QuantCrit: education, policy, ‘Big Data’ and principles for a critical race theory of statistics

Quantitative research enjoys heightened esteem among policy-makers, media and the general public. Whereas qualitative research is frequently dismissed as subjective and impressionistic, statistics are often assumed to be objective and factual. We argue that these distinctions are wholly false; quantitative data is no less socially constructed than any other form of research material. The first part of the paper presents a conceptual critique of the field with empirical examples that expose and challenge hidden assumptions that frequently encode racist perspectives beneath the façade of supposed quantitative objectivity. The second part of the paper draws on the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to set out some principles to guide the future use and analysis of quantitative data. These ‘QuantCrit’ ideas concern (1) the centrality of racism as a complex and deeply-rooted aspect of society that is not readily amenable to quantification; (2) numbers are not neutral and should be interrogated for their role in promoting deficit analyses that serve White racial interests; (3) categories are neither ‘natural’ nor given and so the units and forms of analysis must be critically evaluated; (4) voice and insight are vital: data cannot ‘speak for itself’ and critical analyses should be informed by the experiential knowledge of marginalized groups; (5) statistical analyses have no inherent value but can play a role in struggles for social justice

Integrated care to address the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness : a rapid review

Background People with mental health conditions have a lower life expectancy and poorer physical health outcomes than the general population. Evidence suggests that this discrepancy is driven by a combination of clinical risk factors, socioeconomic factors and health system factors. Objective(s) To explore current service provision and map the recent evidence on models of integrated care addressing the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness (SMI) primarily within the mental health service setting. The research was designed as a rapid review of published evidence from 2013–15, including an update of a comprehensive 2013 review, together with further grey literature and insights from an expert advisory group. Synthesis We conducted a narrative synthesis, using a guiding framework based on nine previously identified factors considered to be facilitators of good integrated care for people with mental health problems, supplemented by additional issues emerging from the evidence. Descriptive data were used to identify existing models, perceived facilitators and barriers to their implementation, and any areas for further research. Findings and discussion The synthesis incorporated 45 publications describing 36 separate approaches to integrated care, along with further information from the advisory group. Most service models were multicomponent programmes incorporating two or more of the nine factors: (1) information sharing systems; (2) shared protocols; (3) joint funding/commissioning; (4) colocated services; (5) multidisciplinary teams; (6) liaison services; (7) navigators; (8) research; and (9) reduction of stigma. Few of the identified examples were described in detail and fewer still were evaluated, raising questions about the replicability and generalisability of much of the existing evidence. However, some common themes did emerge from the evidence. Efforts to improve the physical health care of people with SMI should empower people (staff and service users) and help remove everyday barriers to delivering and accessing integrated care. In particular, there is a need for improved communication between professionals and better information technology to support them, greater clarity about who is responsible and accountable for physical health care, and awareness of the effects of stigmatisation on the wider culture and environment in which services are delivered. Limitations and future work The literature identified in the rapid review was limited in volume and often lacked the depth of description necessary to acquire new insights. All members of our advisory group were based in England, so this report has limited information on the NHS contexts specific to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A conventional systematic review of this topic would not appear to be appropriate in the immediate future, although a more interpretivist approach to exploring this literature might be feasible. Wherever possible, future evaluations should involve service users and be clear about which outcomes, facilitators and barriers are likely to be context-specific and which might be generalisable

Early-life socioeconomic position and the accumulation of health-related deficits by midlife in the 1958 British birth cohort study

Reducing population levels of frailty is an important goal, and preventing its development in midadulthood could be pivotal. There is limited evidence on associations between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and frailty. Using data on the 1958 British birth cohort (followed from 1958 to 2016; n = 8,711), we aimed to 1) establish the utility of measuring frailty in midlife, by examining associations between a 34-item frailty index at age 50 years (FI50y) and mortality at ages 50-58 years, and 2) examine associations between early-life SEP and FI50y and investigate whether these associations were explained by adult SEP. Hazard ratios for mortality increased with increasing frailty; for example, the sex-adjusted hazard ratio for the highest quintile of FI50y versus the lowest was 4.07 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.64, 6.25). Lower early-life SEP was associated with higher FI50y. Compared with participants born in the highest social class, the estimated total effect on FI50y was 42.0% (95% CI: 35.5, 48.4) for participants born in the lowest class, with the proportion mediated by adult SEP being 0.45% (95% CI: 0.35, 0.55). Mediation by adult SEP was negligible for other early-life SEP classes. Findings suggest that early-life SEP is associated with frailty and that adult SEP only partially explains this association. Results highlight the importance of improving socioeconomic circumstances across the life course to reduce inequalities in midlife frailty

Provision and use of preschool childcare in Britain

This research aimed to understand childcare provision and usage in Britain using a number of large-scale national datasets, including the Family Resources Survey (FRS), the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and The Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents (CEYSP). Analysis focused on the most recent data but also compared patterns between 2005 and 2014. Key Findings: (1) The childcare workforce has shrunk over time: around five per cent in Britain since 2005 (from 329k in 2005-07 to 313k in 2012-14: LFS). This raises concerns about who will do childcare work in the future. (2) The results show a highly gendered (98% female), low valued workforce in which qualifications are modestly rising (12% increase over time in NVQ level 3) but persistently low paid (on average £6.60 per hour compared with £13.10 per hour for other occupations). (3) More people describe themselves as childminders in the LFS than are registered with Ofsted, suggesting a possible growth in illegal childminding. (4) Despite previous concerns of high workforce turnover, the mean service length is now over six years and increasing. Employment in this sector may offer nonfinancial benefits such as satisfying work and the opportunity for part-time employment that can be combined with family life which may explain long periods of service among workers, given the low pay. (5) Childcare usage is high (68%), with around half of families using more than one type and reliance on informal care is still high (31% of all usage is grandparents). This suggests current childcare does not cover what parents need, especially to work full-time, as parents are using more than one form of childcare to provide cover for what they need. Furthermore, childcare use is not evenly distributed: formal childcare is used more by employed, higher income families whereas informal care is used more by mothers who are not employed and by younger mothers. Couples where both partners were in employment were most likely to use childcare. The project collaborated with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), a providers’ body, and the Family and Childcare Trust, a charity campaigning for childcare for parents. The Research Advisory Group included representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, the Preschool Learning Alliance and Grandparents Plus.This study will combine information about the users (parents) and the providers of preschool childcare, both formal and informal. It will do this through a secondary analysis of a number of large-scale, quantitative datasets, including the Labour Force Survey, the Family Resources Survey, the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey, and the Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents. The aim of this research is to inform understandings of the future shape of childcare provision and usage in Britain. The specific objectives are to: - examine childcare usage in the Britain, including combinations of formal and informal care, and how the use of care is related to the demographic characteristics of families - examine who provides informal childcare, their demographic characteristics and the extent to which they have other caring responsibilities - examine the formal childcare workforce - such as nursery nurses, playgroup workers and childminders - including their demographic characteristics, their qualifications and their work patterns. Collaboration with the NDNA and the Family and Childcare Trust will ensure the research is of value to non-academics.</p

Middle leaders as catalysts for improving teacher practice: knowledge exchange and evaluation data

Evaluation and Knowledge Exchange data collected as part of the project Our approach was to use workshops and intersessional activity to support the participants in: exchanging research and practitioner knowledge; using this knowledge to develop tools that could enhance both their practice and the practice of colleagues. Methods to evaluate the impact of our approach include reviewing literature, telephone interviews and knowledge exchange data gathered during the project. This applied research project represented a partnership between Challenge Partners and the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education. The aim of the project was to collaborate with a group of influential middle leaders, supporting them to discover and then share knowledge across their schools about excellent middle leadership practice that has an impact develop effective ways to share this knowledge with their Challenge Partner colleagues, and middle leaders beyond their immediate network co-develop evidence-based tools to track ways in which they changed and enhanced their own and teachers’ practice as a result of this knowledge exchange find ways to promote sustainable norms of between-school knowledge exchange. </p

Early career social science researchers: experiences and support needs

Survey and interview data from a study on the views and experiences of early career researchers (postdoctoral researchers) around the support from research organisations, funding bodies and career services and how this offer might be improved in the future. This applied to those employed inside and outside of academia. The data result from an online survey of early career social scientists (N=1048), interviews with a subset of the respondents (N=35) and with experts (N=9). The findings informed the strategy for careers advice and support provided by the Economic and Social Research Council through Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres for Doctoral Training and the creation of new funding strands for early career researchers. The last two generations have seen a remarkable world-wide transformation of higher education (HE) into a core social sector with continually expanding local and global reach. Most nations are moving towards, or have already become, 'high participation' HE systems in which the majority of people will be educated to tertiary level. In the UK HE is at the same time a pillar of science and the innovation system, a primary driver of productivity at work, a major employer and a mainstay of cities and regions, and a national export industry where 300,000 non-EU students generated over 7 billion in export-related earnings for the UK in 2012-13. In 2012, 60 per cent of UK school leavers were expected to graduate from tertiary education over the lifetime, 45 per cent at bachelor degree level, compared to OECD means of 53/39 per cent. Higher education and the scientific research associated with universities have never been more important to UK society and government. HE is large and inclusive with a key role in mediating the future. Yet it is poorly understood. Practice has moved ahead of social science. There has been no integrated research centre dedicated to this important part of the UK. The Centre for Engaged Global Higher Education (CEGHE), which has been funded initially for five years by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), now fills that gap. On behalf of the ESRC CEGHE conducts and disseminates research on all aspects of higher education (HE), in order to enhance student learning and the contributions of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to their communities; develop the economic, social and global engagement of and impacts of UK HE; and provide data resources and advice for government and stakeholder organisations in HE in the four nations of the UK and worldwide. CEGHE is organised in three closely integrated research programmes that are focused respectively on global, national-system and local aspects of HE. CEGHE's team of researchers work on roblems and issues with broad application to the improvement of HE; develop new theories about and ways of researching HE and its social and economic contributions; and respond also to new issues as they arise, within the framework of its research programmes. An important part of CEGHE's work is the preparation and provision of data, briefings and advice to national and international policy makers, for HEIs themselves, and for UK organisations committed to fostering HE and its engagement with UK communities and stakeholders. CEGHE's seminars and conferences are open to the public and it is dedicated to disseminating its research findings on a broad basis through published papers, media articles and its website and social media platform. CEGHE is led by Professor Simon Marginson, one of the world's leading researchers on higher education matters with a special expertise in global and international aspects of the sector. It works with partner research universities in Sheffield, Lancaster, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan and USA. Among the issues currently the subject of CEGHE research projects are inquiries into ways and means of measuring and enhancing HE's contribution to the public good, university-industry collaboration in research, the design of an optimal system of tuition loans, a survey of the effects of tuition debt on the life choices of graduates such as investment in housing and family formation, the effects of widening participation on social opportunities in HE especially for under-represented social groups, trends and developments in HE in Europe and East Asia and the implications for UK HE, the emergence of new HE providers in the private and FE sectors, the future academic workforce in the UK and the skills that will be needed, student learning and knowledge in science and engineering, and developments in online HE.</p

Hong Kong as a source for education policy in England

Transcripts of interviews with UK policy advisors on Hong Kong education policy. Recently England has engaged heavily in external policy referencing to drive its educational reforms. Hong Kong has been a major source of such referencing by virtue of its strong performance on international tests of pupil achievement. Using Hong Kong as a case study; the project will analyse external policy referencing, with England as the ‘borrower’ and Hong Kong the ‘lender’. The aim is to cast a light on the role of external policy referencing in the policy making process, and how policy referencing is operationalised in the England context. The study provides an insight into the contemporary patterns of external policy referencing, and its manifestation in the West and East Asia, and examines the evidence used to inform the process. The study will undertake a literature review and interviews with stakeholders in both contexts to address the following research questions: (1) What have been the critical features of the patterns of external policy referencing in England since the 1990s? (2) How have policy makers in England interpreted the sources of success of Hong Kong’s education system, and how does this compare with the views of key stakeholders in Hong Kong?In 2007 the Principal Investigator returned to London after working for 31 years in Faculties / Institutes of Education in Hong Kong and specialising in East Asian education systems. As political parties in England competed to promote their vision of schooling, he was constantly bemused as to the extent to which their plans for reform were based on the claim that what they were proposing was a feature of one or all of the high performing East Asian societies that do well on international tests of pupil achievement e.g. the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The 2010 Schools White Paper in England and the ongoing review of the National Curriculum extensively cite practices in Hong Kong to support their policies. Also, agencies now bidding to get contracts to examine the New Baccalaureate have to demonstrate that they will follow the best practices of high performing nations. Some of these claims seem far removed from the reality that the Principal Investigator had experienced both as an academic, and as someone heavily engaged in policy making in Hong Kong. What is more worrying is that these claims are largely unchallenged in England. The claims are accepted partly because people generally have limited knowledge of foreign education systems, and comparative educators have tended to avoid engagement in the public debates relating to ongoing policy making about how schools should be reformed. The purpose of this study is to help address that situation. We plan to focus on how policy makers in England portray features of Hong Kong's education system to promote domestic reforms. We examine the nature of these features in Hong Kong by finding out what the relevant laws or rules are, and by interviewing people who are directly involved with these education features. This will allow us to find out the extent to which the claims made in England are valid and accurate. It will also allow us to contribute to the ongoing debates in comparative education as to the influence of global and local factors on education reform.</p

Family lives and the environment: Negotiating meanings and practices in India and the UK, 2011-2015

The Family Lives and the Environment project was funded as part of the National Centre for Research Methods NOVELLA Node (www.novella.ac.uk) (PI: Ann Phoenix) and included a linked PhD studentship (Catherine Walker). The overall aim of the study was to improve understanding of the diversity and negotiated complexity of families’ lives in relationship with their environments, with regard to the meanings of ‘environment’ in everyday family lives and family practices. After a first stage of secondary analysis of eight family case studies drawn from the qualitative subsample of the Young Lives study in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana (www.younglives.org.uk), the second stage of the research involved new data collection with 24 families with diverse economic, social, cultural and demographic profiles in India (Andhra Pradesh/Telangana) and in the UK (southern England). The research involved a volunteer sample of families, recruited through school Years 7 and 8 (children aged 11-14), selecting schools in urban and rural locations and on the basis of school characteristics (including state/government and fee-paying schools in both countries). We visited each family three times over a period of approximately two weeks (although timing varied depending on families’ availability): Visit 1 involved a family group interview with all household members who wished to participate, and incorporated a cognitive mapping exercise to explore meanings of environment in families’ lives. Families were given disposable cameras (one each for the main caregiver and the focal young person, and a third camera for the rest of the family) and took photos over seven days to show what was important in their everyday lives and environments. Visit 2 involved individual interviews with the caregiver and young person, and a walking or driving interview in their local area involving the caregiver, young person, and anyone else in the family who wanted to come. Visit 3 involved photo elicitation interviews. The main caregiver and young person were interviewed individually, and each selected five of their pictures to discuss with the rest of the family, while other family members separately chose three photos from the third camera. Afterwards, the family group were interviewed together, discussing the photos selected and choosing three which they agreed best conveyed what was important in their everyday lives. Interviews were transcribed and, where necessary, translated into English. Overall, eighteen sets of family transcripts have been archived. These transcripts are of research activities carried out with families in urban India (6), rural India (3), rural UK (4) and urban UK (5). The ‘overview of research activities’ document provides a list of research activities carried out with each family. To protect confidentiality, visual materials (maps, photographs) and audio recordings have not been archived. Where data have not been archived (e.g., some school group activities, and family transcripts for cases not listed here) this is because of risk of identifiability.The Family Lives and the Environment project (PI: Janet Boddy) was funded as part of the National Centre for Research Methods NOVELLA Node (www.novella.ac.uk) (PI: Ann Phoenix) and included a linked PhD studentship (Catherine Walker). The overall aim of the study was to improve understanding of the diversity and negotiated complexity of families’ lives in relationship with their environments, with regard to the meanings of ‘environment’ in everyday family lives and family practices. After a first stage of secondary analysis of eight family case studies drawn from the qualitative subsample of the Young Lives study in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana (www.younglives.org.uk), the second stage of the research involved new data collection with 24 families with diverse economic, social, cultural and demographic profiles in India (Andhra Pradesh/Telangana) and in the UK (southern England). The research involved a volunteer sample of families, recruited through school Years 7 and 8 (children aged 11-14), selecting schools in urban and rural locations and on the basis of school characteristics (including state/government and fee-paying schools in both countries). The NOVELLA NCRM research node as a whole was concerned with the everyday habitual practices of families. These are frequently taken for granted. Since people’s understanding of what they do (their everyday practices) is not necessarily what they actually do, it might seem that what they say is of little interest to policymakers and practitioners. Yet, 'disconnections' between people's understanding and action tells us about their identities, values and possible future actions. Family practices are of particular interest since orientation to the social world and what people do are negotiated within families.</p

Higher education bursaries and performance: Annual test scores, drop out and degree outcomes

The project uses a unique dataset collected from UK higher education institutions comprised of individual-level data on undergraduate students from the UK and EU (i.e. those potentially eligible for bursaries), including the bursary they are awarded each year, academic outcomes, prior attainment and other demographic information. Collection consists of data from 10 English universities on bursary awards, student characteristics, and student outcomes over the period 2006-2011. The aim is to identify the impact of bursaries on the academic outcomes of students by exploiting variation in bursary rules across institutions. This will be achieved by comparing students with similar characteristics but receiving different levels of bursary due to the institution they are attending. To account for underlying differences across universities we will exploit changes in bursary eligibility rules within a university over time. The findings should be useful for universities and policy makers when considering the role of bursaries in improving student outcomes. Higher education bursaries and performance: annual test scores, drop out and degree outcomes Despite some £300m per year being spent on higher education bursaries in the UK, there remains no empirical research that examines the effectiveness of this element of financial aid as a means to improve student outcomes whilst at university. The aim of this project is to investigate the impact of bursaries on students’ academic outcomes – including annual test results, completion rates and degree classification. </p

Young global city leaders: building an evidence base in London, New York and Toronto to support the next generation of school leadership innovation

Data was collected over 3 years. In the first year individual interviews were had with policy leaders. In years' 1 and 2 network events and focus group data were collected from young leaders. Years' 2 and 3 saw individual interviews with young leaders. Finally, year 3 saw school-based studies involving interviews and focus groups with young leaders and teachers.Global Cities are internationally important sites of migration, diversity and innovation. As top 10 Global Cities, London, New York and Toronto are key places to explore educational trends. For example, London and other Global Cities are experiencing headteacher shortages due to headteacher retirements and teacher disinterest in leadership. As a result, leaders are taking up deputy and headteacher roles before they are 38 – younger than ever. This marks the entrance of a new generation of school leaders most of whom are from GenerationX (GenX) born between 1960-80. While GenXers are often described as flexible, globally engaged, technologically savvy, accepting of diversity and collaborative, there is little previous research related to age and leadership. To explore this next generation of leaders, city-based Advisory Groups policy/practice experts and cohorts of 35-45 GenX leaders will be recruited for annual meetings. Annual leader interviews will examine career development; challenges and opportunities; relationships between age, experience, gender, ethnicity, nationality and leadership; and, school-level leadership practices. Outcomes will include City-based leadership profiles, policy briefs, within and across city interview analysis and school-level studies. Evidence will support policy and programme decision-makers and the leaders themselves. Findings, including reports, papers and resources, will be available at: www.globalcityleaders.org.</p