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The contribution of occupational profiling to explaining and forecasting job satisfaction were analyzed by using data on job satisfaction for 33,249 workers from waves 1-7 of the British Household Panel Survey. Overall job satisfaction gradients were defined for major and minor groups of occupations in the United Kingdom's Standard Occupational Classification. The level and congruence of the material aspects and quality of work life aspects of job satisfaction in individual occupational unit groups (OUGs) were profiled. Stark contrasts emerged between fortunate OUGs, where levels of both modes of satisfaction are high, and disfavored OUGs, where both are low. Although the analysis results were consistent with earlier accounts of alienation in industrial settings, the findings required more comprehensive forms of explanation involving established findings about the correlates of job satisfaction. Regression analysis demonstrated that, in many cases, levels of satisfaction in OUGs could be accounted for largely in terms of individual and organizational variables. However, significant occupational effects remained for a large minority of OUGs. Industry was discounted as a minor influence on job satisfaction. The scope for more general explanations of job satisfaction in terms of relative deprivation was suggested, and methods for predicting trends in job satisfaction were outlined. (Contains 22 tables and 46 references.) (Author/MN)

Data from the Work History and Attitudes survey of the Social Change and Economic Life research initiative (SCELI) enquiry of 1986-1989 and the first wave of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) were analyzed to determine their continuity and comparability with regard to employee attitudes in general and job satisfaction and work centrality in particular. The study revealed a high degree of comparability between the two data sets and in the results obtained when they are used. However, several difficulties in comparing the two data sets were also identified. The SCELI was credited with providing good indicators of both human capital ("own-skill") and job skill and for providing extensive details about the technical milieu of work and the work organization, which were deemed good control variables. BHPS was found to offer excellent data on human capital, particularly on recently acquired technical training and vocational and other education. However, BHPS's direct measures of job skill proved minimal. An imputation process was suggested as one way of resolving this difficulty. The material offered by BHPS on partnership and household structures was concluded to be so admirable as to partly compensate for its lack of workplace and organizational data. (Thirteen figures/tables are included. Five additional tables and a comment on the expressive work ethic are appended.) (Author/MN)

Rural poverty and wide-ranging environmental concerns are some of the problems driving a growing public debate on rural issues across the United Kingdom. This briefing paper assesses the contribution that a community development approach can make to these issues. Rural areas have a long history of collective action, from farm families helping each other at harvest time to communal efforts to provide village services, schools, carnivals, and drama events. Recent decades have seen increasing outside efforts to influence policies, decisions, and trends that threaten local areas, such as school closings, environmental issues, and large new housing developments. The role and challenge of community development is to reinforce local collective action where it is already occurring, and encourage more communities to acquire the confidence and skills to take collective action. Chapters set the rural context; identify broad trends related to rural population, changing employment, declining services, the market economy, and rural-urban conflicts about the environment; provide examples of effective community work around village services, schools, community centers, housing, economic development, village appraisals, and environmental action; and identify the main agencies and programs in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The booklet concludes by recommending consolidation of the community work occupation; promotion of a community approach; appreciation of the Europe-wide perspective; a reappraisal of values; development of political responsibility and citizenship; and adoption of a more strategic approach. Contains 19 references and 29 organizational contacts in the United Kingdom and Europe. (TD)

Schools for Future Youth (SFYouth) is an EU Erasmus+ funded project running from 2014-2017, which aims to build the skills and capacity of teachers and young people to use global citizenship to improve teaching and learning. The project encourages both curricular engagement with global issues and spaces for young people to actively participate and take action on global issues through informal spaces in school. This report is a comprehensive account of the data collected on the SFYouth project and answers questions about how the project impacted on teachers' and young people's understandings and experiences of global citizenship and youth participation in Europe. It responds to the project logframe and contextualises this evidence within conceptual understandings of global citizenship and youth participation in different country spaces. Specifically the report responds to the questions: (1) What impact did the Schools for Future Youth project have on schooling activities and approaches to teaching and learning? (2) How did the Schools for Future Youth project impact on participating teachers and young people? and (3) What factors supported the impact of the Schools for Future Youth project? [Also collaborating in the project: Oxfam Italy, Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH), and CARDET.]

The benefits of and issues associated with output-related funding (ORF) were assessed by examining the use of ORF in vocational education and training (VET) in the European Union and the United States. Data were gathered in the following ways: several online bibliographic searches; consultation with 54 experts, including VET researchers, national policymakers, and lobbyists; CEDEFOP requests for information from organizations and individuals; and traditional library searches. ORF was defined as basing funding on outputs produced, which are generally measured in terms of the achievement of qualifications for school-based training and/or job attainment. The emphasis given to ORF in the VET programs examined ranged from 75% (the United Kingdom's Training for Work program) to 5% (Job Training Partnership Act programs). ORF was determined to offer the following benefits: gives training providers more flexibility in the type of provision offered; enhances improvements in performance; increases value for money by providing incentive to fulfill certain achievements and discouraging "time-serving" in training, which does not lead to outcomes; and simplifies administration and clarifies audit requirements. ORF's success in achieving efficiency, reducing administrative costs, and enhancing accountability could not be determined unequivocally because it was rarely used as the sole instrument of performance management. (57 references) (MN)

This paper offers a broad look at accreditation and quality assurance in higher education and how these issues are addressed around the world. Section 1 is an overview of accreditation and addresses the aims and objectives of accreditation, standards, accreditation bodies, stages of the accreditation process, the quality of that process, the role of government in the accreditation process, some critical points of view concerning the process, and present accreditation trends. Section 2 looks at accreditation and quality assurance through brief national case studies. The nations represented are France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, China, India, Hong Kong, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Australia. This section closes with a section comparing accreditation and quality assurance in various regions. Section 3 takes a closer and more detailed look at the accreditation process in Romania, particularly in light of the recent political and educational changes in this nation and the fairly recent decision to introduce accreditation of institutions of higher education. This examination covers accreditation principles and objectives, standards for initial and subsequent accreditation, application rules, structure of the accreditation committee and its functions, and provisions for financing accreditation. Appendixes contain institutional evaluation standards and a glossary. (Contains 27 references.) (JB)

Employment legislation in the United Kingdom from before 1970 to the 1990s has changed and with it collective bargaining in higher education. Industrial relations before 1970 were treated as a voluntary activity virtually unregulated by law. Then the Remuneration of Teachers Act 1965 set up the Burnham Committees, which until 1987 were the forum for salary negotiations and associated matters. In the 1960s and 1970s the normal pattern of collective bargaining was that unions made demands and management resisted, trying to minimize the concession they needed to make. The Donovan Commission and the resulting Donovan Report (1968) led to a great deal of legislation between 1970 and 1978 aimed at encouraging better regulated collective bargaining at workplace level. Legislation from 1979 onwards was aimed at regulating the power of the trade unions and bringing about a shift in the balance of power between unions and employers. As a consequence employers are now likelier to take a tough line in their handling of disputes and resulting defeat for the unions. Whatever policies higher education adopts for labor relations, college industrial relations should be a priority concern for managers and governors in the run-up to incorporation. Relevant Acts of Parliament are listed. (JB)

This paper discusses the increasing interest in quality assurance in British education including its measurement and management through the introduction of a quality assurance system. The reasons and benefits of beginning a quality assurance system are discussed, and questions of what constitutes quality, whether it is quality in fact (specification adherence), or quality in perception (consumer viewpoint), are considered. Three quality assurance systems are examined: British Standards 5750 Quality Systems Total Quality Management; and a system of the Staff College's devising. Also examined are two issues surrounding the implementation of a quality assurance system, namely, the type of college culture that exists, and the resources which the college is prepared to commit to quality assurance. Finally, the report outlines the stages for introducing a quality assurance system in the college setting. Stage 1 discusses the appraisal and diagnosis process and provides a checklist to assist the college in assessing its existing quality culture. The second stage examines the measurement of managerial commitment, and stage 3 focuses on costing considerations and analysis. The last three stages cover establishing a plan of action; involving everyone in the quality process; and review and evaluation. Contains 11 references and a 20-item bibliography. (GLR)

This report examines access to lifelong learning opportunities on Canada's information highway. The report begins with a glossary and a learner-centered model in which the information highway links learners with learning opportunities provided through educational institutions, community organizations, government, and business and industry. Presented next is an overview of the economic, technological, social, and education and training-related factors that have led to recognition in Canada and worldwide of the leading role that lifelong learning must play in preparing individuals for the competitive, information-based global economy of the 21st century. The following three challenges facing Canada as it develops a lifelong learning system are discussed: (1) economic and social restructuring; (2) situational, dispositional, and institutional barriers to lifelong learning; and (3) learning models in response to new learning technologies. Trends and best practices in lifelong learning, the formal education sector, and nonformal education sector are reviewed. Next is a "made in Canada" response to the challenges. Included in the response are a conceptual framework and goals for lifelong learning in Canada. Appended are the following: barriers to learning identified in a 1982 survey; goal summary of a lifelong learning framework; overview of lifelong learning in the formal and nonformal sectors; and selected bibliography. Contains 39 references. (MN)

Results of a survey of college and university students of modern languages in Great Britain are presented in three separate reports. The first concerns current classroom practice in language teaching, including how students spend their time on language-related activities (e.g., attending lectures in a foreign language, doing translations, using a computer or language laboratory) within and outside language classes. A wide range of responses was received, suggesting little clear pattern. Students were also asked which activities they found most useful and enjoyable. The second report presents student attitudes about what skills language graduates should have (e.g., converse with near-native fluency, pick up topical or cultural allusions, read specialist material), and how they themselves meet those criteria. Results indicate a low level of agreement about needed skills and a high level of students complacency about their own language capabilities. Few saw literature or linguistics as features of an ideal modern language program. The third reports addresses the content and perceived value of a year of study abroad, including how the study period was arranged, how it was spent, patterns of foreign language use, cultural knowledge gained, and other personal benefit. (MSE)

A discussion of recent research trends in British applied linguistics looks at the way in which social processes, sociology, anthropology, and media studies appear to have replaced pedagogy, linguistics, and psychology as major areas of investigation. In examining this trend, two models of literacy (autonomous and notional) are examined and extended to other branches of applied linguistics. A shift from autonomous to ideological is then traced as it relates to two relatively recent political processes: (1) a series of government initiatives in language education in the late 1980s, including a model of the English language for use in schools and development of a national curriculum, and (2) a more general redefinition and critique of liberalism. Four possible directions are envisioned for applied linguistics research in such an emerging political order, characterized by free market economics and cultural authoritarianism: service to the state; competition in the market; independent analysis and critique; and new social movements. Implications of these directions for applied linguistics in general, and for new Ph.D.'s in particular, are examined. (MSE)

This British study evaluated the effectiveness of use of individual portable computers by seven students (from elementary through college age) having severe specific learning difficulties or dyslexia. The study also examined the impact of the machines on pupils' levels of independence and the practicalities of using the machines. This report describes the project's objectives and management, criteria for selection of students, and student preparation and machine set-up. Use of the computers was analyzed in terms of frequency of use and diversity of use. Emphasized throughout the project was student control of machine use. Frequency of use was sometimes limited by the machines' weight, as well as by individual student personality and group dynamics. Diversity of use was somewhat dependent upon the student age and type of written work expected at different stages in the educational setting. The study found that students improved substantially in their notetaking skills, attitudes toward work, attitudes toward spelling, writing skills, and keyboarding skills. Other changes included increased independence in learning style. Minimal organizational accommodations were required of the schools involved. Factors determining success of such a project are noted, along with implications of the project in terms of the relationship of computers to teaching style, handwriting in the National Curriculum, and requirements for "written" assessment. (Contains 22 references.) (DB)

A study was done to explore the role of senior and middle managers in British Further Education (FE) about a year after these institutions had been incorporated and gained their independence from local funding authorities. The research examined administrator attitudes at a large broadly based urban college providing a wide range of educational and training opportunities and at a smaller, more rural college with a typical range of courses and in the process of developing a center for performing arts. Comparison of the views of senior and middle managers revealed a mixture of different perceptions, opinions and attitudes as well as different institutional responses to change under the new conditions. A critical area of change identified was that senior managers are now responsible for understanding and shaping the organizational culture. The analysis also found that institutions are being challenged to become "thinking organizations" where innovation is supported. Further the data suggest that the challenge may be to release managers from functionalism, to open up the strategic dimension of each manager's work and encourage new ideas about the future. A diagram of the McKinsey framework used in the data analysis is included. (Contains 28 references.) (JB)

The report summarizes a British research project, part of a larger initiative on educational quality, concerning the extent of secondary students' knowledge about the nature of language, native and foreign, alongside development of practical language skills. The main study was an empirical investigation of the teaching of English and foreign languages at year 9 in three schools. It documented teachers' beliefs and practices with regard to knowledge about language (KAL) and the current state of year 9 pupils' knowledge in five areas (language as a system, language learning/development, language variation by use and by user, language change). The pupils' use of KAL in language performance and the relationship between their developing understanding of language and language learning were also studied. Results of another study were also re-analyzed for data concerning these issues at year 7. Overall, the project revealed substantial levels of KAL-related activity in English and foreign languages within the schools, and some suggestions of its positive contribution to learning, especially in writing. It is concluded, however, that given the fragmented and episodic nature of mush KAL work, its full potential contribution to pupils' development as language users is not being realized. Suggestions for improvement are made. (MSE)

This report examines how the "good practice" model of work-based learning (WBL) and its tools can be used with students having learning difficulties and disabilities. The model is a partnership model involving three prime partners: production professionals (employers), learning professionals (trainers and teachers), and the worker-learners. Although developed for use in the workplace, the model can be used with full-time students in settings which involve work experience or practical assignments. The way that the model addresses the need for vocational qualifications is briefly outlined. Various learning routes available in the community are listed and the specific functions of the learning professional in guiding the process are explained. Eight appendices include: a definition of WBL, the Individual Development Plan, a list of strategies for structuring learning in the workplace, the job competence model, the WBL core skills, an assessment matrix, and suggested resources and references. (Contains 12 references with annotations.) (DB)

A project was conducted to identify good practice in continuing vocational education (CVE) and the barriers to increasing the quantity and quality of CVE provided by universities in the United Kingdom. During the project, 6 research briefing seminars were attended by 46 persons, 13 researchers conducted case studies, 17 researchers conducted key issue investigations, and 21 universities participated in visits/seminars conducted by the project manager. The study found that all UK universities are committed to providing more CVE, tending toward more integration with degree teaching and research. Good practices identified for senior management include the following: staff motivation, effective financial systems, financial incentives, accreditation of CVE, and recognition for teaching. For CVE directors, these good practices were recommended: departmental coordination and information sharing, good links with central administration, coordinated external networking, and change management. Good practices for department heads were as follows: making CVE a normal academic duty and being selective about collaborators. (Eight appendixes provide the following: an extended project description; a project outline and methodology; lists of steering committee members, case studies, key issues, a list of related projects, and statistical data on CVE in 1990-91 and 1991-92.) (MN)

The levy-grant system that operated under Britain's 1964 Industrial Training Act was the most effective incentive mechanism for increasing the volume and improving the quality of training. Strengths of the act's Industrial Training Boards (ITBs) were employer-funded training, collection of data on training in companies to guide planning, and improvement of traditional areas of training. However, the ITBs were relatively independent of central government interventions, resulting in the perception of interest groups represented on them that they controlled the boards; ITBs also failed to fulfill a national labor force planning function. The 1973 Employment and Training Act attempted to overcome shortcomings of the 1964 act by introducing central coordination and planning of national labor force policy. It weakened instruments for its implementation by amending the levy system and exempting small firms. Introduction of state funding made ITBs dependent on government needs and vulnerable to changes in policy, and it subordinated industrial requirements to those of the central government. After 1979, the ideological thrust of the government's policy toward nonintervention and public expenditure cuts resulted in abolition of most ITBs and reliance on firms to identify and meet their own training needs. However, the voluntary arrangements that replaced ITBs had no powers to raise a levy, no incentive or control mechanisms over training, and no information on training carried out in companies for planning. (Contains 12 references.) (YLB)

Writing teachers and educators can add to information from large-scale testing and teachers can strengthen classroom assessment by creating a tight fit between large-scale testing and classroom assessment. Across the years, large-scale testing programs have struggled with a difficult problem: how to evaluate student writing reliably and cost-effectively. Indirect measures, direct assessments, "holistic" scoring, and primary trait scoring (as used by the College Entrance Examination Board, the Educational Testing Service, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress) all have serious limitations. Even though not well defined, the portfolio movement provides a potential link between large-scale testing and classroom assessment and teaching. Several large-scale portfolio assessment programs are currently in place: (1) the Arts PROPEL program, a Pittsburgh school-district portfolio project in art, music, and imaginative writing; (2) the "Primary Language Record," a kind of portfolio introducing systematic record-keeping about language growth into all elementary classrooms in the United Kingdom; (3) a draft, state-wide plan for portfolio assessment in Vermont; and (4) the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GSCE) in language and literature, in which British students choose either a timed writing test plus a portfolio of coursework or simply a folder of coursework. However, just collecting and evaluating portfolios will solve neither the assessment problems nor the need to create a professional climate in schools. By coupling assessment and instruction in increasingly sophisticated ways, educators and teachers may be able to make a real difference in education. (Seventy-three references are attached.) (RS)

The article discusses the publication of policy papers in the United Kingdom, categorizing them into three parts: government policy papers, parliamentary policy papers, and those from think tanks and other organizations. Topics include government policies on devolved adult education, the United Kingdom Space Agency's Space Sector Skills Survey, and parliamentary inquiries on children's social care reforms, multi-academy trusts, university strike action, youth unemployment statistics, and more.

The article covers policy papers published from May 13-17, 2024. Several discussed include briefing from the House of Lords Library on proposed VAT changes for independent schools, a report criticizing the Office for Students' regulatory approach, a research briefing on school attendance in England, a briefing on educational outcomes for Gypsies and Travellers, and a briefing on youth unemployment statistics in the UK.

Realising the potential of work-based learning schemes as a driver of productivity requires careful design and support. The length of work-based learning schemes should be adapted to the profile of productivity gains. A scheme that is too long for a given skill set might be unattractive for learners and waste public resources, but a scheme that is too short will fail to attract employer interest. Ensuring that the design of work-based learning schemes balances the interests of both employer and trainee is key to successful implementation. Carefully organising what trainees do while in the workplace and integrating learning into productive work can yield higher benefits for firms, while maintaining the quality of learning. Strengthening capacity within firms to effectively manage work-based learning can help achieve this. Enhancing that capacity, for example through training for trainee supervisors can help employers reap more benefits from work-based learning schemes while meeting quality requirements. Two tables are appended.

In this study, we investigated how empirical indicators of test-taking engagement can be defined, empirically validated, and used to describe group differences in the context of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). The approach was to distinguish between disengaged and engaged response behavior by means of response time thresholds. Constant thresholds of 3000 ms and 5000 ms were considered, as well as item-specific thresholds based on the visual inspection of (bimodal) response time distributions (VI method) and the proportion correct conditional on response time (P+>0% method). Overall, the validity checks comparing the proportion correct of engaged and disengaged response behavior by domain and by item showed that the P+>0% method performed slightly better than the VI method and the methods assuming constant thresholds. The results for Literacy and Numeracy by module revealed that there was an increase from Module 1 to Module 2 in the proportion of disengaged responses, suggesting a drop in test-taking engagement. The investigation of country differences in test-taking engagement by domain using the P+>0% method showed that the proportion of responses classified as disengaged was quite low. For Literacy, the proportion was well below 5% for the majority of countries; in Numeracy, the proportion was even smaller than 1% for almost all countries; while for Problem solving, the proportion of disengaged responses was more than 5% but usually well below 10%. There were significant differences in test-taking engagement between countries; the obtained effect sizes were small to medium. Population differences in test-taking engagement were highly correlated between the three domains, suggesting that test-taking engagement can be conceived as a consistent characteristic. Furthermore, there was a clear negative association between test-taking disengagement and proficiency in Literacy, Numeracy and Problem solving, respectively. Finally, subgroup differences for gender, age, educational attainment, and language proved to be insignificant or very small. Results suggest that males tend to be more disengaged, that disengagement increases with age in Problem solving, with lower educational attainment and when the test language is not the same as a testee's native language. Appended are: (1) Country differences in test-taking engagement; and (2) Subgroup differences in test-taking engagement.

Using the 2012 PIAAC data, our analysis confirms that there are significantly higher earnings and employment returns to "both" increasing levels of formally recognised education, and to increasing levels of numeracy, literacy and information and communication technologies (ICT) skills proficiencies controlling for the level of education. Unsurprisingly, the labour market returns to changes in formally recognised levels of education in general exceed the labour market returns associated with increasing levels of skills proficiency. In the case of literacy and numeracy proficiencies, improved literacy and numeracy skills narrow the labour market outcomes gap between individuals with different levels of formally recognised education, but do not close it completely. The analysis demonstrates more substantial returns to ICT skills. Furthermore, possession of higher levels of ICT skills and lower levels of formally recognised qualification are often associated with higher returns compared to individuals with higher levels of formally recognised education but lower ICT proficiency levels. In other words, ICT skills proficiencies often entirely compensate for lower formally recognised qualifications in the labour market. Contains the following annexes: (1) Country Literacy and Numeracy Profiles; and (2) Demographic Control Variables.

The Government is committed to introducing a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) to assess the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Designing the right solution is challenging. There is no off-the-shelf solution from other countries that we can lift. But we can learn lessons from other sectors. This pamphlet explores rating systems that exist in other parts of the education sector and also the care sector, before considering the implications for the TEF. The author, who has a background in consumer affairs, makes two recommendations: (1) to integrate the TEF more fully within the quality assurance system; and (2) to delay the TEF's introduction until we are sure it is right.

This study was primarily undertaken by teachers for teachers, and focuses on the potential contribution of global learning and development education (DE) methodologies to a core aspect of curriculum provision, namely writing. The aim of the study is to explore whether using global learning and DE methodologies can have an impact on pupils' achievement within writing at the primary phase. We also want to show how a school can build its own understanding, knowledge and skill base in global learning and DE methodologies in order to embed this work within the curriculum in a sustainable way. The study uses an action research methodology in one Primary school. In 2013 the school had received an Ofsted Inspection rating as Requires Improvement (RI), with a particular need to improve pupils' writing. The project aimed to see if global learning and DE methodologies could support this. An outside facilitator was used to carry out interventions to support teachers' ability to use global learning and development education to support children's writing. As a result, teachers made changes to lesson planning, teaching and the classroom environments. Impacts can be seen through reviewing staff self-evaluations of CPD, lesson observations, pupils' work, topic evaluations and progress/attainment data in relation to national age related expectations. In 2015 the school was re-inspected by Ofsted and graded as Good. "Rapid school improvement" was noted and within writing the majority of pupils were judged to be making good progress. The Ofsted inspector noted: "the school uses global learning (global education themes) very effectively" with the result that learning was "more relevant and interesting" with "pupils able to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life problems" (Ofsted, 2015: 4, 6). The inspection also reaffirmed that the school "promotes pupils" spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British Values well. Pupils are valued and supported as individuals, while also being helped to see themselves as part of a diverse community' (Ofsted, 2015: 4). Appended to the report are: (1) Session outlines for staff meetings; and (2) Topic plans.

This report is about learning and older people. In the UK, one person in three is over 50, and the numbers are rising. People are living longer, and while some of these years are healthy active retirement, some are spent in poor health. In both cases, learning can make a major contribution both to the well-being of older people, and their contribution to society and the economy. However, the potential is often wasted, because few older people participate in learning, and what is available to them is poorly coordinated. The report discusses the benefits of learning for older people, the problem, and a strategy. Since these issues are relevant to many areas of public policy, the report is addressed to a wide range of agencies and organisations, especially at local level. This includes all those with a concern for the well-being of citizens and society: not only those with explicitly educational purposes, but also those whose main concern is with the economy, health and social care, finance and culture. The following are appended: (1) A Picture of Older People's Learning in England; and (2) Some of the Partners. [This paper has been produced collaboratively with an array of expert partners who form the National Older Learners Group.]