12560 research outputs found
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A blueprint for LGBTQ+ leadership development programmes in UK higher education
Get PDFEducation leadership for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) presents distinct challenges that heterosexual and cis-gendered leaders do not have to navigate. Despite this, there is currently no national leadership development programme specifically for LGBTQ+ aspirant leaders in UK Higher Education. This article researches the outcomes of the first LGBTQ+ specific leadership development programme at a university in England. The authors, one a participant and the other the founder and co-leader of the programme explore the outcomes for the mentees, the mentors and the host university through interviews, field notes and written feedback. The research underscores the distinct leadership development needs of the LGBTQ+ educators and the importance of having a dedicated LGBTQ+ leadership development programme. It also offers a framework to guide the development of future LGBTQ+ specific leadership development in Higher Education
The impact of generative AI on academic integrity of authentic assessments within a higher education context
Get PDFGenerative AI (hereinafter GenAI) technology, such as ChatGPT, is already influencing the higher education sector. In this work, we focused on the impact of GenAI on the academic integrity of assessments within higher education institutions, as GenAI can be used to circumvent assessment approaches within the sector, compromising their quality. The purpose of our research was threefold: first, to determine the extent to which the use of GenAI can be detected via the marking and moderation process; second, to understand whether the presence of GenAI affects the marking process; and finally, to establish whether authentic assessments can safeguard academic integrity. We used a series of experiments in the context of two UK-based universities to examine these issues. Our findings indicate that markers, in general, are not able to distinguish assessments that have had GenAI input from assessments that did not, even though the presence of GenAI affects the way markers approach the marking process. Our findings also suggest that the level of authenticity in an assessment has no impact on the ability to safeguard against or detect GenAI usage in assessment creation. In conclusion, we suggest that current approaches to assessments in higher education are susceptible to GenAI manipulation and that the higher education sector cannot rely on authentic assessments alone to control the impact of GenAI on academic integrity. Thus, we recommend giving more critical attention to assessment design and placing more emphasis on assessments that rely on social experiential learning and are performative rather than output-based and asynchronously written. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic GenAI has enabled students to complete higher education assessments quickly and with good quality, leading to challenges in academic integrity. GenAI has transformed the requirements and considerations in assessment design in higher education. Authentic assessments are seen as a prominent way to tackle the GenAI challenge. What this paper adds We provide quantitative and qualitative experimental evidence suggesting that GenAI can generate authentic assessments that pass the scrutiny of experienced academics. We demonstrate how the use of authentic assessments alone does not protect the academic integrity of students in higher education. Our qualitative analysis indicates that markers may generate false positive and false negative results if they suspect GenAI tampering in an assessment. Thus, students' learning is not assessed correctly. Implications for practice and/or policy When universities and national organisations design policies regarding GenAI, authentic assessments are not the panacea; the focus must remain on assessment design. Assessments of learning need to shift from assessing output to focusing on process and relevance to the workplace. That would mean a paradigmatic shift from written assessments to synchronous interpersonal assessments. The move away from written assessments has implications that are far reaching for the academy if written assessments cannot be trusted as a reliable indicator for and of learning
Observations on the implementation of Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE), which include LGBT themes in an English primary school
Get PDFThe article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education. The latest Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (RSHE) Draft Guidance seeks to reduce the inclusion of LGBT themes in English schools. Additionally, the Gender Questioning Draft Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the Cass Review overlook the rights of trans and non-binary young people, further intensifying the heated debates surrounding their lives. In response, the author draws upon research conducted in a primary school in Greater London in 2021, when statutory RSHE, including LGBT content, was first introduced. The research aimed to understand how teachers felt about teaching RSHE and to collaborate with them to enhance pupil learning within and beyond the RSHE curriculum. This paper critiques lesson observations and teachers’ reflections on their lessons using a Framework for Sexuality Education and Queer Theory. The researcher’s call to rethink how RSHE is taught should not be taken to mean it should not be taught. To the contrary, the findings suggest a need for the school to broaden its curriculum, teaching methods, and strategies to become a truly ‘LGBT-inclusive’ environment. However, the paper also illuminates the apprehensions these primary school teachers experienced, which in turn influenced pedagogical decisions. The article concludes by recommending specific whole-school approaches and effective pedagogical practices for RSHE in the school, which could be beneficial to other primary school settings. Effective teaching of LGBT themes requires clear support for educators, especially within the complexity of a primary school setting and given the changing political and social climate
Zooming in on the process-product nexus of meaning-related revisions: a micro-analytic approach to keystroke logging data
Get PDFWhile many writing studies to date show that higher-proficiency and lower-proficiency L2 writers have distinct writing behaviours, there is relatively little research into meaning-related revisions – changes which influence the meaning of the text as compared to surface-level changes related to grammar or format, and whether and how such revisions make a text-level impact. Taking a micro-analytic approach, the current study examined the real-time revision behaviours of six adolescent L1 and six adolescent L2 English writers, as captured by a keystroke logging programme. The analysis compared measures of revision behaviours and the context (i.e., location) and orientation (i.e., focus) of the meaningrelated revisions between the two groups, and examined qualitatively the specific ways the revisions do or do not contribute to enhancing the evolving text. Findings revealed that the L2 writers focused more on local-level revisions while the L1 writers’ revisions more often had a text-level impact (e.g., coherence, argumentation). Based on the findings, we discuss the value of examining the textual impact of meaning-related revisions using keystroke logging data for diagnostic feedback, and make recommendations for teaching and feedback activities in the L2 writing classroom
What makes a duck a duck? : a LEGO® Serious Play® exercise demonstrating the contradictions in managing diversity, equity and inclusion
Get PDFThis exercise aims to problematize the often taken-for-granted assumption that identity is fixed and immutable. To facilitate this, we have adapted a warm-up exercise from the LEGO ®Serious Play ®Methodology: the construction of LEGO ®ducks. The exercise can be used with students at all levels. Using a sequence of duck-building activities, it facilitates experiential learning to increase understanding of the contradictions inherent in notions of identity—a helpful first step toward exploring the complexities of diversity, equity, and inclusion.</p
From behaviours to interactions: reframing conceptualisations of the nature and causes of sexual harm among young people
Get PDFThis paper examines how educators, police and children’s service providers, alongside young people, conceptualise the nature and causes of sexual harm among young people. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in southeast England, we identify four themes: sexual harm as learned behaviour rooted in personal and familial risk factors; normalisation of harmful experiences among girls; neglect and minimisation of boys’ victimisation; and evolving digital terrains of harm. While some participants engaged with structural and cultural explanations, many framed sexual harm through an individualised, risk-focused behaviourist lens. We suggest the emphasis on behaviour within the prevailing use of the term “harmful sexual behaviour” reinforces reductionist perspectives and overlooks interactional, institutional, and socio-cultural dynamics shaping young people’s experiences. Drawing on sexual script theory and post-digital sexual citizenship, we expand the conceptual terrain, advocating for a holistic and inclusive approach situating sexual harm within broader relational and institutional contexts, requiring nuanced, context-sensitive responses. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT: We advocate shifting focus from individualised and pathologising approaches to “harmful sexual behaviour” toward addressing broader cultural, relational and institutional dynamics shaping sexual harm among young people. By reframing the discourse to emphasise social and institutional contexts, we encourage policies and practices that promote a nuanced understanding of the cultural and structural factors influencing sexual harm, enabling more supportive and inclusive interventions.</p
Analysis of social media perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: social listening study (2019-2022)
Get PDFSocial media listening can be leveraged to obtain authentic perceptions about events, their impact, guidelines, and policies. There has been to date no research that has examined the experiences of patients with COVID-19 from diagnosis to treatment using social media listening in the United Kingdom. This study aimed to assess public perceptions, insights, and sentiments throughout the patient journey from diagnosis to treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive search query was designed to retrieve social media data that referred to COVID-19 and treatment. The search was conducted using the social media monitoring tool, Synthesio (Ipsos). Data were retrospectively collected for the period covering September 2019 to September 2022 from Twitter (subsequently rebranded X), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as well as 126 public forums (including Health Unlocked, Mums Net, The Student Room, and Patient Forums UK). Available data in the United Kingdom expressed in the English language were collected and filtered, generating a final dataset consisting of 31,319 posts from an overall initial dataset of 706,634 posts. Complimentary Google trend analyses of search terms mentioning COVID-19 treatments were also performed. Social media posts related to COVID-19 symptoms accounted for 6% of overall posts, compared to 35% of posts related to testing, 25% of posts related to diagnosis, and 32% of posts related to treatment. Overall, the trend observed from social media posts relating to COVID-19 treatment extracted in Synthesio was largely congruent with the trend of COVID-19 searches on Google, indicating a potential relationship between public discourse and social media and internet search behavior. The findings from this study have the potential to inform decision-making regarding public health interventions, communication strategies, and health care policies in the United Kingdom during future public health emergencies
Factors that influence inter-organisational integration: a qualitative exploration of service providers' perspectives from an integrated care initiative.
Get PDFIntegrated care uses inter-professional and inter-organisational collaboration to ensure quality care for those with complex healthcare needs. Whilst inter-organisational collaboration is seen as a facilitator of integration, it has its own complexities and challenges. This study sought to investigate barriers to and facilitators of inter-organisational integration between the partnered organisations of an integrated care initiative in Luton, UK, as perceived by healthcare professionals. Face to face semi – structured interviews were conducted between November 2019 and March 2020 with twenty service providers of an integrated service for physical and mental health. Thematic analysis was used to explore the experiences and perceptions of service providers on the integration of healthy lifestyle and mental health services of “Total Wellbeing Luton”. Five primary themes were identified: (1) Culture, (2) Communication Structures, (3) Strategic alignment, (4) Workforce dynamics, and (5) Expectation and reality of the integration. The majority of the identified themes reflect factors that facilitate or impede the integration between the participating organisations. Excellent relationships between healthcare professionals and staff’s motivation have been identified as facilitators to inter-organisational integration, while high staff turnover, lack of shared IT system and absence of co-location have been identified as barriers. Also, a theme reveals that often there was a discrepancy between the expected and the actual implementation and outcomes of integration. As a part of a larger evaluation programme, this study attempts a comprehensive understanding of the inter-organisational integration in the specific context of Total Wellbeing Luton. The findings and recommendations can support the inter-organisational integration of current and future integrated care initiatives in the UK and elsewhere. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13051-7
Challenges and benefits of cat fostering: a focus group study with volunteer cat fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Get PDFCat fostering programs play a critical role in managing and supporting the health and wellbeing of stray abandoned or relinquished cats. Most cat fostering programs can only operate with the help of volunteer cat fosterers. Yet, there is comparatively little research on the experiences of cat fosterers. This study aimed to explore the motivations of volunteer cat fosterers, the challenges they experienced in their fostering practice, and what they perceived as the main benefits of cat fostering. We conducted focus group interviews with cat fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand to answer our research questions. In total, 13 cat fosterers with a range of fostering experience participated in the focus groups. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The primary motivations to become cat fosterers included a general love for animals, wanting an alternative to cat ownership, and the desire to help and make a difference, which was underpinned by altruistic values. Cat fostering is an emotionally challenging role that requires significant time commitment and involves substantial responsibility, which makes it a form of high-stakes volunteerism. Despite the challenges, however, cat fosterers experienced social and emotional benefits along with the satisfaction of making a meaningful impact on their fosters’ lives. These benefits fulfil basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The findings have important implications for shelter organizations and for the recruitment, retention, and training of volunteer fosterers
Organizational culture, digital transformation, and product innovation
Get PDFThis research fills a knowledge gap by introducing a new conceptualization of digital transformation through a multidimensional digital transforming capability. It further examines the influence of four cultural types on this capability and its subsequent impact on product innovation. Empirical findings reveal that adhocracy, followed in descending order of influence by clan, market, and hierarchy cultures, is positively related to digital transforming capability, which in turn is positively related to product innovation in terms of new product newness, meaningfulness, and performance. Additionally, new product newness and meaningfulness each positively mediate the effect of digital transforming capability on new product performance
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