uos education school annual review

The value of education: an overview of our work

2 3

When we planned this review focusing on the value of education, we could not have anticipated the extent to which the value and cost of education would be a focus of intense national debate. Student fees, the educational maintenance allowance and ‘free’ schools have all sparked sustained national discussion about how we understand and calculate value.

This publication offers a positive view of how the School of Education is contributing to ideas and practice through our research and teaching – that is, how we are adding value. We hope it provides insight into our part in the ongoing debate.

Professor Jacky Lumby Head, School of Education

Daniel Muijs Professor of Education

What is value? And what is the value of education? Value is a multifaceted concept, which means different things to different people and may take on different meanings in different contexts for the same person.

Most commonly, value is defined in social or economic terms. Societal value relates to those things that are held to be important, good and desirable by a society’s members. Some of these are shared across society, and even across societies, so can be considered to be universal. Others are deeply contested, even within societies, not least because societal values may come into conflict with one another.

The value that societies attach to education is clear from the fact that primary and often secondary and higher education are seen as common goods to which all contribute through taxation, while the value for the individual is clear from the willingness of large numbers of people to pay substantial sums for private education, especially higher education.

As educators and educational researchers, our concern lies in how education itself can contribute value to individuals and society. To the individual, more education bestows positional goods, leading to better job prospects and higher earnings across the lifespan, possibly greater personal development. To society, education is possibly even more important. In a knowledge society, a well-educated population is key to economic prosperity. In a democratic society, educated citizens are better able to fully participate in political life. Education is also closely related to equity and fairness, and the ways in which education systems operate can serve to exacerbate or minimise social mobility and enhance or hinder the life chances of members of disadvantaged communities.

We hope that articles in this publication will give you a flavour of our work and how we contribute to the value of education. Please contact us if you are interested in any aspect of our work, or if you feel that we can add value to your work.

1. Teach First: improving classroom practice and pupil achievement

2. Build the future: the University is a partner in constructing real schools

3. Back to work: University and city join in exciting application of legislation

4. Empowering women: increasing female involvement in leadership roles

5. Under orders: engaging the Army in post-compulsory education initiatives

In this reviewValue to the University. The School of Education is leading the way 4

Value to the community. Engaging with our city and region 10

Value to the nation. Turning policy into effective practice 14

Value to the world. Working with international partners to effect global change 22

Education and employment. Forming public policy 26

A major player in leadership and educational effectiveness 28

Delivering on science, technology, engineering and maths. An a-MaZE-ing team 30

Challenging barriers to inclusion 32

Teaching and learning in the School of Education 34

Research in the School of Education 35

The value of education

1 2

3

54

Front cover. All walks of life: everyone is affected by education

School of Education initiatives have impacted policy and practice across the University. From researching the best ways to provide workplace learning and improving the teaching of science and maths, to championing an innovative approach to peer development and heading a successful bid for the development of two London schools, Education at Southampton is leading the way.

4 5

The decline of jobs in traditionally male sectors, such as mining, steel and manufacturing, means that more men (especially young men) are finding work in sectors previously dominated by women, such as customer service and care work. This has created a more even gender balance in these types of jobs, and this remains the case even after filtering transient student employees out of the equation.

With a return to formal education unlikely, the pursuit of lifelong learning and continuing development for these young men relies greatly on workplace learning. But their

experiences paint a grim picture of access to these opportunities. They see sector-level accreditation (NVQ level 2)as stigmatising and indicating inadequacy to prospective employers. Like formal in-house training, NVQ qualifications are considered to be lacking in quality, inauthentic, irrelevant and a waste of money for employers and the government, although, for the respondents, ‘at least it gets us off the shop floor for a bit!’ Learning is effective when it is experiential and situated. Expertise, however limited, is cumulatively developed through doing the job.

This research generates serious questions about how workplace learning provision can provide genuine opportunities for advancement and development for a section of society whose learning experiences and needs are often overshadowed by a polarised focus between NEETs (those not in employment education or training) and those undertaking apprenticeships or in HE.

Gaining skills or just paying the bills? Young men in low-level retail employment

Value to the University. The School of Education is leading the way

Research shows that people perceive employment in the service economy to be incompatible with ‘manliness’. But men can and do work in customer-focused, frontline retail positions.

A team from the School has given expert advice on the design of the new buildings and is helping to develop an exciting programme of teaching and learning for staff and pupils.

Keith Smith, Enterprise Officer at the School of Education explains: “I believe this is the first time a university has advised on the redevelopment of schools in this way. We will use our knowledge to achieve an inspiring and creative environment for the teachers and children.”

The rebuilding of Burntwood School and the major redevelopment of Southfields Community College will start early in 2011. During the bidding stage the team advised

on the design of the learning environments and it is now working with the schools and Wandsworth Council to help develop a range of support, including leadership training and school improvement services. The construction phase of the project will take around two-and-a-half years, but the aim is that the School of Education will provide support and continued professional development for staff well beyond this period.

Head teacher of Burntwood, Helen Dorfman, is impressed with the University’s approach:

“From the start, Keith Smith and his team took a collaborative approach, based on thorough consultation with staff and creative sessions with students of all ages, to ensure what was developed was wanted and unique.”

The University of Southampton joined forces with Bovis Lend Lease to form a consortium last year and successfully bid to become an approved supplier for the government body, Partnerships for Schools. It led a network of ten other universities to achieve a broad base of expert knowledge and education research. The consortium has since secured contracts to work on 16 schools in the Wandsworth area, although this has now been reduced to two while a government review is carried out into capital investment in schools.

For further information contact Keith Smith: [email protected]

6

Constructive engagement in educationThe School of Education has played a major role in helping

constructors Bovis Lend Lease win a contract worth £70m to rebuild one school and carry out the major redevelopment of another in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

7

An artist’s impression of the new-look Southfields Community College

STEM-ing the tide: valuable resources for a STEM educationThe UK needs a flexible workforce with skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to meet the needs of the new, high-level industries and to be able to produce technologically complex products.

The government’s STEM agenda emanates from a shortfall in postgraduate skills in science, technology, engineering and maths, and is intended to raise the number of undergraduates in these subjects. But teachers in schools are faced with competing priorities and unless this agenda is translated into something that can work in the classroom it will remain far removed.

Ian Galloway and colleagues have developed resources that provide stimulating activities linking aspects of STEM and encouraging the use of technology. The team categorised the key features of a STEM education, representing the specific skills the modern student needs in a rapidly changing employment market. They then produced resources for teachers that fitted these categories. Teachers will be able to use these in a wide range of lessons, reflecting the nature of STEM literacy.

For further information contact Ian Galloway: [email protected]

8 9

Valuing mathematics and physics The School of Education has engaged with the strategy to increase numbers of mathematics and physics teachers by establishing subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses, which run prior to the PGCE for secondary schools.

Since it began, the physics SKE course has seen the number of physics teachers being trained rise from seven in 2007 to 22 today. While recruiting physics and engineering graduates remains difficult, the School is training an increasing number of teachers who need to address a physics specialism in their science teaching.

The mathematics SKE course has been taken up by graduates from disciplines as diverse as history and equine studies, all educated to at least A level standard in mathematics. This has enabled the secondary mathematics course to recruit close to its target of 50 trainees per year, half having progressed from the SKE.

A particularly valuable aspect of these courses is the opportunity for students to have an extended period of training, gaining not only subject knowledge to A level standard but also pedagogical knowledge and experience. The extra time given to debate classroom strategies has enthused students and benefited their performance in the classroom.

For further information contact Caro Garrett: [email protected]

Encouraging diversity: why students opt out of STEM subjectsThe striking lack of diversity amongst students opting to take certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses is cause for concern for those in education and for those in the STEM industries. The reasons are varied and may be attributed to factors such as the media, schooling or parental influence.

Marcus Grace is leading a team that is looking at how these factors impact on each under-represented group in higher education and how the actions of institutions might mitigate these influences.

The project will investigate how students studying a range of STEM courses at different education stages perceive these courses and their future opportunities. Students studying STEM subjects will be compared with those who are studying undergraduate science courses where the disparity is not as great, such as medicine and pharmacy. GCSE and A level students will form part of this sample group to discover what they want from their future science careers.

All participants will complete a short questionnaire about their background and their feelings and views about science and will be asked to design a mind map. Groups will be recorded to get an idea of how they have come up with their conclusions and focus groups convened to gain a deeper understanding.

Findings will be presented at an exhibition at the end of the school year, involving the students who took part, their families, professional societies and members of the University.

For further information contact Marcus Grace: [email protected]

A valuable alternative to peer observation The value of annual peer observation in teaching has often been called into question. Taking a different approach, Jenny Byrne, Doreen Challen and Hazel Brown piloted a peer development process in the School of Education in which staff could develop any aspect of their pedagogical practice. The intention was to improve the benefits of peer evaluation and consequently the quality of

‘teaching’ in any of its forms. By engaging staff in a system of co-coaching and learning conversations with trusted colleagues over an extended period of time, it was hoped that peer development would enhance long-term professional development and result in improved provision for students.

Evaluation of the project indicates that peer development has accomplished its aims, providing an opportunity to plan and create a project of value to both the individual and colleagues. It also appears to have improved the level of dialogue about learning and teaching. The merits of this system have been recognised more widely and the University has adopted the principles of peer development in its Learning and Teaching Enhancement policy.

“It’s the only time that I’ve actually had critical feedback allowing me to think this is something I need to go away and work on … the discussions afterwards were very helpful in throwing around ideas and finding out if we had a shared understanding or not. That was good, what I was looking for, and hopefully feeding through to my teaching more effectively.”

For further information contact Jenny Byrne: [email protected]

STEM subjects brings considerable benefits to us all. They open up a world of exciting career opportunities for the students and ensure the UK continues to produce successful scientists and engineers to work in this fast growing industry. This in turn benefits the UK economy

David Willetts Science Minister

A close relationship with the community is vital – and mutually beneficial. Using the local council’s innovative interpretation of a government scheme, we are looking at how disadvantaged people can be integrated back into the workplace and community. An evaluation involving teachers, parents and young people themselves is showing the value of in-school mental health support, while our MaSE research centre provides expertise and a helpful forum for local A level teachers.

10 11

Section 106 agreements are usually limited to companies building schools or social housing in return for private planning permission. Southampton City Council’s initiative was groundbreaking in its use of these regulations to guarantee pre-employment assistance for people out of work. When a high-profile retailer applied to develop a new store, the council granted permission on condition that the company guaranteed interviews to job seekers who had completed a special pre-employment training (PET) course.

“This case signals the potential use of Section 106 by local authorities,” says Professor Fuller.

“We’re now pursuing this with other cities. There is much more to discover about how these regulations can be used to encourage

employers to improve their training and recruitment strategies to encourage candidates from disadvantaged groups. The study has shown that boosting the local economy and improving social welfare are not at odds or mutually exclusive.”

The study was undertaken as part of the ESRC-funded Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies programme (LLAKES), which investigates the role of lifelong learning in promoting economic competitiveness and social inclusion.

For further information contact Alison Fuller: [email protected]

Crossing the public–private line: integrating unemployed people back into the workplace

Value to the community. Engaging with our city and region

Professor Alison Fuller from the School of Education and colleagues from London’s Institute of Education looked at how Southampton City Council used Section 106 powers to respond to the state’s welfare to work priorities and help people back into work.

Widening participation in further mathematics Working closely with the School of Mathematics, the Mathematics and Science Education (MaSE) research centre is supporting local A level teachers, widening student participation in mathematics and adding value to a government initiative.

The centre, led by Keith Jones and Ruth Edwards, is an active partner in the government-funded Further Mathematics Support programme. Activities range from supporting the regional network of sixth form colleges to hosting events such as Maths Inspiration, the UKMT Team Challenge and CensusAtSchool. MaSE also runs revision classes and regular enrichment activities for A level students.

With four local sixth form colleges, MaSE was awarded funding by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics for a Further Mathematics Knowledge Network. This is enabling the centre to develop a package of resources, including ‘video-bites’ of professionals using mathematics in industry, to support the teaching of further mathematics at A level.

MaSE provides a variety of opportunities for professional development. This includes an annual conference for mathematics teachers, where staff from 14 Hampshire sixth form colleges can discuss issues and share good practice. With the School of Mathematics, Ruth Edwards recently led a bid to the national STEM programme to fund a student maths competition.

For further information contact Keith Jones: [email protected]

12 13

Assessing the value of TaMHSChris Downey and Willeke Rietdijk are involving teachers, parents and young people themselves in evaluating in-school mental health support.

TaMHS (Targeted Mental Health in Schools) is a national initiative led by practitioner teams from primary care trusts, local authorities and education which aims to develop intermediate mental health support in schools for young people aged five to 13 who are experiencing difficulties not yet severe enough for referral to community mental health services.

Chris Downey and Willeke Rietdijk have been commissioned to conduct an evaluation of the TaMHS project in Poole, one of 55 local authorities in the second wave of the initiative. They are gathering a large set of data, including regular assessments by teachers and parents of each young person’s strengths and difficulties and a self-report for older children.

Intermediate analysis at the halfway stage suggests that there have been significant reductions in social, behavioural and emotional difficulties reported by both parents and teachers. Interview data from a deeper analysis in three schools suggests that the young people have formed significant attachments with the in-school TaMHS workers and developed strategies that help them deal with some of the difficulties they encounter during the school day. Sociograms data have also been collected in these ‘deep-dive’ schools to look at the social benefits of the project for friendships and learning.

Additional data that log the nature and extent of activity of key members of TaMHS staff will help the Poole team make a detailed case for cost versus benefits of the project in order to review its sustainability when central funding ceases at the end of the 2010/2011 academic year.

For further information contact Chris Downey: [email protected]

Action research making physics relevantThe Mathematics and Science Education (MaSE) research centre is evaluating a national project which aims to train science teachers in how to inspire school students to engage with physics through action research.

There is widespread concern about the national shortage of physicists, with fewer students opting to study physics at school and hence at university. Funded by the DFE and the National Science Learning Centre, Marcus Grace, Willeke Rietdijk and Caro Garrett are monitoring the value of the national Action Research for Physics programme and will be producing a database of teaching strategies that encourage students to select physics post-16.

Teachers’ concerns about teaching physics, as well as student attitudes and their aspirations for further study, are monitored at three points during the programme, through questionnaires and focus groups, to establish the impact of teacher training and the action research interventions by teachers in physics classes. The programme is involving 110 science teachers, and more than 1,700 students from 65 schools are taking part in the evaluation. So far, the findings of the research have been positive. Students’ enjoyment of physics classes and their confidence in the subject have increased. More careers information has been given during classes and they see stronger links between physics and the real world.

For further information contact Willeke Rietdijk: [email protected]

Our activities have wide implications for national policy and practice. Apprenticeships have been the subject of political focus and public concern in recent years. Working with employers, large and small, research at the School is looking at how policy can be turned into effective practice. Our ground breaking work with the armed services is a beacon for post-compulsory education provision in the UK, while, in the virtual world, our exciting interactive learning resources are developing the digital professionals of the future.

14 15

The Teach First programme encourages top-quality graduates to spend two years teaching in inner-city schools after graduating. The teachers attend a summer school before being placed and receive additional training while working in their schools.

The research included questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and analysis of documentary and performance data. Results indicate that while no element alone demonstrates conclusively that Teach First teachers have a positive impact, when taken together the evidence is compelling. Findings include:

– Positive pupil outcomes in Teach First schools compared to comparator schools

– A larger number of Teach First teachers in the school is related to more positive outcomes

– Teach First teachers are effective classroom teachers

– Teach First teachers believe that they can make a difference to pupils and head teacher surveys support this

– Teach First teachers are leaders in and outside their classrooms

– Teach First teachers are seen as leaders in their schools and as effective practitioners by their second year in the school

The project also found that Teach First teachers perform better in schools where there is a critical mass of Teach First teachers and where they are provided with plenty of in-school support. Clear school policies and freedom to take initiative are also important.

For further information contact Daniel Muijs: [email protected]

The value of Teach First to schools

Value to the nation. Turning policy into effective practice

A major research project on the impact of Teach First teachers, led by Professor Daniel Muijs, has examined their effect on classroom practice, leadership and pupil achievement.

Post-compulsory education and training is one of the UK’s most vibrant areas of education provision. The School of Education has built an enviable reputation in the field, particularly in its work with the armed services.

Southampton’s School of Education has had close links with DETS(A) (Directorate of Educational and Training Services Army (British Army)) since 2003. Teacher training is provided for officers at their Worthy Down base, with many successfully gaining PGCEs and enhancing their army career. We have also developed a bespoke programme for a master’s degree.

Anyone wishing to enter the Educational and Training Services (ETS) is required to take the University’s PGCE (Post-Compulsory Education). Taught at the Army School of Education and Southampton, practical teaching experience takes place wherever the Army operates, from Afghanistan to Bruneii, from Catterick to Cyprus. Over 140 officers have enrolled on the programme so

far, and career planning enables officers to progress up the academic ladder, from PGCE to postgraduate diploma to master’s. Several have embarked on doctoral study.

The success of these programmes has led to other units asking the School for support, including the Royal Signals and the Royal Logistics Corps. The police, other uniformed services and the those from the region’s further education and private training sectors have requested teacher training. And, in 2008, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which has an international reputation for military training excellence, asked us to provide teacher education for its staff.

For further information contact Alan Harding: [email protected]

16

Supporting the armed services

17

The value of the virtualARCH121 (Architectural and Design-based Education and Practice through Content and Language Integrated Learning using Immersive Virtual Environments for 21st Century Skills) is providing interactive learning resources to develop the professionals of the future.

Serious learners are increasingly using 3D animated virtual environments where they communicate through social networking media and gain experience acting through avatars and by adopting and devising persona. John Wollard, Melanie Smith and PGCE Modern Language student Lesley Scopes are working with Humanities on ARCH121, an EU-funded project which is developing a series of interactive digital learning resources aimed at students of 3D animation architecture and virtual world language mediators.

The materials provide supplementary learning material, focusing on mediation skills and strategies as applied to the context of virtual worlds. Content is created using bespoke authoring and other software tools and design templates, and learning objects can be delivered through the Moodle-hosted course support area or other VLEs which are becoming increasing popular with educators around the world. The learning objects incorporate online learning materials developed by eLanguages, an eLearning research and development team based in Modern Languages with a proven track record of educational and commercial success. These offer a variety of multimedia options and enhanced interoperability, enabling use in other VLEs and reusability. There is therefore scope for use in a range of other online and blended educational contexts with similar teaching and learning aims.

For further information contact John Woollard:[email protected]

School choice: principle versus realityTony Kelly’s research highlights potential problems with the principle of school choice.

The idea of school choice remains popular, especially among low-income urban and immigrant families who believe, with some justification, that it provides social and economic opportunity for disadvantaged groups and may counteract the effect of wealth and privilege on educational outcomes. However, research by Professor Tony Kelly has found potential problems with the implementation of school choice.

First, it is difficult for commercial companies providing schooling to make profits large enough to balance the risks involved. If they withdraw from involvement, governments must offer them larger subsidies, or shelve schemes if the public rejects such subsidies. Second, in return for choice, a subtle transfer of agency means that parents must assume responsibility for educational failure and for engaging with the market, whether or not they have the wherewithal to do so competently.

Finally, evidence suggests that the best choice schemes involve faith schools. However, unlike the issue of social class, this remains the ‘elephant in the room’ – obviously present, but not spoken about. The reluctance of policy-makers to debate the faith issue suggests an unwillingness to engage with the demands of an increasingly vocal Muslim community who want the same routes to prosperity through education as their non-Muslim fellows.

Choice is inherently linked to uncertainty and favours those who are risk-friendly – or at least risk-aware. So, if school choice schemes are to succeed, whether or not one agrees with the principle, those from poorer backgrounds need front-end support from government to move away from being merely the passive recipients of policy.

For further information contact Tony Kelly: [email protected]

Improving STEM-related work experienceThe vast majority of 14- to 16-year-olds undertake work experience, but in 2007 an Ofsted survey found that some placements did not lead to effective learning and the CBI found that work experience lacked learning objectives and employers did not fully understand their role in work-related learning.

Marcus Grace, Willeke Rietdijk and Caro Garrett have been funded by the HEFCE Higher Education STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programme to research the value and impact of STEM-related work experience. The research aims to identify gaps and weaknesses and explore how these might be addressed to encourage students to consider studying STEM subjects at higher level. The project will:

– Identify the impacts of STEM-related work experience as perceived by school students, teachers and placement organisations

– Explore how the HE sector can assist in addressing shortcomings to encourage students to consider STEM-related subjects at university

– Provide specific guidance for university STEM departments on how to set up effective work experience placements for school students.

The team hopes that the information gained will lead to more positive work placement experiences for students, feed their interest in STEM subjects and increase their understanding of work in this environment, enabling them to make informed career choices in future.

For further information contact Marcus Grace: [email protected]

18 19

Improving schoolsA leadership, School Improvement and Effectiveness (LSIE) project is looking at how attainment and progress data can contribute to school improvement and student learning

The Fischer Family Trust (FFT) supplies detailed analyses of individual pupil attainment and progress and estimates of their academic potential to more than 22,000 maintained schools in England and Wales. These data are highly respected and widely used by schools to inform their self-evaluation and improvement initiatives.

FFT has commissioned Chris Downey, Tony Kelly, Daniel Muijs and Priya Khambhaita from the LSIE to study how presentation of these data affects their interpretability and usability for a wide audience, including local authority staff, school leaders, teachers, students and parents.

Attainment and progress data now extend from early years education through to the outcomes of higher education. Among a number of lines of enquiry, the project will conduct statistical analyses to explore the potential of pupil-level attainment and progress data to inform school improvement and learning at both ends of the compulsory phase of education. It will also investigate the potential of data to inform the guidance given to young people as they make choices for their key stage 4 programmes of study, post-16 education and training, and higher education.

For further information contact Daniel Muijs: [email protected]

Insights from mathematics education research The Nuffield Foundation is funding Keith Jones of the Mathematics and Science Education (MaSE) research centre, with Ann Watson from the University of Oxford and Dave Pratt from the Institute of Education, to produce guidelines for teaching key ideas in secondary school mathematics.

This project will enable teachers and policy-makers to gain valuable insights from research on mathematics education into how young people learn the kinds of mathematics encountered at secondary school level. Research outputs include a book, which systematically extracts findings from relevant research from around the world, and a website capturing the main themes of the book and linking them to mathematics teaching resources in the national STEM e-library: (www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary).

The project is confirming that secondary school pupils are introduced to new mathematical ideas in their formal lessons though clusters of concepts that involve new ways of working and potentially confusing mathematical representations. They are also faced with significant new concepts such as algebraic functions, probability and trigonometry.

The project is drawing and building on research findings about early conceptual development in mathematics and incorporating research on the teaching and learning of mathematics at higher levels of schooling.

For further information contact Keith Jones: [email protected]

Influencing mathematics pedagogyCharis Voutsina’s research looks at children’s early mathematical development and understanding, in particular the interplay between knowledge of concepts, procedures and facts in arithmetical problem-solving.

In September 2010, Charis attended a ministerial round-table discussion at the Department for Education, attended by the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, which focused on mathematics pedagogy.

Charis’s latest research focused on low-attaining children’s understanding of the principles underlying simple addition and revealed that, although children could employ only basic calculation procedures, they were able to recognise and use complex arithmetical principles in task situations that encouraged them to do so. This finding has significant educational and practical implications. The teaching of low-attaining children often focuses on remedial methods to improve their basic skills. The project highlights the need to explore teaching approaches that focus not only on low-attaining children’s difficulties with basic procedures but also look at challenging and extending their latent conceptual capabilities.

For further information contact Charis Voutsina: [email protected]

20 21

Evaluating CC4G: girls can do ITOffering inspiring activities in a girls-only computer club, the Computer Clubs for Girls (CC4G) initiative aimed to change the perception of IT as a career for women. A team from the School of Education evaluated its success.

Funded by the South East England Development Agency and targeting 10-to-13 year-old girls, CC4GF provided schools with professionally produced resources designed to appeal to young females that were available in voluntary, girls-only computer clubs.

A team led by Professor Alison Fuller evaluated CC4G over a four-year period. Club members’ and non-members’ attitudes to and participation in IT were tracked through a range of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods; in some cases girls were tracked until the age of 18. In the second two years of the evaluation, data were also collected from boys.

The evaluation suggested that girls’ – and boys’ – educational and career choices were influenced by a wide range of factors, and that participation in a voluntary, after-school club was highly unlikely to have a significant influence on individuals’ choices about IT participation. While the vast majority of CC4G members enjoyed the experience of belonging to the club, they shared the views of their non-member female and male peers that ‘females can do IT; most just don’t want to pursue it post-16 or as a career’.


Apprenticeship in England: benefits and barriersFollowing new government funding initiatives, apprenticeships have become the focus of renewed public discussion and political discourse. Ian Laurie’s research explores the relationships that exist between organisations involved in England’s apprenticeship system and their effects at the local level. He is also seeking to understand the involvement of those responsible for turning policy into practice.

Focusing on two sectors – retail, and creative and cultural – the research aims to understand how different organisations view and use apprenticeships and the relationships they have with each other. Nationally, the research looks at how a government agency such as the National Apprenticeship Service or employer bodies such as sector skills councils work to promote apprenticeships, how apprenticeship policies manifest themselves and what the benefits and barriers of apprenticeship are for the sectors, employers and training providers. At the local level, key organisations, employers and training providers are being asked how they view and understand apprenticeships. Ian is conducting interviews with a wide range of organisations – large and small, national and local – to get a full picture of the apprenticeship landscape.

The research, which will conclude in September 2012, is being funded by a three-year studentship from the Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies (LLAKES).

For further information contact Ian Laurie: [email protected]

Equal access to adult learningIn 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned Alison Fuller, Peter Jones and Gayna Davey from the School of Education to report on the UK’s progress in securing equal access and outcomes for minority groups in relation to adult learning, apprenticeships and the internet.

The EHRC was set up to challenge discrimination, promote equality and respect for human rights, and to encourage good relations between people of different backgrounds. Evidence from Alison, Peter and Gayna was included in its first triennial review, How Fair is Britain?

For further information contact Peter Jones: [email protected]

Education research is increasingly relevant in a competitive global economy. At Southampton, we work with a range of international partners, adding value to a national perspective and forging links worldwide. One of our major initiatives is mapping the representation of women in educational leadership throughout the Commonwealth. The data collected will, we hope, empower women working in deeply disadvantaged communities and give them a voice. Other projects are looking at the value of hybrid qualifications in an uncertain labour market, improving communication between the EU and central Asia and a longstanding partnership between Southampton and Xiamen University in China.

22 23

Southampton’s School of Education is leading an international project, sponsored by the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM), to map the role women play in leading schools in Commonwealth countries. This role is seen as important for a number of reasons: as a right in itself, as a model of female success for children and young people, and, arguably, contributing a distinctive management and leadership style.

Without comparable data, it is difficult to assess the extent of over- or under-representation of women in school leadership in different nation states or whether there are changes over time. Also, without a baseline, it is not possible to determine progress. There is no one study that gives a global snapshot of the number of women in school leadership, nor of their experience when gaining their post or acting as headteacher. To address this gap in our knowledge, the first project has taken place in South Africa and plans are being made to roll the project out in Cyprus and Greece.

The most striking value of the project is to build capacity internationally, in the experience offered to researchers in the country under scrutiny and in the data and policy implications that will be made available to the national and provincial education administration. Less obvious but just as important may be the empowerment offered to women, often leading schools in deeply disadvantaged communities, who have previously had no voice. The research enables them to offer their experience in order to recruit and train more effective leaders.

For further information contact Jacky Lumby: [email protected]

www.cceam.org

Empowering women as educational leaders

Value to the world. Working with international partners to effect global change

Professor Jacky Lumby is leading a project that will map the representation of women in educational leadership.

Xiamen University: a valuable partner A partnership between Southampton and Xiamen Universities, which carefully prepares Chinese students for postgraduate study in the UK, has been an enriching experience for all involved.

There are now 20 students studying the School’s master’s and pre-master’s programmes at Southampton and Xiamen Universities. At Xiamen, English is taught through themes developed by Southampton’s School of Education using English textbooks and e-learning resources. The programmes, taught by Xiamen lecturers who are specialists in English language teaching, give Chinese students experience of education as a field of study and set assessment tasks that will be encountered on master’s degree programmes in the UK.

The programme reflects the structure of undergraduate programmes such as the BA Education and Training.

Southampton lecturers make regular visits to Xiamen, contributing to teaching, and working with staff to support students during the application process and their transition to Southampton. The pre-master’s programme provides tailor-made language preparation for postgraduate study.

This partnership helps students and tutors get to know each other at an early stage in their preparation to study overseas. Xiamen students have made a valuable contribution to Southampton programmes and enriched the learning experiences of both students and staff.

For further information contact Martin Dyke: [email protected]

Learning from each otherHistorically highly centralised and over-regulated, higher education in eastern Europe and central Asia is now moving towards greater institutional autonomy and local systems. The trend in the UK is exactly the opposite, as the government creates increasing pressure for accountability and quality control. What can the two approaches learn from each other?

While there is growing interest from UK- and US-based researchers in higher education in other parts of the world, knowledge transfer and practice enhancement remain limited. Natasha Rumyantseva’s research seeks to understand how universities in eastern Europe function and how practice might be improved using western knowledge and theories. By the same token, she is looking at how the eastern European experience and passion for education might inform higher education reform in the UK.

The research is linked to teaching. Dr Rumyantseva works with students from a variety of backgrounds who aspire to or already hold administrative positions in schools and universities. As a part of their master’s training, students are exposed to various leadership theories and cutting-edge research and learn to conduct their own research projects. Combining an academic approach with lively discussions of actual case studies, students are able to reflect on leadership practice and extend their practical knowledge into previously unexplored areas.

For further information contact Natasha Rumyantseva: [email protected]

Supporting children with autismThe Communication and Social Participation: Collaborative Technologies for Interaction and Learning (COSPATIAL) project aims to develop interactive technologies for schools to support children with autism.

Poor social understanding and skills are defining diagnostic features of autism. A National Autistic Society survey in 2006 reported that parents of children with autism consider social skills training to be the area of greatest need in educational provision and the ‘single biggest gap in support’. It is therefore essential that education research focuses on social skills training, enabling children to maximise their skills and potential.

COSPATIAL is a three-year, €1.65m multidisciplinary project funded by the EC, which involves the Universities of Southampton and Nottingham in the UK, the FBK research institute in Italy and the Universities of Haifa and Bar-Ilan in Israel. The project focuses on two main types of technologies – collaborative virtual environments and shared active surfaces – which have been developed to support children’s collaboration and social conversation abilities. Findings on their effectiveness will be reported in 2012.

The methods for developing these technologies are as important as the outcomes. Participatory methods, including children with and without autism and teachers in design decisions, have played a key role in shaping the content, usability and appropriateness of the technologies in ways that support meaningful engagement with tasks in the classroom. Teachers and students have given very positive feedback about prototypes during pilot testing.

For further information contact Sarah Parsons: [email protected]

www.cospatial.f bk.eu/

24 25

Hybrid qualifications – increasing the value of vocational education and trainingWorking with partners from Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland, Professor Alison Fuller, Dr Gayna Davey and Alison Williamson are conducting a two-year study exploring the value of vocational education and training in the context of lifelong learning.

Funded by the EU’s Leonardo programme, the project is examining the systems, qualifications and institutions that link vocational education and training (VET) with the labour market.

Teams have discussed their initial findings at conferences in Konstanz and Southampton and each of the participating countries has submitted a report. They are now exploring how key stakeholders perceive the practical reality of hybrid qualifications, with each country carrying out qualitative research with policy-makers, practitioners, learners and employers to identify best practice. The project aims to influence policy and practice in all partner countries and to contribute to vital and wide-ranging debates on the value of qualifications in a context of economic uncertainty.


Improving international dialoguePeter Jones is participating in an ambitious project to improve cooperation between the EU and central Asia on higher and vocational education

The World Universities Network research group on Global Regionalisms, Governance and Higher Education is developing understanding of new supranational visions, policies and programmes in higher education and experimental forms of regional and interregional governance. Peter Jones is an active participant in the group along with colleagues from the University of Bristol, Pennsylvania State University and the Universities of Cape Town, Sydney and Wisconsin, Madison.

Peter’s contribution builds on research published in the EU–Central Asia Education Initiative. Launched as part of the EU–Central Asia Strategy, the initiative prioritised higher and vocational education and emphasised links with the Bologna Process, the EU agenda for higher education reform.

In 2010, Peter presented his work in Madrid at the launch of Monitoring the EU’s Central Asia Strategy, which offers the first assessment of an ambitious strategy to upgrade the EU’s cooperation with the five states of the central Asia region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Undertaken by independent analysts from the EU and central Asia as part of the EUCAM project, it looks at the role of the USA, Russia, China and others in central Asia, as well the present state of politics and economics in the region.

Peter’s work was sponsored by the EU Central Asia Monitoring (EUCAM) project, jointly led by the Foundation for International Relations and Dialogue (FRIDE) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

For further information contact Peter Jones: [email protected]

New university building, Rijeka, Croatia

26

A: Many centre staff are members of the University’s strategic research group, the Work Futures Research Centre, which is involved in multidisciplinary research projects and collaborative bidding, including a recent tender for a Leverhulme programme grant on intergenerational justice.

Q: Do you collaborate with groups outside the University?

A: We work with many organisations outside the University, including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Lifelong Learning Network and Southampton University Hospitals Trust. We have good connections with the city council and Southampton Skills Development Zone. We are partners in the ESRC Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies (LLAKES), hosted by the Institute of Education, London. Other partners include the National Institute for Economic and Social Research and the University of

Bristol. Nationally, we collaborate with the British Educational Research Association and non-departmental governmental bodies such as the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Q: What international links do you have?A: We have strong links in China with Xiamen,

Shanghai Jiaotong and East China Normal Universities and we are developing a range of collaborative research activities.

A: We are working on the University Reform, Globalisation and Education project with colleagues from the Universities of Aarhus, Auckland and Bristol, and with the Global Regionalisms, Governance and Higher Education research group. As part of the EU’s Leonardo programme, we are conducting research on hybrid qualifications with colleagues from Germany, Austria and Denmark.

Q: What do you see as the main strengths of your team?

A: Our strong and developing team includes leading researchers in the field of lifelong learning, higher education, work-related and workplace learning. We have a research and practice interest in pedagogy and the possibilities provided by digital technologies for widening access and enhancing learner experience. Working in an atmosphere of mutual support to build collective capacity, our members use research outcomes to inform their teaching of Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) courses and doctoral students.

A: We are keen to collaborate with people and organisations from inside and outside academia.

For further information contact Professor Alison Fuller at [email protected]

Q: Can you describe some recent activities?A: We produced three reports for

the Equalities and Human Rights Commission’s high-profile triennial review, and two new books reporting findings from ESRC-funded research projects are in press. Our report on the use of planning law to lever employer engagement in pre-employment training has been highlighted by the ESRC, while Improving Working as Learning, co-authored by Alison Fuller, has received a prize from the Society for Educational Studies.

Q: Do you collaborate with other centres in the University?

A: We host the Higher Education Research Group and have contacts across the University, especially in Health Sciences and Medicine. Our evaluation of the University’s employer engagement initiative involved close collaboration with the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit.

27

Education and employment. Forming public policyThe Lifelong Learning and Work-Related Learning (LaWRL) research centre investigates changing patterns of participation in further, higher, work-related and adult education, looking at the learning opportunities available to individuals from different backgrounds and at different stages of life. Its research focus is clearly linked to forming public policy in the areas of education, training, skills, qualifications and employment.

Dr Steven RobertsLecturer in Lifelong and Work-related Learning

Ian LauriePostgradute research student

Dr Zhen LiLecturer

Alan HardingDirector of Post Compulsory Education and Training ITE

Dr Malcolm OglesDirector of Foundation Degrees

Dr Gayna DaveyResearcher

From left to right: x

Professor Alison FullerHead of Lifelong and Work-related Learning Research Centre

Dr Brenda JohnstonSenior Research Fellow

Dr Martin DykeSenior Lecturer

Dr Peter JonesLecturer in Post-Compulsory Education and Training

28

an interdisciplinary centre with strong links to the School of Management. We work with academics across the University and are engaged in collaborative research and bidding with colleagues from Social Sciences and Psychology.


A: We work with many different groups and organisations. We have worked closely with Southampton Education Trust and with local authorities in Southampton, Poole and Dorset on school improvement activities. Nationally, we have relationships with professional organisations such as the British Educational Research Association, with charitable trusts such as FFT, and with bodies such as the National College for the Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services.

Q: What international links do you have?A: Two members of LSIE sit on the board

of the International Congress on School Effectiveness and School Improvement, the leading international professional body in the field. We are engaged in joint research projects with academics across Europe, for example with the universities of Athens, Cyprus, Groningen and Antwerp on an EU project, and have recently collaborated with several European government agencies, led by Lower Saxony, a German ‘Land’. We have very good links with colleagues in the USA and are increasingly working with colleagues across Asia and the Arab world.


A: We have a very strong team, with leading researchers in the field of educational effectiveness and leadership, such as Tony Kelly, Jacky Lumby, David Reynolds and Daniel Muijs, heading up our research activities. We are increasingly seen as a major player in the field.

A: Our broader team is characterised by its varied expertise, with LSIE members using research approaches ranging from qualitative action research to large-scale quantitative studies using multilevel modelling frameworks.

A: We are keen to collaborate with people and organisations from inside and outside academia.

For further information contact Professor Daniel Muijs at [email protected]

Q: Can you describe some recent activities?A: We have been awarded a major grant from

the Fisher Family Trust (FFT) to evaluate the use of data by schools and to look at progress at different education stages.

A: We have a strong publications profile in international journals and our research reports have influenced the government’s recent White Paper, where our work on Teach First is specifically mentioned as a source of evidence.

A: Our appointment of two leading professors in the field of educational effectiveness, David Reynolds and Daniel Muijs, has further strengthened our team and had an impact in the field.


A: The Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy at Southampton (CHEMPaS), our special interest group, is

29

A major player in leadership and educational effectivenessMarrying a rigorous methodological approach with practical and policy relevance, the Leadership, School Improvement and Effectiveness (LSIE) research centre looks at factors that make educational organisations better at achieving positive outcomes in pupil learning, motivation, mental and physical health, and examines how to effect change.

Professor Tony Kelly Professor of Education

Professor Jacky LumbyProfessor of Education

Willeke RietdijkResearcher

Dr Richard HarrisLecturer in Education

Dr Priya KhambhaitaResearcher


Chris DowneyLecturer in Education

Dr Gary KinchinLecturer in Education

Dr Felix MaringeSenior Lecturer in Education

Professor Daniel MuijsHead of Leadership, School Improvement and Effectiveness Research Centre

30

value our links with colleagues in Modern Languages, Psychology and the Winchester School of Art, and are expanding our links with the University’s Centre for Contemporary China.


A: We work with many groups and organisations. We have close working relations with Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council. Nationally, we are partners with the National STEM Centre and the HE STEM Programme, and we are active in the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics and the Association for Science Education. Internationally, we participate in the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, the European Science Education Research Association and the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI).

A: The centre is a founding stakeholder in the UK National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics and an

associate organisation of the UK Further Mathematics Support Programme.

Q: What international links do you have?A: We have been partners in projects involving

universities in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden. Beyond Europe, we have strengthening links with universities in China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, in Australia and New Zealand, and in Canada, Brazil and the USA. Staff have participated in a number of international research reviews, including prestigious reviews conducted by ICMI.


A: We are a strong team, with leading researchers and skilled practitioners. If there are going to be solutions to global issues, such as drought, poverty and climate change, it is knowledge of mathematics and science that is going to make the difference. Through our work we hope to contribute to a better future for everyone.

A: We aim to contribute to equity for all learners and inform new visions for learner achievement and for the professional development of mathematics and science educators. We especially seek to inform the STEM agenda at a national and international level.

A: We collaborate with a wide range of people and organisations, from inside and outside the University. If you think we can collaborate with you, and we are not doing so already, please get in touch.

For further information contact Professor Lianghuo Fan at [email protected]

Q: Can you describe some recent activities?A: We have received funding from the Nuffield

Foundation to review the teaching of mathematics at secondary school level, and from the government’s Training and Development Agency to enhance the use of ICT for teaching and learning mathematics. The Wellcome Trust is supporting Lifelab, an innovative joint venture between Education and Medicine providing hospital-based activities for teenagers to learn more about the science relating to their health.

A: Our recent appointments of Lianghuo Fan, a leading international professor in mathematics, and talented new lecturer Eirini Geraniou have further enhanced our international reputation.


A: We have strong links with colleagues across Natural and Engineering Sciences, in Mathematics, Medicine, Health Sciences, and Electronics and Computer Science. We

31

Delivering on science, technology, engineering and maths. An a-MaZE-ing teamFocusing on how people, communities and cultures acquire and use knowledge in mathematics and science, the Mathematics and Science Education (MaSE) research centre works nationally and internationally with learners, teachers and schools to develop ways of advancing the delivery of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

Professor Lianghuo Fan Head of Mathematics and Science Education Research Centre

Ros HydeSenior Teaching Fellow

Dr Jenny ByrneLecturer

Ruth EdwardsSenior Teaching Fellow

Dr Marcus GraceSenior Lecturer


Keith JonesSenior Lecturer

Dr Janice GriffithsDirector of Science Learning Centre SE

Dr Charis VoutsinaLecturer

Dr Julie-Ann EdwardsLecturer

Dr Eirini GeraniouLecturer

Ian GallowayDeputy Director of Science Learning Centre SE

32

and Sociology, and we have undertaken fascinating work with Electronics and Computer Science, exploring the e-learning experience of disabled learners.


A: We hold regular seminars involving the full range of practitioners – educators, health professionals, advocacy groups and rights campaigners – with the aim of advancing, through interdisciplinary debate, improved access for people with learning difficulties.

A: We also collaborate through our professional networks such as the British Educational Research Association, the British Sociological Association, the European Educational Research Association and the American Educational Research Association.

Q: What international links do you have?A: We work in partnership, at national and

international level, with government, industry, schools and other universities,

to break new ground in our discipline. We make a valuable contribution to a range of forums, advising professional bodies, policy-makers and the academic community.

A: We have strong links with European universities, including the University of Turin, and American universities such as the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Berkeley, CA.


A: We use our individual experience as teachers, researchers and academics to combine understanding of the complexity of social justice issues.

A: The research landscape has shifted significantly in recent years, and the need to address today’s big societal issues is a strategic focus for government, research councils, business and industry. To tackle these issues, we are developing multidisciplinary approaches to research

across the University that bridge the conventional boundaries between disciplines.

A: Our research is developing knowledge and methods that are transforming practice and policy, challenging barriers to inclusion, extending opportunities for social justice and contributing to equality of opportunities for all learners. We use our work to make a real difference to the lives of those who remain marginalised and under-represented.

For further information contact Dr Kalwant Bhopal at [email protected]

Q: Can you describe some recent activities?A: We have worked with the Serendipity

Centre, a school for girls excluded from mainstream education owing to behavioural and social difficulties, on the successful design of a holistic education model.

A: Our project on methodological innovation, which forms part of a National Centre for Research Methods programme, focuses on three case studies in areas of qualitative research that have been identified as innovative: netnography, creative methods and child-led research. The research includes in-depth interviews with key developers of the methods, identifies take-up across disciplines and analyses how they are adapted and used.


A: We have strong links across the University. Our work on equity and social justice naturally links with Social Sciences

33

Challenging barriers to inclusionThe Social Justice and Inclusive Education (SJIE) research centre investigates the educational and life experiences of socially excluded individuals and groups. Rather than examining dimensions of difference as disparate, the centre is exploring the connections and intersections between them.

Dr Sarah ParsonsReader in Education

Dr Kalwant BhopalHead of Social Justice and Inclusive Education Research Centre


Dr Sara Garib-PennaResearcher

Dr Keira SewellLecturer

Dr John WoollardLecturer

The School has a commitment to excellence and innovation in its teaching. The portfolio of education programmes provides professional development for educators, trainers and education managers across the range of education sectors: early years, primary, secondary, post-compulsory, further education and higher education, as well as for educators and trainers who work in other public and private sectors. We offer a BSc Educational Studies, postgraduate certificates in education (PGCE) for primary, secondary and post compulsory teachers, a range of master’s programmes leading to the awards of MSc or MA(Ed), and research degrees, including PhD, EdD and MPhil (Research Methods). We also engage with informal continuing professional development, for example, through the Science Learning Centre. The School contributes to the development of education in the University more widely through the work-based postgraduate certificate in academic practice for academic staff within the University. Strategic partnerships, for example with regional Colleges, the British Army and overseas universities, and with local, national and international organisations, are a keystone of our educational programmes.

Centre members explore current national and international thinking in their fields, working as teams to develop, challenge, present and extend their expertise and engagement. Centres support members (including PhD students nearing completion) in the publication process and undertake commissioned/funded research for a wide variety of organisations.

– The Centre for Leadership, School Improvement and Effectiveness researches ways to deliver better outcomes for students. The group has extensive national and international experience in assessing the impact of interventions, programmes and policy changes on educational outcomes in schools, and in further and higher education.

– Research in the Centre for Professional Practice and Pedagogy relates to subject teaching with a focus on innovation and evidence-informed practice. Research is founded on classroom practice and curriculum design, and contributes widely to learning and pedagogic theory linked to the needs of the disadvantaged in society.

– Research in the Centre for Lifelong and Work-related Learning is located in the changing relationship between education, the economy and society. Members are particularly interested in shifting patterns of participation in, and transitions between, further, higher and adult education, and in the opportunities individuals at different life stages, and from different socio-economic, educational and employment backgrounds, have for personal, educational, vocational and professional development.

– The Centre for Mathematics and Science Education focuses on how people, communities and cultures acquire and use knowledge in mathematics and science. Research in this centre aims to develop theories and methods that contribute to equity for all learners, inform new visions for student achievement, and explore the professional development of mathematics and science educators.

– Research in the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusive Education explores issues of equity, entitlement, access and participation, with a particular focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability, and developing knowledge, theories and methods that contribute to equality of opportunities and outcomes for all learners.

34

Teaching and learning in the School of Education

Research in the School of Education

The School of Education provides a broad range of teaching programmes for full time students and a significant number of part-time students based in partnership organisations across the region.

Research at the School of Education is structured in four research centres, providing all research-active members of the school, whether internationally renowned professors or first-year PhD students, with a rich and robust environment for creative discussion.

www.southampton.ac.uk/education [email protected] +44(0)23 8059 3475