LSRN Research Round-Up March 2024
Jo Fletcher-Saxon
Assistant Principal: Higher & Adult Ed I Teacher Educator I Podcasting Pracademic I Co-host #FEresearchpodcast I Ed. LSRN I PhD teacher research as CPD I Jisc Community Champion I BERA Teacher Network
Welcome to Research Round-Up with its information about events and publications related to research in and about the further education and skills?sector. We circulate Round-Up via LinkedIn, post on social media and to our LinkTree and send out via email.?We do hope it is reaching those who may be interested, please share it. Let us know if there’s something you’d like to include in our next Research Round-up. Send items to?Andrew Morrris ?by Friday 3rd May 2024.
Jo Fletcher-Saxon and Andrew Morris
From Jo: It has been a busy couple of months in #FEresearch, but then, when is it not? Highlights from the last two months for me include firstly, having an article accepted for the BERA (British Educational Research Association) blog. It is a co-written piece with Dom Conroy of London Metropolitan University. It will be published on the BERA blog around May. Both the co-writing process with Dom and the support from the BERA blog team were exemplary. My next highlight is having an abstract accepted to present at BERA’s Early Career Researcher conference in Leeds in June. It still makes me smile to have the term ‘early career’ attached to anything I do. I am really privileged to have been offered a bursary by the EDGE Foundation to support my attendance at this year’s ARPCE conference. The EDGE Foundation are really supporting FE research in all manner of ways, please do look at their reports. I attended an excellent NEARI meet online (Network for Educational Action Research in Ireland) one rainy Saturday morning in March. The presentations and conversations around ethics for me as a practitioner researcher were so insightful and I had several lightbulb moments that I have weaved into my thesis. I attended Laura Kaye’s (an AoC Research Further Scholar) FE Research Collective conference which was an excellent and thought provoking event. You can read about Laura’s work in the previous Round Up. Jisc Digifest was fantastic and a great opportunity to hear how universities and colleagues in further education are integrating the use of AI for the benefit of staff and students. As I write this, Co-Pilot is offering me its assistance! You’ll find the Jisc report Principles for the use of AI in Further Education Colleges below. Happy researching!
Contents – below. Clicking will take you to the website and navigation away from LinkedIn. Or stay and read here on LinkedIn by scrolling through. The choice is yours!
LSRN
East Midlands LSRN?– conference
The FE Literacy Movement and East Midlands LSRN Group Conference ‘Literacy, English and the Subject Specialist Teacher’ is taking place on 28/06/24 from 10am-4:30pm at the University of Derby. Keynote Speakers include: Dr Alice Eardley, Helen Hewlett and Dr Jo Bowser-Angermann. There will be workshops and sessions from practitioner and research colleagues across the FE and HE sector, with a focus or aim to improve life chances for learners across the FE sector by harnessing literacy as a vehicle for social mobility.
Tickets are ￡30 only, and they include food and refreshments throughout the day. Tickets?available here . Any questions, contact Kayte Haselgrove?[email protected] ?
Kent LSRN
James Snyder, convenor of LSRN Kent, writes “we now have a dedicated Space Exploration research room set up in Sittingbourne to run projects in Kent with our links to The European Space Agency and the Interplanetary Network Protocol group. Also, we have a visiting guest Space Ambassador booked in to mentor on our interdisciplinary space day in June”.
Contact James at?[email protected]
Black Country LSRN
LSRN Black Country has its 2nd?annual research meet on June 20th?2024,?‘On the Inside looking In’. This is a face-to-face event through a collaboration between Dudley College and Halesowen College. The event will be hosted at Dudley College, The Broadway, Dudley DY1 4AS (times TBC).
The 4th?Annual conference,?Hear Me, See Me and now Read Me?is being planned for November 2024 and will be hosted by Walsall College. This means that all five Black Country Colleges (Sandwell, City of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Halesowen and Walsall) will have hosted events over the past two years to support and advocate the lovely work of LSRN.
Contact: Julie Wilde?[email protected]
Events
Nottingham Trent University (NTU)?– conference
Close to Practice Partnership Conference.?at NTU, Clifton Campus?on?Wednesday 26 June?from?9.30 am – 4 pm.
The aim of this conference is to bring together practitioners and academics to share their work and build connections for future projects. This is an in-person event, for anyone active in practitioner research, collaborative lesson research/lesson study. We will provide the opportunity to share experiences of successes and challenges, alongside being stimulated by engaging with the work of others. The conference will run a range of panel discussions, posters, and presentations throughout the day. The Keynote Speaker will be Prof.?Gert Biesta?– ‘How much research does teaching need? A case for thoughtfulness.’ Registration will open in early March 2024. For details click?here
BERA (British Education Research Association?– writing retreat
BERA invites researchers to a two-day online Writing Retreat on 23rd?and 24th May 2024. The retreat creates a?productive environment for participants to write. You will find a quiet space to write, with short spaces to share tips and tools, to overcome writing blocks, and to discuss your progress in a community of practice. This space is open to researchers at all stages of your career, and you can attend regardless of previous participation in writing retreats as you will write towards your own goals and interests. Cost: free for members, ￡25 for others.
For further details see:?Academic Writing Retreat | BERA
Parliament
Parliament for Researchers with the House of Lords – 22nd?March
Join us for the first in a series of new online?Parliament for Researchers?training sessions, in collaboration with Members of the House of Lords. Lord Ravensdale will share insights on the value of academic research in Parliament, informed by his professional background in engineering. You will find out about how research evidence is used in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and how you can work with Parliament as a researcher – suitable for early career researchers, PhD students, researchers who are new to engaging with the UK Parliament. The focus is on re physical sciences. Future sessions will be on different subjects see?website.
Fri, 22 March 13:00 – 14:00 Online.?Register here .
Publications
Jisc?– report
Principles for the use of AI in Further Education Colleges
Jisc has published this?report ?about the use of AI in colleges in partnership with the AoC. You will also find links to the Russel Group’s publication on principles and a DfE paper on AI in FE within the references on this report.
AELP?– report
Spelling It Out, Making It Count
AELP has published?Spelling It Out, Making It Count ?a report into Functional Skills Qualifications and their place in vocational training. It looks in detail at the effect of reforms to Functional Skills content in 2019, particularly in the light of apprenticeship requirements.?The report sets out seven recommendations to improve the delivery of FSQs within apprenticeships. If you’re interested in knowing more contact Matt Strong?[email protected] ?
Education Policy Institute?– report
Access to extra-curricular provision
A new EPI study finds that participation in sports and other hobbies at secondary school is associated with broadly better outcomes by the time young people reach their twenties, but vulnerable students and those who attend state-maintained schools are less likely to be benefitting. The study finds that:
See the report?here
Gatsby?– report
Great expectations: three steps to a world class apprenticeship system?by Simon Field
This report draws on international experience to propose three steps that, if taken together, would help establish a world class apprenticeship system. Our ‘great expectations’ reflect our belief that the steps are realistic and our hope that they will be acted on .
See full report?here
SKOPE and EPI
A major study from the Centre for Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and the Education Policy Institute (EPI) funded by the Nuffield Trust examines post-16 Education and Training (E&T) in the UK. It analyses approaches to E&T policy across the four devolved nations, focussing on the interplay between policies, participation, and outcomes across the four nations, particularly on inequality for young people. Through policy analysis and quantitative analysis of datasets, it addresses:
See the report?here ?.
Universities of York and Leeds?– report
A study at the Universities of York and Leeds shows that GCSE grades strongly predict the future lives and careers of young adults, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The predictive power of GCSE results outstripped those of gender or later qualifications, including university degrees, in charting the development of young people from the age of 16 into their early 20s.
For details see:?Research reveals GCSE results may have far-reaching impact on adult life – News and events, University of York
UK Youth with SQW?– report
Youth provision and life outcomes research
Research led by the policy consultancy SQW, in partnership with UK Youth and the universities of Warwick and Essex analysed longitudinal datasets and found that young people’s involvement in youth clubs is associated with a range of positive impacts across physical health, wellbeing, behaviour and education, both at the time and into adulthood.
A linked literature review examined what existing evidence says about the impact of youth activities on young people and a third study examined the impact that youth club closures have had on young people and local communities. The full report is?here ?or you can read a shorter?overview .
Contact?[email protected] ??
Edge Foundation?– report
Curriculum in FE Colleges over time: Illustrations of change and continuity?by Prue Huddleston & Lorna Unwin.
This stimulus paper illustrates how the FE curriculum has been presented and organised at different periods. From archive material such as copies of prospectuses and syllabuses, papers of academic boards and student unions, and articles in local newspapers, it sheds light on the shifts in curricular activity. It is based on archive material from Local Record Offices, qualification awarding organisations and the UCL Institute of Education’s library, and discussions with college staff, particularly at Oldham College, Westminster Kingsway College, and Birmingham Metropolitan College
See the report here:?Edge_History_of_FE_curriculum_final.pdf
领英推荐
Monash University Q project?– report
The Q Project — using evidence better.
The Q Project in Australia investigates how research evidence is used in schools, and how to support educators to better use that evidence in their practice. It has just published a book based on its work over five years:?Understanding the Quality Use of Research Evidence in Education: What It Means to Use Research Well
Resolution Foundation?– briefing Note
A collaboration between the Resolution Foundation and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, has produced a Briefing Note that provides statistical information about qualifications and funding in FE, AE and Apprenticeships. It
Read the report:?Applying-the-Robbins-Principle-to-Further-Education-and-Apprenticeships.pdf ( resolutionfoundation.org )
Education Endowment Foundation?– report
Post-16 GCSE Resit Practice Review
The Education Endowment Foundation is beginning to look at post-16 issues. This practice review aims to build a?more robust and objective picture of what current practice looks like within the post-16 space, including what the key challenges are. It identifies questions that practitioners would like answered.
Low pay commission?– report
Experiences and Perceived Impacts of the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage: A Qualitative Scoping Study
Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University carried out in-depth interviews with current and former apprentices to complement a wider programme of evidence gathering, involving apprentice employers and organisations representing apprentices. The research is based on 10 in-depth interviews with current or former apprentices.?The clearest message from this research is that a Level 2 apprenticeship on the apprenticeship minimum wage, at its best, can be an effective stepping stone into a career pathway.
For further details see?Experiences and Perceived Impacts of the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage: A Qualitative Scoping Study – Low Pay Commission ( blog.gov.uk )
Education Ventures?– self-evaluation
School and colleges leaders are invited to join a self-evaluation on how your school or college is using AI. Professor?Rose Luckin?and the EVR team has created the AI Benchmarking Self-Evaluation to give leaders a chance to participate in a national benchmarking exercise to evaluate current trends in the use of AI for education. ?In return for completing?a simple 10-minute self-evaluation, you will be given?free access?to a?private personalised report card?and the?final anonymised benchmarking publication. The feedback from your school or college will contribute to a report to be published by the EDUCATE Ventures Research team in June,?summarising the state of AI literacy in UK education.
Complete the survey:?AI Benchmarking Survey ( surveymonkey.com )
Gatsby Foundation?– report
Further Education Workforce?
A recent report, commissioned by the Gatsby Foundation and conducted by York Consulting, explores the critical role of Industry Associates in supporting Further Education (FE) teaching in England. The study not only highlights the benefits of employer involvement but also calls for a more structured and collaborative approach.?A summary of the findings can be accessed?here .?
Contact Emma Sayers?[email protected]
About research
DfE
Areas of Research Interest
The Department for Education (DfE) has published its?Areas of Research Interest (ARI) document . The publication sets out the DfE’s research priorities and the key areas in which it wants to work with the research community. These priorities will be used as part of an?ADR UK-funded programme ?to help make research more policy relevant and to have greater impact.?One of the five?Areas of Research Interest?is “skills”. If you would like to stay up to date with Future Engagement events to facilitate collaboration between research experts, external organisations, DfE?analysts and policy colleagues on each of the DfE Areas of Research Interest (ARI, get in touch with?the DfE research engagement team?so it can ensure you get an invitation.
Further Education Workforce Dataset
Last October the DfE has made the?Further Education Workforce Data Collection – England ? dataset available for research applications. This is part of a major investment by the Economic and Social Research Council, called ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK). It is a UK-wide partnership transforming the wealth of public sector data into research assets and policy-relevant insights.
UK Parliament?– website
MPs, Members of the House of Lords, and Parliamentary staff use research as part of their work. This website shows how different?people in Parliament?use research in different ways – MPs, select committees, libraries, All Party Parliamentary Groups, for example.
Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS)?– data release
COSMO Wave 2 data release
Data from Wave 2 of the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study are now available to researchers interested in exploring how COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis have affected the lives of 17–18-year-olds across England. COSMO is the largest study of its kind into the effects of the pandemic on the life journeys of young people. Data are available through the UK Data Service.
For details see:?CLS | New data release: COSMO Wave 2 ( ucl.ac.uk ) click here
BERA?– call for SIG convenor
Creativities in Education – Special Interest Group
This SIG offers a space for researchers, policy makers and practitioners located in a wide variety of settings, to discuss and interact on matters of interest pertinent to creativity in education. Recent debates within the SIG have emerged around evolving methodologies (quantitative, qualitative, post-qualitative), the related influences of new epistemologies on creativity in education, and how policy drives the manifestation of practice. SIG Convenors are volunteers whose main role is to co-ordinate, oversee and develop the mission and activities of each particular SIG.?Two people active in LSRN are already convenors of BERA SIGs.
Academy of Social Sciences and British Academy?– report
Research impact for the SHAPE disciplines
The British Academy, in association with the Academy of Social Sciences has commissioned a piece of research to explore research impact for the SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities). It looks at the body of impact case studies submitted to the most recent research assessment exercise in the UK (REF2021). The report “The SHAPE of Research Impact” uses sophisticated techniques to provide insights into research impact across the SHAPE disciplines. Education & Teaching emerges as one of its ten ‘Grand Themes’.
See a summary of the report:?tBA-SHAPE-research-impact-briefing.pdf ( thebritishacademy.ac.uk )
Nuffield Foundation?– project launch
The Nuffield Foundation has awarded ￡2.4 million to a project?Teaching improvement through data and evaluation ?(TIDE) aiming to further our understanding of teaching quality and identify ways to improve teacher development. It will explore how teacher training, classroom techniques, and professional development impact student success. The project has built a significant and unique anonymised dataset linking pupil performance and progress data to the experience, characteristics, training and lesson delivery of several thousand teachers.
For details see:?Project launch: Teaching improvement through data and evaluation – Nuffield Foundation
GCSE Resit Hub project?– call for ideas
This month we launched the GCSE Resit Hub website:?GCSE Resits Hub Project – Keep in touch with all the latest news and events , to support the curation and sharing of websites, reports, networks and research-informed approaches connected with GCSE resits. We are very grateful to colleagues from across the post-16 sector who have already provided advice, guidance, resources and insights. We want to continue this collaborative approach and are keen to hear from you if you have any feedback or ideas for further materials/resources that we could include. Please point us towards anything that you think should be featured.
In the coming months, we will also be running a series of online CPD workshops on research, teaching and leadership of GCSE resits. To receive updates from this project, fill in the brief form here?https://forms.office.com/e/xzt2bjpNsa ? or email the project lead, Becky Morris –?[email protected]
Blog
Today’s blog comes from Bryony Shaw, a psychology teacher from Richard Huish College.
Boosting Well-Being Using Positive Psychology
Bryony reflects on what she has learned from developing and implementing a short Positive Psychology curriculum, featuring evidence-based practice.
Boosting Well-Being Using Positive Psychology | Learning and Skills Research Network ( wordpress.com )
Books
This new section has been launched to reflect the rise in notifications LSRN is receiving of books relating to research and evidence in the sector. It lists information received and provides a link to information about the book. This is simply a listing; no judgement is made about the books.
LSRN regional convenors: Convenors | Learning and Skills Research Network ( wordpress.com )