IOE Insights

It’s the season 1 finale, and it’s Rob’s turn to be grilled. Gently, of course. Dr Humera Iqbal finds out about the role of teaching assistants (TAs) and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Prior to his move into academic research, Rob’s educational journey began as a teaching assistant, so it is fair to say that he has “walked the walk” in order to be able to “talk the talk”.

Rob explains the evolution and role of TAs, starting off as parent volunteers in the late 1970s through to their formalisation in the 1990s. Today, the number of TAs in English schools rivals that of the population of Iceland - over 380,000.

The focus of Rob’s research is on TAs and how they support disadvantaged pupils, particularly those with SEND. Rob’s involvement in the landmark Deployment and Impact of Support Staff Project (DISS) investigated how TAs affected learning outcomes.

We also find out how findings from the research prompted Rob and his team to develop a programme, Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA), aimed at TAs to improve their interactions with pupils as well as developing their confidence and leadership capabilities.

Finally, Rob and Humera discuss how TAs will be perceived and treated in the current climate and the future, where education budgets are threatened and schools embark on plans to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. What will this mean for them, and for the children they help?

Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/may/maximising-impact-teaching-assistants-rftrw-s01e04

Dr Rob Webster is joined by Professor Louise Archer to explore how challenging dominant representations and educational practices can help make this possible.

Research led by Louise has found that students are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), but certain factors stop them from moving into a relevant career in the field. So what’s holding them back?

We also learn about the concept of ‘Science Capital’, the concept developed by Louise and the ASPIRES project team to help understand patterns in science participation and engagement, and how it is applied in schools and in other educational settings.

We also find out how Louise and her colleagues approach their research projects, even before any fieldwork starts, and before any results are shared. The pair also discuss how the current climate emergency and the coronavirus pandemic might foster a new generation of scientists. What can policymakers do to help realise that interest?

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/may/how-science-capital-can-help-us-address-inequalities-stem-participation-rftrw-s01e03

In this episode, Dr Rob Webster is joined by Professor Alice Sullivan to explore how the act of reading for pleasure as a child has positive influences that extend to later in life. First of all, we find out what is reading for pleasure, and what makes it different from other kinds of reading styles? Is it teachable? Are there differences in the impacts between printed and digital material? Using data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) which follows the lives of over 17,000 people born that year, Alice and Matt Brown analysed the changes in vocabulary between the ages of 16 and 42. The research found that those children who read for pleasure made more progress in vocabulary and maths than their peers - and those that continued reading into middle-age experienced larger vocabulary gains from reading high-brow fiction. We also try to understand the importance of longitudinal data and how it informs research findings in many areas at each stage of life. How do participants in large-scale studies such as BCS70 feel about this? Alice also explains the kind of role policymakers, schools and families can play to foster a lifelong love of reading. Perhaps during these times of social distancing and isolation, it’s an opportunity to recapture that love and appreciation of reading?

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/may/how-longitudinal-data-reveals-benefits-reading-pleasure-rftrw-s01e02

Hello, is this thing on? Okay, great! Welcome to the very first episode of Research for the Real World. We thought that we’d start the series by painting a bit of a picture of what research looks like here at the IOE, and there’s no one better to help give us a sense of what’s going on than Alison Fuller, Professor of Vocational Education and Work and the IOE Pro-Director of Research and Development. Rob and Alison discuss the kind of role IOE research has played over the years, and what’s in store for us in the future, particularly as we try to quickly understand and navigate the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. You’ll also get to hear stories about Alison’s fascinating personal journey; from leaving school to travel across Europe, returning to the United Kingdom and picking up where she left off, and how those experiences shaped her passion for research into apprenticeships, vocational education and lifelong learning.

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/apr/future-education-and-social-science-research-research-real-world-s01e01

We're delighted to announce a new series for the IOE Podcast - Research for the Real World. Join the IOE's Rob Webster and Humera Iqbal as they chat with researchers and academics about education and social science research and its impact on policy, practice and our everyday lives. Each episode promises to be highly informative, accessible, insightful and far from boring!

More about this series, and subscribe to the IOE Podcast: https://bit.ly/researchfortherealworld #UCLMinds #IOEPodcast