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In recent decades the doctorate and its purposes have undergone fundamental change. The scholarly model has evolved from one of 'apprentice' to independent, supported learner and the doctoral training process has been revolutionised; many candidates now experience cohort-based, structured research. The UK's final PhD examination, however, has changed little in response and as a result has been called into question: does the current model – thesis evaluation followed by a viva voce examination – adequately assess the candidate, their achievements and their potential? This article includes data from a larger study that included live observations of viva examinations and interviews with candidates, supervisors and examiners. In the article, we explore the developments that have transformed the UK PhD from an elite 'licence to practise' for a minority to a mainstream qualification increasingly used to enhance career prospects. We consider the fitness for purpose of the examination by analysing the attributes assessed through the thesis and the viva. The article concludes by questioning whether the examination process enables examiners to communicate the attributes on which judgements are based: the candidate's ability to conduct research independently, their professional and personal characteristics, and their potential career prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the changing relationships between the UK government, its research councils and universities, focusing on the governing, funding and organisation of doctoral training. We use the Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as a prism through which to study the shifting nature of university governance more broadly. Taking up ministerial policy "steers" around research selectivity, knowledge exchange and collaboration, the national research councils position themselves as active partners to universities, working closely with their selected institutional "investments". Drawing on interviews with directors of these DTCs, we document the range of ways in which universities are responding to these dynamic and sometimes unpredictable governance practices. This paper also highlights the growing number of collaborations between universities that are emerging. We use recent work in science governance to argue that, through the Doctoral Training Centres, these "lively" Research Council bureaucracies are reshaping the social sciences and universities more broadly.

This paper explores ways in which examiners, supervisors and others interpret the concept of "originality" when evaluating candidates' achievements in the final Ph.D. examination. It is based on institutional responses to a question in a 2006 discussion paper on doctoral assessment about how universities define originality for the purpose of Ph.D. assessment and what other criteria are used to guide examiners in making judgements in the final examination. The paper also includes emerging findings from the first stages of data generation for a Ph.D. study about how examiners assess the Ph.D. This study involves viva observations and interviews with candidates, examiners, supervisors and independent chairs of vivas. Most participants, irrespective of role, discipline or field, confirmed that "originality" or "a contribution to knowledge" is required for a candidate to pass the Ph.D. examination, and that this criterion is interpreted in a subject-specific context by examiners. The studies suggest that the discipline or field in which the candidate's topic is situated influences the examiners' interpretation of "originality" and their expectations of the candidate. However, "originality" is not the only criterion for the Ph.D., and students are also required to demonstrate other achievements to pass the doctorate. The studies show that there is some degree of consistency among examiners in the general criteria used to evaluate the candidate's thesis and performance in the viva. These findings are discussed in the light of the literature.

The findings discussed here are based on five case studies and a small survey (n = 46) of how secondary schools are responding to demands that they collaborate with other services to intervene to prevent the social exclusion of children and young people. The case studies revealed a new space of action opening up around schools where practices were being shaped by "welfare managers" who were employed by schools and were undertaking responsive work with vulnerable children and young people and the other services who were also supporting them. At the same time heads of year and/or heads of school and form tutors were increasingly focusing on children's achievement in school. The changes in roles and responsibilities were encouraged by workforce remodelling and changes in criteria for teachers' salaries. However, focusing primarily on the work undertaken by the welfare managers, the article draws on cultural-historical activity theory analyses of relational agency and distributed expertise to question whether welfare managers can undertake the work required in the new space of action without attention to the development of their core expertise. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)

Although the famous Blair mantra "education, education, education" was applied by his government mainly to the compulsory education sector, there was no shortage of initiatives in Higher Education (HE). The scene was set by the Dearing Report in 1997 which effectively determined the direction of Blair's first term. The second term enabled Blair to pursue further an agenda of public sector reform, yet the simultaneous commitment to market principles of choice and diversity and to social inclusion created major tensions and dilemmas. Funding the expanded HE was the stimulus which led to Dearing, and has continued to be the major challenge of the ten-year period.

Continuing professional development (CPD) doctorate programmes may not be the only learning and development opportunities which universities and other organisations can provide for educational psychology practitioners (EPs). However, as Morris and Brightman pointed out in 2006, they are likely to continue as important sources for professional development for some years to come. Such programmes serve the purposes of providing continuing professional development for individuals, conferring higher status on the professional group and, for some, developing specialist skills and knowledge. This paper reports on two studies carried out nearly a decade apart. The first involved the collation of data from eight focus groups in London and the Home Counties who discussed the costs and benefits of setting up part-time doctoral programmes for experienced practitioners in 1998, as discussed by Cameron in 1999, and the other was a small-scale follow-up survey in 2007 using a questionnaire which was based on the issues arising from the earlier focus group discussions and which was designed to explore consistent, changed and evolving views and opinions of practitioner EPs towards this extended form of EP professional training. While both studies uncovered evidence of the research-practice divide which has been a feature of EP practice for many decades, it was clear from the 2007 survey that much of the ambivalence of practitioners to the "academic dimension" of training, present in the first investigation, had dissipated and that national doctorate programmes for experienced practitioners had become a familiar feature of the educational and child psychology landscape. Some theory/research versus practice tensions still remain, however, and these, together with their likely implications for current and future developments in the profession, are also considered. Finally, some key issues arising from both the 1998 and the 2007 studies are used to illuminate the potential role of CPD doctorates in enabling EPs to address future challenges in the practice context. (Contains 5 tables.)

The EdD (Doctor in Education) is a professional doctorate that provides a framework for experienced professionals to examine and develop their practice through research and engagement with relevant theoretical perspectives and professional academic literature. This type of doctorate provides the opportunity for professionals to develop their capacity for critical, professional agency, often achieved through the use of reflection for the integration of academic and professional knowledge. This paper explores doctoral students' perspectives on the nature and value of reflective statements in terms of a product of learning and a process of reflection. The analysis of EdD students' responses from one university in the UK reveals a connection between the process of reflection and the development of professional knowledge and contribution to practice--major goals of professional doctorate programmes. This small-scale study has highlighted implications for the role of reflection in EdD programmes for the development of critical, professional agency. At the metacognitive level of the EdD student clarity is lacking regarding the process of reflection--the nature, scope, object, purpose, value and development-- which raises the very important question of "what counts as adequate reflection and on what grounds". This study has identified the need to build capacity, first, in the reflective practice of EdD students and second, in the pedagogic demands of the tutors and supervisors and, third, the assessment demands required of examiners. (Contains 1 figure.)

Education in the early years is a key element in the Government's current strategy. Recently, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funded a major study of Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE). The Early Years Transition and Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project developed from the EPPE research and was also funded by the DfES. The authors of this article, Brenda Taggart, Pam Sammons, Rebecca Smees, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Karen Elliott and Ingrid Lunt, all worked on the EYTSEN Project, based at the Institute of Education, University of London. In this article, they provide a summary of the findings from the EYTSEN Project, reviewing the impact of pre-school provision on children said to be "at risk" of developing special educational needs. They suggest that pre-school experience has a positive impact on cognitive attainment and social or behavioural development and that integrated centres (where education and care are fully combined) and nursery schools have the most positive influence among the different forms of pre-school provision. This paper also discusses the identification of special educational needs; quality in pre-school centres; parents' perspectives; and future developments. The article closes with a call for improved training for practitioners working in early years settings.

Global mobility for psychologists is rapidly improving because of an emerging consensus on recognition standards, the demand for cross-border mobility both internal and external to the profession, and the efforts of membership, credentialing, and regional organizations to promote mobility. In the United States, multiple credentialing organizations promote mobility, primarily through individual endorsement of credentials. The Canadian regulatory boards signed a mutual recognition agreement implementing fast-track mechanisms for licensed psychologists seeking mobility and a competency-based assessment for initial registration. Europe plans to reduce barriers to mobility through mutual recognition of qualifications via a EuroPsy diploma that provides a benchmark for professional psychology education and training. Other regions have not made as much progress with regard to promoting mobility, as many do not yet even regulate the practice of psychology. The authors examine who seeks mobility, which geographic regions promote mobility, and by which mechanisms.

Interviews six experienced administrators--three men and three women--in England about their values and leadership styles. Finds, for example, that all appeared to combine different leadership styles with democratic values. (Contains 1 table and 55 references.)(PKP)

This paper reports on the effects of local management of schools (LMS) on provision for special educational needs (SEN) of British students. It examines the legislative framework, increases in numbers of pupils with SEN statements, and difficulties faced by mainstream schools in trying to stretch their resources to cope with SEN pupils. (JDD)

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6155.2010.00247.x Byline: TienYu Owen Yang (1), Kathy Sylva (2), Ingrid Lunt (2) Keywords: Adolescence; asthma management; family support; peer support; social acceptance Abstract: PURPOSE. This study aims to investigate the association between social support variables and healthy lifestyle for asthma management among early adolescents (ages 9-14 years). DESIGN AND METHODS. Questionnaires were completed by 86 parent-adolescent dyads. RESULTS. Healthy lifestyle was associated with social support variables. The association with peer acceptance was stronger among adolescents who received less asthma-specific support from peers. Age was negatively associated with healthy lifestyle, but the association was attenuated after adjustment for asthma-specific peer support. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The findings of this study suggest recognizing the developmental change of social support during early adolescence. Author Affiliation: (1)Cancer Epidemiology Unit (2)Department of Education; University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Article History: First received October 4, 2009; Revision received April 3, 2010; Accepted for publication April 16, 2010. Article note: Author contact: tienyu.owen.yang@gmail.com, with a copy to the Editor: roxie.foster@UCDenver.edu

Empirical data on the life experiences of contemporary school-age lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people in Britain remains somewhat sparse. This paper reports the preliminary findings of a study conducted at a recently-initiated LGB youth Summer School. To further an appreciation of issues of concern to today's LGB teenagers, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 Summer School participants (five female and five male, aged 15-18 years). The aim was to elicit their views and experiences relating to their need for support such as that offered by the Summer School. Themes drawn from participants' interviews are presented. Key issues included: being positioned as different by their majority heterosexual peers; feelings of isolation and loneliness in their peer groups and families; difficulties in finding others like themselves for companionship; and the importance of meeting more LGB people of their own age. KEYWORDS. Adolescence, gay, homosexuality, identity, lesbian, safe space, same-sex, youth work

This article considers the development of a global training curriculum and qualification in professional psychology, with particular emphasis on the Combined-Integrated (C-I) model. The C-I model exposes professional psychology trainees to two or more of the practice areas (i.e., clinical, counseling, school/educational). The authors argue that the C-I approach is one that is well suited to the development of a global training curriculum due to its emphasis on broadly training psychologists as well as its respect for diversity and integration of various theoretical and professional orientations. A survey of training programs in 16 countries/regions on six continents found significant variation in training, minimal qualifications. and roles of the professional psychologist. The authors recommend that an international group of psychologists develop a regionally flexible, but common, training curriculum and qualification that would include a five-to six year competency-based qualification. Ways in which the C-I training model may serve to integrate and globalize professional psychology are discussed. Keywords: international psychology; training and development; Combined-Integrated model of training in professional psychology

Are European models of clinical psychology training similar to those in the United States, or do they still stress the Wundtian tradition of research and scholarship? The development of PsyD programs in the United States has accelerated over the past 2 decades, but have there been similar developments in Europe? This article traces the development of research-oriented training in clinical psychology from Wilhelm Wundt through Lightner Witmer to the Boulder and Luxembourg models. It also traces the PsyD from the original suggestion made by Leta Hollingworth in 1918 to the present.

Although American psychology continues to occupy a dominant position in most of the world, there is an increasing awareness in many countries of the need to develop psychology as a science and profession for meeting local needs and for coping with local context, both in a cultural and a political sense. In this article, the emphasis is on Europe as a region, where tensions between regional integration and the pursuit of national and sectional interests create challenges for the discipline.