Engaging Students in Reading Scientific Papers
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Cameron, E., Hamdi, R., Idowu, A., and Mulrooney, H. M.
- Abstract
Many students do not engage with reading the scientific literature, which is a core skill in undergraduate students. The learning environment has an important impact upon learning. It was postulated that taking reading out of the formal learning environment might impact upon students' willingness to engage with the literature, and confidence in doing so. A staff-student research partnership initiative funded by Kingston University allowed this hypothesis to be tested. Three Tea Club sessions, informal drop-in reading sessions were offered in a student-owned space within the Students' Union. Refreshments were supplied, aiming for a 'coffee house' feel. Although the numbers of students who engaged with the Tea Club were small, evaluations were positive. In particular students valued the opportunity for peer learning. However the chosen environment was too noisy. Future sessions will be offered within a different, less noisy environment with facilities for refreshments, and will be offered throughout the academic year to facilitate student engagement.
- Published
- 2016
67. Educational Psychologists in Further Education. FEDA Paper.
- Author
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Further Education Development Agency, London (England). and Mitchell, Carole
- Abstract
This report, which maps the range of educational psychology services provided by educational psychologists in British further education (FE) colleges, examines the following topics: qualifications of educational psychologists and their role in the postschool sector; current issues for educational psychology services in FE (the legislative framework of educational psychology services, funding provision for students at FE colleges, and service level agreements and funding issues); the need for educational psychology services in FE colleges and the five levels of educational psychology services in FE colleges (work with individual students and groups of students; work with college staff, families, and caregivers; staff development; institutional systems work; and cross-organizational work); procedures in place at three FE colleges for evaluating educational psychology services; issues arising from inclusive learning (collaboration, management of teaching and learning, assessment, and funding); additional issues (local education authority-based services; participation, retention, achievement, and value added; and challenging behavior in FE); and strategies for promoting good practice. Appended are the following: descriptions of the educational psychology services available at three FE colleges; sample educational psychology service agreement; and Association of Educational Psychologists' position statement on educational psychologists in further education. The bibliography lists 12 references. (MN)
- Published
- 1997
68. No Strings Attached: Using 2D Paper Dolls and 3D Toy Puppets to Promote Young Children's Positive Responses towards Immigrants
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Jones, Siân E., Dalnoki, Laura, Kaliff, Alicia, Muir, William, Uusitalo, Kiia, and Uytman, Clare
- Abstract
Previous research indicates that imagining contact with someone who is an immigrant can reduce prejudice and promote positive friendship intentions. Much less is known about the optimal ways of effecting imagined contact. The reported research used an experimental design, where the status of a target-child toy puppet (immigrant versus refugee versus control) and the type of imagined contact (2D or 3D figures) was changed. Children aged 4-10 years, were tested for their responses towards immigrants and refugees, before and after a three-minute interactive play session with 2D or 3D toy puppet figures. Children were asked to show in the session how they would 'have a really good time' with the target-child toy puppet. Measures of children's direct contact with immigrants were also taken. The results suggest that 3D figures have a similar positive impact as 2-D figures on friendship intentions following imagined play. It was in the 2D experimental conditions only that children's friendship intentions were more positive with greater anxiety reduction.
- Published
- 2020
69. Social Mobility and Higher Education: Are Grammar Schools the Answer? Occasional Paper 22
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Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom), Furlong, John, Lunt, Ingrid, Furlong, John, Lunt, Ingrid, and Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (United Kingdom)
- Abstract
HEPI's last foray into the debate on academic selection suggested grammar schools are successful in helping their poorer pupils reach highly-selective universities. In this response, a diverse set of voices use the latest evidence to challenge the idea that grammar school systems serve pupils better than comprehensive schools. This collection of essays also asks what lessons comprehensive schools might offer for the UK's highly-selective university system. Chapters in the volume include: (1) Introduction (John Furlong and Ingrid Lunt); (2) A Methodological Critique (Matt Dickson and Lindsey Macmillan); (3) Selective Secondary Education and Progression to Higher Education (Vikki Boliver and Queralt Capsada-Munsech); (4) What Do Cohort Studies Reveal about Grammar Schools, Higher Education and Social Mobility? (Alice Sullivan); (5) Rolling Forward Comprehensive Education: The Case for Including Universities (Tim Blackman); and (6) Concluding Comments (John Furlong and Ingrid Lunt).
- Published
- 2020
70. Graduate Returns, Degree Class Premia and Higher Education Expansion in the UK. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1392
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Naylor, Robin, Smith, Jeremy, and Telhaj, Shqiponja
- Abstract
We investigate the extent to which graduate returns vary according to the class of degree achieved by UK university students and examine changes over time in estimated degree class premia. Using a variety of complementary datasets for individuals born in Britain around 1970 and aged between 30 and 40, we estimate an hourly wage premium for a "good" (relative to a "lower") class of degree of 7% to 9%, implying a wide spread around the average graduate premium. We also estimate the premium for a good relative to a lower degree for different cohorts (those born between the mid-1960s and early-1980s) and find evidence that the premium for a good degree has risen over time as the proportions of cohorts participating in higher education have increased. Tables and a list of university types are appended.
- Published
- 2015
71. Object Personification in Autism: This Paper Will Be Very Sad if You Don't Read It
- Author
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White, Rebekah C. and Remington, Anna
- Abstract
Object personification is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human agents. In online forums, autistic individuals commonly report experiencing this phenomenon. Given that approximately half of all autistic individuals experience difficulties identifying their own emotions, the suggestion that object personification may be a feature of autism seems almost paradoxical. Why would a person experience sympathy for objects, when they struggle to understand and verbalise the emotions of other people as well as their own? An online survey was used to assess tendency for personification in 87 autistic and 263 non-autistic adults. Together, our results indicate that object personification occurs commonly among autistic individuals, and perhaps more often (and later in life) than in the general population. Given that in many cases, autistic people report their personification experiences as distressing, it is important to consider the reasons for the increased personification and identify structures for support.
- Published
- 2019
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72. The UK Gambling White Paper: comments on implementation and timing.
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Chamberlain SR, Ioannidis K, and Bowden-Jones H
- Subjects
- Humans, United Kingdom epidemiology, Gambling diagnosis, Gambling epidemiology
- Published
- 2023
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73. Paying out and Crowding out? The Globalisation of Higher Education. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1299
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Machin, Stephen, and Murphy, Richard
- Abstract
We investigate the rapid influx of overseas students into UK higher education and the impact on the number of domestic students. Using administrative data since 1994/5, we find no evidence of crowd out of domestic undergraduate students and indications of increases in the domestic numbers of postgraduate students as overseas enrolments have grown. We interpret this as a cross-subsidisation and establish causal findings using two methods. Firstly, we use the historical share of students from a sending country attending a university department as a shift-share instrument to predict enrolment patterns. Secondly, we use a change in Chinese visa regulations and exchange rates in combination with strong subject preferences as a predictor of overseas student growth. The following are appended: (1) Additional Figures and Tables; and (2) Data Description. [This paper was produced as part of the Centre's Education & Skills Programme. The Centre for Economic Performance is financed by the Economic and Social Research Council.]
- Published
- 2014
74. Education and Health Knowledge: Evidence from UK Compulsory Schooling Reform. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1297
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Johnston, David W., Lordon, Grace, Shields, Michael A., and Suziedelyte, Agne
- Abstract
We investigate if there is a causal link between education and health knowledge using data from the 1984/85 and 1991/92 waves of the UK Health and Lifestyle Survey (HALS). Uniquely, the survey asks respondents what they think are the main causes of ten common health conditions, and we compare these answers to those given by medical professionals to form an index of health knowledge. For causal identification we use increases in the UK minimum school leaving age in 1947 (from 14 to 15)and 1972 (from 15 to 16) to provide exogenous variation in education. These reforms predominantly induced adolescents who would have left school to stay for one additionally mandated year. OLS estimates suggest that education significantly increases health knowledge, with a one-year increase in schooling increasing the health knowledge index by 15% of a standard deviation. In contrast, estimates from instrumental-variable models show that increased schooling due to the education reforms did not significantly affect health knowledge. This main result is robust to numerous specification tests and alternative formulations of the health knowledge index. Further research is required to determine whether there is also no causal link between higher levels of education--such as post-school qualifications--and health knowledge. An appendix entitled, "Sensitivity of results to alternative definitions of health knowledge index," is included. [This paper was produced as part of the Centre's Education Programme. The Centre for Economic Performance is financed by the Economic and Social Research Council.]
- Published
- 2014
75. Weekly Policy Papers.
- Subjects
GOVERNMENT policy ,ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,ADULT education ,UNEMPLOYMENT statistics ,LEGISLATIVE libraries - Abstract
The article discusses the publication of policy papers in the United Kingdom, categorizing them into three parts: government policy papers, parliamentary policy papers, and those from think tanks and other organizations. Topics include government policies on devolved adult education, the United Kingdom Space Agency's Space Sector Skills Survey, and parliamentary inquiries on children's social care reforms, multi-academy trusts, university strike action, youth unemployment statistics, and more.
- Published
- 2023
76. Should All Student Loan Payments Be Income-Driven? Trade-Offs and Challenges. White Paper
- Author
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Institute for College Access & Success, Asher, Lauren, Cheng, Diane, and Thompson, Jessica
- Abstract
This white paper analyzes the potential effects of requiring income-driven repayment for all federal loans as well as relying on paycheck withholding for loan payments, with particular attention to the implications for low-income students and families. The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) also examines the relevance and evolution of mandatory IDR ["income-driven repayment"] systems in Australia and the United Kingdom, and the paper includes specific recommendations to streamline and improve student loan repayment options in the United States. Two appendices are included: (1) Citation List of Figure 2: "Key Comparisons of IDR Systems and Context: U.S., U.K., and Australia"; and (2) Borrower Example Details.
- Published
- 2014
77. Making Skills Transparent: Recognising Vocational Skills Acquired through Workbased Learning. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 180
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Kis, Viktoria, and Windisch, Hendrickje Catriona
- Abstract
This paper looks at the importance of mechanisms that give formal recognition to vocational skills acquired through work-based learning and how such mechanisms might be developed. It describes how skill recognition can benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole, and identifies in which contexts skill recognition has the highest potential to bring benefits. The focus is on three tools that are commonly used to shorten the path to a formal qualification: admission into a programme, reduced programme duration and qualification without a mandatory programme. For each of these tools, this paper sets out country approaches, discusses common challenges that arise in their implementation and advances policy messages to support policy design and implementation.
- Published
- 2018
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78. Paying for Higher Education. Paper No. EA026
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) and Wyness, Gill
- Abstract
The United Kingdom (UK) has dramatically increased the supply of graduates over the last four decades. The university system has successfully produced a huge increase in mass higher education over the last 40 years to meet an increased demand for skilled workers. It is one of the UK's most successful export industries in terms of attracting foreign students and is second only to the US in terms of scientific prestige. The coalition government's efforts to transfer the financial burden of higher education away from the taxpayer and towards graduates, and create a more efficient, competitive sector, have not yet materialised. In fact, the current system has almost no price variation and is almost as expensive as the one it replaced. This report discusses the costs and growth of higher education in the UK.
- Published
- 2015
79. Schools: The Evidence on Academies, Resources and Pupil Performance. Paper No. EA023
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) and McNally, Sandra
- Abstract
England's performance in international tests of student achievement continues to be disappointing. Further improvement is essential not only for students' themselves but also for economic growth. This briefing considers the impact of Academies, school spending and teacher quality. Research evidence suggests that it is right to protect school budgets but too early to judge the Coalition's Academies policy. Although there was a large improvement in the first 200 schools (about 4 years after conversion), those schools were disadvantaged and underperforming (unlike the more recent academies) and the current programme is much larger scale. There is broad agreement that high quality teaching matters hugely for student achievement, but there is no magic national formula to bring this about.
- Published
- 2015
80. Response To: Professor Neil Humphrey's Paper 'Are the Kids Alright? Examining the Intersection between Education and Mental Health'
- Author
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Nash, Poppy
- Abstract
Professor Neil Humphrey's paper provides a timely, helpful, and compelling opportunity to reflect on the mental wellbeing of children and young people today, in terms of research, policy, and practice. It offers a means of 'taking stock' of what we do and do not know so far in understanding the intersection between education and mental health. In his paper, Humphrey covers a wide range of key factors which need to be taken into account in addressing the urgent question 'Are the kids alright?' In response to Humphrey's paper, Poppy Nash addresses each of the following six key questions in turn, with particular attention to the first three questions: (1) What do we mean when we talk about mental health?; (2) Are mental health difficulties among children and young people increasing? Is their wellbeing decreasing?; (3) Is there a crisis in child and adolescent mental health?; (4) Why have schools become a central focus in this area?; (5) Is evidence-based practice the answer?; and (6) Is this just the 'child panic' for a new generation? [For "Are the Kids Alright? Examining the Intersection between Education and Mental Health," see EJ1247696.]
- Published
- 2018
81. Digital skills to enhance engineering.
- Author
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Irons, Alastair
- Subjects
- *
CAREER development , *ELECTRONIC paper , *ENGINEERS , *EDUCATIONAL accreditation , *REQUIREMENTS engineering - Abstract
The professional skills required to be a successful engineer continue to grow and expand as the engineering disciplines evolve. In the United Kingdom, the Engineering Council has released the latest version of the Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP). AHEP4 as it has become known covers a wide range of topics central to engineering disciplines. As well as traditional core professional and subject requirements for engineering this document introduces challenges for the future such as sustainability, EDI, and cybersecurity. In addition, there is an expectation that appropriate digital skills for engineers form part of the toolkit for engineers as they move towards chartered engineering status. This paper discusses the digital skills that will enable engineers to develop their skill set as engineering professionals, enhance their employability by developing digital skills in the context of their engineering specialism and ensure that they have the digital skills to enable their activities to contribute to the betterment of society. In the paper the work done to embed digital skills in the engineering curriculum will be discussed. We will then go on to discuss the work done with engineering employers to identify the digital skills expectations for graduates entering employment and finally how the continued professional development process for digital skills can be embraced as engineers move through their careers. The session will conclude with a discussion on how colleagues from the UK and from Malaysia can work together to develop a framework to support engineers in developing their digital skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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82. The Effect of Education on the Relationship between Genetics, Early-Life Disadvantages, and Later-Life SES. Working Paper 28750
- Author
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Barcellos, Silvia H., Carvalho, Leandro, and Turley, Patrick
- Abstract
This paper investigates whether education weakens the relationship between early-life disadvantages and later-life SES. We use three proxies for advantage that we show are independently associated with SES in middle-age. Besides early, favorable family and neighborhood conditions, we argue that the genes a child inherits also represent a source of advantages. Using a regression discontinuity design and data for over 110,000 individuals, we study a compulsory schooling reform in the UK that generated exogenous variation in schooling. While the reform succeeded in reducing educational disparities, it did not weaken the relationship between early-life disadvantages and wages. This implies that advantaged children had higher returns to schooling. We exploit family-based random genetic variation and find no evidence that these higher returns were driven by genetically-influenced individual characteristics such as innate ability or skills. [Additional support was provided by Open Philanthropy and the USC Population Research Center.]
- Published
- 2021
83. Education across the UK Nations: Performance, Inequality and Evidence. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 12-08
- Author
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Harvard University, Program on Education Policy and Governance, Machin, Stephen, McNally, Sandra, and Wyness, Gill
- Abstract
The four "home countries" of the United Kingdom are becoming increasingly different with regard to education policy. Nevertheless, they are still highly comparable as compared to education systems elsewhere. Over time, they have had a similar legislative framework (particularly in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and, in a broader sense, there is a similar social context across the four countries. For example, there is a comparable level of inequality across many education indicators, with similar trends emerging in recent times. In-depth analysis by the National Equality Panel (2010) attributed this to the fact that policies most important for influencing distributional outcomes (such as tax and benefits) are UK-wide. In this paper, the authors take the opportunity to appraise differences and similarities in educational policies and outcomes in the four UK nations. The fact that England has pursued very different policies in the recent past than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland provides a good testing ground to undertake such a comparative review of what has and has not worked so well in terms of the education reforms that have taken place. The content of the paper is structured as follows. In Section 2, the authors discuss some key areas of education policy in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Sections 3 and 4, they compare the countries in terms of educational performance and inequality. In Section 5, the authors then discuss evaluation evidence as it relates to key educational issues and the differences and similarities in educational outcomes across the different UK nations. Section 6 offers some concluding remarks. Data Appendix is included. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure and 6 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2012
84. Weekly Policy Papers.
- Subjects
GOVERNMENT policy ,RESEARCH institutes ,UNEMPLOYMENT statistics ,LEGISLATIVE libraries ,SCHOOL attendance - Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive overview of recent policy papers released from February 12-16, 2024. It covers papers from various sources, including the UK government, parliamentary libraries, and other think tanks or non-governmental bodies. It highlights government policy papers, outlines parliamentary policy papers, including topics such as youth unemployment statistics and school attendance in England.
- Published
- 2024
85. Study Abroad and Student Mobility: Stories of Global Citizenship. Research Paper No. 21
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC), Blum, Nicole, and Bourn, Douglas
- Abstract
The opportunity to study abroad is broadly hailed as a route for young people to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills, including intercultural understanding, interpersonal skills, and language learning, among many others. Universities around the world are investing significant resources in developing a variety of study abroad programmes, ranging from short or long term in duration, and from guided to independent study. These may have a number of aims, including to promote individual student learning and development and to enhance student mobility and employability, particularly in the context of a rapid and changeable global employment market. The terms 'global citizen', 'global graduate', 'global skills' and 'global mindset' have all taken on increased significance within this context. Limited research has been conducted, however, to explore students' own perspectives of these terms. This small scale study therefore set out to explore the perspectives of students on UCL's BASc programme and especially to better understand where and how the learning they gained during study abroad resonates with UCL's global citizenship and student mobility strategies. [Funding was provided by the UCL Global Engagement Office (GEO).]
- Published
- 2019
86. Qualifications at Level 5: Progressing in a Career or to Higher Education. Working Paper No 23
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Grm, Slava Pevec, and Bjørnåvold, Jens
- Abstract
This study addresses qualifications at level 5 of the European qualifications framework (EQF) in 15 countries (Belgium (Flanders), the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, the United Kingdom (EWNI and Scotland) that had linked their national qualification levels to the EQF by June 2012. EQF level 5 qualifications play an important role in providing access to employment and career advancement as well as enabling further learning and progression to higher education. This double function makes them attractive to learners and employers. Although the extent to which countries use qualifications at EQF level 5 differs, their importance is growing in all countries investigated for several reasons. First, they are developed as response to increased needs for advanced technical and/or management skills. Second, they seem to be especially attractive to students with VET background and those already in employment. They also contribute to lifelong learning by being accessible and attractive for adults and non-traditional learners. The following are appended: (1) List of working definitions; (2) List of interviewees; (3) Available data on EQF level 5 qualifications; (4) Key purposes and functions of qualifications; (5) Further material on learning outcome descriptions of qualifications; and (6) Duration and mode of delivery. A bibliography is also included. [The research was carried out by Panteia in consortium with 3S under Cedefop service contract AO/ECVL/JBSPEV/Qualifications_EQF_level_5/001/12.]
- Published
- 2014
87. Macroeconomic Benefits of Vocational Education and Training. Research Paper No 40
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
- Abstract
Improvements in workforce skills are essential for European countries to attain higher economic growth and to compete effectively on product markets. Literature indicates a positive relationship between levels of education and productivity growth. This report builds on and expands this body of research in two ways: (1) It investigates the differential impact of various skill types--higher (academic), upper-intermediate vocational, lower-intermediate vocational, lower-intermediate general, and low--on labour productivity; and (2) It accounts for the stock of uncertified skills (i.e. those built through training). The analysis is carried out in six European Union Member States--Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom--representing different modes of vocational education and training (VET) and those for which data were available. The analysis suggests that general and vocational skills complement each other and that the effect of certified skills on productivity is stronger when certified skills are reinforced by training. This study underlines that learning in the workplace, both in initial and continuing VET, makes a fundamental contribution to productivity, and comes to support policy efforts to develop apprenticeship and adult learning. The following annex is included: (1) Overview of research methods used in the study. [This publication is the result of a team effort reflecting the work of a research consortium of Geoff Mason, Dawn Holland, Iana Liadze, Rebecca Riley, Ana Rincon-Aznar, and Mary O'Mahony, and their aids Tatiana Fic, Rachel Whitworth, Yasheng Maimaiti, and Fei Peng. This work was carried out under contract number 2009-0216/AO/RPA/GUTCHPDE/VET-Macroeconomic-benefits/010/0.]
- Published
- 2014
88. The Reading Lives of 8 to 11-Year-Olds 2005-2013: An Evidence Paper for the Read On. Get On. Coalition
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National Literacy Trust (England) and Clark, Christina
- Abstract
This report focuses on children aged 8 to 11 and their enjoyment of reading, reading behaviour, and attitudes toward reading. It synthesises information from surveys that have been conducted since 2005, but most heavily exploits data from the fourth annual literacy survey conducted in November/December 2013 in which 10,946 8 to 11-year-olds participated. In addition, this report explores the link between reading, gender, and socio-economic background (assessed by free school meal uptake) for this age group and how certain subgroups of pupils are potentially doubly disadvantaged. Some general findings in this report include: (1) Nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of 8 to 11-year-olds enjoy reading either very much (34.4%) or quite a lot (31.4%); (2) Nearly three-quarters (72.8%) of 8 to 11-year-olds have a favourite book or story; (3) 84.6% of children aged 8 to 11 say that they have a book of their own at home; (4) Two-fifths (40.7%) read daily outside class, while over a third (34.7%) read a few times a week; (5) Nearly a quarter (22.8%) of 8 to 11-year-olds read for up to 10 minutes at a time, while another quarter (25.3%) read for up to 20 minutes; (6) When asked what types of materials they read outside class, most 8 to 11-year-olds say that they read text messages (56.4%), followed by magazines (51.6%) and fiction (50.5%); (7) A lot of 8 to 11-year-olds are avid readers of books; (8) Nearly 9 in 10 (87.0%) 8 to 11-year-olds have been given a book as a present, while 9 in 10 (92.7%) have also been to a library; and (9) Most 8 to 11-year-olds have positive attitudes toward reading. [The research for this report has informed the publication "How reading can help children escape poverty" produced by the Read On. Get On. coalition.]
- Published
- 2014
89. The Value of Smarter Teachers: International Evidence on Teacher Cognitive Skills and Student Performance. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 14-06
- Author
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Harvard University, Program on Education Policy and Governance, Hanushek, Eric A., Piopiunik, Marc, and Wiederhold, Simon
- Abstract
Differences in teacher quality are commonly cited as a key determinant of the huge international student performance gaps. However, convincing evidence on this relationship is still lacking, in part because it is unclear how to measure teacher quality consistently across countries. We use unique international assessment data to investigate the role of teacher cognitive skills as one main dimension of teacher quality in explaining student outcomes. Our main identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in teacher cognitive skills attributable to international differences in relative wages of nonteacher public sector employees. Using student-level test score data, we find that teacher cognitive skills are an important determinant of international differences in student performance. Results are supported by fixed-effects estimation that uses within-country between-subject variation in teacher skills.
- Published
- 2014
90. The Power and Promise of Early Learning. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 186
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Shuey, Elizabeth A., and Kankaraš, Miloš
- Abstract
Early learning matters and can be strengthened and supported through contexts where children spend much of their time. Strong early learning experiences provide young children with opportunities to enjoy exploring their own interests and growing capabilities. Strong early learning also positively predicts well-being across a range of indicators in adulthood, including general well-being, physical and mental health, educational attainment and employment. Areas of early learning that are of particular importance include: language and literacy; numeracy and other non-verbal cognitive skills; self-regulation; emotional health, social well-being and social and emotional skills. These domains are interrelated, meaning that holistic assessment of a range of skills is necessary to understand well-being in early childhood and its implications for the future. Assessment of early learning provides an essential opportunity to reflect on whether governments, communities, schools and families are supporting the power and promise of early learning as intended.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
91. The Effects of Resources across School Phases: A Summary of Recent Evidence. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1226
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Gibbons, Stephen, and McNally, Sandra
- Abstract
This report provides an overview and discussion of the past decade of academic evidence on the causal effects of resources in schooling on students' outcomes. Early evidence lacked good strategies for estimating the effects of schools resources, leading many people to conclude that spending more on schools had no effect. More recent evidence using better research designs finds that resources do matter, but the range of estimates of the impacts is quite wide. The review devotes special attention to differences across the early years, primary and secondary phases. Theoretical work has indicated that interventions early in a child's life may be more productive than interventions later on. However, although there are more examples of good quality studies on primary schooling, the existing body of empirical work does not lead to a conclusive case in favour of early interventions. Three appendices present: (1) Differences in characteristics between high and low-resource schools; (2) Benchmarking and Comparing the Size and Strength of Effects Across Different Studies; and (3) An illustration of the theoretical model (one in which events in one period depend on events in previous periods) used by Nobel-laureate, James Heckman in his argument for the efficacy of early investment in children over investment at a later stage. [This work was commissioned by Ofsted as part of the "Access and Achievement in Education--20 Years On" project.]
- Published
- 2013
92. Education in a Devolved Scotland: A Quantitative Analysis. Report to the Economic and Social Research Council. CEP Special Paper No. 30
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Machin, Stephen, McNally, Sandra, and Wyness, Gill
- Abstract
Education is an area that is highly devolved in the UK, and the fact that all four constituent countries have pursued very different policies in the recent past provides a good testing ground to undertake a comparative review of the merits or otherwise of the education reforms that have taken place. There is, of course, an important policy context to such an analysis. Examining the performance of children educated in the devolved Scottish system in comparison to those educated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has potential to offer a unique and valuable insight into the impact of Scottish devolution in a high profile area of public policy. When deciding whether or not to seek independence from the UK, the Scottish electorate will need to consider how a devolved Scotland has fared in educating its nation under its own terms--and hence how they might fare when taking ownership of other policy areas. In examining the key differences in attainment bearing in mind these differences, this report will help answer this question.
- Published
- 2013
93. Academic Resilience: What Schools and Countries Do to Help Disadvantaged Students Succeed in PISA. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 167
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Agasisti, Tommaso, Avvisati, Francesco, Borgonovi, Francesca, and Longobardi, Sergio
- Abstract
Resilience refers to the capacity of individuals to prosper despite encountering adverse circumstances. This paper defines academic resilience as the ability of 15-year-old students from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform at a certain level in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in reading, mathematics and science that enables them to play an active role in their communities and prepares them to make the most of lifelong-learning opportunities. Using data from the most recent PISA cycles, this paper explores changes in the share of resilient students over time (2006-2015); highlights the importance of school environments and resources in mitigating the risk of low achievement for disadvantaged students; and identifies school-level factors that are associated with the likelihood of academic resilience among socio-economically disadvantaged students. Analyses reveal that several countries were able to increase the share of resilient students over time, reflecting improvements in the average performance of students, or a weaker relationship between socio-economic status and performance. In the vast majority of education systems examined, the likelihood of academic resilience among disadvantaged students is lower in schools where students report a negative classroom climate. The paper concludes by exploring school policies and practices that are associated with a positive classroom climate. [This work was supported by a contribution to the PISA programme of work from Vodafone Germany Foundation.]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
94. Judging Research Papers for Research Excellence
- Author
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Tymms, Peter and Higgins, Steve
- Abstract
The United Kingdom's (UK's) Research Excellence Framework of 2014 was an expensive high stakes evaluation which had a range of impacts on higher education institutions across the country. One component was an assessment of the quality of research outputs where a major feature was a series of panels organised to read and rate the outputs of their peers. Quality control was strengthened after the Research Assessment Exercise of 2008, but questions still remain about how fair it is to rate all papers on the same scale by raters who may vary in both their reliability and their severity/leniency. This paper takes data from a large department in which 23 senior staff rated the outputs from 42 academics. In total, 710 ratings were recorded. The analyses, using the Rasch model, showed that: a single scale described the data well; most raters were reliable although two were idiosyncratic; there was, however, a noticeable variation in the severity/leniency of the raters, which should be taken into account in the overall assessment. Suggestions for future exercises include a pre-appointment procedure for panel members and statistical adjustments for the severity/leniency of raters.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
95. Fairtrade in Schools and Global Learning. Research Paper No. 18
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Bourn, Douglas
- Abstract
This paper aims to provide an overview of evidence of schools' engagement in Fairtrade in the UK through the Fairtrade Foundation's Fairtrade School Awards programme. The paper provides a summary of the comments from schools' engagement with the programme based on data from teachers and pupils' learning with evidence from the different levels of the award. The paper also aims to locate the evidence from the award programme within the broader landscape of global learning in the UK. [This report was produced in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation.]
- Published
- 2018
96. School Structure, School Autonomy and the Tail. Special Paper No. 29
- Author
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London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Machin, Stephen, and Silva, Olmo
- Abstract
In this paper, we survey the UK-based literature on school structures and school autonomy to identify settings in which alternative and more autonomous school arrangements can improve the educational attainments of pupils in the bottom tail of the achievement distribution. We also present new evidence on the effect of school academies on the age-16 GCSE attainment of students of different abilities up to 2009, before the Coalition Government changed the nature of the Labour academy programme. Within the UK education system, academies enjoy substantial autonomy in terms of management of their staff, taught curriculum, length of the school day and other aspects of their day-to-day functioning. Our results show that schools that converted to academies between 2002 and 2007 improved their overall age-16 GCSEs results by further raising the attainments of students in the top half of the ability distribution, and in particular pupils in the top 20% tail. Conversely, we find little evidence that academies helped pupils in the bottom 10% and 20% of the ability distribution. Finally, we find little evidence that late converters (2008 and 2009) had any beneficial effects on pupils of any ability. We conclude our research by comparing the experience of UK academies to that of US charter schools and Swedish free schools, and by providing some insights into the reasons why UK academies did not serve "the tail" as is the case for some US charter schools. An appendix presents Table 1: Academies and GCSE Performance--Teh Effect of Academy Conversion on Pupils of Different Abilities.
- Published
- 2013
97. Renewing VET Provision: Understanding Feedback Mechanisms between Initial VET and the Labour Market. Research Paper No 37
- Author
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
- Abstract
A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good position to contribute to a faster economic recovery and long-term sustainable development. However, crucial for this role is continuous and systematic VET renewal that assures its relevance for the labour market. This publication explores 15 European national approaches to feedback mechanisms between VET and the labour market. It illustrates the diversity of solutions currently applied across Europe and how they are embedded in national traditions and education philosophy. The study asks three fundamental questions: how inclusive are national mechanisms for feedback between the VET system and the labour market; how responsive are existing mechanisms; and how transparent? Three annexes provide: (1) Case Studies; (2) List of interviewees; and (3) List of experts responsible for the country overviews. Bibliography and references are included. [This paper is the result of a team effort reflecting the work of a research consortium led by Jörg Markowitsch from 3s Research Laboratory who together with Tanja Bacher, Carol Costley, David Etherington, Gerhard Geiger, Günter Hefler, Jelena Helemäe, Triin Roosalu, Ellu Saar, Auni Tamm, and Odd Bjørn Ure conducted the research and fieldwork and drafted the report. This work was carried out under Cedefop's service contract No 2011-0161/AO/ECVL/JB-IPS/Cooperation Labour market--VET/007/11.]
- Published
- 2013
98. Foreign Language Education in an Age of Global English. Occasional Paper.
- Author
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Southampton Univ. (England). Centre for Language Education. and Mitchell, Rosamond
- Abstract
This paper discusses the broad educational context of the 21st century, focusing on the prevailing language landscape. It examines language use around the world, particularly the place of English as the preeminent international language, which challenges foreign language education in English-speaking countries. The paper discusses possible rationales for foreign language education in this environment, assessing the value of instrumental skills rationales (currently prevalent among learners, policymakers, and strategists) versus broader rationales with a stronger values ethos. It questions both underpinning rationales for current educational practice and arguments of the recent Nuffield Inquiry, which examined these problems. Next, the paper examines the actual pattern of foreign language education in the United Kingdom over the last 30 years, noting the impact of "languages for all" philosophies since the 1980s. The paper highlights the evolution of England's national curriculum for modern foreign languages (MFL), evaluating its use as a vehicle for motivating and engaging today's students with the process of language learning. It draws on recent research to illustrate the poor fit between the current national curriculum for and a central element of student development, their route to mastering the language system itself. Finally, the paper examines alternative approaches to foreign language curriculum and classroom practice. (Contains 60 references.) (SM)
- Published
- 2002
99. Literacy and ICT: A Discussion Paper. Working Papers on Literacy No. 4
- Author
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Centre for Literacy and Abbott, Chris
- Abstract
This is the fourth paper published by The Centre for Literacy in its Working Papers in Literacy series, which present new perspectives on literacy-related issues relevant to researchers, to practitioners, and to policy-makers. This paper was written in 1998 as an advisory document to the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Agency (QCA) which manages all aspects of the National Curriculum for schools and for vocational training. In this paper, the author has touched on some of the major issues relating to information and communications technology (ICT) and literacy which have until now been treated as separate subjects. He argues for a convergence of the two and recommends that government agencies coordinate their visions instead of sending contradictory messages to teachers and students. His focus was the first three key stages of the literacy strategy, touching ages 5-14, but the concerns he raises are familiar to anyone working in adult basic skills as well and are relevant beyond the UK. A glossary of acronyms and terms used is included.
- Published
- 1998
100. Taking 'Innovation' on the Road. Occasional Paper
- Author
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Figgis, Jane, and Hillier, Yvonne
- Abstract
This paper is based on a series of workshops about innovation in teaching and learning in vocational education and training (VET) which the authors conducted in March 2009. This paper addresses some of the underlying questions that practitioners have about innovation. The paper is structured in four sections: (1) a comparison of the trends in innovation identified in the two research papers: Australia in one; the United Kingdom and Europe in the other; (2) the workshop task that practitioners undertook: to design and take an innovation to market; (3) the questions and hopes of workshop participants: hidden dimensions of "innovation" and of being "innovative"; and (4) thoughts on expanding the pool of innovative VET practitioners. (Contains 7 footnotes and 1 table.)
- Published
- 2009
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