Empowering professional identity and positive outcomes through Third Space collaboration: A subject lecturer and EAP practitioner case study

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) staff frequently find themselves sidelined in higher education (HE), where they can be perceived as operating on the edge of academia, or even outside of it. Proactively claiming a role in the third space (Whitchurch, 2008) potentially supports recognition of their professional identity, value, and contribution. This case study reflects on a collaboration between a Lecturer with a professional services background, and an EAP Practitioner, incorporating perspectives from both staff members. The collaboration took place at all three levels identified by Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) for this type of shared work: cooperation, collaboration, and then team teaching. The third level of team teaching was achieved through a co-delivered assessment workshop. This was designed to allow the EAP Practitioner’s expertise to scaffold the students towards asking clear questions of the Lecturer, in a safe space, supporting understanding and assessment performance, while minimising concerns about inappropriate challenge or loss of face. Both staff members benefitted from this third space collaboration, building professional confidence, with the EAP Practitioner feeling empowered in their expertise and practice, which can be challenging for third-space professionals with previous negative experiences of attempted collaboration. The student outcomes appeared positive, and this collaboration led to other activities that further cemented the collaborative working relationship and demonstrated the value of activity within the third space

Assessment by engagement: building confidence and autonomy in the first year

Assessment plays a pivotal role in shaping first-year university students’ engagement and academic development. Despite widespread recognition of the benefits of innovative approaches, traditional summative assessment practices continue to dominate the sector, often failing to meet the diverse needs of students. This paper explores student experiences of Assessment by Engagement, an approach that prioritises equity, personalisation, and collaboration. Assessment by Engagement combines continuous summative assessment with embedded dialogic feedback and co-creation of assessment tasks, enabling students to become active participants in their learning and assessment. Through thematic analysis of interviews with students at a post-1992 UK Higher Education Institution, this study examines how Assessment by Engagement influences student engagement, confidence, and autonomy. The findings highlight three key themes in student experiences: continuous assessment enhances engagement; embedded feedback cultivates confidence; and co-creation can foster autonomy. These insights suggest that Assessment by Engagement offers an equity-driven alternative to traditional assessment models by deepening student engagement and fostering inclusive and responsive learning environments for diverse cohorts

The Influence of Soccer-Specific Exercise on Isokinetic Angle-Specific Thigh Musculature Strength in Female Soccer Players

This study assessed the influence of soccer-specific exercise on thigh musculature strength in female soccer players. Eight amateur female soccer players (age 24 ± 6 years; height 163 ± 8 cm; mass 68 ± 11 kg) participated in the study. Participants completed the female match simulation-90 (FEMS-90), replicating a 90-minute match. Isokinetic strength assessments of the concentric knee extensors (conKE), concentric knee flexors (conKF), eccentric knee extensors (eccKE) and eccentric knee flexors (eccKF) for the dominant lower limb were conducted at 60°∙s-1 where conventional ratios (CR) and dynamic control ratios (DCR) were determined. All strength data were expressed as angle-specific torque (AST). A Bayesian approach identified a 66-78% probability that AST of all muscle actions were lower post SSEP, and a 57-66% probability of a difference that CRAST and DCRAST were lower post SSEP across all angles. The results of this study provides unique insight into how female soccer players respond to soccer match-play, and may have implications for potential injury risk, exercise prescription and recovery. Moreover, given the prevalence and burden of knee ligament injuries in female soccer players, this study provides insight into thigh musculature strength acutely responds following simulated match-play

Revisiting Principles of Partnership working in the third space

Initially discussed by Parkes, Blackwell Young and Cleaver (2016), this opinion piece revisits five principles of partnership working in the context of third space working. These emphasised a need for understanding motivations for collaboration; the necessity of strategic support; provision of suitable reward and recognition systems; developing a culture that embraces change and through honesty and openness. The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed significant shifts within higher education, prompting institutions to re-evaluate their approaches to partnership working. Despite challenges, collaborative efforts across institutional domains gained prominence, underlining the strategic importance of third space professionals in facilitating agile decision-making and solution implementation. Amidst uncertainties, third space professionals demonstrated resilience and adaptability, navigating the pandemic's complexities while addressing the tandem feelings of messiness and uncertainty. They cultivated open mindsets and embraced a playful praxis that emerged as essential strategies for fostering trust and facilitating social learning amidst change. However, recognition and reward for such professionals remain complex, being often hindered by the fluidity of their roles and the fragmented nature of institutional acknowledgment. It is the authors' contention that the culture evident during the pandemic that fostered meaningful collaborative practices and amplified the importance of third space professionals is in danger of being lost. If Universities are to be successful in addressing the ever-evolving ‘wicked’ problems roaming the higher education landscape, a sustainable collective approach underpinned by the five principles remain

Predicting VO2max using lung function and three-dimensional (3D) allometry provides new insights into the allometric cascade (M0.75).

Background: Using directly measured cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., VO2max) in epidemiological/population studies is rare due to practicality issues. As such, predicting VO2max is an attractive alternative. Most equations that predict VO2max adopt additive rather than multiplicative models despite evidence that the latter provides superior fits and more biologically interpretable models. Furthermore, incorporating some but not all confounding variables may lead to inflated mass exponents (∝ M0.75) as in the allometric cascade. Objective: Hence, the purpose of the current study was to develop multiplicative, allometric models to predict VO2max incorporating most well-known, but some less well-known confounding variables (FVC=Forced Vital Capacity; FEV1=Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second) that might provide a more dimensionally valid model (∝ M2/3) originally proposed by Åstrand and Rodahl[1] Methods: We adopted the following three-dimensional multiplicative allometric model for VO2max (l.min-1) = Mk1·HTk2·WCk3·exp(a+b·age+c·age2+d·%fat)·, (M=body mass, HT=height, WC=waist circumference, %fat=percentage body-fat). Model comparisons (goodness-of-fit) between the allometric and equivalent additive models was assessed using the Akaike information criterion plus residual diagnostics. Note that the intercept term ‘a’ was allowed to vary for categorical fixed factors such as sex and physical inactivity. Results: Analyses revealed significant predictors of VO2max were Physical inactivity, M, WC, age2, %fat, plus FVC, FEV1. The body-mass exponent was k1=0.695 (M0.695) approximately ∝ M2/3. However, the calculated effect-sizes identified age2 and physical inactivity, not Mass, as the strongest predictors of VO2max. The quality-of-fit of the allometric models were superior to equivalent additive models. Conclusions: Results provide compelling evidence that multiplicative allometric models incorporating FVC and FEV1 are dimensionally and theoretically superior at predicting VO2max(l.min-1) compared with additive models. If FVC and FEV1 are unavailable, a satisfactory model was obtained simply by using HT as a surrogate

'A Terrific Waste': White Teeth from Recurrence to Accretion

The narrator of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2000) insists that history obeys a logic of symmetry or repetition: that historical events recur, providing lessons applicable to the present. Other elements of Smith’s novel, however, undermine this view, presenting history instead as an accumulation of waste. Examining this bifurcation through passages in which forms of refuse are foregrounded, this essay proposes that the novel stages a dialogue between a recurrence paradigm and an accretion paradigm. It argues that White Teeth develops an account of waste which is attentive to its ecological implications and which ultimately rejects the view that waste can, in any straightforward way, be recycled or returned to use. Through attention to the category of human waste (that is, human life as waste) and the novel’s incipient critique of recycling, the essay charts the workings of Smith’s accretion paradigm and the challenge it poses to the view of history as recurrence presented by the narrator. The novel’s fixation on waste, the essay shows, calls into question arguments that its tone (by contrast to Smith’s later works) is one of unreflexive positivity, and demonstrates the necessity of a reevaluation of White Teeth’s social, political and ecological acuity

Disrupting the third-space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives

This paper explores the evolving landscape of higher education in the UK, emphasising the diversity of the student population and the ensuing challenges for traditional university frameworks. It is framed through the concept of 'third space' professionals—individuals who operate beyond the conventional academic and administrative divides—to address these challenges (Whitchurch, 2013). The authors use reflective narratives that are diffracted through each other to shed light on the complexity of functioning in this innovative space. Their experiences of working-class origins, transitions from other sectors and mature student pathways, illustrate how diversity enriches their engagement with students and their contribution to the university environment. The narrative showcases how third-space professionals are pivotal in enhancing student success and promoting a more inclusive and student-focused university culture. They challenge existing academic hierarchies and bureaucratic norms, fostering a more adaptable and responsive educational setting. Despite facing institutional resistance and systemic hurdles, the paper highlights third-space practitioners' creative and strategic approaches to navigate and reform university structures. In conclusion, the authors argue for the vital importance of the third space in higher education innovation, where the unique backgrounds of professionals significantly impact university transformation. Through principles of disruption, ethical practice, playfulness and boundary-crossing, third space professionals are depicted as agents of cultural change, advocating for broader recognition and expansion of their roles in the academic ecosystem

Criterion validity of a newly developed Apple Watch app (‘MVPA’) compared to the native Apple Watch ‘activity’ app for measuring criterion moderate intensity physical activity

Introduction: Many people fail to meet physical activity guidelines. One possible solution is wearable technology. Yet it is unclear if popular devices such as the Apple Watch can accurately measure intensity, which is a cornerstone of physical activity guidelines. We developed a bespoke Apple Watch app based on the use of relative intensity (%HRR), with the aim to determine if the bespoke app measures ‘moderate’ intensity more accurately compared to the native Apple Watch Activity app, using % oxygen consumption reserve (%VO2R) as the criterion. Methods: Seventy-four participants (18–65 years) attended the laboratory twice. During Visit 1, they completed medical screening, and measurements of resting heart rate, maximal oxygen consumption, and maximal heart rate on a motorised treadmill. During Visit 2, participants completed 5-minute treadmill bouts starting at 3.5 km.h−1 , increasing by 0.5 km.h−1 until the bespoke app recorded 3 minutes at ≥40%HRR, and the native app recorded 5 minutes of ‘exercise’. Oxygen consumption and heart rate were recorded. Bayesian posterior distributions were used to compare the two apps. Results: At the walking speed that the native app recorded exercise, the mean (95% HDI) %VO2R was 33 (31-36)%, which is below moderate relative intensity (40%HRR). This is compared to a mean (95% HDI) of 43 (40-44)% for our bespoke app. Conclusion: The bespoke app measured relative moderate intensity more accurately compared to the native app when compared to the %VO2R criterion. Exercise guidelines and wearable devices should incorporate relative measures of physical activity to better individualise monitoring and prescription

Advancing Sustainability in Turkish Hospitality Sector: The Interplay Between Green HRM, Eco-Friendly Behaviors, and Organizational Support

This study critically examines the mediating role of employees’ eco-friendly behavior (EFB) and the moderating role of green organizational support (GOS) within the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) and environmental performance (EP) in Turkey’s hospitality sector. As the global hospitality industry grapples with its significant environmental footprint, this research addresses an acute need for empirically grounded insights into how organizational strategies and employee behaviors can be leveraged to achieve sustainability objectives. The study draws on primary data collected from 346 employees across multiple five-star hotels in Turkey. Data collection was facilitated through structured surveys, and analysis employed confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results provide evidence for EFB’s mediating role and GOS’s moderating effects. Findings underscore the need for comprehensive GHRM strategies synergized with robust GOS systems to foster employee commitment to sustainability goals

Pacifism and peace activism in modern Britain: A history of the ‘peace studies problem’

It is over 40 years since Ceadel defined interwar British pacifism as a ‘faith’. During that time, pacifism has had little\ud political significance and the influential peace movement of the interwar years is now scarcely within living memory. Yet, what Margaret Thatcher once described as ‘the peace studies problem’ is a diverse and interdisciplinary field, and one in which scholarship, peace activism and mainstream politics are all closely intertwined. Feminist scholars and peace activists have queried the links between militarism and patriarchy; historians and ethicists have explored medical pacifism and have asked whether medicine is (or should be) a pacifist profession. More recently, scholars have looked at interwar pacifism through the lens of the Empire and have challenged the imperialist pacifist delu�sion. Despite pacifism's limited political influence, its his�tory over the last 40 years has explored the beliefs and motivations of men and women struggling to respond to militarism and the threat of war