Service user and carer involvement in students’ classroom learning in higher education

The following article presents a small-scale qualitative study in which the student learning experiences from service user and carer (SUAC) involvement in social work, mental health nursing and social welfare courses at an English university were evaluated for any effects on student perceptions, knowledge, skills and practice. Using focus group methodology, student participants reported positive outcomes from exposure to SUAC classroom inputs such as a greater valuing of SUAC knowledge as expert knowledge, help with the development of empathy and an appreciation of constructive challenges to mainstream curricular delivery. Notes of caution were identified, particularly in respect of the sometimes unexpected levels of emotion displayed by SUAC presenters. Recommendations for meaningful SUAC involvement in higher education are made regarding the need to involve SUACs across the whole duration of a course; the need for the preparation of both students and presenters regarding boundaries; the fit of presentations with intended learning outcomes; more partnership delivery in classrooms between academics and SUACs (possibly with a differentiation between theoretical and practice inputs); the opportunities for SUACs to present their own situations as real rather than hypothetical case studies for students and the possibilities that may result from introducing a ‘buddying’ system between students and SUACs throughout their studies. It is suggested that the insights from this small-scale study merit further exploration on a larger scale if policy and practice in the field of service and user involvement in higher education are to move forward in an inclusive manner.     

Job crafting by students who work and study

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - Informed by a self-regulatory perspective, we tested a model (N = 233) in which job (e.g., autonomy), person (e.g.,...     

The unintended consequences of school inspection: the prevalence of inspection side-effects in Austria,the Czech Republic,England, Ireland,the Netherlands,Sweden, and Switzerland

It has been widely documented that accountability systems, including school inspections, bring with them unintended side effects. These unintended effects are often negative and have the potential to undo the intended positive effects. However the empirical evidence is limited. Through a European comparative study we have had the rare opportunity to collect empirical evidence and study the effects (both intended and unintended) of school inspections (a key system of accountability) in a systematic way, across seven countries. We present the findings of the unintended effects in this paper. Survey self-report responses from school principals in each country, with differing school inspection systems, are analysed to measure the prevalence of these unintended effects and to investigate the part played by pressure to do well in inspections. A key finding is that increasing pressure in school inspection systems is associated with the undesired effect of the narrowing and refocusing of the curriculum and instructional strategies. We also show that a proportion of school principals admit to misrepresenting the school in data sent to the inspectorate and show evidence for formalisation/proceduralisation (excessive focus on records) and ossification (fear of experimentation in teaching), although these factors are less related to changes in pressure.     

Administration for innovation in higher education

The paper commences from the premise that the major paradigms of administration are not appropriate to higher education. Structural approaches place too great an emphasis on the organization and its mission, subjectivist approaches fail to acknowledge the constraints and enablements of structure and the role of continuity and radical change approaches fail to provide a positive basis for administration. The paper outlines an approach to educational administration which addresses these difficulties. It is based on structuration theory together with cooperative learning theory and group work. The paper reports an investigation of an attempt to apply this approach to the administration of a program of teaching awards in an Australian university. It reports some success and some limitations.Peter Ling is engaged in education quality assurance and educational development at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He is the President of the Victorian Branch of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australia. Dr. Ling's current research is in faculty responses to educational development activities. He holds M.Ed, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Melbourne. Lorraine Ling is Chair of the Teaching Center at LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia. The focus of her research and publication is analysis of administrative systems in education. She has wide experience in schools and in teacher education. She has engaged in educational consultancy, including faculty development, in Australia, Europe, and Asia. She holds an M.Ed, from Deakin University.     

Development of student knowledge in competence-based pre-vocational secondary education

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the development of student knowledge in pre-vocational secondary education schools which differ in the manner and extent to which they have implemented characteristics of competence-based education. The implementation of these characteristics was examined using a teacher questionnaire and the development of knowledge was investigated using concept mapping. The results showed that students developed slightly more knowledge in learning situations with fewer characteristics of competence-based education. The organisational characteristics of the learning situations were further found to be distinctive for the development of knowledge.     

Spannungsfeld Polyvalenz in der Lehrerbildung

The Bologna Process of higher education reform has led to a vast array of different programs of study in German teacher training. In this article, we firstly analyze the implementation of Bachelor programs in teacher training, comparing profession-oriented programs (i.e. those aiming to train students for the teaching profession from the beginning of studies) to polyvalent programs (i.e. those aiming at broad qualifications and including a late decision to become a teacher). Secondly, we investigate whether students enrolled in these study programs differ systematically in their subjective certainty about their career choice. To answer these questions, we analyze portfolios of documents related to teacher training programs from nine German universities that prepare students for teaching in the academic track. Additionally, we analyze data from N?=?2585 Bachelor and N?=?928 Master degree students. We found that most programs, even when they espouse polyvalence, require an early decision to become a teacher. Moreover, our data confirm findings from earlier studies indicating that student teachers are highly certain about their career choice from the very beginning, with students in polyvalent programs being slightly less certain than those in profession-oriented programs (d?=?0.32).     

An analysis of how and why a TAFE course was changed: The implications

The Federal government has indicated that vocational education, especially education that is technically oriented, is essential to Australia’s economic future. The Federal government has also expressed concern at the educational inequalities faced by certain groups in society. The Associate Diploma of Technology (Computing) a cross-accredited course giving access to a university degree, was designed to address both of these concerns. This article examines how the course has been altered and the forces behind these changes. This examination is carried out by exploring different perspectives of the course, such as: the government, TAFE, and the students and the teachers. The resulting evidence suggests that students have taken up the government’s rhetoric; they believe they will be snapped up by industry and gain employment in high technology areas, and think that social issues are a waste of time. The evidence also indicates that the course is being targeted more towards young adults who have failed to get into a university course than towards the original target of women and immigrants.