Open Research Exeter - University of Exeter
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Parent and Educational Psychologist Interaction within the Education, Health and Care Plan Process: a Mixed-Methods Exploration of Satisfaction and Experiences
No full textThe Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process in England is a decade old, having replaced Special Educational Needs (SEN) Statements in 2015. A central element of the introduction of EHCPs was the increase in the involvement and rights of parents in the process. Since the introduction of EHCPs, literature has indicated initial positivity and benefits of the EHCP process; however, recent publications and government reviews have highlighted wide-ranging complaints and dissatisfaction among parents regarding the system. There have been substantial increases in the numbers of requests for assessment alongside unprecedented numbers of appeals challenging Local Authority (LA) decisions. Recent reports of parental dissatisfaction with the EHCP system, Educational Psychologist (EP) workload pressure and discussions about changing needs since the COVID-19 pandemic have made the EHCP process a key area for further research.
Even though EPs have a statutory role in every EHCNA (Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments), there is little recent research that has focused on the interactions between EPs and parents in the EHCP process. This study meets this need, to offer points of reflection for LAs and EPs at a time of increased referrals for statutory assessment and tribunal review. This research was conducted from a pragmatic worldview, informed by theoretical frameworks including Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development and Lundy’s model of participation.
Some previous research overlooks minority viewpoints and tends to conflate the broader EHCP system with the specific role of the EP, without distinguishing between the two. This study followed a mixed-methods design that used both qualitative and quantitative data in order to answer research questions across two phases of research. A central aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of both parents and EPs regarding their collaborative work. The design utilised an exploratory sequential framework in which qualitative data was gathered initially and then used to explore and expand the quantitative phase of the study. The Phase-1 findings were used to create the Phase-2 questionnaire for parents and EPs.
The aim of phase 1 was to explore parent and EP experiences of the EHCP process. The findings from semi-structured interviews with participants representing parents and EPs were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis for initial interpretation. Key themes were identified across the interviews, which detailed positivity in both groups, wide variety in EP practice, possible sources of difficulty in the EHCP process and the importance of the quality of the relationship between parents and individual EPs. The findings provided a detailed picture of participants’ views of the strengths and challenges of EP involvement in EHCNAs. A key finding was the variance between LAs and EPs and between practice in different cases. This variance was related to the needs of the CYP, and the contexts and approaches of the EPs and LAs.
Phase 2 was designed to gather satisfaction levels, practice approaches, and the priorities of both parents and educational psychologists across England. Parents and EPs were invited to complete separate online questionnaires that had been created specifically for each group, but with the goal of comparing experiences. Phase 2 was used to quantify, triangulate, and explore EP practice and the various interacting elements of the EHCP process. Data from both phases were integrated for joint analysis and interpretation using Pillar Integration Process joint displays.
The overall findings show that relational aspects of interactions between parents and professionals are vital and that co-production is only possible if there is systemic and professional will to make it happen, thus supporting previous research findings. Inadequate preparation of parents for their role by LAs and professionals and a lack of transparency were seen as key mediators of dissatisfaction with the system. The findings of the present study extend previous research by focusing on views about how parents and EPs interact within the EHCP process.
Although the EHCP system as a whole was viewed negatively by the majority of participants, parent and EP interaction as part of the process was viewed positively; the views of those in the minority are also explored. A key finding was that although there are large variations in how the EHCP process is conducted, many of these factors, which could mediate parent satisfaction, are foreseeable and potentially controllable for those professionals and LAs motivated and focussed on sharing power. Though the current system gives EPs huge power when writing psychological advice, there is evidence this power can be shared with parents while ensuring their views are valued and influential. The findings are discussed with reference to the nature of co-production, satisfaction, and the dynamics between professionals and service users. The thesis concludes with suggestions for future research.</p
Investigating avian partial migration with winter sympatry and the effects of weather conditions on migration traffic
No full textAvian migration is a spectacular phenomenon which involves the movement of billions of birds each year, sometimes across very long distances. The evolutionary drivers and fitness consequences of the migratory behaviour has always been a major research focus within ornithological studies. However, many migratory bird species are undergoing global declines, and effective conservation measures requires scientific understanding of the migration patterns and associated ecology of the species in concern. Therefore, empirical studies on a broad range of migratory species are vital from both scientific and conservational perspectives.
Among the migratory birds, some
migratory behaviours are highly cryptic and have thus been understudied. One of them is partial migration with winter sympatry, in which a resident population is joined by migratory individuals of the same species during the non-breeding period. With the species being observed year-round, these migratory patterns are easily overlooked and require much attention to be discovered. This thesis aims to document and investigate passerine species displaying such a migratory strategy in two study systems using stable isotope analysis (SIA) as the primary tool.
The thesis begins with an introduction to the topic through a literature review that outlined and compared four empirical methods particularly useful in studying partial migration: bird ringing, migratory restlessness, remote tracking devices and SIA. The goal of the chapter was to provide a guide for researchers gaining interest in avian partial migration.
In the two following data chapters, I applied SIA on two study systems of different levels of prior knowledge. In Chapter 3, I have discovered two species of short-distance partial migrants in Hong Kong: Chinese bulbuls and Swinhoe’s white-eyes. plain prinias, a species previously thought to be fully resident, was also found to be partially migratory. Chapter 4 applied SIA on a more well-studied system of passerines in Southwest UK and observed diverse migratory strategies among six common passerine species. Further, I investigated their seasonal isotopic niche. Among them, blackbirds and robins were found to have broader niches during the non-breeding season. Within the non-breeding season, migratory robins displayed a broader isotopic niche compared to resident individuals, hinting at a higher level of individual specialization of migrants.
In Chapter 5, the final data chapter, I switched perspective to gain insight into a broader aspect of migration, the migration flight. Using data obtained from a vertical-looking radar set at a migratory hotspot in Israel, I have found that temperature and wind conditions affect daily migration traffic of three taxon classes in greatly different ways.
Through applying an array of different approaches, the thesis has advanced our knowledge of avian migratory behaviour in multiple study systems. The discoveries in Hong Kong and UK will form a strong basis for future in-depth investigations on partial migration with winter sympatry, and the findings regarding migratory flight can inform predictions of taxon-specific migratory change under current climate change.</p
Predominantly Terrestrial Foraging and Reproductive Gains From a High Trophic Level Diet in Roof‐Nesting Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)
No full textWild animal species often use human‐modified environments for foraging and reproduction, but this may require dietary diversification with fitness consequences. The extent to which colonising species successfully exploit such habitats is poorly understood. We used stable isotope analysis of egg yolk to investigate the association between foraging choices and reproductive success in 102 female herring gulls (Larus argentatus) over 3 years in a roof‐nesting, pericoastal breeding colony. Stable isotopes of egg yolk predominantly reflect maternal diet during egg production. We measured δ13C as an indicator of foraging habitat, and δ15N as an indicator of trophic level. We predicted diverse foraging choices across marine, terrestrial and urban environments due to gulls' generalist foraging strategy and the variety of nearby foraging opportunities. We also predicted higher reproductive success associated with marine feeding compared to terrestrial feeding or feeding on human food and refuse, because marine food has historically been gulls' natural food type and has been previously associated with greater reproductive success. Surprisingly, δ13C values indicated predominantly terrestrial foraging for egg production. Egg mass increased significantly with lower δ13C, indicative of more terrestrial feeding. These findings may reflect availability of habitats and foods nearby or indicate adaptive dietary choices. Fledging success increased significantly with elevated δ15N, indicating that mothers feeding at higher trophic levels before laying produced higher quality eggs and/or had superior offspring‐rearing capacity. A high trophic level maternal diet may nutritionally benefit offspring or improve parental condition. Egg stable isotope ratios of δ13C and δ15N were highly repeatable within clutches, enabling us to predict stable isotope values of unsampled eggs from sampled sibling eggs. Our results highlight high usage of terrestrial foods for egg production, whereas marine and anthropogenic feeding were rare. The reasons for this preference warrant further investigation to advance understanding of species that use human‐modified environments.</p
Landscape as a Contested Territory: The Collision of Law and Memory in Eighteenth-Century Rural Literature
No full textCultural memory, jurisprudence, and nature form the foundation of the eighteenth-century English landscape. This thesis takes this view of an amalgamated countryside and transposes it onto Romantic writing concerned with memory and the land. These texts illustrate the extent to which law shaped the physical landscape and cultural memory of a locale. As these writers negotiate their place in the land there is often friction between their own nostalgia and the shifting physical countryside. The legislative realities of their surroundings force them to look to the past to perpetuate their own legacies in the local memory. They engage with the land as a ‘repository of knowledge’ which has been contributed to by previous generations to be inherited by future inhabitants.1 Law is similarly connected to past landscapes, with eighteenth-century legislation being built on feudal remains. There is a collision between customary and common law, mirroring the landscape as being stuck in the past while also being pushed into modernity. This analysis finds that law, memory, and place are spaces of duality. Split between the past and present, each attempt to simultaneously protect the cultural memory of the landscape and overwrite or build upon it. By surveying four key legislative concepts through the lens of place and memory writers, this study aims to untangle this web of culture, judgement, memory, and place.</p
Securitising AI: routine exceptionality and digital governance in the Gulf
No full textThis article examines how Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states securitise artificial intelligence (AI) through discourses and infrastructures that fuse modernisation with regime resilience. Drawing on securitisation theory (Buzan et al., 1998; Balzacq, 2011) and critical security studies, it analyses national strategies, surveillance systems, and mega-event governance in Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. It argues that AI functions as both a legitimising narrative and a technology of control, embedding predictive policing and biometric surveillance within public–private assemblages. The study situates these developments within global AI politics, demonstrating how external chokepoints, ethical frameworks, and vendor ecosystems shape the Gulf’s evolving security governance, leading to empirical effects such as the normalisation of exceptional measures in everyday administration.</p
Veiled intentions: Hamas’s strategic deception and intelligence success on 7 October 2023
No full textOn 7 October 2023, Hamas dealt a severe blow to Israel’s deterrence by launching a multi-front incursion that killed more than a thousand Israelis and captured hundreds. Prevailing commentary frames the attack as an Israeli intelligence debacle; this study instead interrogates Hamas’s intelligence success. Drawing on strategic deception, the intelligence-cycle model and asymmetric warfare scholarship, it analyses how a resource-starved non-state actor concealed intentions. Process-traced evidence from investigative reporting, declassified Israeli documents, and interviewsFootnote1 the author conducted with Hamas’s leadership, members and analysts reveals four enabling pillars: meticulous operational security, systematic open-source and cyber intelligence collection (OSINT), insider human intelligence (HUMINT) and a professionalised intelligence apparatus shaped by decades of counter-espionage practice and external tutoring. The findings underscore adversary agency and expose the fragility of technological superiority for advanced militaries.</p
Gender differences in preferences for flexible work hours: Experimental evidence from an online freelancing platform
No full textWe conducted an experiment on a major international online freelancing platform to examine how increased flexibility in daily work hours affects female participation. We post identical job advertisements (for 320 jobs) covering a wide range of tasks (80 distinct tasks) that differ only in flexibility and the wage offered. Comparing the numbers of applicants for these jobs, we find that, while both men and women prefer flexibility, the elasticity of response for women is twice that for men. Flexible jobs attracted 24% more women and 12% more men than inflexible ones. Importantly, these increases did not compromise the quality of the applications. In contrast, there is suggestive evidence that flexible jobs attracted higher-quality female candidates. Our findings have significant implications for understanding gender disparities in labor market outcomes and for shaping equity-focused policies of organizations.</p
Neuromechanical Pattern of Postural Control in Chronic Ankle Instability
No full textLateral ankle sprains are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries, often causing immediate functional limitations, lingering symptoms, and recurrent injuries. In 50% of cases Chronic ankle instability (CAI) develops following a substantial ankle sprain. Deficits in sensorimotor control appear to play the most critical role in the development of CAI. These sensorimotor impairments reduce the ability to maintain joint stability and precise motor control. Existing evidence consistently highlights balance deficits in individuals with CAI as key contributors to recurrent ankle sprains, but these deficits are not always clearly identifiable. The underlying motor control mechanisms, such as timely and coordinated movement adjustments, are still not clearly understood. The overarching aim of this thesis was to identify balance deficits and uncover their motor control mechanisms by analysing biomechanical and neuromuscular aspects during single-leg standing tasks specifically designed to challenge balance in individuals with CAI, compared to healthy controls (HC).
Four experimental studies were conducted to identify biomechanical and neuromuscular patterns associated with CAI. Chapter 3 indicated balance deficits and altered whole-body movement patterns along the kinetic chain from ankle to torso in individuals with CAI during static and dynamic single-leg balance tasks, speculating a proximal joint compensation for partially deafferented ankle joints to maintain postural control. Chapter 4 identified increased common corticospinal input and decreased neural transmission efficiency for antagonistic muscle pairs during eyes closed single-leg stance in the CAI group compared to the HC group. Based on the kinematic and neuromuscular alterations identified in individuals with CAI in the first two studies, Chapter 5 revealed instability in mediolateral postural control and less effective joint actions contributing to postural control in response to external perturbation. Chapter 6 suggested that practice improved postural control and effectiveness of hip strategy in individuals with CAI, bringing their performance closer to that of healthy controls; however, muscle co-contraction remained unchanged in the CAI group, while muscle co-contraction decreased with practice in the HC group.
Together, these findings provide new evidence to suggest individuals with CAI adopt altered movement strategies from ankle to trunk and reduced effective postural response to external perturbations. Individuals with CAI also exhibited altered neuromuscular patterns, including altered coordination between antagonist muscles and a distinct acute adaptation in muscle co-contraction following practice, compared to HC. This thesis provides new insights into the balance and motor control mechanisms underlying CAI, helping guide future research directions and rehabilitation strategies.</p
AirTrafficGen: Configurable Air Traffic Scenario Generation with Large Language Models
No full textThe manual design of scenarios for Air Traffic Control (ATC) training is a de?manding and time-consuming bottleneck that limits the diversity of simulations available to controllers. To address this, we introduce a novel, end-to-end approach, AirTrafficGen, that leverages large language models (LLMs) to automate and control the generation of complex ATC scenarios. Our method uses a purpose-?built, graph-based representation to encode sector topology (including airspace geometry, routes, and fixes) into a format LLMs can process. Through rigorous benchmarking, we show that state-of-the-art models like Gemini 2.5 Pro, OpenAI o3, GPT-oss-120b and GPT-5 can generate high-traffic scenarios while maintaining operational realism. Our engineered prompting enables fine-grained control over interaction presence, type, and location. Initial findings suggest these models are also capable of iterative refinement, correcting flawed scenarios based on simple textual feedback. This approach provides a scalable alternative to manual scenario design, addressing the need for a greater volume and variety of ATC training and validation simulations. More broadly, this work showcases the potential of LLMs for complex planning in safety-critical domains.</p
Using marine historical ecology approaches to understand past ecosystem change across major human cultural transitions
No full textThe Anthropocene epoch is characterised by devastating biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Marine ecosystems and fisheries have been commercially exploited for centuries, yet the baselines used to inform fisheries management and nature conservation often consist of only a few decades of data. As we strive to restore degraded and depleted ecosystems and species, it is necessary to contextualise current conditions by grasping the magnitude of change that has occurred and understanding what has driven these changes. In this thesis, I use historical data from archived fisheries landings and trade records, government enquiries and popular media to document the impacts of long-term, increasingly intensive exploitation on fisheries, marine habitats and dependent communities in Scotland and the UK more broadly. In Chapter 1, I evaluate the socio-economic value of biogenic reef-forming blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) beds in Scotland, which were heavily exploited for bait to support the line fishing industry from at least the 16th century, and map the historical distribution and extent of mussel beds around the coast. Most identified beds historically experienced unsustainable high levels of exploitation and were exposed to additional natural/anthropogenic stressors, leading to the decline or extirpation of large swathes of the habitat in the 19th and early 20th centuries- followed by significant declines and even cessation of mussel and line-fishing landings. In Chapter 2, I examine the influence of technological improvements in fishing power – technological creep – on fisheries landings in Scotland, following the industrialisation of fishing in the latter 19th century. I characterise how landings trajectories across the demersal, pelagic and shellfish sectors responded to major gear developments, as well as fisheries governance efforts and wider socio-political and environmental conditions. The adoption of mobile, more powerful gears and ancillary technologies largely led to the redundancy of traditional fishing methods, and mass increases in landings of target species for variable periods; however, improved catchability was not sustained in most cases. Technological developments were incentivised and funded by government/managing bodies across the 20th century, with little consideration as to the sustainability or environmental repercussions of increasing fishing efficiency and increasing collateral damage caused by gears over time. In Chapter 3, I investigate social-ecological interactions influencing fisheries landings trends and ecosystem change from the mid-19th century in Scotland’s Northern Isles, the social-ecological repercussions of long-term fisheries exploitation, and the resilience of the Isles to shifts in marine resource availability. In Chapter 4, I identify the broader implications of fisheries decline and reduced seafood self-sufficiency in the UK, namely, increased reliance on seafood imports from a growing number of countries across the 20th and 21st centuries. Consequently, this led to the export of fishing pressure and attendant environmental and social impacts to countries across the world. Ultimately, this thesis highlights the drivers and repercussions of increasingly intensive fishing effort and habitat loss, and how this has led to the UK – a nation bordering the once abundantly fertile fishing grounds of the North Sea and North Atlantic – becoming progressively reliant on resources from other nations. I hope that data generated can be used to inform targeted fisheries management and restoration initiatives, rooted in place and past.</p