12244 research outputs found
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Facilitating research-informed educational practice for inclusion. Survey findings from 147 teachers and school leaders in England
Get PDFThis paper considers the engagement by teachers and school leaders in England in educational practices that are both ‘research-informed’ and supportive of inclusive education. We do so by seeking to understand the benefits, costs, and signifying factors these educators associate with research-use. In undertaking the study, we first worked to develop and refine a survey instrument (the ‘Research-Use BCS survey’) that could be used to uniquely and simultaneously measure these concepts. Our survey development involved a comprehensive process that comprised: (1) a review of recent literature; (2) item pre-testing; and (3) cognitive interviews. We then administered this questionnaire to a representative sample of English educators. Although response rates were somewhat impacted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we achieved a sufficient number of responses (147 in total) to allow us to engage in descriptive analyses, as well as the production of classification trees. Our analysis resulted in several key findings, including that: (1) if respondents see the benefits of research, they are likely to use it (with the converse also true); (2) if educators have the needed support of their colleagues, they are more likely to use research; and (3) perceiving research-use as an activity that successful teachers and schools engage in is also associated with individual-level research use. We conclude the paper by pointing to potential interventions and strategies that might serve (at least, in the English context) to enhance research-use, so increasing the likelihood of the development and use of effective inclusive practices in schools
Spelling performance of 6- and 8-year-old Irish children: is it <analice> or <analyze>?
Get PDFThe association of phonological and lexical-semantic processes with spelling ability in children has received scant research interest even though uncovering such associations can increase our understanding of literacy development. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 42 6- and 8t-year-old children in the southeast of Ireland. The children took part in tasks assessing reading, letter-sound knowledge, phonological ability, phonological short-term memory, and rapid automatized naming. They also completed an assessment of spelling ability involving regular words, irregular words, and pseudowords. Analyses revealed that, for both age groups, and for all three word types, spelling accuracy was strongly associated with phonological ability scores. In contrast, phonological short-term memory was found to be significantly associated with regular word and total word spelling for the younger group. For the older group, rapid automatized naming was associated with all word categories. Qualitative analysis of the spelling errors revealed that an increase in spelling ability was accompanied by greater prevalence of phonologically appropriate errors. Our findings have important implications for teaching and assessment practices for spelling
What’s in the box? Exploring UK players’ experiences of loot boxes in games; the conceptualisation and parallels with gambling
Get PDFLoot boxes are a popular mechanic within many video games, but it remains unclear if some forms of loot boxes can be seen of as gambling. However, the perspectives of players are often neglected, such as whether they see them as ‘fair’ game elements and how closely they feel this aligns with gambling. In this paper, we synthesise a conceptualisation for loot boxes through players’ actual experience and explore if there are any parallels with gam- bling. Twenty-one participants who played video games took part in the research through either an interview or online survey. Thematic analysis suggested that six themes were core to exploring loot boxes: Random Chance Effects, Attitudes Towards Content, Implementa- tion, Parallels with Gambling, Game Design, and The Player. The results suggested both indirect and direct parallels with gambling from the players experiences. Implications of game design and classifying loot boxes as gambling are discussed in relation to game design and risk factors of gambling and purchasing behaviour
Educating for change?: An investigation into consumers’ perception of sustainability and the educational drivers needed to support sustainable consumption
Get PDFThe research focused on consumer perceptions of sustainability within the fashion industry and how influential education is in changing consumer habits and increasing the likelihood of sustainable consumption. The research, using a mixed-method approach, also asks what drivers are needed to support this transition. Using a quantitative survey widely distributed (varied sample) and qualitative semi-structured individuals with fashion students, results show that education on what sustainability means for fashion is largely gained through mainstream social media and documentaries with no formal compulsory education in place. It shows that many consumers saw sustainability as a motivating factor in purchasing; however, price was still a barrier for most. Respondents believed that intervention in school curricula was the best way to educate future generations about sustainability and that having the skills to maintain longevity in clothing use was a key factor to a more sustainable fashion future
Clapping for carers in the Covid-19 crisis: carers’ reflections in a UK survey
Get PDFThis paper reports and discusses the weekly Clapping for Carers – described as ‘front-line heroes’ that took place across the United Kingdom during the first national lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic. Data are drawn from a UK-wide online survey of health and social care workers, completed in May to July 2020. The survey received 3,425 responses of which 2,541 were analysed; free-text comments were categorised. One question asked specifically: ‘Do you think the “Clap for Carers” was a helpful response from the public?’, and 815 comments were provided. Responses were extracted from these 815 free-text comments and categorised as follows: unequivocally Yes, predominantly Yes, mixed feelings, predominantly No and unequivocally No. Most comments revealed mixed feelings about the helpfulness of Clapping with only a minority being entirely supportive. The free-text comments offer some explanations for these views with many feeling that Clapping distracted from the severity of the pandemic and the inadequate resources. The free-text comments reveal workforce concerns that the support demonstrated for the frontline workforce in Clapping might be transitory and that it may not translate into workforce improvements and political commitment to further funding of health and social care. Some saw the value of Clapping as illustrative of community cohesion. There was little mention of Clapping for heroes, and where it was the notion of heroism was rejected. The demonstration of public support in Clapping for Carers may have directly benefitted the public, but only indirectly the workforce. Future recruitment data may help discern if public support has translated into a desire to join the workforce
Understanding school workforce experiences regarding access to, and the impact of, special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) continuing professional development (CPD) and expertise
No full textBig ideas for religious education: curriculum design for a 21st century education in religion and worldviews [website]
No full textBig Ideas for Religious Education is an approach to curriculum, teaching and learning used around the world. It was a key influence on the development of the Commission on Religious Education (CoRE) national entitlement and has been developed by RE professionals with many years of experience at local and national level
Have I got the power? Analysing and reporting statistical power in HRI
Get PDFThis article presents a discussion of the importance of power analyses, providing an overview of when power analyses should be run in the context of the field of Human-Robot Interaction, as well as some examples of how to perform a power analysis. This work was motivated by the observation that the majority of papers published in the proceedings of recent HRI conferences did not report conducting a power analysis; an observation that has concerning implications for many conclusions drawn by these studies. This work is intended to raise awareness and encourage researchers to conduct power analyses when designing research studies using human participants
Concealed pregnancy: from 18th- and 19th- century novels and scientific texts to 21st- century medicine
No full textThe primary objective of this study is to explore the representation of concealed pregnancy in 18th and 19th century novels and medical texts, in order to better understand its persistence into the present time. Subsidiary objectives are to enhance the role of culture in promoting personal development, creativity and well-being for medical practitioners who deal with distressing cases; and to increase understanding of the ways that literature has responded to scientific ideas and progress, and vice versa
