The Australian Research Quality Framework: A live experiment in capturing the social, economic, environmental, and cultural returns of publicly funded research

Copyright @ 2008 Wiley Periodicals Inc. This is the accepted version of the following article: Donovan, C. (2008), The Australian Research Quality Framework: A live experiment in capturing the social, economic, environmental, and cultural returns of publicly funded research. New Directions for Evaluation, 2008: 47–60, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ev.260/abstract.The author regards development of Australia's ill-fated Research Quality Framework (RQF) as a “live experiment” in determining the most appropriate approach to evaluating the extra-academic returns, or “impact,” of a nation's publicly funded research. The RQF was at the forefront of an international movement toward richer qualitative, contextual approaches that aimed to gauge the wider economic, social, environmental, and cultural benefits of research. Its construction and implementation sent mixed messages and created confusion about what impact is, and how it is best measured, to the extent that this bold live experiment did not come to fruition

Trainee teachers in unpaid teaching posts: volunteering, risk and vulnerability

This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of a little-known category of in-service trainee teachers in the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector in England: those who meet the practical teaching requirements of their course mainly through unpaid teaching as ‘volunteers’. The paper reports findings from mixed-methods research which used surveys, interviews and focus groups involving trainee teachers within a large FE–HE partnership. Themes relating to motivations to volunteer, the development of teacher identity within marginal roles, and the risks associated with unpaid teaching are discussed. For increasing numbers of trainees, unpaid teaching provides an opportunity for career entry. However, the quality of teaching experience gained is mixed, with some trainees receiving high levels of support, whilst others experience marginalisation and limitations on their developing teacher identities. The paper highlights the specific challenges to professionalism posed by unpaid teaching within the FE and Skills sector, and relates these challenges to a broader context of insecurity and risk. As work experience becomes an increasingly valuable commodity, this paper illustrates the pressures individuals face as they exchange payment and security for the opportunities volunteering provides

Sustainable supply chain management in tourism

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) encapsulates the trend to use purchasing policies and practices to facilitate sustainable development at the tourist destination. Most research has focused on environmental aspects of manufacturing, while other aspects of sustainability or the challenges for the service sector are largely ignored. Yet SSCM is particularly important for tour operators, as the product depends on the activities of suppliers, such as accommodation, transport and activities. Therefore, tour operators' contribution to sustainable tourism will be more effective through the definition and implementation of policies that acknowledge responsibility for the impacts of suppliers. Exploratory research of SSCM practices amongst tour operators generated a wide range of examples of good practice across the whole supply chain, and recommendations are made for more widespread engagement. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Locating mathematics within post-16 vocational education in England

The political importance of mathematics in post-16 education is clear. Far less clear is how mathematics does and should relate to vocational education. Successive mathematics curricula (e.g. core skills, key skills) have been developed in England with vocational learners in mind. Meanwhile, general mathematics qualifications remain largely disconnected from vocational learning. Following a brief historical survey of mathematics within vocational education, the paper presents findings from a nested case study of student groups in three large Further Education colleges in England. The primary unit of analysis herein is student groups learning Functional Mathematics in two vocational areas: construction and hairdressing. We show how approaches to organising teaching, developing connected curricula and classroom pedagogy tend to isolate or integrate mathematics from/with the vocational experience. Integrated approaches are shown to impact positively on student engagement and attitudes to learning mathematics. The paper concludes by discussing the potential impact of academic qualifications displacing vocationally relevant mathematics

Towards a plurilingual habitus: engendering interlinguality in urban spaces

This article focuses on the potential of the multilingual city to create spaces in which monolingual hegemonies may be challenged, inclusive, intercultural values may be nurtured, and plurilingualism may be valorised. Following a contextualisation of linguistic diversity in theories of globalisation and superdiversity, discourses of deficit and power are addressed, arguing that the problematisation of multilingualism and pathologisation of plurilingualism reflect a monolingual habitus. Bringing about a shift towards a plurilingual habitus requires a Deep Approach, as it involves a critical revaluing of deep-seated dispositions. It suggests that the city offers spaces, which can engender interlinguality, a construct that includes interculturality, criticality and a commitment to creative and flexible use of other languages in shared, pluralistic spaces. It then proposes critical, participatory and ethnographic research in three multidimensional spaces: the urban school and a potential interlingual curriculum; networks, lobbying for inclusive policy and organising celebratory events in public spaces; and grass roots-level local spaces, some created by linguistic communities to exercise agency and maintain their languages and cultures, and some emerging as linguistically hybrid spaces for convivial encounter

Moving beyond immobility: Spatial stories of undergraduate mobility at the “local” college

In the English higher education context, “going to” university is commonly associated with leaving the familial home at the age of 18 and moving to a new city. This article sets out to problematise dominant narratives of student mobilities, by focusing on the everyday and imagined mobilities of students who stay in place for their degree education. On the basis of data from a case study of undergraduate education in further education colleges in England, the article sets out three challenges to the binary opposition between student mobilities and immobilities. First, the simple association between immobility, disadvantage, and deficit is challenged. The second challenge complicates perceptions of traditionally mobile undergraduates. Finally, the imagined “other lives” of local students challenge their characterisation as unable or unwilling to imagine student mobility. The article both highlights and seeks to resist powerful popular understandings of mobilities and undergraduate education

The West Midlands ActiVe lifestyle and healthy Eating in School children (WAVES) study: a cluster randomised controlled trial testing the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted obesity prevention intervention programme targeted at children aged 6-7 years.

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews suggest that school-based interventions can be effective in preventing childhood obesity, but better-designed trials are needed that consider costs, process, equity, potential harms and longer-term outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the WAVES (West Midlands ActiVe lifestyle and healthy Eating in School children) study intervention, compared with usual practice, in preventing obesity among primary school children. DESIGN: A cluster randomised controlled trial, split across two groups, which were randomised using a blocked balancing algorithm. Schools/participants could not be blinded to trial arm. Measurement staff were blind to allocation arm as far as possible. SETTING: Primary schools, West Midlands, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Schools within a 35-mile radius of the study centre and all year 1 pupils (aged 5-6 years) were eligible. Schools with a higher proportion of pupils from minority ethnic populations were oversampled to enable subgroup analyses. INTERVENTIONS: The 12-month intervention encouraged healthy eating/physical activity (PA) by (1) helping teachers to provide 30 minutes of additional daily PA, (2) promoting 'Villa Vitality' (interactive healthy lifestyles learning, in an inspirational setting), (3) running school-based healthy cooking skills/education workshops for parents and children and (4) highlighting information to families with regard to local PA opportunities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were the difference in body mass index z-scores (BMI-zs) between arms (adjusted for baseline body mass index) at 3 and 18 months post intervention (clinical outcome), and cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) (cost-effectiveness outcome). The secondary outcomes were further anthropometric, dietary, PA and psychological measurements, and the difference in BMI-z between arms at 27 months post intervention in a subset of schools. RESULTS: Two groups of schools were randomised: 27 in 2011 (n = 650 pupils) [group 1 (G1)] and another 27 in 2012 (n = 817 pupils) [group 2 (G2)]. Primary outcome data were available at first follow-up (n = 1249 pupils) and second follow-up (n = 1145 pupils) from 53 schools. The mean difference (MD) in BMI-z between the control and intervention arms was -0.075 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.183 to 0.033] and -0.027 (95% CI -0.137 to 0.083) at 3 and 18 months post intervention, respectively. The main analyses showed no evidence of between-arm differences for any secondary outcomes. Third follow-up included data on 467 pupils from 27 G1 schools, and showed a statistically significant difference in BMI-z (MD -0.20, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.01). The mean cost of the intervention was £266.35 per consented child (£155.53 per child receiving the intervention). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio associated with the base case was £46,083 per QALY (best case £26,804 per QALY), suggesting that the intervention was not cost-effective. LIMITATIONS: The presence of baseline primary outcome imbalance between the arms, and interschool variation in fidelity of intervention delivery. CONCLUSIONS: The primary analyses show no evidence of clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of the WAVES study intervention. A post hoc analysis, driven by findings at third follow-up, suggests a possible intervention effect, which could have been attenuated by baseline imbalances. There was no evidence of an intervention effect on measures of diet or PA and no evidence of harm. FUTURE WORK: A realist evidence synthesis could provide insights into contextual factors and strategies for future interventions. School-based interventions need to be integrated within a wider societal framework and supported by upstream interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN97000586. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full inHealth Technology Assessment; Vol. 22, No. 8. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Presenteeism in academic employees—occupational and individual factors

Background: There is growing evidence that presenteeism can be damaging for individuals and organisations. It is therefore important to identify the prevalence of working while sick in different working environments and the factors that contribute to such behaviour. Aims: To examine the prevalence of self-reported presenteeism in academic staff working in UK universities and colleges and the extent to which job demands, control, support and work engagement are risk factors. Methods: Scales from the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool were used to measure job demands, control and support from managers and co-workers. Work engagement was assessed using a validated measure and the frequency of self-reported presenteeism was measured. The effects of demands, control, support and engagement on presenteeism were examined with ordinal regression analysis. Results: The study sample comprised 6,874 people working in academic roles in UK colleges and universities (59% female). Most respondents (88%) reported working while sick at least sometimes. The risk factors for presenteeism were job demands, control, support from managers and work engagement. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that presenteeism is commonplace in UK colleges and universities. Some of the features of the job that might encourage employees to work while sick were highlighted, whereas engagement in work was an additional risk factor