The project involved a case study of adult students’ need for confidence. A new method of exploring in-depth self-esteem and confidence was designed, piloted and analysed. Results of the study, question well-known beliefs about the role of global self-esteem in relation to confidence. Click here for paper (pdf 285kb)

Prof Alan Jenkins

Linking Teaching and Research

English Primary Schoolchildren's definitions of Geography (pdf 279kb)
The State of Primary Geography in England (pdf 482kb)

By the end of their primary schooling, children will have studied geography for six years. The first study invited Year 6 children to state their idea of what the word ‘geography’ meant. In the second study, partly sponsored by QCA for their curriculum monitoring programme, interviews across England were undertaken with a sample of geography subject leaders and the outcomes where cross-analysed against relevant Ofsted evaluations. This research gave greater depth to some of the Ofsted findings, as well as providing detailed analysis of issues in the subject leader’s role.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) “is now mainstream” is the optimistic claim made by a recent report of a survey of APEL in Higher Education. However, despite the fact that APEL should be addressing issues of social inclusion and widening participation, experience from the field is often disappointing. This paper provides a report on a small-scale qualitative review of APEL provision in Education and Continuing Education Departments in HEIs in England, in order to illuminate the barriers to APEL that might contribute to low take up figures, and to make recommendations for overcoming these barriers. (APEL report)

Issues to be considered in developing effective online learning opportinities. Teaching Forum, issue 51, presents findings from the Second Brookes Virtual Conference and contains a number of case examples developed on courses at Oxford Brookes.
Teaching Forum, issue 51, e-learning special

Sponsored by Oxford PGMDE

Examining the success and the working of the induction of vocational dental practitioners. A separate project examined e-learning with VDPs.

Evaluation of dental vocational training in three regions (pdf 78kb)

Dr Liz Browne

Conversations in cyber-space: a study of on-line learning

This paper argues that evidence - based approaches to assessing professional values and practice may not do justice to the complex interactions between sets of values which shape and inform who we are as teachers. Six case studies of beginning teachers attempt to go beyond what might be observable in the classroom to try and understand the part played by values in learning to teach. Secondly, the paper reflects on how teacher education and professional development need to create opportunities for making the relationship between values and practice more explicit.

Unpublished paper, Graduate Studies Seminar, Birmingham University, 6/11/03

In the light of the introduction of teaching standards in professional values and practice in September 2002, this study compares two sets of data from B.Ed and PGCE primary courses, in order to examine the existing opportunities for values education within teacher education in one institution. The findings highlight a qualitative difference in the process of personal and professional development experienced by the two groups of students. Implications of the findings for university training partnerships, university tutors and professional studies programmes are then considered. The conclusion reached is that the introduction of teaching standards in professional values and practice may be the next landmark in the process vs competence debate about teacher education and may provide the opportunity to put human development back in the heart of teacher education.

Journal of Pastoral Care in Education, vol. 21.1, 2003