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Background: People with learning disabilities are at increased risk of physical health conditions and mortality compared to the general population. Initiatives to address these health inequalities include the introduction of learning disability registers, through which people with learning disabilities can be identified and offered annual health checks and reasonable adjustments in their healthcare provision. A barrier to offering such initiatives to people with learning disabilities is that practitioners/providers may be unaware of the presence of a learning disability, and people who meet criteria may not be entered onto general practice learning disability registers. Screening tools can be used to help identify people with learning disabilities in order that they can be offered appropriate health services and reasonable adjustments. This study aimed to explore the awareness and views of UK primary care staff about the existence and role of screening tools for learning disability in their services. Methods: A qualitative approach was used; semistructured online interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of primary care staff recruited via a regional professional network of primary care practitioners. Five general practitioners and one nurse practitioner, representing five primary care practices in the North-East of England, participated. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Two themes and associated subthemes were identified. Within Theme 1 ('I haven't had anything much to do with them') two subthemes related to reasons why screening tools were not routinely used. Theme 2 ('I think they're great that they exist') comprised two subthemes that explored the benefits of screening tools, for example, for those practitioners less experienced with people with learning disabilities, and also explored potential reluctance to use them. The study found that most practitioners had some knowledge of screening tools and the general consensus was that they are beneficial. However, the tendency of participants was not to use screening tools in a consistent and/or systematic way, instead relying on informal approaches or other services for identifying the presence of learning disabilities. Conclusions: The study findings highlight the need for changes in practice to support primary care staff to access and systematically use evidence-based effective and efficient screening tools for learning disability.

In Comparative Judgement (CJ) exercises, examiners are asked to look at a selection of candidate scripts (with marks removed) and order them in terms of which they believe display the best quality. By including scripts from different examination sessions, the results of these exercises can be used to help with maintaining standards. Results from previous CJ studies have demonstrated that the method appears to be valid and reliable in many contexts. However, it is not entirely clear whether CJ works as well as it does because of the physical and judgemental processes involved (i.e., placing two scripts next to each other and deciding which is better based on an intuitive, holistic, and relative judgement), or because CJ exercises capture a lot of individual paired comparison decisions quickly. This article adds to the research on this question by re-analysing data from previous CJ studies and comparing the concurrent validity of the outcomes of individual CJ paired comparisons with the concurrent validity of outcomes based on the original marks given to scripts. The results show that for 16 out of the 20 data sets analysed, mark-based decisions had higher concurrent validity than CJ-based decisions. Two possible reasons for this finding are: CJ decisions reward different skills to marks; or individual CJ decisions are of lower quality than individual decisions based on marks. Either way, the implication is that the CJ method works because many individual paired comparison decisions are captured quickly, rather than because of the physical and psychological processes involved in making holistic judgements.

The main aim of this study was to investigate how oral fluency is assessed across different levels of proficiency in the Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP). Working with data from 56 test-takers performing a monologic task at a range of proficiency levels (equivalent to approximately levels 5.0, 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5 in the IELTS scoring system), we used PRAAT analysis to measure speed, breakdown, and repair fluency. A multivariate analysis of variance and a series of analyses of variance were used to examine the differences between fluency measures at these different levels of proficiency. The results largely replicate previous research in this area suggesting that (a) speed measures distinguish between lower levels (5.0 and 5.5) and higher levels of proficiency (6.5 and 7.5), (b) breakdown measures of silent pauses distinguish between 5.0 and higher levels of 6.5 or 7.5, and (c) repair measures and filled pauses do not distinguish between any of the proficiency levels. Using the results, we have proposed changes that can help refine the fluency rating descriptors and rater training materials in the TEEP.

With the rise of research impact as a 'third' space (next to research and teaching) within the universities in the United Kingdom and beyond, academics are increasingly expected to not only produce research but also engage in brokering knowledge beyond academia. And yet little is known about the ways in which academics shape their practices in order to respond to these new forms of institutionalised expectations and make sense of knowledge brokering as a form of academic practice. Drawing on 51 qualitative interviews with researchers and research users involved in two large knowledge brokering initiatives in the UK, this study identifies four repertoires of co-production practices: (i) "Challenge" to the existing policy framework, (ii) "Deliberation" between diverse stakeholders, (iii) "Evidence" intervention producing of actionable knowledge, and (iv) "Advocacy" for specific evidence-based options. By exploring knowledge brokering as navigation of different knowledge production regimes -- traditionally academic and policy-oriented -- the paper contributes to the existing debates by providing insights into the nature of navigating science-policy interactions as a process of epistemological bricolage, requiring an assemblage of different meanings, values and practices into new repertoires of practice. Importantly, the choice of a repertoire is not limited to the individual choice of a researcher but rather, it is shaped by the broader institutional context of higher education, risking "instrumental bias" in which practices oriented towards practical solutions are incentivised over critical or participatory forms of engagement.

In times of crisis it is good to look back. Not only is it comforting, but better understanding of events in our past can inform decision-making and help us find direction at uncertain times. COVID-19 may have presented new challenges, but this exploration of historical disruptions to school exams highlights themes and a recognisable human spirit. For this study Gillian Cooke and Gill Elliott have identified five crisis events in the history of Cambridge Assessment and tracked responses to these circumstances through documents held in the corporate archive. The flu pandemic of 1918, two World Wars, Indian Partition and the Strikes of the 1970s all, in different ways, pushed the boundaries of examination administration. The search yields both short, and long-term responses and reveals just how much the impact of a crisis is connected to the society that deals with it.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption to anatomical teaching worldwide with both lectures and practicals being moved online. Throughout this period anatomists were able to find new and innovative ways to teach and to aid student learning via a variety of delivery modes. This study aimed to interview anatomists who were involved in teaching undergraduate medical students at UK universities to document the changes that occurred and to understand academic perceptions of pandemic delivery to comprehend how anatomy education may change in the long term. Results suggest that academics are likely to continue to deliver anatomical lectures online post-pandemic akin to a flipped classroom approach, although caution was noted regarding 'at-risk' student groups. No academics wished to see continued delivery of practical classes online, however, resources designed or invested in during the pandemic will be integrated into practical classes or pre-class preparation allowing for a more complete student experience. No clear picture emerged as to the preferred way staff and students will communicate in the current post-pandemic hybrid working environment and beyond. This will likely only be resolved when a new pattern of home working evolves in UK institutions. This report is the first to detail the academic vision of anatomy teaching in a post-pandemic world and will be useful to those adapting to these changes and for those pedagogical researchers targeting where anatomical education research should focus moving forward.

Students in the UK apply to university with teacher-predicted examination grades, rather than actual results. These predictions have been shown to be inaccurate, and to favour certain groups, leading to concerns about teacher bias. We ask whether it is possible to improve on the accuracy of teachers' predictions by predicting pupil achievement using prior attainment data and machine learning techniques. While our models do lead to a quantitative improvement on teacher predictions, substantial inaccuracies remain. Our models also underpredict high-achieving state school pupils and low socio-economic status pupils, suggesting they have more volatile education trajectories. This raises questions about the use of predictions in the UK system.

This account of practice tells the story of how engaging in a critical action learning set helped us address problems with student engagement in a postgraduate module. On the surface, this seems fairly straightforward following Revans' model (1971). However, what we actually have are multiple layers of self-reflection, a visual metaphor and its ambiguities, the difficulties involved in teaching reflexivity to postgraduate mostly international students and a research project. It also tells the story of how using an action learning set ourselves and challenging and accepting our own stories improved both our practice and our understanding of our students' experience in the classroom.

Employers participate in mental health initiatives in a number of ways. Key amongst these is the provision of accessible places and events for employees to discuss mental health issues. Inspired by these conversations, we held a workshop for staff to encourage the discussion to develop more widely, facilitated by the first two authors of this article. The workshop was timed to coincide with the UK national "Time to Talk Day" in 2018 and it was agreed with participants at the outset that a summary of the discussions held during the event would be written up to form this article. Workplace anxieties which are particularly relevant to the specific work carried out by research staff are those relating to giving presentations and networking, including the 'cold calling' via telephone which is sometimes needed to recruit project participants. Participants across all groups reported some circumstances in which they were open about their anxieties, and others in which they were not. Their openness about anxiety was influenced by cultural factors, workplace relationships, and anticipated consequences. Analysis of the data yielded five themes relating to sources of anxiety, which were: (a) work being placed in the spotlight, (b) appearing or feeling unintelligent, (c) conflict, (d) hierarchy, and (e) uncertainty. Organisations need to be aware of the situations which provoke anxiety amongst employees in order to enable the provision of support and intervention.

Performance assessment is permeating increasingly diverse domains of higher education, even in areas previously perceived to be too complex and idiosyncratic to quantify. The UK's attempts to assess 'research impact' within the Research Excellence Framework (REF) are illustrative of this trend and are being closely monitored by several other countries. A fundamental rationale for employing narrative case studies to assess impact within REF, rather than taking a (less resource intensive) quantified approach, was that this would allow for the variation, complexity and idiosyncrasy inherent in research impact. This paper considers whether this promise of narrative flexibility has been realised, by analysing a combination of REF impact case study reports and interviews and focus group discussions with actors involved in case study production. Informed by this analysis, our central argument is that the very quality which allows narratives to govern is their ability to standardise performance (albeit whilst retaining a degree of flexibility). The paper proposes that REF impact case studies position narratives of impact as technologies of governance in ways that restrict the 'plot line' and belie the far more complex accounts held by those working to achieve research impact. This is partly because, as research impact becomes institutionalised within universities' measurement infrastructures, higher education institutions become impact gatekeepers, filtering out narratives that are deemed overly complex or insufficiently persuasive, while perpetuating particular approaches to recounting tales of impact that are deemed likely to perform well. Crucially, these narratives not only describe impact but actively construct it as an auditable phenomenon.

Anatomical examinations have been designed to assess topographical and/or applied knowledge of anatomy with or without the inclusion of visual resources such as cadaveric specimens or images, radiological images, and/or clinical photographs. Multimedia learning theories have advanced the understanding of how words and images are processed during learning. However, the evidence of the impact of including anatomical and radiological images within written assessments is sparse. This study investigates the impact of including images within clinically oriented single-best-answer questions on students' scores in a tailored online tool. Second-year medical students (n = 174) from six schools in the United Kingdom participated voluntarily in the examination, and 55 students provided free-text comments which were thematically analyzed. All questions were categorized as to whether their stimulus format was purely textual or included an associated image. The type (anatomical and radiological image) and deep structure of images (question referring to a bone or soft tissue on the image) were taken into consideration. Students scored significantly better on questions with images compared to questions without images (P < 0.001), and on questions referring to bones than to soft tissue (P < 0.001), but no difference was found in their performance on anatomical and radiological image questions. The coding highlighted areas of "test applicability" and "challenges faced by the students." In conclusion, images are critical in medical practice for investigating a patient's anatomy, and this study sets out a way to understand the effects of images on students' performance and their views in commonly employed written assessments.

Research Summary: Little is known about how governments secure discrete resources from global corporations over which they have limited direct control. Utilizing declassified archival sources, we examine how the UK government influenced Moody's and Standard & Poor's to provide the highest possible credit ratings in 1978, despite the UK receiving an International Monetary Fund bailout 2 years earlier. We develop a process model to explain how democratic government officials employ distinctive processes to enable and facilitate a nonmarket approach of corporate coaxing to influence corporations' decision making. We thereby enrich the concept of governments as a strategic actors by illuminating how officials act to secure resources when in a position of dependence. Managerial Summary: We sought to understand how governments attempt to influence corporations' decision making when they have limited direct control over these corporations. We examined the historical case of the UK government seeking to influence Moody's and Standard and Poor's. In this case, we identified the distinctive strategy of corporate coaxing to explain how government officials navigate the distinctive constraints, and leverage the unique strengths, of their democratic state, to exert influence on private and global corporations. Our findings show how governments can be more active stakeholders in corporate activity than commonly assumed, as their subtle influence can extend beyond state policies or regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the salience of personal ethical values for diversity work. Theory and practice of diversity management (DM) are located in a wider business ethics agenda which acknowledges the rhetorical value of the business case for diversity, but which also integrates the moral responsibilities attached to people management. Drawing on findings from a qualitative study of external diversity and inclusion (D&I) consultants in the UK, the analysis reveals the extent to which personal ethical values act as motivators for and influences on DM work. The research finds that the unique positioning of external D&I consultants facilitates a productive tension towards their work with organizations, allowing them space and opportunity to navigate ethical tensions such that they stand as particularly valuable equality practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of current sizing systems adopted by brands, for an athletic female population and try to identify areas of improvement in current sizing and grading methods used. This information can be used to engineer accurately fitting lower-body sports compression leggings for the target demographic. Size and shape data of sixty-three athletic females was collected using 3D body scanning. The data was compared to size charts of three commercially available sports compression leggings manufactured by different brands as well as Alvanon's UK sizing and grading standards. Results show that athletic females are not catered for by current products. 28 women (44.44%) fell between sizes for at least one measurement across the three brands. Participant's measurements indicate differing body shapes to the standard 'hourglass' shape presented by the Alvanon UK sizing standards, used by companies as a basis for their sizing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most healthcare contacts for children in the UK occur in general practice. Diagnostic tests can be beneficial in narrowing differential diagnoses; however, there is substantial variation in the use of tests for children in general practice. Unwarranted variation in testing can lead to variation in quality of care and may exacerbate health inequities. To our knowledge, no previous study has tried to understand why variation in testing exists for children in general practice. Aim: To explore GPs' perspectives on using diagnostic tests for children in primary care and the underlying drivers of variation. Design and setting: Qualitative study in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs and trainee GPs in England. Method: Interviews were conducted with 18 GPs and two trainee GPs between April and June 2023. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: GPs reflected that their approach to testing in children differed from their approach to testing in adults: their threshold to test was higher, and their threshold to refer to specialists was lower. GPs' perceptions of test utility varied, including objective testing for asthma. Perceived drivers of variation in testing were intrinsic (clinician-specific) factors relating to their risk tolerance and experience; and extrinsic factors, including disease prevalence, parental concern and expectations of health care, workforce changes leading to fragmentation in care, time constraints, and differences in guidelines. Conclusion: The findings of this study identify actionable issues for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to address gaps in education, evidence, and guidance, reduce unwarranted differences in test use, and improve the quality of health care delivered to children in general practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peritonitis is the main treatment‐related complication of peritoneal dialysis and a primary concern for patients and their relatives. Therefore, understanding their perceptions of peritonitis is important. Objectives: To explore patients' and relatives' perceptions of peritoneal dialysis‐associated peritonitis risk, prevention measures and experiences of diagnosis, and experience of perceived stigma. Design: A sequential mixed methods study design was used, including a questionnaire and semi‐structured interviews. Participants: Patients using peritoneal dialysis and relatives (n = 75) from six National Health Service organisations from the United Kingdom. Measurements: A structured questionnaire was administered with patients and relatives (n = 75) using peritoneal dialysis; data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Thirty questionnaire respondents were then purposively sampled and interviewed in‐depth; data were analysed thematically. Data were collected 2017−2018. Ethical and governance approvals were gained. Results: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were integrated and three themes presented: •Perceptions of risk: participants assessed their risk of developing peritonitis and possible implications on their health and relatives. Participants felt greatly responsible for preventing infection.•Preventing peritonitis: participants reported similar and some differing measures to minimise their risk of developing peritonitis. Participants wanted to be seen as "clean".•Diagnosis of peritonitis: peritonitis diagnosis was embarrassing and stigmatising for many individuals. This was influenced by the response of healthcare professionals and the cause of peritonitis. Conclusions: It is important that healthcare professionals are aware of how responsible patients and relatives feel about preventing peritonitis, the emotional effect of this responsibility and crucially the impact this may have on seeking help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people have faced some of the hardest social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. Taking a critical Youth Studies perspective, we draw on research with nearly 1000 16-to-30-year olds in North East England in order to rectify the 'structured absence' of young people's viewpoints in national media and political commentary about the pandemic. Our findings contradict narratives about young people as lockdown 'rule breakers' and demonstrated the immediate pressures that they faced vis-à-vis family and social life, well-being, and education and employment. Going further than most recent COVID-19 research – and in disagreement with the notion of a so-called COVID generation – we locate these pressures of the moment within the already hostile social-economic conditions that existed for young people in the UK pre-COVID and a discussion of the pressures to come, particularly in terms of longer-term labour market conditions and outcomes. Amidst very rapidly changing political and economic circumstances in the UK, continuing precarity for young people seems to be one certainty. We conclude by identifying some important priorities for youth research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, 31% of students progressed from further education (FE) to higher education (HE), with many coming from non-traditional backgrounds such as vocational and educational training (VET). The skills, expectations and experiences that VET students bring to HE will differ significantly from those of the traditional A-Level entrants, who are familiar with an academic environment and processes. It is important that students progressing from VET make a successful transition from vocational to academic education sectors, not only for personal achievement but also to reduce attrition at higher education institutions (HEIs). The aim of this research is to investigate the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of FE students studying on a vocational course and their forthcoming transition to an academic environment at an HEI. Findings identified three key themes: the challenges associated with progressing to an academic environment from VET; the further personal and professional development that results from studying in an academic environment; and the expectation of diverse experiences when transitioning. Practical guidelines have been created from findings to inform HEIs and further education colleges (FECs) about understanding, supporting and managing students who transition between the two distinct educational environments, hopefully reducing student attrition and improving retention and overall student satisfaction.

We study the UK's university application system, in which students apply based on predicted examination grades, rather than actual results. Using three years of UK university applications data we find that only 16% of applicants' predicted grades are accurate, with 75% of applicants having over-predicted grades. However, high-attaining, disadvantaged students are significantly more likely to receive pessimistic grade predictions. We show that under-predicted candidates are more likely to enrol in courses for which they are over qualified. We conclude that the use of predicted rather than actual grades has important implications for labour market outcomes and social mobility.

Introduction: Until 12 January 2000, the UK Armed Forces retained a policy of discharging all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender personnel under exemptive military laws. The so-called 'gay ban' was enforced with the rationale that homosexuality was incompatible with military service. Little research has explored the experiences of LGBT + veterans or the impact of the 'gay ban' policy. Methods: In 2021, 15 LGBT + veterans who had been affected by the 'gay ban' participated in semi-structured interviews lasting around 90 minutes. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Five overarching themes were identified in exploring the experiences and impact of the 'gay ban' policy: LGBT + identity struggle; camouflage; intense investigative process; extraction, exclusion and loss; and the personal impact. Conclusions: Serving in the UK Armed Forces during this homosexuality ban policy affected the social, health and well-being of LGBT + veterans. The necessity for LGBT + veterans to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, the impact of investigations, loss of careers and alienation have led to long-term experiences of social isolation, loneliness due to barriers to connecting to others and difficulties around health and well-being. Policy Implications: LGBT + veteran vulnerability and traumatic experiences need to be understood in the context of help-seeking behaviour and service provision. The implications for policy change include achieving health and social care equity in relation to access to support services. Support services need to ensure that there is an awareness of the impact of serving under the discriminatory 'gay ban' policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the case-study experiences of 24 White and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) working-class students from three very different universities, we aim to illuminate the often hidden struggle for recognition and respect for classed, 'raced' and gendered ways of being in the university. We discuss how the students perceive their identities in relation to their universities and their peers, and whether they feel the need to adapt and change their classed/'racialised' identities in order to survive and progress or whether they resist any pressures and expectations to do so. We explore the tension between 'assimilation and belonging' and 'betrayal and exclusion' for White and BAME working-class students and consider the intersectional implications. We draw on the concept of hybridity to show the fluidity and fusions of transitioning and developing identities. The article also seeks to contribute further to the illumination of habitus as generative, through a process of hybridity.

Background: Remote forms of breastfeeding support, such as helplines and social media, offer a flexible and convenient form of support to offer help at critical points, e.g., when the risk of breastfeeding cessation is high. Currently, there is little known about who accesses different forms of remote breastfeeding support and what factors impact overall satisfaction. As part of an evaluation of the UK National Breastfeeding Helpline (NBH) (which offers breastfeeding support via a helpline and online media), we aimed to (a) understand who accesses different forms of NBH support, and (b) identify key factors associated with overall satisfaction for helpline and online media support. Methods: All service users who contacted the NBH between November 2021 and March 2022 were invited to participate in the evaluation via an online survey. Survey questions explored the type and timing of support, reasons for the contact, attitudes towards the help and support received, impact of the support on breastfeeding experiences and demographic factors. Chi-squared and Mann–Whitney tests explored variations in who accessed the helpline or online media. Multiple linear regression models were fitted to explore the factors related to the service users' 'overall satisfaction'. The quantitive data were combined with qualitative comments into descriptive themes. Results: Overall, online media users were significantly more likely to be younger, White, multiparous, less educated and have English as a first language compared to those who contact the helpline. Similar factors that significantly influenced overall satisfaction for both support models were the service being easy to access, receiving helpful information that met expectations, resolving breastfeeding issues, and feeling reassured and more confident. Significant factors for the helpline were callers feeling understood and more knowledgeable about breastfeeding following the call, being able to put into practice the information provided, feeling encouraged to continue breastfeeding, feeling that the volunteer gave the support that was needed, and seeking out additional support. Conclusions: Online and helpline forms of breastfeeding support suit different demographics and call purposes. While optimal breastfeeding support needs to be accessible, flexible and instrumental, helpline users need real-time relational support to deal with more complex challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Biobank study contains several sources of diagnostic data, including hospital inpatient data and data on self-reported conditions for approximately 500,000 participants and primary-care data for approximately 177,000 participants (35%). Epidemiologic investigations require a primary disease definition, but whether to combine data sources to maximize statistical power or focus on only 1 source to ensure a consistent outcome is not clear. The consistency of disease definitions was investigated for venous thromboembolism (VTE) by evaluating overlap when defining cases from 3 sources: hospital inpatient data, primary-care reports, and self-reported questionnaires. VTE cases showed little overlap between data sources, with only 6% of reported events for persons with primary-care data being identified by all 3 sources (hospital, primary-care, and self-reports), while 71% appeared in only 1 source. Deep vein thrombosis–only events represented 68% of self-reported VTE cases and 36% of hospital-reported VTE cases, while pulmonary embolism–only events represented 20% of self-reported VTE cases and 50% of hospital-reported VTE cases. Additionally, different distributions of sociodemographic characteristics were observed; for example, patients in 46% of hospital-reported VTE cases were female, compared with 58% of self-reported VTE cases. These results illustrate how seemingly neutral decisions taken to improve data quality can affect the representativeness of a data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The embedding of immigration checks into public institutions constitutes an integral part of contemporary bordering regimes. In this article, we situate recent changes to the UK's internal borderscape in two parts of the public sector: higher education and health care. We argue that, analyzed from institutional perspectives, these changes reflect not only a dispersal and deterritorialization of the UK's border regime, but also the emergence of specific relations between the government department responsible for this regime – the Home Office – and other parts of the public sector and its institutions. We maintain that these relations have developed into two main forms : the routinization of borderwork within public sector employees' roles, drawing workers from across public institutions into relations with the Home Office and subordinating the needs of those institutions to the demands of the UK's internalized border regime; and the establishment of information systems for datafication, to enable reporting and sharing data between public sector institutions and the Home Office, which are exploited for surveillance purposes. Such relations not only vulnerabilize public sector institutions by draining their resources and destabilizing institutional cultures, but also drive ongoing changes in the bureaucratic field of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of 'peopled landscapes' is based on the notion that it is not possible, nor socially or politically desirable, to remove people from the environment in the era of the Anthropocene. As such, it is necessary to document and develop ways to coexist and flourish.This review examines emergent scholarship about peopled landscapes and biodiversity conservation by considering invasive plant management and rewilding as social processes. While invasive plant management and rewilding are often understood as separate, thinking through social scientific research and examples from Australia and the UK, we demonstrate how both forms of human action in landscapes can be more usefully understood as social relations with nature involving social change and social action.Drawing attention to agency, practices and capacity, we show how diverse forms of human and nonhuman actions are recognised, attributed or acknowledged in biodiversity conservation in peopled landscapes.In practice, centring the idea of peopled landscapes (rather than conceiving of the environment as where the impact of people is minimised) shows how invasive plant management and rewilding can be understood as related responses to environmental problems.Flourishing and coexistence in peopled landscapes require recognition of the diverse human and nonhuman agencies that shape the politics of acceptable action, and illustrate the inseparability of environmental and social justice. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do governments visually communicate policies, and what does this reveal about actors' political objectives? Governments strategically narrate their priorities, yet few studies examine this process through visual modes. We contribute to theoretical and empirical understanding in policy studies by focusing on the UK government's COVID-19 response through its daily press briefings during the first wave of 2020. Combining quantitative changepoint and content analysis with qualitative discourse analysis, we examine all 79 sets of slides when briefings occurred. We identify a reactive phase focused on communicating knowledge about the pandemic in a boundedly rational manner, and a proactive phase that created new policy-based narratives of the pandemic. Besides contributing to emerging pandemic-related policy scholarship, we argue that conceiving these visualizations as visual narrative assemblages is relevant more broadly because it shifts attention to the interaction and interdependence of multiple visualizations as they enable policymakers to perform their authority to govern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early 2021, the term BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) was commonly used by the government, public bodies, and the mass media to describe minority ethnic groups in Britain. However, this usage faced fierce criticism, particularly due to complex tensions surrounding racial and ethnic identity, solidarity, and history. This article critically evaluates these tensions and the meaning behind BAME through 10 interviews with activists working in the field of British race relations. My principle focus amid this debate revisits the foundations of the term BAME, which, I argue, is rooted in the rise and fall of Political Blackness. Additionally, I examine the broader strategic purposes of BAME as well as emphasize the importance of colorism within our discussions of racialization in Britain. Ultimately, this discussion seeks a richer account of our current climate around ethnic identification that considers both the potential and the limits of the term BAME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Coexisting long-term conditions (LTCs) in psoriasis and their potential causal associations with the disease are not well -established. Objectives To determine distinct clusters of LTCs in people with psoriasis and the potential bidirectional causal association between these LTCs and psoriasis. Methods Using latent class analysis, cross-sectional data from people with psoriasis from the UK Biobank were analysed to identify distinct psoriasis-related comorbidity profiles. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSR) was applied to compute the genetic correlation between psoriasis and LTCs. Two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis assessed the potential causal direction using independent genetic variants that reached genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10–8). Results Five comorbidity clusters were identified in a population of 10 873 people with psoriasis. LDSR revealed that psoriasis was positively genetically correlated with heart failure [genetic correlation (rg) = 0.23, P = 8.8 × 10−8], depression (rg = 0.12, P = 2.7 × 10−5), coronary artery disease (CAD; rg = 0.15, P = 2 × 10−4) and type 2 diabetes (rg = 0.19, P = 3 × 10−3). Genetic liability to CAD was associated with an increased risk of psoriasis [inverse variance weighted (IVW) odds ratio (ORIVW) 1.159, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.055–1.274; P = 2 × 10−3]. The MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO; ORMR-PRESSO 1.13, 95% CI 1.042–1.228; P = 6 × 10−3) and the MR-robust adjusted profile score (RAPS) (ORMR-RAPS 1.149, 95% CI 1.062–1.242; P = 5 × 10−4) approaches corroborate the IVW findings. The weighted median (WM) generated similar and consistent effect estimates but was not statistically significant (ORWM 1.076, 95% CI 0.949–1.221; P = 0.25). Evidence for a suggestive increased risk was detected for CAD (ORIVW 1.031, 95% CI 1.003–1.059; P = 0.03) and heart failure (ORIVW 1.019, 95% CI 1.005–1.033; P = 9 × 10−3) in those with a genetic liability to psoriasis; however, MR sensitivity analyses did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Five distinct clusters of psoriasis comorbidities were observed with these findings to offer opportunities for an integrated approach to comorbidity prevention and treatment. Coexisting LTCs share with psoriasis common genetic and nongenetic risk factors, and aggressive lifestyle modification in these people is anticipated to have an impact beyond psoriasis risk. Genetically predicted CAD is possibly associated with an increased risk of psoriasis, altering our prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disappointment is common in many organizations. Yet little is known about how individuals' talk about their workplace disappointment shapes their identification with organizations. We conducted an analysis of 104 academics in a prestigious British university to make two contributions to our understanding of the discursive constitution of organizational identification (OID). First, we show how individuals used different types of disappointment-talk to narrate and respond to identification dilemmas in distinct ways. Our findings extend existing research by showing that discourses of emotion do not simply delimit agency but also enable individuals to resist and reject organizational discourses that attempt to anchor them to specific identity positions. Second, we identify a novel way in which individuals can configure the multiple discourses that can be in tension and generate disappointment – unravelling. Here, individuals draw upon one among the multiple discourses in conflict (in our case, prestige) to 'unravel' the knotting between the various discourses that constituted their OID dilemmas. We also consider the implications of our study for academic labour in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a methodology that synthesises an Academic Literacies approach and Critical Discourse Analysis to explore student experiences of feedback on written assessments in two higher education institutions. The qualitative analysis of student interviews is oriented around three topics: (1) the socially situated meaning of feedback; (2) feedback and self-identity; and (3) the power/knowledge relations of learning and teaching. In the purposeful dialogue created by interviewer and interviewee, emergent themes of concern to students are critically analysed to capture something of the complexity of feedback as a genre of academic communication. We conclude that feedback literacy is characterised by diversity and difference; that there are different levels of engagement with feedback; and that there is no universal formula for producing effective feedback.

Using our experience of a work-related learning project, run jointly between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities, in which 600 students annually undertake work placements, this paper focuses on the inherent challenges of using over 30 assessors to assess students. The assessors come from a wide variety of backgrounds and we have had to find solutions to the issue of consistency of marking across all assessors. Inevitably this has led to a process designed to make explicit the tacit assumptions which underlie our individual experiences of assessment and forge a common, clearly articulated understanding across all the assessors. We also recognise that this is an ongoing activity which needs continual attention to maintain and develop the community of practice and adapt to the changing environment in which we operate. [Note: The volume number (2) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation is v3 n1.]

Gilbert Ryle (1949) divided knowledge into "know that" and "know how", which is neatly appealing to many design and technology educators, and like many writers on developing the curriculum, Kahney (1993) made a distinction between declarative knowledge: "verbal knowledge, that is, the kind you get from books, instructions and being told what to do." and procedural knowledge: "In order to achieve skilled performance you need to be able to translate declarative knowledge into actions. A new form of representation, known as procedural knowledge must be established. (p.91)" However, a curriculum that consists simply of information and techniques not only fails to reflect the original intentions of the creators of the UK National Curriculum for design and technology but also misses the mark in terms of developing creative and inventive minds. Evidence from such fields as cognitive archaeology (e.g. Renfrew, 1994) suggest that the symbiotic relationship between mind and hand that typifies technological action and innovation was a primary driver within human evolution. Thus designing technology is one of the defining characteristics of our species. Technology education, therefore, should not be seen simply from an instrumentalist viewpoint as a preparation for the world of work but as a preparation for full functionality in human society. A tentative taxonomy of the features of conceptual learning within technological action should, therefore, include those features that define our humanity and our distinctiveness from other species. These are identified as the ability to be self-reflective, to play with ideas, to make analogical connections between apparently disparate features and to indulge in leaps of the imagination. The contention is that if we fill up our curriculum with declarative and procedural knowledge, without acknowledging and encouraging the unique response or the innovative idea, then we will have designed a curriculum that, however hard we try, will never really succeed in "making it work" for many of our most creative pupils. (Contains 2 figures.)

In the UK, students who want to progress to higher education have a number of possible pathways at age 16. The most common of these is traditional, academic focussed, 'A' levels, but increasingly students are taking alternative qualifications (e.g. BTECs, IB, Pre-U). The focus of this research is to infer which (if any) of these qualifications are the best in terms of preparing students for university study, by comparing degree outcomes of students taking different qualifications prior to entering university. Logistic regression models were undertaken to predict the probability of a student achieving a first-class degree (or at least an upper second) depending on which prior qualification(s) they took. Students' prior attainment was accounted for, along with other background variables (e.g. gender, socio-economic status, school type). The results showed only a few statistically significant differences in the performances of students taking different qualifications, with the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and Applied A levels seeming to provide particularly good preparation for university study. It is suggested that these qualifications may benefit students because of their focus on teaching skills such as planning, researching and problem-solving that will be required in degree level work.

Project Chameleon is a school-based educational programme relating to crime, UK law and social moral positioning. Qualitative data were collated from three focus groups with child participants and two focus groups with university psychology student volunteers. The data related directly to the individual experiences of child participants and student volunteers supporting the facilitation of the programme. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: Personal Experiences, relating to individual learning, attitude and behavioural changes and how individuals used the information provided by the programme; Programme Delivery, which examined all aspects of how the programme was taught to child participants; and Session Content and Issues, discussing the topics and any relevant problems occurring whilst participating. Recommendations for future school-based interventions are discussed, including delivery style, interactivity, dosage and tailored content.

Purpose: This paper evaluates whether the revalidated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) programme encourages independent learning by its curriculum design, delivery and assessment. Results: Evidence regarding the promotion of independent learning was gained from learners and external examiners. The scientific publications, presentations and posters that the learners contributed in the professional arena during or subsequent to programme completion were seen as indicators of independent learning, as this lay beyond the remit of the course. Conclusion: The ethos of the programme to promote independent learning has been successful.

Background : Governments have relied on their citizens to adhere to a variety of transmission-reducing behaviours (TRBs) to suppress the Covid-19 pandemic. Understanding the psychological and sociodemographic predictors of adherence to TRBs will be heavily influenced by the particular theories used by researchers. This review aims to identify the theories and theoretical constructs used to understand adherence to TRBs during the pandemic within the UK social and legislative context. Methods: A systematic review identified studies to understand TRBs of adults in the UK during the pandemic. Identified theoretical constructs were coded to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Data are presented as a narrative summary. Results: Thirty-five studies (n = 211,209) investigated 123 TRBs, applied 13 theoretical frameworks and reported 50 sociodemographic characteristics and 129 psychological constructs. Most studies used social cognition theories to understand TRBs and employed cross-sectional designs. Risk of sampling bias was high. Relationships between constructs and TRBs varied, but in general, beliefs about the disease (e.g. severity and risk perception) and about TRBs (e.g. behavioural norms) influenced behavioural intentions and self-reported adherence. More studies than not found that older people and females were more adherent. Conclusions: Behavioural scientists in the UK generated a significant and varied body of work to understand TRBs during the pandemic. However, more use of theories that do not rely on deliberative processes to effect behaviour change and study designs better able to support causal inferences should be used in future to inform public health policy and practice. Prospero Registration: CRD42021282699. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of landscapes is increasing the interface between humans and wildlife, while conflicts concerning predator impacts on human activities persist. Some previously persecuted but now protected predator species are experiencing recovery and range expansion.Tolerance is considered essential for achieving coexistence between humans and wildlife; however, its conceptualisation remains unresolved. Little is known about tolerance in the context of recovering predators, particularly which drivers are relevant to all or specific species and human interests.Using an online questionnaire survey shared with members of organisations with interests in rural land‐based activities, we collected data on interests and beliefs, and attitudes, perceptions, experience and management preferences for six recovering vertebrate predators in the United Kingdom (n = 819). We created a species tolerance score representing the management choices of the respondents in different conflict scenarios, which differed in the degree of impact on the predator population.Our species tolerance score was characterised by a complex combination of the interests and beliefs of the respondents about wildlife management, perceptions and experience of that species (perceived benefits, population trend, positive and negative experience, indirect negative experience) and negative experience of other recovering predators.We found a tolerance gradient between interest groups with notable overlap between groups with primary interests in wildlife conservation, shooting, farming and fishing. Although higher perceived benefits consistently corresponded to higher tolerance, having a negative experience of the species dampened the effect of perceived benefits on tolerance. When both negative personal and indirect experiences were reported, tolerance was dramatically reduced. The classification of species from least to most tolerated was consistent between interest groups.The application of our species tolerance score as the normative dimension (i.e. acceptability) in Brenner and Metcalf's (2020) Social Tolerance of Wildlife Framework highlights that tolerance (negative attitude—high acceptability) is potentially rare and more positive attitudes must be achieved before acceptance of the impacts of species can increase.Our findings highlight that considering only primary interests may hinder debates concerning recovering predators. Strategies to reduce negative experiences or change how they are perceived could significantly increase tolerance in combination with increasing positive experiences. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how behavioral indicators co-occur as "risk profiles" across different domains relevant to risk assessment as theorized by a Risk Analysis Framework, and how these profiles impact upon vulnerability to radicalization. We unpack both the inter- and intra-domain relationships among profiles, identifying the relative importance of cumulative or interactive effects. We apply latent class analysis, a series of ANOVAs, and moderator analyses to a sample of the UK population (n = 1,500). We examine how the risk profiles relate to scores on the Radicalism Intention Scale, and how profiles relate to, and interact with, one another. Our results suggest that radicalization risk emerges fundamentally from both the interaction and cumulation of processes at different levels of analysis and is therefore highly context dependent. Risk assessment should rely less on quantifying specific indicators and attend to correctly inferring their functional relevance to the risk being assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational Technology (EdTech) plays a significant role in enabling learners with disabilities to access learning at school and reduce educational and social exclusion. It also enables them to enjoy the benefits of a full school curriculum and to participate in activities in different educational arrangements. The purpose of this review was to address the existing evidence of how EdTech is being used to support learners with disabilities in order to inform future research and policymaking. It sought to contribute to an evidence base of ways to reduce barriers to learning drawing on a systematic methodology to gather evidence pertaining to access to EdTech for primary school learners with disabilities aged 6–12 years. After a thorough examination of the literature, the final sample comprised 51 published articles (43 peer-review and 8 conference papers). The review revealed examples of positive outcomes of EdTech interventions being used, particularly in special schools; however, the evidence of their efficacy is weak. The use of EdTech for learners with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries requires further, robust and long-term research that considers the involvement of learners, pedagogy and curriculum design in order to understand its impact on improving educational experiences of children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]