IOE Research Briefings Archive

Produced as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 exercise, IOE Research Briefings are available on UCL Discovery.

  1. Evaluation of the Department for Education School Exclusion Trial 
    The Department for Education is running a three-year school exclusion trial, which started in autumn 2011 and continues until July 2014. The trial sees schools taking on responsibility for placing permanently excluded pupils in alternative provision and funding the placements from money devolved from Local Authorities.
  2. How can we get more students to study mathematics or physics? – The UPMAP Project
    The Understanding Participation rates in post-16 Mathematics And Physics (UPMAP) Project examines why some students continue to study mathematics or physics once these subjects are optional whereas other students do not.
  3. Improving opportunities for 14-19 year olds: building strongly collaborative local learning systems 
    This research reports on three area-wide research and development projects designed to improve 14-19 participation, progression and transition in education, training and employment through partnership working.
  4. Supporting young people on the edge of entering public care: cross national perspectives
    This research examines public care and support services for young people at risk of entering care in other European countries and the lessons that can be learnt for England's care system.
  5. Key ideas in teaching mathematics: research-based guidance for ages 9-19
    This research is a review of mathematics education research resulting in a publication for teachers, teacher educators, textbook writers and curriculum policy makers at the secondary level.
  6. Microfinance – silver bullet or poisoned chalice?
    This research reviews evidence on microfinance interventions in low- and middle-income countries, and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular, to consider the impact on the individuals and communities they claim to serve.
  7. Review of the school leadership landscape: school leaders' perceptions and response to change
    This research is a review of school leadership in England – how school leaders are responding to change across the education system, and the challenges (and opportunities) this presents for leadership and leadership development.
  8. Weighing it up: a review of the National Child Measurement Programme in England
    This research reviews a national programme introduced to support public service response to childhood obesity.
  9. Music for life: promoting well-being in older people through musical activities in the community
    This research explores the role of music in older people's lives and how participation in making music, particularly in community settings, can enhance their social, emotional and cognitive well-being.
  10. SkillForce – zero exclusion pilots: alternative provision for disaffected pupils
    This research evaluates a pilot of alternative education provision for disaffected young people.
  11. Education for All: The Nuffield Review of 14-19 education and training in England and Wales (2003-2009)
    This research was a review of 14-19 provision in education and training in England and Wales to establish purpose, identify successes, and the need for improvement/change.
  12. Using administrative data as an alternative sampling frame for the Family Resources Survey
    This research is of value to those interested in sampling issues more widely, and those with an interest in making more use of administrative data for improving data quality and for achieving cost savings from conducting large-scale surveys.
  13. Gambian-British and Nigerian-British children's and families' experiences of migration 'back' to West Africa
    This research looks at the factors motivating Gambian-British and Nigerian-British parents to send their children 'back' to West Africa and what this means for parents, children and families on both continents.
  14. The development and importance of proficiency in basic calculation
    This research explores the development of basic calculation fluency in young children and the relationship between basic calculation proficiency and mathematics attainment.
  15. Effective Practices in Continuing Professional Development? Lessons from Schools
    This research and development project seeks to understand what constitutes effective Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and to improve the capacity of schools to evaluate and provide effective CPD. 
  16. Teaching music in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4: the Musical Futures approach
    This research is an evaluation of the Musical Futures project set up to discover new ways of engaging 11 to 19 year olds with music. 
  17. Developing junior doctors as change agents: evaluation of NHS London clinical leadership fellowships
    This research evaluates a fellowship programme for junior doctors designed to stimulate change leadership.
  18. Developing a strategy for English as an additional language for the teaching workforce 
    This research reviews the evidence available on teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) in classrooms, and particularly at training for teachers in the field. It draws mostly on research published in the USA, Australia and the UK.
  19. Playing by ear in the instrumental lesson: an approach based on popular musicians' informal learning practices
    This research looks at how musical practices and techniques that involve playing by ear can enhance the teaching and learning of music in one-to-one instrumental tuition.
  20. Innovative teaching and learning: 21st century learning design
    This research evaluates key factors which enable or hinder innovative practice in schools around technology.
  21. International perspectives on parenting support: learning from non-English language sources
    This research looks at approaches to parenting support in other countries (in particular Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) and possibilities for informing UK policy and practice.
  22. Supporting learning in literacy and numeracy: the unlocking potential project
    This research is an evaluation of a national pilot to improve outcomes in literacy and numeracy for children.
  23. Experiences of New Headteachers in Cities
    This study investigated the experiences of and the issues faced by new headteachers in London and Birmingham.
  24. Policy, learning and inclusion in the learning and skills sector (2004-2007)
    This research evaluated the impact of policy levers on key stakeholders in the learning and skills sector and identified the main features of more equitable and inclusive local learning systems.
  25. The case for a national writing project for teachers 
    This research reviews the experience of the USA in developing and implementing a National Writing Project for teachers to inform the establishment of a similar project in the UK.
  26. Scoping a vision for formative e-assessment (FEASST)
    This research aimed to delineate a domain map for formative e-assessment. At a conceptual level this includes a description of key processes involved, and at a practical level this includes examples of existing practice as well as some technical system requirements.
  27. Painting the curriculum: the National Gallery's masterwork in the classroom
    This research evaluates the National Gallery's Picture in Focus approach to using the painting Diana and Acteon by Titian to stimulate cross-curricular teaching and learning in secondary schools.
  28. Love and marriage amongst Gujarati Indians in the UK and India
    This research explores and contrasts understandings of love and intimate relationships amongst young middle-class Gujarati Indians in the UK and India.
  29. Working with troubled families: focusing on health needs
    This research investigates health and wider outcomes for high need families supported by the initiative: Family Intervention Projects (FIPs).
  30. Ward level migration of people from minority ethnic groups within England and Wales
    This research interrogates the migration patterns of different ethnic groups (minority groups and White-British) within England and Wales at the ward level.
  31. Science and mathematics teachers' understanding of risk
    This research promotes and supports the teaching of risk in mathematics and science. 
  32. Cornerstone Maths: embedding dynamic interactive technologies in key stage 3 mathematics classrooms
    This research is about 'dynamic interactive technology', that is, systems that exploit the way moving screen objects can be controlled by learners, who receive feedback from the on-screen objects.
  33. Plain tobacco packaging: a systematic review
    This systematic review outlines findings from 37 studies that provide evidence of the impacts of plain tobacco packaging.
  34. Becoming a mother: a research synthesis of women's experiences of first-time motherhood
    The aim of this systematic review was to collect and analyse research studies examining women's experiences of having their first child.
  35. Including diverse groups of children and young people in health promotion and public health research: a review of methodology and practice
    This research explores which socially diverse populations have been, or might be, reflected in research.
  36. Psychosocial predictors, assessment and outcomes of cosmetic interventions: a systematic rapid evidence review
    This systematic rapid evidence review aimed to address questions on the relationships between cosmetic interventions and their psychosocial predictors, methods of assessing those predictors, and psychosocial outcomes of procedures.
  37. Young people's access to tobacco: a mixed-method systematic review
    This research explores young people's access to tobacco in the UK.
  38. A systematic rapid evidence assessment of late diagnosis
    This systematic rapid evidence assessment identifies the nature and extent of the literature on late diagnosis across a range of conditions.
  39. Childhood obesity and educational attainment
    This systematic review addresses the question of the relationship between childhood obesity and educational attainment.
  40. The socioeconomic value of nursing and midwifery: a rapid systematic review of reviews
    This research considers the socioeconomic benefits that can be attributed to nursing and midwifery with respect to: mental health nursing, long-term conditions, and role substitution.
  41. The role of course teams in online task design
    This research investigated both student and staff perspectives on e-learning tasks. 
  42. Social and environmental interventions to reduce childhood obesity: a systematic map of reviews
    This research considers evidence on the effectiveness of social and environmental interventions for the prevention or reduction of obesity and overweight in children and young people.
  43. Targeted youth support: Rapid evidence assessment of effective early interventions for youth at risk of future poor outcomes
    The report examines the impact of the Targeted Youth Support (TYS) initiative on outcomes for young people.
  44. Randomised controlled trials for policy interventions? A review of reviews and meta-regression
    This study explores how measures of the effect of policy interventions may be influenced by how evaluations are designed, particularly whether measures differ between randomised controlled trials and non- randomised studies of similar policy interventions.
  45. Health promotion, inequalities and young people's health: a systematic review of research
    This study describes how much research has focused on fairer ways of promoting young people's health; and what methods have been used to define and measure the differences in health they experience from living in different circumstances.
  46. Inequalities and the mental health of young people: a systematic review of secondary school-based cognitive behavioural interventions
    The aim of this research is to increase what is known about: a) promoting good mental health; and b) mental health inequalities.
  47. The views of young people in the UK about obesity, body size, shape and weight: a systematic review
    This systematic review aims to identify, appraise and synthesise published and unpublished research on young people's views (aged from 12 to 18) about obesity and body size, shape and weight. 
  48. Incentives to improve smoking, physical activity, dietary and weight management behaviours: a scoping review of the research evidence
    This research considers the effectiveness of incentives to address health behaviours related to smoking, healthy eating, physical activity, obesity and weight management.
  49. Children's views about obesity, body size, shape and weight: a systematic review
    This systematic review examines recent research findings from the UK where children aged from 4 to 11 provide views about their own body sizes or about the body sizes of others.
  50. Communities that cook: a systematic review of the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions to introduce adults to home cooking
    This review explores cooking courses in the UK in the context of promoting 'home-cooking' community based courses for adults.
  51. How can online discussion support and develop newly qualified teachers?
    This research investigated newly qualified teachers (NQTs) experiences of participating in online discussions (ODs) that were part of their Master of Teaching (MTeach) course.
  52. IOE Research Brief No. 52 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  53. Callous-unemotional traits in children and reduced eye gaze during a parental expression of love
    This work examined the eye gaze of young children during a parental display of love and affection.
  54. IOE Research Brief No. 54 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  55. Teenagers' awareness of energy consumption and motivation to save energy
    This research is an investigation into teenagers' understanding and awareness of how they consume energy. The aim is to explore attitudes, motivations, and barriers to energy saving that will inform the design of technology enhanced learning experiences about energy.
  56. Methodological innovation in digital arts and social sciences
    This project addresses a pressing problem for contemporary research: how to synthesise approaches from the arts and social sciences to develop innovative methods of research.
  57. ECHOES: a computer game that helps children to communicate with others 
    ECHOES is a game that supports young children on the autism spectrum in exploring and learning social communication skills.  Our research demonstrates the potential of computer games as complimentary educational tools in autism intervention.
  58. Teacher feedback in primary classrooms: the pupil perspective
    This research explored how pupils responded to the teacher’s feedback in the primary classroom.
  59. The social value of breaktimes and lunchtimes in schools
    A programme of research shows important changes over time in school breaktimes and lunchtimes, offers insights into the views of school staff and children, and shows the social value of children's experiences during these times.
  60. The intergenerational transfer of numeracy skills
    This research paper investigated the relationship between the numeracy skills of parents and those of their children, through secondary analysis of data from the 1970 British Cohort Study. 
  61. Armed forces longitudinal study: basic skills and operational effectiveness in the British Armed Forces
    This study investigates provision, infrastructure and support to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of servicemen and women during their early career in the Armed Forces, and the impact of skills levels on operational effectiveness. 
  62. Designing 'tangibles' for learning: an empirical investigation
    This project investigates how tangible technologies ('tangibles') affect the way learners (students) interact with and understand scientific ideas.
  63. Transient team work and communication in the operating theatre
    This study looks at the effects of transient team work on the communication between surgeons and nurses in the operating theatre.
  64. EPPE project: findings on academic outcomes at age 10 
    This research focuses on the relationships between various child, family, home, pre-school and primary school characteristics and measures of children's academic attainment at age 10.
  65. EPPSE project: findings on students' development at age 14 
    This research focuses on the relationships between student outcomes at age 14 (academic and social-behavioural) and their own characteristics, family and social backgrounds alongside any continued influence of pre-school and primary school.
  66. EPPE project: findings on social-behavioural outcomes at age 10
    This research focuses on the relationships between various child, family, home, pre-school and primary school characteristics and measures of children's social/behavioural development at age 10. 
  67. EPPE project: findings on the influences on academic and social-behavioural development at age 11 
    The research focuses on the relationships between various child, family, home, pre-school and primary school characteristics, and children's subsequent academic and social-behavioural outcomes at age 11.
  68. EPPE project: relationships between pupils' self-perceptions, views of primary school and their development at age 10
    This research focuses on  pupils' self-perceptions and their views of different features of primary school  in Year 5 (age 10).
  69. EPPE project: findings from pre-school to age 7
    This project focuses on the relationships between various child, family, home, and pre-school characteristics, and children's intellectual/academic and social-behavioural outcomes at age 7.
  70. The myth of the working mother: evidence from longitudinal data
    It has been commonly held that 'children suffer if their mother goes out to work'. This research uses several studies – large scale longitudinal data – to look at the development of children whose mothers were employed when those children were very young.  
  71. Mobile phones support community health workers in Africa 
    This project investigates the use of mobile technologies in supporting Community Health Workers in Kenya.
  72. IOE Research Brief No. 72 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  73. IOE Research Brief No. 73 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  74. Evaluation of Social Work Practices: do independent services improve care for looked after children? 
    This research evaluates a UK government experiment to move support services for looked after children from local authorities to the private or voluntary sectors.
  75. The link between classroom ethnic diversity and civic attitudes in England, Sweden and Germany
    There is a widespread belief in educational circles that ethnically mixed schools contribute to inter-ethnic tolerance and community cohesion by making sustained inter-ethnic contact possible. This research examines this belief by exploring the relation between classroom ethno-racial diversity and civic attitudes in England, Sweden and Germany.
  76. Ability grouping, segregation and civic competences among adolescents
    This research examines the linkages between ability grouping, classroom social and ethnic segregation, and civic competences.
  77. Transforming Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust through Research-Informed CPD
    Research began in 2008 with a national survey into teaching about the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools. This subsequently informed a national Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme. Research is now being undertaken into students’ knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.
  78. The educational strategies of the black middle classes
    This research interviewed 62 Black Caribbean-origin parents, all in managerial/professional occupations, about their thoughts, priorities, strategies and experiences with regard to their children's education.
  79. Teaching argumentation in primary and secondary school science
    This research comprises a series of studies about teachers learning to teach argumentation (including understanding the rationale for argumentation), developing the use of group work to support argumentation, understanding the teachers' role in argumentation activities, and activity design.
  80. Becoming a biologist through a residential field visit
    This study explored the role that a post-16 residential field visit played in students' development of their identity as biologists.
  81. Global learning in primary schools
    The research focuses on the nature and impact on pupils of global learning in primary schools in England.
  82. Learning About Development
    This research reports on four research and development projects looking at how development education can and does take place within schools in England.
  83. Who becomes an entrepreneur?
    The decision to commit to an entrepreneurial career is a process that takes time to unfold. In this study we take a developmental approach examining the antecedents of entrepreneurship using longitudinal data.
  84. IOE Research Brief No. 84 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  85. Diversity in the transition to adulthood
    While the transition to adulthood has generally been prolonged, not all young people are able to afford further study and delayed entry into paid work. This research examines the diversity in transitions (the different pathways/life choices young people can/may take) in a comparative perspective.
  86. Learning and the lifecourse: gaining new qualifications in adulthood
    This research used longitudinal data to explore the extent to which people were gaining qualifications in adulthood from ages 23 to 50 and also the amount of "upgrading" (moving to higher levels of qualification than previously held). 
  87. Understanding higher education in further education colleges
    This study sought to understand the nature of higher education provision delivered in further education colleges in England and to describe and analyse the current pattern of provision, participation and collaboration.
  88. Support staff: the role and effective deployment of teaching assistants in schools in England and Wales
    These three studies address the deployment and impact of support staff – teaching assistants – in primary, secondary and special schools in England and Wales. The research challenges assumptions on the positive impact of support staff on pupil progress, including those with special educational needs. It also, on the basis of collaboration with schools, looks at alternative ways of deploying and preparing support staff to support positive impact.
  89. Who gets the top jobs? 
    Our research focuses on the extent to which family background is related to being employed in a top job – comparing those with similar levels of educational achievement – for a recent cohort of graduates.
  90. The Learning Designer app for teachers
    The Learning Designer sets out to help teachers keep up with the pace of technology innovation, build the evidence of what works, and use technology to enable every learner to achieve their learning potential.
  91. Multimodal methodologies for researching digital data and environments (MODE)
    The MODE project aims to provide systematic ways to investigate all modes of communication within digital environments, whether they are sites of learning, work, or social networking sites. It is developing multimodal methodologies that look beyond language at other forms of communication and interaction (e.g. visual, auditory, and bodily) to address contemporary questions about the increasingly digital environments within which social scientists practice and research today.
  92. Video technologies in the operating theatre
    This project explores how video recordings of clinical care in the operating theatre can be used by social scientists to address theoretical, methodological and substantive issues.
  93. Researching embodiment with digital technologies
    This research explores multimodal methodological approaches (see explanation below) for examining how mobile, tangible and sensor based technologies can support learning through technology-enhanced experiences that encourage hands-on and physical forms of interaction – often referred to as 'embodiment' or 'embodied' forms of learning or interaction. 
  94. School science teaching for social justice: opportunities and challenges for practice
    This research explores the opportunities for incorporating political literacy in science teaching and learning. 
  95. Navigation: how do people with learning difficulties find their way?
    Project ELSTRAD uses virtual environments to investigate environmental learning (i.e. navigation) in typically developing children (children with no known learning difficulty), individuals with Down syndrome and individuals with Williams syndrome.
  96. Integrating library literacy through distance learning module design
    The project aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of strategies to integrate library literacy into an online academic programme. The focus was on the extent to which requiring masters level students to use the online library to find their key readings would encourage them to become more proficient and autonomous library users.
  97. Sleep related learning in children with developmental disorders
    This research examines the role of sleep on learning and daytime behaviour in typically developing children and children with developmental disorders. 
  98. Work intensification, insecurity and well-being in Britain's workplaces: recent trends
    This research reports findings concerning recent changes in work intensity, perceptions of insecurity and job-related well-being in British workplaces.
  99. Heartless and cunning? The relationship between intelligence, psychopathic traits and antisocial behaviour in adolescents
    This study examined two main questions: 1) Is there a direct link between psychopathic traits and intelligence 2) Is the combination of psychopathic traits and high IQ related to more severe antisocial behaviour in adolescents?
  100. Trends in skills utilisation and training in Britain 
    For the economy to thrive, the best use needs to be made of the skills produced, and workers need to continually upgrade their skills. This report provides recent evidence on what has been happening in Britain.
  101. Skills and skilled work: an economic and social analysis 
    This book brings together multiple perspectives from economics, sociology, management, psychology and political science to derive an original framework for understanding skills in modern society. It develops a rationale for social intervention beyond market failure.
  102. Food, families and work: taking a long view
    This study investigates how the children of employed parents eat at home and other places and follows changes over time. It uses multiple research methods comprising secondary analysis of large-scale datasets and qualitative methods with parents and children including interviews, drawing and photographs.
  103. IOE Research Brief No. 103 is not available on UCL Discovery.
  104. The link between family background and later lifetime income: how does the UK compare to other countries?
    Policymakers often state that the UK has low social mobility by international standards. But is this really true? This study asks the question: Is the link between family background and labour market earnings stronger in the UK than other countries?
  105. What can we learn from young children's career dreams?
    Between the pre-school fantasy and teenage disillusion, the career ambitions of 7 year olds help reflect where they could be heading, though some tracks are well established by class and gender. This research investigates children's career dreams as well as associations between types of aspiration and children's current behaviour problems.