Survey of teachers 2010 : support to improve teaching practice

In 2010 the annual survey of teachers, conducted on behalf of the General Teaching Council for England (GTC), explored teachers’ experiences of the different forms of support they receive to help them maintain and develop their teaching practice. Teachers were asked for their views on the following: • their participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) • their involvement in activities to improve teaching practice • use of observation and feedback • use of research • performance management, and • the professional standards

PLAYING SENIOR INTER-COUNTY GAELIC GAMES: EXPERIENCES, REALITIES AND CONSEQUENCES. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 76 September 2018

Given the developments that have taken place in Gaelic games over the past decade, particularly at the senior inter-county level, there is a concern that the demands that today’s games are placing on players are having negative effects on their lives. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have introduced a number of measures to ensure that players’ needs are taken care of and that those who play enjoy their experience. Nevertheless, questions continue to be raised. Given this, the GAA and GPA jointly commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to conduct an independent examination of the commitment required to play senior inter-county, and the impact that this has on players’ personal and professional lives and club involvement. The research was primarily conducted through senior inter-county player workshops and a survey of 2016 players. Workshops were also conducted with 2016 senior inter-county managers, County Board Secretaries and third-level Games Development Officers (GDOs). What follows is a summary of the principal findings arising from the study, consideration of their implications for both player welfare and policy in this area, and some discussion on future directions

The suitability of polymerised microemulsions as stationary phases for capillary electrochromatography

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is an analytical separation technique, coupling the electroosmotic flow principles of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with the stationary phase separation principles of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The development of this technique has been slowed due to technical problems with packing capillary columns. Alteration of the stationary phase to a solid monolithic support enables ease of filling and reduces bubble formation. Polymerisation of bicontinuous microemulsions can yield porous structures that are potentially suitable for use as a stationary phase for this technique. Polymerising bicontinuous microemulsions with different compositions produce monoliths of varying pore sizes. The microemulsions consist of a hydrophobic phase and an aqueous phase. The hydrophobic phase is typically methyl or butyl methacrylate, and a cross-linker, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The aqueous phase consists of water and a surfactant, typically sodium dodecyl sulfate. A short chain alcohol (C3-C5) is added as a porogen which also acts as a co-surfactant to aid with the stabilisation of the microemulsion. AMPS (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-l-propane sulfonic acid), added to the aqueous phase provides a charge along the polymer backbone essential for electroosmotic flow mechanism in electrochromatography. SEM analysis shows that polymerisation in-situ yields a structure with a porous topography. Materials prepared were assessed for suitability with a variety of microemulsion compositions

Perspectives on the application of technology to enhance learning in an undergraduate nursing degree programme

This paper discusses concepts and practice relating to the use of computer-based technologies for enhancing learning. It draws on examples from a UK nursing degree programme

Speech Pathology Student Perspectives on Virtual Reality to Learn a Clinical Skill

Evidence supports the use of simulation in educating speech pathology (SP) students, however most of the research has centered on low fidelity techniques as opposed to high fidelity and immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR). Whilst there has been research on the use of VR to teach clinical skills to students in other health disciplines (e.g., dentistry, nursing), use of VR in SP has focused mainly on its use in client intervention. There is an opportunity to use VR to teach clinical skills to SP students, particularly in response to barriers to clinical placement opportunities like the COVID 19 pandemic. Aim/s: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore students’ perceptions on the use of VR to learn a clinical skill: administration of an oral musculature assessment (OMA). Second year SP students received VR training on OMAs (VR-OMA) at the start of their first pediatric clinical placement. Students completed a brief, open-ended survey regarding their experiences and perceived impact of the VR tool. Data from 55 surveys were retrospectively analyzed using a thematic approach. Results: Survey responses highlighted that the VR-OMA training created a positive learning experience. Five themes were generated: the technology, the teaching and learning strategies, the outcomes, the experience, and a good alternative. Speech pathology students valued the inclusion of the VR-OMA training in their learning and highlighted many advantages to the use of this technology when learning a clinical skill

Preparation for meaningful work and life: urban high school youth's reflections on work-based learning 1 year post-graduation

The challenges confronted by low-income high school students throughout school and across the transition to higher education and employment are well-documented in the US and many other nations. Adopting a positive youth development perspective (Lerner et al., 2005), this study reports findings from interviews with 18 low-income, racially and ethnically diverse graduates of an urban Catholic high school in the US. The interviews were designed to shed light on the post-high school experiences of urban high school graduates and to understand how students construct meaning about the value of school and work-based learning (WBL) in their preparation for meaningful work and life. The interviews highlight the perceived value of the academic and non-cognitive preparation students experienced through high school and WBL in relation to the challenges they encountered along the pathway to post-high school success and decent work. Overall, the findings suggest the potential of WBL for low-income youth in facilitating access to resources that build academic and psychological/non-cognitive assets, while also illustrating the role of structural and contextual factors in shaping post-high school transitions and access to meaningful work and life opportunities.Published versio

The value of 'community' in supporting transitions outside university

Statistics from the Destinations of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE) survey has shown that graduate level employment or study 6 months after graduation is relatively low for psychology graduates compared to graduates from other disciplines. Due to highly competitive conditions for postgraduate places on professional psychology training courses, new graduates often spend time developing their portfolio of relevant skills and experience in order to compete for postgraduate places one or more years after graduating. In addition, QAA (2010) noted that only 15-20% of psychology graduates develop careers as professional psychologists. Many initiatives have been introduced across the UK (see Reddy, Lantz, & Hulme, 2013) to support students' transitions out of university and into employment or further study, however these initiatives vary in the extent to which they are embedded and capture student engagement. At the University of Strathclyde, we are taking a multi-pronged approach to enhancing students’ employability that is underpinned by an ethos of ‘community’. First, the creation of the Strathclyde Psychology Alumni Network (SPAN), developed in collaboration with students, provides a platform through which current students, alumni, and staff, interact as members of the Strathclyde Psychology Community, virtually via LinkedIn and face-to-face at networking events. Second, a new work placement class in the final year will provide students the opportunity to enhance their experience and apply their psychological knowledge and skills in a work-based context. Third, a novel curriculum review process involving staff, alumni, and employers (representing private, public, and third sectors) has sought to identify the opportunities and challenges that graduates face, and the characteristics of the ‘Ideal Strathclyde Psychology Graduate’. A core competency framework will be output from this process and will drive the curriculum enhancement process so that students have the opportunity to develop the characteristics of the ‘Ideal Strathclyde Psychology Graduate’