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This study employs the Delphi method to ascertain intercultural scholars' current consensus on a definition, specific components, and key evaluation criteria of intercultural competence. Sixty-eight leading intercultural scholars from Euro-American and East-Asian countries participated in this study. The results are largely congruent with the previous study, nonetheless some new elements emerge from this study. Based on the findings, intercultural competence is redefined and a multicultural model is proposed.

There are growing numbers of African international students studying at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in North America and the United Kingdom. Intercultural mentoring is one response to supporting students in navigating the complex cultural, social, and academic transitions from home to host countries. This article examines the experiences of 18 participants who had recently mentored African international students attending higher education institutions in Canada or in the UK. Semi-structured interviews with participating mentors were transcribed and analysed from a critical intercultural perspective. Results highlight four themes that provide insight into mentors' approaches to intercultural mentoring: navigating fields of action and intervention, engaging in reflective practice, intercultural mentoring as a relational practice, and mentoring as a decolonising practice. Study findings provide insight into how intercultural mentoring relationships develop and evolve and how mentors approach mentoring relationships as sites that hold transformative learning potential for both mentors and students.

Inter-professional perspective-taking (the ability to take the perspective of colleagues with whom one is working, but who work in a different context or role type) is an aspect of empathy, with substantial benefits in the workplace, including environments where inter-professional collaboration is required, such as clinicians and administrators. In this article, the focus is on the inter-professional UKHE context -- academic and professional staff. Based on the available literature, I hypothesise that a greater understanding of the lived experience of another demographic, may be important in one's ability to take their perspective. A variety of factors or characteristics may influence the level of perspective-taking between academic and professional staff in UK Higher Education (UKHE). There is a dearth of literature on perspective-taking in the workplace (as noted in Sherf and Morrison (2020)) and this paper seeks to add to the literature available in the field. Keywords: The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis 1983) is discussed as a tool for measuring perspective-taking in the workplace. A survey of 272 academic and professional staff currently or recently working in UKHE was conducted. In this study, my findings suggest that in UKHE, inter-professional staff who understand each others' lived experience better, are more likely to take the perspective of another when they get upset.

Evidence demonstrates work intensity is on the rise and can lead to higher rates of burnout. The UK Higher Education professional services sector has been under-researched in terms of work intensity levels and experience of burnout. This research measured these levels and sought evidence of whether high-performance work practices (HPWPs) moderate the user's level of burnout. Quantitative data were collected using a cross-sector survey and tested for correlation. The results evidenced a moderate, positive relationship between work intensity and burnout, and a strong, negative relationship between HPWPs and burnout. Drawing on the Job Demands -- Resources model (Demerouti et. al. 2001), this research contributes to the understanding of the factors contributing to burnout in the UK Higher Education context. Practical implications include addressing the widespread culture of overwork and employing HPWP suites to moderate burnout. Suggestions for further research provide additional clarity.

This paper provides a small-scale exploration of the evolvement of leadership roles in higher education academic units (AUs), namely Departments, Schools & Faculties. A literature review provides theoretical examples of the evolution of professional services (PS) staff. Changes in PS leadership roles are also explored alongside the emergence of 'Third Space' professionals whereby staff from the perceived 'binary' construct of HE (academics and PS staff) work together on shared initiatives outside formal structures. Semi-structured interviews with PS leaders working in AUs across the sector highlight a number of key themes. Findings suggest that documented tensions between academics and PS staff have lessened with the focus shifting to 'local' vs 'central' challenges. With identity emerging as an important consideration for Higher Education Professionals (HEPs), the paper calls for a sector wide review of structures and resource allocation models, the development of a new HEP apprenticeship scheme and a rebuilding of the PS throughout HE.

This paper examines the impact of process mapping on the management of change in an academic library in a UK higher education institution. Book ordering has been highlighted by a group of subject librarians as being time-consuming and inefficient, detracting from their ability to respond to new challenges and opportunities. An action research approach is used to bring the subject librarians together to draw book ordering process maps, identify on the maps where perceived problem areas lie and discuss potential solutions. Analysis of the empirical data suggests that process maps used in an action learning setting are impactful in terms of demonstrating readiness for change, showing where change is needed and creating a vision for change. The value of investigating the impact of process mapping through the lenses of different change models is discussed and the applicability of this approach to other professional services settings in higher education is explored.

This study considered how hybrid working impacts the management of menopause symptoms in HE Professional Services (PS) employees. The evidence suggested that work was affected by menopause symptoms and poor workplace control increased symptom severity. Participants adapted their working environment and employed compensatory actions to perform optimally. In the office, women felt obliged to work through symptoms, whereas at home, women often worked longer hours. Women made career decisions based on symptoms. Job control and task-based autonomy gave improved menopause experiences. Supportive environments yielded positive workplace menopause transitions, even with low autonomy. Existing mechanisms like performance development reviews (PDRs), workplace risk assessments and reasonable adjustments could be used. Universities should raise awareness and provide training for managers, as the research showed that women wanted choice about menopause disclosure. A HE sector-level response is needed to address this extensive occupational health concern, to benefit from increased engagement and decreased staff turnover.

Teaching is a stressful profession with a high turnover rate. Schools and related institutions need to take more action to support teachers and keep teacher stress at a manageable level. The continued research and practical effort require measures to examine teachers' stress in a briefer and accurate manner. The Teacher Stress Scale is a recently developed brief measure to examine teacher stress with promising psychometric characteristics. The present study aims to further validate TSS scores with a large sample of teachers ranging from pre-kindergarten to the 12th grade from the United States and United Kingdom. Findings of the internal structure validity, convergent validity, and the internal consistency reliability of TSS scores were examined. Specifically, the confirmatory factor analysis of the unidimensional model and the two-dimensional model showed poor fit, but the bi-factor model evidenced a strong fit. Factorial invariance testing yielded strong invariance between early education and secondary education teachers as well as satisfactory invariance between teachers from the United States and the United Kingdoms. The Inadequate School-Based Support TSS subscale demonstrated convergent validity with other support measures, and the overall TSS showed acceptable internal consistency reliability evidence of scores. Limitations and implications of the TSS, as well as future research directions were discussed.

Objective: To evaluate the association between health behaviors with mental health among tertiary education students. Methods: Six databases were searched until September 2021 for prospective cohort studies evaluating the association between health behavior(s) (dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, alcohol intake, sleep, smoking or illicit drug use) and mental health. Two independent reviewers screened records for inclusion, extracted data and completed risk of bias assessments. Results: 33 studies were included (14 assessed sleep, 14 alcohol intake, 13 physical activity, 8 smoking, 6 sedentary behavior, 4 diet, 1 illicit drug use). A consistent association between poor sleep, and physical inactivity with increased risk of poor psychological wellbeing, and between poor sleep and increased mental ill-health related outcomes was demonstrated. Conclusion: Findings suggest interventions to address poor sleep and physical inactivity among students may positively impact mental health. Further research of other health behaviors, and their association with mental health, is required.

Previous research has established that children's experiences of language during in-person interactions (e.g. individual and cumulative experiences of structural choices) implicitly shape language learning. We investigated whether children also implicitly learn structural choices during online interactions, and whether this is affected by the visual co-presence of a partner. During an online conference call, three- and five-year-olds alternated describing pictures with an experimenter who produced active ("a cat chased the dog") and passive ("the dog was chased by a cat") prime descriptions; half the participants had video+audio calls, and half had audio-only. Children in both age groups produced more passives after passive than active primes, both immediately and with accumulating input across trials; neither effect was influenced by call format (video+audio vs audio-only). These results demonstrate that implicit grammar learning mechanisms, as evidenced by syntactic priming effects, operate during socially contingent online interactions. They also highlight the potential of online methodologies for developmental language production research.

Right-wing populists have recurrently created moral panics internationally about the supposed need to 'protect free speech' in higher education (HE), and 'protect children' from progressive speech in schools. This paper presents the first systematic analysis of how such dynamics function with respect to race and faith equality in a national school policy context. Drawing on a critical post-structural framework, we conceptualise the policy problematisation of "speech" as situated in a wider set of coercion-consent governing strategies used to manage contemporary authoritarian neoliberal contradictions, and to narrow the "speakability" of anti-racist and faith equality concerns. We present a two-stage thematic and discursive analysis of a corpus of primarily school-focused English policy texts from successive Conservative-led governments (2010-2022). The analysis outlines three main policy strategies which narrow speakability: the defining of 'good' schools and citizens with limited/oppositional reference to race equality, the problematising of 'dangerous' speech, and the indexing of school/HE subjects who are "truly" vulnerable to political speech. The paper offers an urgent case study of how possibilities for progressive race and faith-based expression are shaped beyond explicitly speech-focused policies, and argues that engagement of the complex governance of speakability offers nuanced possibilities for analysing bans on progressive education internationally.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed many ethical and practical challenges for academic research. Some of these have been documented, particularly in relation to health research, but less attention has been paid to the dilemmas encountered by educational and social science research. Given that pandemics are predicted to be more frequent, it is vital to understand how to continue crucial research in schools and other learning communities. This article therefore focuses specifically on research ethics in educational and social science during the pandemic of 2020-2022. The research involved interviews and workshops with University College London (UCL) academics, professional staff and graduate students and encompassed those involved in reviewing ethics applications, researchers dealing with ethics in projects that continued despite disruptions caused by COVID-19, and successful research projects specifically designed to study the effects of COVID-19 in various contexts. The article discusses some of the crucial knowledge and practical experiences that were accumulated. The operational and epistemological lessons learned from this particular institution may have wider relevance to research ethics processes in higher education environments where academics and students are grappling with post-COVID-19 ethical dilemmas and inform broader debates about how research institutions can build institutional knowledge to improve practices of ethics review at the times of health emergencies in future. Our evidence points to the significance of inter- and multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches that flatten institutional hierarchies and to the crucial role played by professional staff. In addition, we argue that ethics review processes must be underpinned by critical debates about wider issues of unequal power relationships between research partners, the nature of knowledge production, ownership and utilisation. To enhance equity and epistemic justice in research practices, ethics education should be an ongoing integral part of research ethics within research institutions.

Studies suggest the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted women. Related research and literature suggest leadership approaches commonly associated with women are more effective during crises, a notion that we sought to explore in this study. This investigation explored how senior women leaders in the UK Higher Education exhibited leadership during the pandemic, whether their approaches had changed during this time and the impact leading during this period had on them. The research used semi-structured interviews with six women senior leaders to uncover insights into their lived experiences. Findings show while their fundamental leadership styles did not change, all participants exhibited situational approaches with higher levels of distributed leadership than pre-pandemic. In several instances, their perception was this was based on gendered differences in their leadership approaches, probably developed because of their socialisation as women. The pressures on participants during the pandemic had a significant personal toll, with this period being articulated as the most difficult in their careers. Peer-to-peer networks functioned as critical support mechanisms for these women leaders. The greatest emergent stressor, however, was government policy changes unrelated to COVID-19 which participants considered would have greater long-term impact and served to destabilise higher education at an already difficult time.

Bilingual children's total vocabulary in each of their languages is often smaller than that of monolinguals. In their seminal study, Bialystok et al. (2010. 'Receptive vocabulary differences in monolingual and bilingual children.' "Bilingualism: Language and Cognition" 13 (4): 525-531) divided children's vocabulary into 'home' and 'school' words and found no differences in bilinguals' knowledge of 'school' words compared to monolinguals. In Study 1, we asked 292 parents and teachers to categorize words into 'home' or 'school' contexts, and in Study 2, we analyzed the vocabulary of 220 Polish-English bilingual and monolingual (English and Polish) children aged 4.5-7. The results show that bilinguals knew fewer 'home' and 'school' words than monolinguals in each language. However, bilinguals were likely to be exposed to these words either at home or at school, whereas monolinguals would hear them in both contexts. For a small subset of English words that bilinguals heard in both contexts, bilinguals showed similar performance to monolinguals. Our results provide evidence for exposure effects in vocabulary acquisition.

Medical education in Jordan has evolved rapidly in the last 50 years as successive governments and higher education leaders have responded swiftly to developing healthcare sector demands. Despite significant progress being made, there remain a substantial number of challenges for the Jordanian medical education system that require careful attention in the years and decades ahead. This article provides a historical summary of medical education in Jordan, outlines some of the important areas that require development, and describes plans for a new medical school and teaching hospital in Amman at the newly established Kingdom University of Health Sciences, due to open in 2026. This ambitious project is being funded by the Saudi Jordanian Investment Fund and is being supported by partnerships with high-ranking, well-established institutions in the UK and USA. This article highlights the significant value in a partnership approach to developing a medical education program as it strives to overcome some of the existing challenges facing medical education in Jordan.

Attention paid to awarding gaps in higher education linked to ethnicity tends to focus on outcomes at the final award stage. Our project sought to scrutinise awarding gaps at module level where these gaps may emerge. Our aim was twofold: to identify the most important barriers to student success and determine strategies to reduce awarding gaps at module level, as perceived by students from various ethnic backgrounds and to investigate to what extent there is consensus amongst students of various ethnic backgrounds regarding these barriers and strategies. We employed a two-phase Delphi approach. The first phase involved data analytics to identify modules with awarding gaps in health and life sciences undergraduate degree programmes. The second phase employed a Delphi approach to collect student feedback on barriers to success and strategies to overcome them, focusing on culture, curriculum, and assessment. The study engaged 36 students in the first round and 53 in the second round. Our research confirmed the existence of awarding gaps at the module level. Students reached consensus on 55 out of 79 factors affecting their academic performance, with notable differences between White and racially minoritised student groups. This study suggests that, to close awarding gaps, both a module-level approach and a deep commitment to listening to our students is needed. Our study is the first to use a consensus-driven Delphi approach to identify key barriers and strategies at the module level, offering a framework for addressing awarding gaps and fostering inclusive, equitable education within and beyond the UK.

This study examines the impact of multilingualism and socioeconomic status on academic performance within the UK, utilising data from 3,213 pupils from the National Pupil Database who also took part in the Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP). We employed multilevel modelling to analyse the relationship between language experience, socioeconomic status and Key-Stage 2 (KS2[approximately]11 years) and Key-Stage 4 (KS4[approximately]16 years) performance in English, Mathematics and Science. Findings reveal that multilingual learners initially face academic challenges at KS2, particularly in English and Science, but achieve comparable results with monolingual peers by KS4, overcoming early setbacks. Notably, simultaneous multilinguals not only catch up but excel beyond their monolingual counterparts by KS4, demonstrating the significant long-term academic benefits of early multilingual exposure and /or its associated cultural factors. Further analysis indicates that multilingual group membership mitigated the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status, with pupils from these backgrounds making substantial academic strides between KS2 and KS4 compared to monolingual peers. This challenges prevalent misconceptions about multilingualism in education. These findings underscore the need for educational policies that harness linguistic diversity to foster academic equity and success, emphasising the crucial role of language experience and socioeconomic factors in shaping educational outcomes.

Autistic people experience a higher prevalence of self-harming behaviours than do the general population. Self-harm remains a stigmatised topic, and until recently, self-harming behaviours in autism were considered to be limited to self-injurious behaviours experienced by intellectually impaired autistic children and not to be experienced by cognitively able autistic adults. Because of the belief held by many professionals that many mental health-related problems are inherently part of autism and immune to treatment or help, many autistic people are left unable to access the help and support that they desperately need. This study adopts an online qualitative methodology to explore this under-researched phenomenon, thematically analysing online forum posts from autistic adults to determine what forms of self-harm are described, what precipitates the self-harm and how forum users support each other. The findings reveal that self-harming behaviours are nuanced and complex, highlighting the connections between sensory overload, meltdowns, stimming and impulsive repetitive blunt trauma seen as autistic self-injurious behaviours. When seeking help, barriers include navigating misdiagnoses of other mental illnesses and being misunderstood or disbelieved by professionals. Online forum users offer help in the form of emotional empathy, as well as practical solutions, providing an example of valuable peer support.

Research has examined teacher attitudes, knowledge, and stigma towards inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools. Less focus has been given to these beliefs among parents. This is problematic as parents are important in the implementation of inclusion and fostering a positive school environment. The current study examined differences in autism attitudes, knowledge, stigma, and inclusive education attitudes (core perspective; expected outcomes; classroom practices) among parents with and without an autistic child; The study also investigated whether autism knowledge, attitudes and stigma predicted inclusion attitudes. 185 parents in the UK (52% had an autistic child) completed questionnaires measuring these variables. Parents of an autistic child had significantly higher core perspective inclusive attitudes than parents without an autistic child. However, this group also reported more beliefs that parents of autistic children are stigmatised. For all parents, core perspective inclusive attitudes were predicted by autism attitudes and stigma towards parents of autistic children. Predictors of expected outcomes and classroom practices inclusive attitudes differed between groups. Findings highlight the need for parental attitude research to be disability-specific and consider different aspects of inclusive attitudes. Parent education to enhance inclusive attitudes should be tailored for distinct parent groups and contact interventions should be considered.

This study examined factors of implementation in clinical practice across the world of the Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy, an evidence-based parent-mediated therapy. Data were gathered via a survey administered to professionals trained in Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy and parents with whom they worked. The study was a mixed-method design informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Over 70% of the practitioners recorded the intent to implement therapy after Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy training. Implementation was more likely if the practitioner saw mostly autistic children within their work (odds ratios [approximately equal] 5), was easier with new referrals, and with peer support from colleagues and managers, allowing scheduling flexibility. The main barriers for practitioners were time (sessions > 1 h), suitable video equipment, low parental self-reflection abilities and family stress. Parents rated the feasibility of learning and using Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy in daily life highly (median = 5.4; interquartile range = 4.5, 6.8; range = 1-7) and delivered home-based practice a median of 4 days per week (daily practice recommended). The facilitators of implementation for parents included positive regard for the features of the Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy method (video reflection, parental empowerment, and play-based practice). The barriers for parents were mostly related to time availability. These results outline the importance of family and system-context factors necessary for successful parent-mediated therapy implementation.

This article presents findings from a qualitative study exploring parents' struggles over their children's education. Drawing on affective practice theory (Wetherell 2012) and feminist care ethics (Fisher and Tronto 1990), we offer insights into the affective practices of care driving parents' educational activism. We detail how parents' activism is rooted in both powerful feelings of parental responsibility and wider, more altruistic concerns. We argue that parents' activism disrupts the binary between altruism and self-interest, indicating instead they can be mutually constitutive of collective action; a complex form of affective practice we designate "altruistic self-interest." Our analysis suggests parental activism can be a force for progressive educational change in which care for intimates and care for others coincide, but also that educational authorities might adopt a more "care-full" approach when making key decisions affecting children, families and communities.

This paper examines the pedagogical integration of Virtual Microscopes (VMs) in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), to identify best practice and improve online pedagogy. It has captured the perspectives of 12 Health and Earth Science university teachers, through in-depth interviews, about the current integration of the VM in online teaching, benefits and challenges, and their recommendations for enhancing online and distance learning. Findings revealed that the VM has been integrated in online courses in varied ways, addressing diverse learning objectives. Teachers noted two particular challenges: (a) the need for support throughout the lifecycle of a course, and while students are using the VM, that will complement the introductory support currently provided, and (b) the design of VM learning activities that promote higher order thinking skills. Implications about the significance of engaging teachers with the process of designing online courses and using the VM to enable remote learning in cases of emergency are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for practical teaching within the sciences. While many instructors adopted innovative alternatives to conventional practicals, many relied on digital approaches that did not give students hands-on experience. In this study we evaluate the use of 'at home' practical kits used in first year physics and biology teaching at a UK university as an alternative to laboratory classes. In particular we focus on the enforced independence over time, space and help-seeking inherent in the at-home model as a driver of student learning and confidence. Students reported the kits encouraged independence, problem solving and self-reliance. Students associated the at-home practical kits with higher level cognitive skills as defined by Bloom's revised taxonomy. While most students enjoyed using the kits, those who did not enjoy them tended to have higher previous experience of practical work before university. Students saw potential value in the kits after the pandemic, so could be an alternative or supplement to in-person practicals. We recommend that practical organisers use our findings around the development of student self-reliance to reconsider practical design and incorporate more opportunities for students to solve problems independently to increase effectiveness of practical teaching.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to systematically dissect strategies against the challenges stalling digital transformation (DT) in the UK higher education (HE) sector. It addresses the challenges impeding DT's incorporation and offers a blueprint for fostering innovation and efficiency within academic institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Using a systematic literature review, the research integrates a nuanced literature review with interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Through meticulous ISM analysis, including sensitivity analysis and level partitioning, a robust framework is developed to pinpoint and interrelate DT challenges. Findings: This investigation delineates a spectrum of impediments to DT in HE, most notably the need for more digital understanding among educators, intensified by inadequate support and resources. The findings reveal that the effective integration of DT is hindered by factors such as insufficient educator digital skills, resistance to technology and the continuous evolution of digital infrastructure. Practical implications: The study's findings and the developed level partitioning diagram offer invaluable insight into how DT must be integrated into the curriculum to enhance HE. Additionally, it could further lead to research within digital infrastructure and how learning needs to be facilitated for students in HE. Originality/value: This study breaks new ground by systematically illuminating the centrality of the educator skill gap. By contributing insights into the educator skill gap, it proposes a unique analytical model that underscores actionable pathways for advancing DT initiatives in HE institutions.

Purpose: This paper aims to show how an Academic Literacies lens can contribute to a deeper understanding of writing for a professional doctorate (PD) by focusing both on the language of supervisors' written feedback and on student and supervisor perspectives on feedback throughout Year 1 (Y1). Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, written feedback summaries on formative assessments across two Y1 cohorts on a UK PD programme were analysed thematically to identify patterns in feedback practices. Secondly, two longitudinal, detailed student/supervisor case studies were developed, drawing on multiple data sources. Findings: Supervisors' written feedback enacted an encouraging dialogue around assessed writing, discursively constructing a sense of solidarity on the doctoral journey, focusing on the "long view". Case study analysis, however, revealed tensions centred around jarring discontinuities in students' feedback experience as they transitioned from formative to summative assessment at the end of Y1. Research limitations/implications: The paper demonstrates that an Academic Literacies approach can offer valuable insights into the specific, situated context of writing for a distance learning PD and makes the case for greater attention to writing in contexts of partly taught doctorates. Practical implications: Findings suggest that PD programmes should work towards providing continuity of feedback experience, through supervisor and examiner training and through assessment arrangements which support students to navigate challenging transitions between formative and summative phases of assessment. Originality/value: This paper reports on an innovative research design which combined a textual "snapshot" of supervisory feedback, paying close attention to language, with detailed longitudinal case studies exploring perspectives on feedback over time. It contributes to doctoral writing research by throwing light on the relatively underexplored domain of writing in the taught phase of the PD. It contributes to doctoral education studies by highlighting the central role of feedback on writing in shaping the experience of PD researchers.

Modafinil is a prescription-only drug in most countries. It is mainly used to treat narcolepsy and sleep disorders, but it is also used, without a prescription, as a cognitive enhancer by [approximately 10% of UK University students. Previous research has focused on the prevalence of, and motivations for, these behaviours. Here we focused specifically on determining whether students view this behaviour as cheating. We used a scenario-based approach to quantify, and qualitatively understand, student views on this topic. Most students did not view this behaviour as cheating, in part due to similarities with freely available stimulants such as caffeine, and a view that cognitive enhancement does not confer new knowledge or understanding. Although a minority of students did view it as cheating, they also expressed strong views, based in part on basic questions of fairness and access. Few students did not have a view either way. These views remained largely unchanged even when presented with considerations of other moderators of the ethics of cognitive enhancement with modafinil.

International branch campuses (IBCs) are gaining popularity among students, institutions, and countries worldwide. Despite the significant interest in this field, few studies have reviewed and analyzed the IBC research landscape. This scientometric analysis examines 173 articles related to IBCs that have been published in the Web of Science Core Collection. The aim is to systematically trace the development, contributors, and topics of IBC research. Through this analysis, researchers can gain insights into the diversified and balanced advancement of IBC research. The study also explores the academic power dynamics underlying IBC research and provides recommendations for future research. Overall, this analysis provides a scientific map for researchers to review IBC research and better understand this field.

This paper examines the 2012 abolition of the Post-Study Work visa for international students in English and Welsh Universities and its subsequent re-establishment in 2021. A policy cycle analysis was performed of the phases of agenda setting, formulation, implementation, and evaluation. This revealed that the UK government abolished the PSW visa in 2012 because of national security concerns and perceived public opposition to immigration, but minimised the role of higher education institutions and failed to consider economic and cultural drivers when setting the policy agenda. The impact of the subsequent top-down approach to implementation led to a range of negative outcomes for HEIs and their contribution to the UK economy. Subsequently, bottom-up pressure led to the UK government re-establishing the PSW visa for economic reasons, political reasons (Brexit), and in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Language assessment is increasingly computermediated. This development presents opportunities with new task formats and equally a need for renewed scrutiny of established conventions. Recent recommendations to increase integrated skills assessment in lecture comprehension tests is premised on empirical research that demonstrates enhanced construct coverage over conventional selected response formats such as multiple-choice. However, the comparison between response formats is underexplored in computer-mediated assessment and does not consider test item presentation methods that this technology affords. To this end, the present study investigates performance in a computer-mediated lecture comprehension task by examining test taker accounts of task completion involving multiple-choice questions without question preview and integrated response formats. Findings demonstrate overlap between the formats in terms of several core processes but also point to important differences regarding the prioritization of aspects of the lecture, memory and test anxiety. In many respects, participant comments indicate the multiple-choice format measured a more comprehensive construct than the integrated format. The research will be relevant to individuals with interests in computer-mediated assessment and specifically with a responsibility for developing and validating lecture comprehension assessments.

Phonetic imitation is a ubiquitous process in speech production. Speakers have a strong tendency to imitate their interlocutors both in a native and a non-native language. It is especially important in acquiring non-native speech, because it allows forming new sound categories. In the current study we investigated whether and to what extent Polish learners of English are able to imitate t-glottalization observed especially in British English. A total of 25 Polish learners of English imitated English models' productions with t-glottalization that were subsequently compared to their default productions (pre-test) and post-exposure production (post-test). The results showed that the participants successfully imitated t-glottalization after the exposure to the model talker. The generalization effect was limited in its magnitude in that only some of the non-imitated words had traces of glottalization. The results are discussed in terms of the differences in the implementation of glottalization in Polish and English and of how phonetic imitation informs second-language speech acquisition.

Increasing evidence highlights the role of disrupted circadian rhythms in the neural dysfunctions and sleep disturbances observed in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, the causality and directionality of these associations remain unclear. In this study, we employed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization framework, leveraging genome-wide association study data from the UK Biobank (n = 85,670) and FinnGen (n = 377,277). Genetic variants served as instrumental variables to infer causation, and objective accelerometer-derived metrics identified circadian rhythm and sleep genetic instruments. The results showed that the timing of the most active 10 h was significantly linked to higher odds of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Independently, higher sleep efficiency predicted a lower risk of autism spectrum disorder, while attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was linked to an increase in nocturnal sleep episodes. Heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. Our study establishes causal links between circadian alterations and autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, distinguishing the independent and protective role of sleep efficiency in autism spectrum disorder from circadian rhythms. In attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, however, disrupted sleep appears as a consequence, not a cause. These insights highlight divergent interactions with sleep factors in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, laying the groundwork for tailored therapeutic strategies that recognize the distinct influences of sleep quality and circadian rhythms in each disorder.

Play is often included in autism diagnostic assessments. These tend to focus on 'deficits' and non-autistic interpretation of observable behaviours. In contrast, a neurodiversity-affirmative assessment approach involves centring autistic perspectives and focusing on strengths, differences and needs. Accordingly, this study was designed to focus on autistic perspectives of diagnostic assessments that incorporate play. Autism community stakeholders were consulted on the design of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 autistic adults aged 18-57 years who live in the United Kingdom. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes. Autistic adults highlighted the varying ways in which play was included in their diagnostic assessments, such as via the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Our findings highlight the importance of better adapting assessment to the heterogeneity of autism. For example, our findings question the extent to which play is useful for assessing autistic women and girls who mask. Our findings also suggest that holistic, neurodiversity-affirmative assessment practices should be adopted. Our findings support the importance of adopting a personalised approach to diagnostic assessments that use play, in addition to assessing strengths and differences as well as needs.

Literature suggests that the international student industry faces increasing risk, given the substantial dependence on a few source countries. Inbound international student mobility (ISM) data of leading higher education (HE) destination countries were examined, with China and India as the source countries. This study classifies Australia, Canada, and the USA as host countries with a high international student source country dependency risk; the UK as a host country with a moderate dependency risk. By exploring the issue from a dependency risk mitigation perspective, this study identifies an elaborate two-step market diversification approach involving international market selection and marketing strategy.

Students who are parents are largely invisible within the Australian higher education sector. We know little about the particular views and experiences of this group at university. This article explores the Potivations perceived challenges to success and self-identified strengths of students who are parents. Our analysis is based on eighteen semi-structured interviews conducted with students who are parents at one multi-campus Australian university. The article contributes new insights to identify university strategies to better support under-represented groups to succeed at university.

This article explores the extent to which students of different ethnicities, (dis)abilities, sexes, POLAR groups, and academic abilities undertake Year in Industry (YINI) placements and realise post-placement academic improvements, in comparison with non-YINI students. The benefits of work placements on student employability and graduate prospects are well-documented but less is known about which student groups gain access to placements. The study analyses secondary data relating to the sex, ethnicity, disability, POLAR group, grades, and degree classifications of 31,159 undergraduates graduating from a UK Russell Group university between 2016 and 2023, representing the largest study of its kind to date. The study found that students completing YINI programmes are significantly more likely to achieve first class (70.1% YINI, 28.5% non-YINI) and good degrees (97.7% YINI, 83.6% non-YINI). Importantly, the study found that YINI completion narrows awarding gaps found in the non-YINI population in relation to sex, disability, ethnicity, and POLAR group. The potential gains are greatest for male students, students with disabilities, Asian, Black and mixed ethnicity students, and students from low POLAR groups. However, access to placements is not proportionately distributed. Female students, students with disabilities, students from all ethnic minority groups and those of unknown ethnicity, and students from low POLAR groups are under-represented within the YINI population, suggesting placement access gaps in relation to sex, disability, ethnicity, and POLAR group. The paper concludes with strategies to encourage YINI participation amongst diverse student groups and calls for further research into lived experiences of YINI and non-YINI students.

This paper introduces a project to develop a digital academic writing tool at Leeds Beckett University (LBU). Essay X-ray is an interactive online tool designed to help students get to grips with the structure and style of academic writing and was developed using the Articulate Storyline 360 platform. The aim was to expand LBU's academic skills support for students tasked with essay assignments, especially at Level 4 (first year, undergraduate), enabling independent learning using a self-paced format available open access and 24/7. This would complement existing academic skills provision (one-to-ones, workshops, drop-ins, static online resources), with the interactive element facilitating active, hands-on learning (Lumpkin, Achen and Dodd, 2015). Following a successful development, review and rollout process, the utility of Essay X-ray as an independent learning tool but also as a classroom resource was reported by students and colleagues. Tentative talks about additional versions (Dissertation X-ray, Report X-ray) have taken place, indicating its potential for rollout to other subject areas and assessment types. Finally, in-house digital academic skills tools like Essay X-ray are posited as a potential response to the recent upsurge in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools. Essay X-ray requires users to think critically about essay structure, style and content to create their own original pieces of writing, thus responding to questions about the maintenance of academic integrity in a digital world. These features enable users to develop their essay writing skills, in contrast to passive engagement with a GenAI programme that merely writes an answer for them.

This paper discusses the implementation of exemplar essays within an undergraduate first-year diagnostic radiography module to encourage active learning and the development of academic literacies. Nine essays ([approximately]400 words each) were provided over six sessions, using lecturer-guided discussion to explore the academic virtues and pitfalls demonstrated alongside assessment criteria. Exemplars were based upon a fictitious baking profession to illicit student interest and eliminate the risk of imitation or plagiarism. The quality of essays varied, with overt examples of common mistakes in spelling, essay structure and selection of appropriate literature. Upon completion of the sessions, and prior to summative assessment, students were surveyed with regard to their opinion of the teaching intervention. Feedback was obtained from 65% of the cohort (n=31/48), who reported an improvement in essay writing confidence. Students found the marking of the essays in class useful and the baking analogy was well received. Not all students found the classroom activities engaging though, with some wishing greater interactivity due to boredom and repetition. Furthermore, there was a slight reduction in pass rates and average marks across the cohort when compared to the previous module delivery. Nevertheless, there was a substantial increase in students attaining marks of 80% or more. This study highlights exemplar essays as a low-tech, low-cost option to increase assessment literacy but accepts the wide diversity in student learning preferences and experience. The efficacy of exemplar essays cannot be guaranteed, and teaching staff must be cognisant of individual student learning needs.