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Purpose Built Student Accommodation is increasingly dominating the urban landscapes of university locations. Yet a focus on student accommodation beyond "studentification" remains under‐researched and under‐analysed in geography and housing studies. Drawing upon pre‐existing studies and new insights from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, this paper provides an analysis of the contemporary student accommodation sector and the distinct geographies this creates. The paper argues that the neoliberalisation of the student accommodation sector has (re)produced three distinct outcomes: exclusivity, precarity, and (im)mobility, themes of increasing attention within geography and beyond. In concluding, the paper argues that student accommodation is a key vector in which inequalities produced by neoliberalism are articulated and displayed, reflective of a wider global trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relative importance of upper secondary subject choice and attainment in explaining social inequalities in access to higher education ( HE) in Scotland and Ireland. These two countries differ in the extent of curriculum differentiation, in the degree of standardisation in school examination and in HE entry criteria. In particular, in Scotland subject choice in upper secondary education is more differentiated (both in terms of number and type of subjects taken) and allocation of places in HE is less standardised and more dependent upon the subjects studied at school than in Ireland. Given these institutional differences, we expected subject choices to be more important for explaining social origin differences in HE entry and access to prestigious institutions in Scotland than in Ireland. Because of increasing student competition for HE places, we further hypothesised the growing importance of school subjects over time in mediating social inequalities in HE entry in both countries, more so in Scotland than in Ireland. Our results confirm that subject choice is a stronger mediator of social inequalities in HE entry and access to prestigious universities in Scotland while attainment is more important in Ireland. Contrary to our expectations, the role of subject choice in HE entry has not become more important over time. However, in Scotland subject choice continues to be a strong mediator for social inequalities in HE entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: International studies suggest that dental faculty are resistant to the concept and practice of faculty development. This paper analyses the demographic and educational profile of Irish Dental Faculty, exploring their attitudes to educational initiatives. Methods and materials: Irish dental faculty were invited to participate in a national study on perceived educational needs. A custom-designed questionnaire was distributed using a ‘mixed-method’ approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative components. Overall response rate was 64.6%. Results: Analysis of the demographic profile of Irish dental faculty reveals a male dominated regime (64%). Whilst faculty possess many professional qualifications and extensive clinical experience, most have little or no training in how to teach. Many had attended teacher training programmes; however, 92% merely attended infrequent, informal sessions. Less than a third (30%) of the part-time staff had attended teacher training ( P ≤ 0.05), few faculty members had any formal teacher training. Whilst the study revealed a low level of engagement with existing teaching support services, there appeared to be considerable support for the concept of faculty development as 75% were willing to attend teacher training courses. This refutes previous suggestions that dental educators are resistant to educational concepts. Attitudes to faculty development varied significantly with age, gender and time since last qualification. This report presents a detailed analysis of learning needs, and a review of the perceived barriers/inducements to participation. Conclusion: This study indicates that targeted educational interventions, with content and delivery tailored to the specific needs of recipients, are most likely to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ireland has experienced substantial increases in participation in higher education in recent years. This paper examines whether or not increased admission rates between the mid-1990s and 2000s led to a reduction in social class inequality in access to higher education. We draw on two data sets, one, a dedicated survey of new entrants to higher education in 2004, the other, a combination of the results of a series of school leavers' surveys conducted in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. We show that the period has been characterised by both continuity and change. Continuity is reflected in persistent social inequalities in access to higher education: the children of higher professionals and farmers, in particular, have maintained their privileged access to higher education. Change is reflected in some closing in relative social inequalities, partly arising as more advantaged groups reach a saturation point in progression to higher education, and partly due to the children of manual workers increasing their participation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the expansion and diversification of higher education in the Republic of Ireland and examines some of the principal characteristics of higher education entrants. It is estimated that in 1995, some 43 per cent of the age cohort entered full-time higher education system in the Republic of Ireland with a further 5 per cent enrolling in UK colleges. While these increasing admission rates have been fuelled by rising completion rates at second level they reflect, primarily, rising transition rates into higher education from those who complete the Leaving Certificate. The greater part of the expansion has taken place in the non-university sector which is characterised by a preponderance of sub-degree programmes, heavily concentrated in the areas of Business Studies, Engineering and Applied Science. A noticeable feature of higher education admissions is the low percentage of older students. The great majority come directly from school with increasingly high levels of attainment in the Leaving Certificate reflecting stiff competition for places, especially in the university sector. While there continues to be large disparities by socioeconomic group in access to higher education, the most recent data point to some reduction in equality. Western counties have consistently had higher third level admission rates with lower rates in eastern counties, including Dublin, and border counties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]