1,086 results on '"Governance"'
Search Results
2. Academies Regulatory and Commissioning Review
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Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)
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This review has looked at how to maximise the difference that academy trusts can make to children's lives, so all children can fulfil their potential, through a focus on trust quality and improved system resilience. High-quality trusts deliver for children in their schools and in their wider communities, as civic institutions acting in the public interest. This review has considered the regulatory oversight that the Department sets for trusts, the choices it makes about how the school landscape evolves, the support it offers to executive and non-executive trust leaders, and how it can best work with other actors in the system. Chapter 1 sets out how we will revise and consolidate our regulatory approach so it is more proportionate, effective and risk-based, delivering regulatory oversight in a more strategic manner. Chapter 2 sets out how we will reform our approach to commissioning to recognise trust quality better. Chapter 3 sets out how the Department will continue to support a transition to a dynamic, self-improving system, by sharing effective and tested practices, supporting trust improvement, establishing peer-to-peer networks and creating new professional development courses and qualifications.
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- 2023
3. Who Controls What and How? A Comparison of Regulation and Autonomy in the UK Nations' Education Systems
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Kreijkes, Pia and Johnson, Martin
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In this paper we explore the concept of the middle tier in education systems, outlining how it is a crucial element that links high-level education policy to the practices that are carried out in schools. Reflecting on the similarities and differences in the profiles of the middle tiers of the four nations of the United Kingdom (UK), we observe how they are part of a complex educational ecosystem. While noting that there are variations in the profiles of the middle tiers we also highlight how they share some common functions that are key to mediating the way that policy links with schools. Using a four nations comparative approach to analyse the middle tier allows us a more nuanced understanding of how education policy works in general, but also how policy works in each particular national context.
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- 2023
4. Enterprising Academics: Heterarchical Policy Networks for Artificial Intelligence in British Higher Education
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Gellai, Dániel Béla
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Purpose: There is limited scholarship on artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education governance, despite the growing prevalence of AI-powered technologies in many fields, including education. However, as the technology is still nascent and has yet to reach its full potential, ideas and arguments abound, championing or cautioning against the use of these technologies. Design/Approach/Methods: To fill this gap in research on policy networks and AI in British higher education, this article employs network ethnography and discourse analysis to study how ideas about AI-powered technologies in higher education circulate in policy networks in the United Kingdom. Findings: The findings evidence a policy network showing signs of a heterarchy permeated by neoliberal rationales and populated by policy actors actively promoting artificial intelligence technologies to be used in education. Originality/Value: This paper builds on existing research by looking at the university and not-for-profit sectors, in addition to the governmental and educational technology sectors. Using network ethnography, this article expands our understanding of the policy actors involved and critically analyzes ideas regarding the use of AI in education.
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- 2023
5. Who Controls Children's Education Data? A Socio-Legal Analysis of the UK Governance Regimes for Schools and EdTech
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Emma Day, Kruakae Pothong, Ayça Atabey, and Sonia Livingstone
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A socio-legal analysis of the UK governance regime for data collected from children at school for teaching and learning contrasts the government-mandated data collection by schools to inform educational policy and planning with data processed and shared with third parties by commercial EdTech providers. We find the former is effectively governed by the government's 'Five Safes Framework' with some problematic exceptions. By contrast, EdTech providers process a growing volume of personal data under the DPA 2018/UK GDPR with a looser enforcement regime. While schools have few mechanisms and insufficient expertise or resources to hold EdTech providers accountable for processing children's data, EdTech providers have considerable latitude in interpreting the law. Consequently, and paradoxically, regulations governing (mostly) deidentified data used for public purposes are more systematically enforced than those governing personal (identifiable) data used for public and commercial purposes. We conclude with recommendations so that education data can serve children's best interests.
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- 2024
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6. 'It Is Very Difficult for Us to Separate Ourselves from This System': Views of European Researchers, Research Managers, Administrators and Governance Advisors on Structural and Institutional Influences on Research Integrity
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Kennedy, Mari-Rose, Deans, Zuzana, Ampollini, Ilaria, Breit, Eric, Bucchi, Massimiano, Seppel, Külliki, Vie, Knut Jørgen, and Meulen, Ruud ter
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Research integrity is fundamental to the validity and reliability of scientific findings, and for ethical conduct of research. As part of PRINTEGER (Promoting Integrity as an Integral Dimension of Excellence in Research), this study explores the views of researchers, research managers, administrators, and governance advisors in Estonia, Italy, Norway and UK, focusing specifically on their understanding of institutional and organisational influences on research integrity. A total of 16 focus groups were conducted. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that competition is pervasive and appeared in most themes relating to integrity. The structural frameworks for research such as funding, evaluation and publication were thought to both protect and, more commonly, undermine integrity. In addition, institutional systems, including workload and research governance, shaped participants' day-to-day work environment, also affecting research integrity. Participants also provided ideas for promoting research integrity, including training, and creating conditions that would be supportive of research integrity. These findings support a shift away from individual blame and towards the need for structural and institutional changes, including organisations in the wider research environment, for example funding bodies and publishing companies.
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- 2023
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7. China's Confucius Institute and Its European Counterparts in Africa: A Six-Dimensional Comparative Study
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Li, Siyuan
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In the field of international education and development, International Language and Culture Promotion Organisations (ILCPOs) have played an important part for more than a century. More than 40 countries and regions have set up such organisations. Despite the diversity of these ILCPOs, few comparative studies have been conducted to examine their operations and impacts. In contrast to the existing literature that usually evaluates the role of these organisations from the perspectives of cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy and soft power, this research proposes a 'smart power' analytical framework and compares China's Confucius Institute with its European counterparts -- France's Alliance Française, the UK's British Council and Germany's Goethe-Institut -- in Africa from six critical dimensions: relationship with parent countries; operational mode; accessibility to local people; scope of activities; main internal issues; and local people's needs, in an attempt to evaluate their operations and performance.
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- 2023
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8. Reviewing the Strategic Influence of Governance Professionals in UK Colleges: Acting as the Translator of the Conduct of Conduct
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Hill, Ron, Garner, Steve, and Ireland, Aileen
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This article considers the contribution of the governance professional to the governing of further education colleges in the United Kingdom and arises from a wider study of the ways in which college boards develop and implement college strategy. This is the first observational study to focus on what the governance professional does within the college governance space. From observation and other forms of evidence, the governance professional performs a significant, challenging and expert role in the processes and practices of governing colleges. The governance professional is instrumental as a governance sense-maker and, at a higher level, as translator of governing deliberations and decision making. The governance professional role in practice can vary depending upon a range of personal, local institutional and national factors. However, in essence the governance professional exists to legitimise college governance through the structures, processes and reporting of governing interactions. The article considers the extent to which the governance professional is pivotal to the governing of colleges and analyses the implications for college governing. Our research identifies some barriers to gaining greater impact from the college governance professional.
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- 2023
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9. Learning Renewed: Ten Lessons from the Pandemic
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Education Development Trust (United Kingdom), McAleavy, Tony, Riggall, Anna, and Korin, Astrid
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The health emergency has stress-tested the education systems. What has been learned from the experience? And how can that be applied to lessons while seeking to ensure that 'building back better' is an evidence-informed undertaking? In this report, the authors identify ten lessons from the crisis of 2020-2021 that should be used to inform planning for the reconstruction of education in the long term: (1) The crisis has reinforced the need for adaptive, agile policymaking; (2) Meeting the equity challenge depends on data, detail and deliberate action; (3) The best external support for teachers comes from other teachers; (4) School leadership matters; (5) Without effective assessment for learning, it is impossible to meet the needs of individual students; (6) Great teaching and learning are not enough: schools need to address the wellbeing of students and teachers; (7) Access to technology is necessary but not sufficient: many teachers urgently need training in digital pedagogy; (8) Technology solutions must be accessible -- and include a no-tech safety net; (9) Parental and community resources must be harnessed to support learning; and (10) Effective support for girls must be prioritised in plans for reopening and learning recovery. The authors arrived at these ten lessons through a thorough global review of a range of sources including policy documents and research findings and through a series of interviews with senior leaders in some of the organisations and programmes featured. [This report was written with Susy Ndaruhutse and Ruth Naylor.]
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- 2021
10. Industry's Role in VET Governance -- Using International Insights to Inform New Practices
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia), Siekmann, Gitta, and Circelli, Michelle
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Australia's system of vocational education and training (VET) is based on the principle of partnerships between key stakeholders: governments (Commonwealth, state and territory), training providers, employers and employees. Industry representation and governance in the VET sector in Australia has undergone several transformations in the past, and continues to do so, reflecting changes in the economy but also the continuing challenges in embedding an industry presence in VET leadership and governance. This summary brings together findings from, primarily, international country comparisons on industry's role in VET over the last decade, identifying the key characteristics of industry's successful engagement in VET governance. Although some work referenced may appear outdated, governance structures have not substantially changed in the countries investigated. At the time of writing this summary, the COVID-19 pandemic was causing disruption to all sectors of society, including education and training, paradoxically providing a further opportunity for new perspectives on industry representation, leadership and governance in the VET sector.
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- 2021
11. Roles of Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity and Teacher Beliefs in Academic Grading
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Doyle, Lewis, Easterbrook, Matthew J., and Harris, Peter R.
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Background: Educational outcomes in the United Kingdom vary as a function of students' family background, with those of lower socioeconomic status (SES) and certain ethnic minority groups among the worst affected. Aims: This pre-registered study investigates: (i) whether knowledge about students' socioeconomic and ethnic background influences teachers' judgements about the quality of their work and potential for the future, and (ii) the role of teachers' beliefs--most notably about meritocracy--in their practices. Sample: Our findings are based on the responses of 416 in-service (88%) and trainee (12%) teachers who successfully passed several stringent exclusion criteria. Methods: As part of a 2 × 2 independent measures design, teachers were randomly assigned to assess an identical piece of work ostensibly written by a student who varied by SES (higher vs. lower) and ethnicity (White British vs. Black Caribbean). Following this, they responded to several measures assessing their beliefs about education. Results: Teachers judged students of lower SES to be inferior to students of higher SES across a range of indicators. By contrast, we found no evidence of racial bias in teachers' judgements, though potential reasons for this are discussed. Teachers who believed that schooling is meritocratic were significantly less likely to support equity-enhancing teaching practices and initiatives. Conclusions: Unconscious teacher biases and beliefs may be contributing to the relative underperformance of students from poorer backgrounds. These findings provide a mandate for educational institutions to help teachers reflect upon, and develop the skills required to mitigate potentially harmful biases.
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- 2023
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12. Who Governs and Why It Matters. An Analysis of Race Equality and Diversity in the Composition of Further Education College Governing Bodies across the UK
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Bathmaker, Ann-Marie and Pennacchia, Jodie
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Concerns about racism and race equality have been widely reported in the first decades of the 21st century, following the Black Lives Matter protests and campaigns such as 'Rhodes Must Fall'. Yet 'race' remains largely absent from policy debate and research concerning further education colleges in the four countries of the UK, particularly in relationship to leadership and governance. The focus of this paper is on who governs and why it matters. Governors and trustees play an increasingly visible and significant role in public, private and charity sector organisations, but diversity on governing bodies of further education across the UK remains patchy and is seen as a major challenge. The paper reports on what is known about the composition of governing bodies and what this tells us about the involvement of governors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds at the present time, drawing on a three-year project which examined the processes and practices of governing in the four countries of the UK. The findings highlight the continuing absence of governors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds on college governing boards and suggest that normative, invisible assumptions of how governing gets done persist, with black and minority ethnic governors often little more than a token gesture of adding diversity to the faces on the board.
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- 2023
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13. Governing in the Time of COVID-19: How Board Meetings Went Online and the Implications of This for Considering the Role of the Governing Board
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Watson, Cate and Ireland, Aileen
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The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 necessitated changes in the working practices of many organisations such that online meetings suddenly became the norm. Governing board meetings were no exception. However, little is known about the impact of online meetings on the work of boards. Here we draw on empirical evidence from observations of in-person and online board meetings in eight colleges of further education across the UK to address the question: in what ways do governing board meetings differ in online and in-person contexts? From this we consider what this tells us about the role of the board in the life of the organisation. We conclude that "social gathering," which emphasises the importance of place, is of central importance in the work of the board.
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- 2023
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14. Open Universities in the Commonwealth: At a Glance. Second Edition
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Commonwealth of Learning (COL) (Canada) and Olivier, Jako
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This report provides an overview of the nature of open universities derived from the responses from 28 open universities in the Commonwealth. The data not only provide a snapshot of the nature of OUs, but also show some evidence of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on open universities where institutions had to move all their learning and activities online. Furthermore, this report is a follow-up from the work done in the Open Universities in the Commonwealth: At a Glance (2017). [For the 2017 report, see ED626394.]
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- 2023
15. Degree Apprenticeships in the UK Higher Education Institutions -- Are They Viable?: Integrative Literature Review
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Quew-Jones, Rebecca Jane
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Purpose: Apprenticeships for higher education institutes (HEIs) at degree and postgraduate levels in the UK have been challenging to provide, requiring increasingly complex collaboration and investment. This questions longer-term viability, creating a new perspective investigating evidence of value and impact for UK HEIs. This integrative literature review examines existing apprenticeship literature and showcases new knowledge for HEIs to update and inform future decision-making. Knowledge created offers a new framework, an "apprenticeship knowledge-based checklist model" and a perspective to explore further. Design/methodology/approach: This integrative literature review examines apprenticeship provision viability for UK HEIs across several disciplines since commencement. Findings: Analysis of selected studies across three research themes critiques potential apprenticeship practice for HEIs--stakeholder collaboration, widening participation and work-integrated learning. Results provided a new integrated perspective via governance levels: strategic, academic department, and teaching team. Research limitations/implications: The research draws from multiple disciplines representing current literature in the HEI Apprenticeships field. However, the context in which programmes are delivered by HEIs and employers differs significantly, so factors continue to emerge. Practical implications: Practical implications drawn from these findings aim to cultivate dialogue before embarking/withdrawing from HEI Apprenticeship programmes. It offers employers guidance expectations when partnering with university providers. For global apprenticeship provisions, it offers a checklist for re-valuating practice. Originality/value: The research identified new knowledge implications from existing literature in a field experiencing rapid growth. It offers valuable contributions: a knowledge-based checklist model constructed for HEIs to evaluate existing and future viability provisions at each governance level. It is a catalyst for new practice approaches and an agenda for further research.
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- 2023
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16. 'You're in the Wrong Seat': Exploring the Manifestation of Power in Higher Education Governance through the Lens of Student Governors
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McStravock, Kevin
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Students who serve on the governing body of UK and Irish higher education institutions often report challenges due to a perceived power dynamic. This study explored the perspectives of power among current and former student governors (n = 14). This research highlighted the importance of power and its role in determining the influence (or lack of) held by various governing body members. With limited experience of the corporate environment, students hold less power than other governors, particularly external members, and senior managers whose capital is better aligned to these spaces. Though student governors seek empowerment from other members, this research highlights an overreliance on personal relationships at the expense of building an institutional culture that values student governors and commits to supporting their engagement through training and mentoring. Several practical recommendations are proposed -- highlighting how governing body chairs, other governors and university staff can support students to overcome established power dynamics.
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- 2023
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17. Understanding Practices of UK College Governing: Rethinking Strategy and Accountability
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James, David, Garner, Steve, and Husband, Gary
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College governing boards are widely held to be the keystone of institutional strategy and the prime locus of support, challenge and accountability in respect of the actions of the senior Executive. Whilst there are many normative prescriptions about the conditions and arrangements required for effective college governance, relatively little is known about how and to what extent the practices of boards reflect or realise these prescriptions. This paper draws upon a unique research study of eight further education colleges across the four nations of the UK. Following Chia and MacKay and Hendry et al., our 'strategy as practice' approach gives primacy to emergence and immanence through board practices. Video and observational data, supplemented by some interview and documentary data are used to develop an understanding of governing practices. Our analysis suggests that current normative prescriptions lack the conceptual sophistication required to support governing as it really happens. We offer a reconceptualisation of both strategy and accountability suggesting that the latter includes lateral, inward- and outward-facing functions that make conflicting demands on governors. We argue that these distinctions are vital in enabling further positive development of governing in the college sector.
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- 2023
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18. Epilogue: Rethinking Digital Literacy--Media Education in the Age of Digital Capitalism
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Buckingham, David
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Advocates of digital education have increasingly recognized the need for young people to acquire digital media literacy. However, this idea is often seen in instrumental terms, and is rarely implemented in any coherent or comprehensive way. This paper suggests that we need to move beyond a binary view of digital media as offering risks and opportunities for young people, and the narrow ideas of digital skills and internet safety to which it gives rise. The article proposes that we should take a broader and more critical approach to the rise of 'digital capitalism', and to the ubiquity of digital media in everyday life. In this sense, the paper argues that the well-established conceptual framework and pedagogical strategies of media education can and should be extended to meet the new challenges posed by digital and social media. This article presents some reflections as an epigraph of the special issue "Digital learning: distraction or default for the future", whose final result has allowed us to group a set of critical research and analysis on the inclusion of digital technologies in educational contexts. The points of view presented in this epigraph are also developed in more detail in the book "The Media Education Manifesto" (Buckingham, 2019).
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- 2020
19. Neo-Nationalism and Universities in Europe. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.7.2020
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University of California, Berkeley. Center for Studies in Higher Education and van der Wende, Marijk
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The European Union is likely the most far-developed cross-border public space for higher education. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA) both span an even larger number of countries including associate and partner countries of the EU. Based on shared European values, such as academic freedom, cross-border cooperation, and mobility, these policy frameworks have been developed in Europe over the last decades and with much success. HE systems in this area are thus well-positioned to benefit from cross-border mobility and collaboration but may at the same time face a certain loss of control over HE, for instance with respect to access due to the cross-border flows of students. This seems to make them vulnerable to populist tendencies and neo-nationalist politics seeking to inhibit the free movement of students, scholars, and data. Such tendencies have never been completely absent on the "old continent" but resurged over the uneven outcomes of globalization, the effects of the global financial and consequent Euro crisis, and the refugee crisis. Meanwhile, the impact of the coronavirus crisis is still by and large unknown. Populist tendencies seem now to be turning against the EU, with its freedom of movement for persons (i.e. open borders) as one of its cornerstones and are therefore of concern for the HE sector. Countries such as the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands have a different position in the European landscape but are all struggling with the complexity of combining the virtues of an open system with constrained national sovereignty. Sovereignty is required in terms of steering capacity in order to balance access, cost, and quality, i.e. the well-known "higher education trilemma." In open systems this is challenged by the "globalization trilemma", which states that countries cannot have national sovereignty, (hyper)globalization and democracy at the same time. How are the EU, its Member States, and the HE sector responding? Will the Union stay united (i.e. Brexit)? Are the legal competencies of the EU in HE strong enough? What about the many European university associations, leagues, and networks? And what do the millions of (former) Erasmus students have to say?
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- 2020
20. National Colleges Process Evaluation. Research Report
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Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom), Institute for Employment Studies (IES) (United Kingdom), Buzzeo, Jonathan, Patel, Rakhee, Byford, Morwenna, Takala, Helena, and Gay, Robert
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In May 2016, Government funding of £80 million was awarded to establish five employer-led National Colleges in key growth sectors -- Creative and Cultural (NCCI), Digital Skills (Ada), Nuclear (NCfN), High Speed Rail (NCHSR) and Oil and Gas. This was alongside substantial investment from Local Authorities (LAs), Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), industry bodies and businesses. The Colleges opened between 2016 and 2018 (Ada and NCCI in 2016, NCHSR in 2017 and NCfN in 2018). At the end-point of the initial phase of delivery, in December 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) to carry out a process evaluation. Its aims were to: (1) Explore the implementation and delivery of National Colleges to date from the perspectives of key stakeholders; (2) Identify factors that have helped or hindered effective implementation of National College policy; and (3) Identify lessons learned about how delivery can be improved or refined, and more broadly, applied across DfE's programmes, particularly the Institutes of Technology. The research was primarily qualitative in nature and took place from February-April 2019. It involved an initial scoping phase, which incorporated a review of National College policy documentation as well as the original and revised business plans of the four National Colleges that had opened at this time. This provided further detail on how the policy had been implemented by government as well as the National Colleges' delivery plans and how these had evolved over time. This phase of research was followed by in-depth case studies of each of the four National Colleges. The case studies incorporated day visits to the different National College campuses to interview staff and conduct focus groups with learners. Telephone interviews with other stakeholders engaged in delivery were also completed, including employers, National College board members, sector/trade bodies, and representatives of LAs and LEPs that provided co-funding.
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- 2020
21. An Analysis of Governance Models of Research Universities in Selected Countries: Lessons Learned
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Xiao, Hong Ying and Chan, Tak Cheung
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The purpose of this paper is to identify the special features of the governance structures of research universities in four western countries: the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. Conceptual framework was laid out as groundwork of the paper. Scholarly work of known authors in higher education governance was reviewed with major features of the governance of the research universities of these countries identified and discussed with reflection of the conceptual framework. It was found in common that major research universities have (1) governance structure with responsibilities of components specifically defined; (2) distinct separation of business affairs and academic work; (3) good collaboration among the entities of their governance structure; and (4) great respect for academic freedom and independence.
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- 2020
22. Governance of Agents in the Recruitment of International Students: A Typology of Contractual Management Approaches in Higher Education
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Huang, Iona Yuelu, Williamson, David, Lynch-Wood, Gary, Raimo, Vincenzo, Rayner, Charlotte, Addington, Lindsay, and West, Eddie
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There is an increasing reliance on international education agents for student recruitment in Higher Education (HE), but the governance of education agents is under-researched. This study explores contractual governance approaches adopted by HE institutions for managing international education agents in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of survey data from HE managers was undertaken involving contractual specificity, coordination, within-contract monitoring, relational contractual governance, market power and number of agents used. It produces a typology of four archetypes: "strategic hybrids," "pragmatic operators," "flexible friends" and "laissez faire operators." The study reveals that, while the laissez faire approach is a path to failure regardless of the number of agents used and market power, there is no 'one-size fits all' linear contractual governance solution to agency problems and the achievement of results. The findings enable HE managers to better understand their agent management choices and associated outcomes.
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- 2022
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23. Higher Education under Threat: China, Malaysia, and the UK Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Ma, Guoxin, Black, Kate, Blenkinsopp, John, Charlton, Helen, Hookham, Claire, Pok, Wei Fong, Sia, Bee Chuan, and Alkarabsheh, Omar Hamdan Mohammad
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This Forum explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Higher Education (HE) sector through the experiences and perspectives in China, Malaysia and the UK, with schools and universities closed and teaching moved online with very short notice. Authors were given an open brief as to the nature of their contribution, reflecting the still evolving 'pandemic pedagogy' phenomenon. Reflecting different national contexts reified in the emergency response to education disruption, the three perspectives in this Forum individually and collectively shed light on the implications of contrasting states of university governance and overall HE development.
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- 2022
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24. Governing by Narratives: REF Impact Case Studies and Restrictive Storytelling in Performance Measurement
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Bandola-Gill, Justyna and Smith, Katherine E.
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Performance assessment is permeating increasingly diverse domains of higher education, even in areas previously perceived to be too complex and idiosyncratic to quantify. The UK's attempts to assess 'research impact' within the Research Excellence Framework (REF) are illustrative of this trend and are being closely monitored by several other countries. A fundamental rationale for employing narrative case studies to assess impact within REF, rather than taking a (less resource intensive) quantified approach, was that this would allow for the variation, complexity and idiosyncrasy inherent in research impact. This paper considers whether this promise of narrative flexibility has been realised, by analysing a combination of REF impact case study reports and interviews and focus group discussions with actors involved in case study production. Informed by this analysis, our central argument is that the very quality which allows narratives to govern is their ability to standardise performance (albeit whilst retaining a degree of flexibility). The paper proposes that REF impact case studies position narratives of impact as technologies of governance in ways that restrict the 'plot line' and belie the far more complex accounts held by those working to achieve research impact. This is partly because, as research impact becomes institutionalised within universities' measurement infrastructures, higher education institutions become impact gatekeepers, filtering out narratives that are deemed overly complex or insufficiently persuasive, while perpetuating particular approaches to recounting tales of impact that are deemed likely to perform well. Crucially, these narratives not only describe impact but actively construct it as an auditable phenomenon.
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- 2022
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25. How Is the Role of Student Governor Understood in Further Education Colleges in the UK?
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Ireland, Aileen, Pennacchia, Jodie, Watson, Cate, and Bathmaker, Ann-Marie
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The appointment of student governors to the governing board is mandatory in further education (FE) colleges across the UK. There is, however, confusion and lack of clarity over the role of the student governor, and little empirical research, especially involving direct observation, has been undertaken which sheds light on this. This paper examines how the role of the student governor is understood by governing boards and how it is enacted in practice. Over one calendar year, we observed and video/audio-recorded governing board meetings in eight FE colleges across the UK, two in each UK country (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales). In addition, we interviewed key actors and spoke to student governors. Our findings reveal a lack of understanding about the role of the student governor which creates a tension between student governors acting in an advisory capacity as part of the governing body, and student governors representing learner voice. We conclude with recommendations for boards aimed at facilitating meaningful engagement of the student governor in governing processes.
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- 2022
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26. Curriculum Governance in the Professions: Where Is the Locus of Control for Decision-Making?
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Klassen, Mike
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Suellen Shay's work on higher education curricula foregrounds the importance of professional curricula which face inwards to disciplines and outwards to practice. This paper builds on her framing of professional curricula, distinctive in the differentiated knowledge base and the social relations which legitimate them. I extend Shay's work deeper into the internal governance structures underpinning curriculum decisions in engineering. Two dimensions of governance are explored: central control from the Faculty of Engineering over its departments; and the authority of individuals in department-level curriculum and accreditation roles over their colleagues. The empirical focus is on curricula reform towards 'graduate attributes' in engineering education, through a comparative study of eight universities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. The findings show that research-intensive universities are shielded from the full implications of accreditation requirements, while teaching-intensive universities are more likely to invest in developing the governance processes and systems demanded by professional bodies.
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- 2022
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27. Calibration of Stakeholder Influence in the UK Higher Education Sector
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McCann, Laura, Hutchison, Norman, and Adair, Alastair
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Over the last 20 years, the UK Higher Education sector has experienced a significant change to its funding base with a shift away from government funding, to operating within a highly competitive marketised environment. This shift has impacted the governance and management structures within the sector, with universities encouraged to adopt a more corporate and managerial style. Moreover, over this period, universities have evolved and adapted to social, economic, environmental and technological changes, necessitating a change in dialogue with the large number of internal and external stakeholders who influence Higher Education policy as well as university practices and operations. Adopting a Stakeholder and Resource Dependency Theory perspective, this paper seeks to calibrate the changing influence and importance of these stakeholders. The paper analyses a survey of 22 university secretaries (In the UK Higher Education setting, the university secretary is responsible for the effective governance of the university and for its professional services. In recent years, several UK universities have changed the title of this role from university secretary to Chief Operating Officer (COO), or to University Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, which is more common internationally.) conducted in mid-2020, and the results show that academic staff and students are seen as the most influential internal stakeholders as the quality of teaching and research is vital to the reputation and attractiveness of the university in a global market. Undergraduate home students are seen as the most influential student group due largely to the numbers enrolled, followed by international postgraduate taught students, an outcome consistent with resource dependency theory. UK and devolved governments (Devolution occurs when a central government delegates power to a region, providing it with autonomy to make legislation relevant to the area, whilst keeping it under national control. In the UK, devolved powers were granted to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the UK Westminster Government following referenda in each region in the late 1990s. The devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have control over a wide range of policy areas and have the authority to pass their own legislation in relation to them. One such devolved policy area is education. Other devolved policy areas include health services, law, and the environment.) are seen as the most influential external stakeholder reflecting their role in university funding and in setting Higher Education policy and regulation, an influence that has increased over the past two decades. The influence of financial stakeholders has also grown over the past two decades.
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- 2022
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28. Paying the Piper: The Governance of Vice-Chancellors' Remuneration in Australian and UK Universities
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Boden, Rebecca and Rowlands, Julie
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There is a long-running cyclical public debate in the UK and Australia about the level of vice-chancellors' remuneration in publicly funded universities. Whilst governments may promise greater oversight, little appears to change. Similar trends are emerging in some other European countries. This article critically considers the determination of vice-chancellors' remuneration as a governance issue. In the context of corporatised public universities, we consider how reforms in university governance may have contributed to the shifting nature and levels of vice-chancellors' remuneration in Australia and the UK. We argue that this area requires urgent governance reform.
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- 2022
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29. The Ethics of Using Digital Trace Data in Education: A Thematic Review of the Research Landscape
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Hakimi, Laura, Eynon, Rebecca, and Murphy, Victoria A.
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This article presents the findings of a systematic qualitative analysis of research in the ethics of digital trace data use in learning and education. From the resulting analysis of 77 peer-reviewed studies, we (1) map the characteristics of research by study type, academic community, institutional setting, and national context; (2) identify the primary ethical concerns and related responses; and (3) highlight the research gaps. Four areas of focus are identified in this emerging area: (1) privacy, informed consent, and data ownership; (2) validity and integrity; (3) ethical decision making; and (4) governance and accountability. We highlight the lack of evidence particularly for preschool and school-aged children and the disparate communities working in this domain, and we suggest a more cohesive approach, where the wider learning and educational ecosystem is recognized, explicit engagement with ethical theory is central, and mid- to long-term ethical issues are considered alongside immediate concerns.
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- 2021
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30. Disciplining Psychology Education -- A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis
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Dempsey, Imogen
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This paper explores: (a) the impact of psychology education governance on our understanding of subjectivity and (b) how this functions for neoliberal capitalist structures. The ways-of-knowing, power relations and perceptions of subjectivity are approached through texts selected from official documents governing the curriculum, and qualitative interviews with psychology students, including postgraduates with teaching responsibilities. Discourse is analysed using Foucauldian theory. The key findings are that a positivist psychology curriculum (a) is largely market driven, (b) is a way-of-knowing that subjugates and objectifies the subject (c) works to substantiate individualist discourses and that, finally, (d) despite claims of neutrality, constructs a subject that works to meet neoliberal capitalist objectives.
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- 2018
31. The Futures of Cooperation in European Governance: Brexit and the European Knowledge Policies
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Veiga, Amélia
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This paper analyses the purposes of cooperation as they challenge the European governance of higher education. Using Brexit to analyse meanings of "cooperation" and conveying secondary data analysis of ten case studies undertaken in the framework of the exploratory research project titled "Brexit and higher education in the UK and Europe: Towards a cross-country investigation," this study identifies a plurality of meanings of cooperation. These meanings resonate within the scenarios of Europe 2025 traced by the European Commission. In the scenarios (1) "nothing but the single market," (2) "doing less more efficiently," (3) "those who want more do more," the different meanings of cooperation put at risk the future of cooperation driven by academic values and beliefs at the core of the Europeanisation of knowledge policies. Ultimately, the paper underlines that cooperation as a driver of the internationalisation of higher education questions the role of national openness and/or closure in framing shared European interests and the value of international cooperation.
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- 2021
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32. Proposed Considerations to Improve Funding and Its Management in Universities of the Arabic Countries
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Yayeb, Aziza A.
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Universities receive a great deal of attention by governments due to its vast importance in development and economy. Productive type of universities are the most affective in this regard as they are producers of income, research, patents, intellectual activities, and good graduates. No wonder, they are always ranked highly among international universities. Very few Arabic universities are of this type and were able to make it in international rankings. Several reasons for this shy appearance of Arabic universities, of which funding and its management are of prime importance. This study aimed to find out ways to improve the status of Arabic Universities in this regard. Several funding indicators were found to be positively related to good ranking of universities namely: total income, governmental funding, income/students, and extent of financial autonomy. In this context, this study recommends the following considerations to be addressed to improve the funding environment of Arabic universities: differentiation, privatization, self-funding, endowments, number of students, diversification of income, intellectual concentration, and regulations. International universities do not differ a lot from the Arabic universities in capabilities and abilities. Its main superiority is in its organization, governance and administration. If the Arabic universities improve their environment by making it more productive, stimulative, and attractive of minds, it will make it among the suburb international universities.
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- 2017
33. Identifying Work Skills: International Approaches. Discussion Paper
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia), Siekmann, Gitta, and Fowler, Craig
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The digital revolution and automation are accelerating changes in the labour market and in workplace skills, changes that are further affected by fluctuations in international and regional economic cycles and employment opportunity. These factors pose a universal policy challenge for all advanced economies and governments. In the workplace, people seek to acquire contemporary and relevant skills to gain employment and retain transferable skills to maintain employment. The central purpose of this paper is to investigate how other nations or regions are dealing with these issues. What approaches are they taking to understanding the mix and dynamics of the skills attained by individuals and, more broadly, the totality of skills that in aggregate constitute a highly capable and adaptable labour force, one that supports firm viability and greater national productivity. This research has examined a range of initiatives and approaches being developed or in use in selected countries, including the United States, Singapore and New Zealand, and agencies/organisations; for example, the European Commission and the Skills for the Information Age Foundation. In doing so, it showcases the good practices used to ensure that occupational-level skills information remains current and widely accessible. [For "Identifying Work Skills: International Case Summaries. Support Document," see ED579875.]
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- 2017
34. The Governance Models of the European University Alliances: Evolving Models of University Governance I. Briefing
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European University Association (EUA) (Belgium), Estermann, Thomas, Pruvot, Enora Bennetot, and Stoyanova, Hristiyana
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This is the first briefing in a new European University Association (EUA) series focused on evolving university governance. The present publication explores the governance set-up of the European University Alliances formed under the EU's European Universities Initiative. For the first time, the document presents a comparative overview of the complex governance structures of these networks, examining their ability to sustain beyond the three-year project timeframe, while remaining relevant for their members. The analysis highlights several challenges that focus on the alliances' governance sustainability and draws the attention of universities and policy makers to the conditions needed to sustain their financial capacity and ensure increased collaboration and better alignment with institutional strategic priorities.
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- 2021
35. 'Ethics Review, Neoliberal Governmentality and the Activation of Moral Subjects'
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James, Fiona
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This article examines forms of subjectivation propagated through the processes and practices of ethics review in UK Higher Education Institutions. Codified notions of research ethics are particularly prevalent in the university context along with stringent institutional regulation of the procedures surrounding ethics review of research proposals. Michel Foucault's concept of neoliberal governmentality is argued in this article to help illuminate the combination of power processes reflected in ethics review practices. These operate insidiously in accordance with a neoliberal rationality that champions self-sustaining individuals and the inauguration of human capital. Moreover, ethics review processes and attendant regulatory modes of control compound the construction of the student as a 'permanent performer' and the associated requirement for her to self-govern through risk management. A combination of overtly controlling and self-relational mechanisms of neoliberal governmentality are in operation, both of which have the potential to generate particular forms of subjectivation in the university context. Foucault's conceptualisation of the ethical relation to the self helps indicate alternative, resistant styles of self-confrontation to those correlating with neoliberal governmentality. These are based on autonomous choice-making and self-censoring rather than unquestioning conformity to the regimens of ethics review.
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- 2021
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36. Application of ESG Measures for Gender Diversity and Equality at the Organizational Level in a Korean Context
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Cho, Yonjoo, Kim, Sehoon, You, Jieun, Moon, Hanna, and Sung, Hyoyong
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Purpose: Global gender diversity and equality indexes have been developed to promote gender diversity and equality at the country level, but it is difficult to see how those indexes are applied to organizations on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to examine the application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures for gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in a Korean context. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the institutional theory, the authors reviewed ESG measures for gender diversity and equality of women funds in four countries (USA, Canada, UK and Japan) and examined "The Women Fund" in Korea through document analysis and interviews. Findings: ESG measures in four countries' women funds mainly assessed the percentage of women in the workforce, on boards and in leadership positions. In "The Women Fund," gender diversity indicators consider the ratio of female to male employees, while gender equality indicators take into account gaps of male and female salaries and positions. This study's impact analysis indicates that the companies invested in by "The Women Fund" had higher return on assets and return on equity than those without the fund. Research limitations/implications: Although women funds explored in this study exemplify the use of ESG measures to apply global gender diversity and equality indexes at the organizational level, research is needed to examine ESG measures and women funds and their associations. Possible topics include what needs to be measured in ESG, who should be involved, how ESG measures should be applied, what outcomes of using ESG measures would ensue in organizations and how ESG measures relate to regional and global gender diversity. Practical implications: In promoting ESG measures that apply global gender diversity and equality at the organizational level, human resource development practitioners, as change agents, can help organizations develop socially responsible and ethical behaviors and transform organizational culture, practice and systems, which may influence organizations' long-term survival and development as well as financial performance. Social implications: As the government's support and policies guide and drive firms to develop and implement initiatives and programs, the launch and implementation of gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in the form of women funds require a certain level of collaboration between the government and the private sector. Originality/value: This study on the application of ESG measures for global gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in the form of women funds is timely to engage organizations in dialogue regarding what needs to be done to promote women's participation and leadership roles in organizations in Korea and other countries.
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- 2021
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37. Review of Empirical Research on University Social Responsibility
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Huang, Yung-Fu and Do, Manh-Hoang
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Purpose: This paper aims to systematically review the university social responsibility (USR) implementation from the empirical studies, which published during the period from 2004 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The bibliometric method has been employed to review prior empirical research on higher education social responsibility topics. Findings: These synthesis results confirmed that USR initiatives as an excellent tool to attain sustainability and enhance university performance worldwide. Universities in developed nations underline paying more attention to the core values in the long-term; meanwhile, their counterparts in transitional countries to pay more attention to short-term activities by focusing on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications: The notable limitation is that in terms of the number of empirical papers employed as the data to analyze in this manuscript. Practical implications: This paper's findings have described the USR implementations and how well to define USR adoption from the empirical studies globally. Thus, it has theoretical implications in enriching the USR knowledge and providing useful guidance for universities, then recommend new research directions in the future for other scholars. Originality/value: This research is an initial attempt to systematize studies on USR implementation in universities between developed countries and developing nations.
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- 2021
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38. A Critical Analysis of CIMSPA's Transformative Aspirations for UK Higher Education Sport and Physical Activity Vocational Education and Training Provision
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Aldous, David and Brown, David
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This paper provides a critical analysis of the Chartered Institute for Management of Sport and Physical Activity's (CIMSPA) transformative aspirations for UK Higher Education (HE) based Sport and Physical Activity Vocational Education and Training (SPAVET) provision. In doing so, we apply selected elements of Giddens' Structuration theory to offer an analysis of CIMSPA's structural properties (as rules and resources) and dimensions (signification, domination and legitimation). Illustration of CIMSPA's structural properties and dimensions was developed through adopting an institutional analysis strategy alongside a document analysis method. Publicly available strategic documents and web-based resources (N = 18) were selected and analysed using open-coding techniques. Our analysis shows how continued state-sanctioned decentralisation of the UK HE sector has led to CIMSPA becoming an increasingly influential transformative structure; attempting to use its structural dimensions and resources as a medium to gain and exercise power, to promote (signification) -- market-orientated discourses, practices and pedagogies in HEI provision, (domination) -- in an attempt to significantly influence regulatory control over UK SPAVET provision and (Legitimation) -- create partnerships which normalise its position and message within selected UK HEIs. We conclude that whilst the transformative aspirations of CIMSPA offer a number of possibilities for the HE SPAVET sector, they also raise critical questions. The central issue requiring debate is how these aspirations shift dialectical control towards vocationally focused, market-orientated principles and away from the liberal educational, research-led principles of some current UK HE SPAVET provision.
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- 2021
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39. 'Pandemia': A Reckoning of UK Universities' Corporate Response to COVID-19 and Its Academic Fallout
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Watermeyer, Richard, Shankar, Kalpana, Crick, Tom, Knight, Cathryn, McGaughey, Fiona, Hardman, Joanna, Suri, Venkata Ratnadeep, Chung, Roger, and Phelan, Dean
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Universities in the UK, and in other countries like Australia and the USA, have responded to the operational and financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic by prioritising institutional solvency and enforcing changes to the work practices and profiles of their staff. For academics, an adjustment to institutional life under COVID-19 has been dramatic and resulted in the overwhelming majority making a transition to prolonged remote-working. Many have endured significant work intensification; others have lost -- or may soon lose -- their jobs. The impact of the pandemic appears transformational and for the most part negative. This article reports the experiences of 1099 UK academics specific to the corporate response of institutional leadership to the COVID-19 crisis. We find articulated a story of universities in the grip of 'pandemia' and COVID-19 emboldening processes and protagonists of neoliberal governmentality and market reform that pay little heed to considerations of human health and well-being.
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- 2021
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40. The 'Modernisation' of University Governance: Re-Balancing the Components in Cross-European Comparison
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Shattock, Michael
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Reviewing institutional governance arrangements through a European lens has the benefit of broadening the argument away from differences between pre-1992 and post-1992 constitutions or between research-intensive and teaching-led university perspectives. In the last two decades in Europe is a massive increase in student numbers and institutional size, significant changes in funding models and very considerable pressures on modes of university governance. The title of this article encloses 'modernisation' in inverted commas and reflects the stated ambition of the European Commission in one of its many Communications issued to governments and higher education over the period (Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities, education, research and innovation 2006). The question this article asks if Europe is in fact modernising university governance or simply responding "ad hoc" to government intervention, growth in the size of institutions and demands for greater public accountability?
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- 2021
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41. The UK Higher Education Senior Management Survey: A Statactivist Response to Managerialist Governance
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Erickson, Mark, Hanna, Paul, and Walker, Carl
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In this paper, we present results from an extensive survey of United Kingdom (UK) university academics investigating satisfaction with senior managers and university governance: the Senior Management Survey (SMS). In total, 5888 academic staff across the United Kingdom Higher Education (HE) sector completed the survey, and results were used to construct a league table of staff satisfaction with management. This table is a stark indictment of the current state of the UK HE sector, showing a mean satisfaction score of 10.54%. The SMS also collected qualitative data, and we extend the league table's insights using these data. Thematic analysis revealed seven major themes: the dominance and brutality of metrics; excessive workload; governance and accountability; perpetual change; vanity projects; the silenced academic; work and mental health. We conclude with a discussion of how this statactivist research can be used to bring about change in management and governance of UK HE.
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- 2021
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42. The Cultural and Social Foundations of Educational Leadership: An International Comparison. Educational Governance Research. Volume 16
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Normand, Romuald, Moos, Lejf, Liu, Moos, Tulowitzki, Pierre, Normand, Romuald, Moos, Lejf, Liu, Moos, and Tulowitzki, Pierre
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This book identifies the cultural and moral foundations of country-specific educational governance and school leadership and presents the principles of justice and the diversity of common goods that guide leadership practices in schools. It contributes to an existing research field that studies diversity and ethical leadership in schools. The social dimension of school leadership is not limited to issues related to equality and equity, or social inclusion. The capacity of leaders to promote civic-mindedness and social cooperation, consensus and acceptance of others, the right balance between freedom and duties, and reciprocity of obligations, are essential to maintain democratic rights and facilitate the life together while respecting ethnic and cultural differences. Therefore, the book gathers contributions from a range of international authors capable of reporting these moral and cultural features, while broadening the research perspectives on school leadership. [Individual chapters are indexed in ERIC.]
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- 2021
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43. Flexible Learning Pathways in British Higher Education. IIEP Country Note. No. 8
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United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (France), International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
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Social demand for higher education has more than doubled in the past 20 years. However, only one-third of all countries' higher education systems are enrolling more than 50% of the traditional age cohort. Despite major advancements in achieving higher levels of access and participation, inequalities and inequities in higher education persist and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) launched the "SDG 4 Planning for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education" project in 2018 to support efforts to promote equity and lifelong learning opportunities for all by investing in flexible higher education systems. The project has identified policies and practices that support flexible learning pathways (FLPs) in higher education for a variety of students. The UNESCO definition of FLPs encompasses "entry points and re-entry points at all ages and all educational levels, strengthened links between formal and non-formal structures, and recognition, validation and accreditation of the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal education." In collaboration with IIEP-UNESCO, the researcher carried out an in-depth case study of policies and practices that support FLPs in the United Kingdom (UK). The researcher conducted interviews and focus group discussions with 42 respondents in autumn 2019 and spring 2020, representing four national-level, higher education institutions located in England. These consisted of two well-established universities (Birmingham and Exeter), one university with regional outreach (Teesside University), and the Open University. The interviews were complemented by a review of relevant national projects, legislative documents, national statistical databases, and institutional documents and data. This Country Note reflects key findings and conclusions of "Flexible Learning Pathways in British Higher Education: A Decentralized and Market-Based System. Report for the IIEP-UNESCO Research 'SDG 4: Planning for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education'" (ED617200).
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- 2021
44. Towards 'Strategy as Performance' in Hazard Mitigation: Reflections on Performing City Resilience in New Orleans
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Andrews, Stuart and Duggan, Patrick
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Performing City Resilience is a collaborative research project that investigates interrelations between theories, practices and strategies of city resilience, and those of performance. In this essay, the authors explore ways performance might conceive of and contribute to practices of hazard mitigation strategy to better understand how these might lead to a resilient city. They focus on their research in New Orleans, working with the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness during its development of the 2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan. They discuss their interventions, initial impact, and consider performance of strategy as a critical form of 'strategy as practice'.
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- 2021
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45. To CAG or Not to CAG? Difficulties in Determining Submission to the Confidentiality Advisory Group: A Commentary
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Ranieri, V., Stynes, H., and Kennedy, E.
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The Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) is a specialised body that advises the Health Research Authority (HRA) and the Secretary of State for Health on requests for access to confidential information, in the absence of informed consent from its owners. Its primary role is to oversee the safe use of such information and to counsel the governing bodies mentioned above as to whether such use is appropriate or inappropriate. Researchers who seek access to England or Wales-based confidential data, for medical purposes that are in the interest of the public, are typically required to submit an application to this body. However, it is not always clear to researchers whether requests for access to patient data fit within the remit of the CAG or a Trust's local information governance team. This commentary will, therefore, explore the role of the CAG and reflect on how best to support researchers with this question.
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- 2021
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46. Supplementary Schools with Connections to Religious Organisations in the United Kingdom: A Heuristic Device for School Leaders and Researchers
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Thorpe, Anthony
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Many supplementary and complementary schools operating in the United Kingdom and other countries have connections and relationships with religious organisations. However, there is considerable variety and complexity in these links and connections. Amidst some public concerns about these schools and as so little is known about them compared with other school sectors, a new heuristic device is offered to support leadership practice in supplementary and mainstream schools, and to encourage research particularly in the areas of governance, leadership and management. The need for this heuristic is made all the more urgent because of the disengagement of the state, at various levels, from appreciation of and support for the work of these schools, compounded by the lack of knowledge and understanding of their governance, leadership and management in particular. The exclusion of supplementary schools with religious links from future research and school partnerships needs to be avoided.
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- 2020
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47. A Framework for the Ethics of Open Education
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Farrow, Robert
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What difference does openness make to the ethics of teaching and research? This paper approaches this question both from the perspective of research into the use of open educational resources (OER) in teaching and learning. An outline of the nature and importance of ethics in education research is provided before the basic principles of research ethics are examined through a discussion of traditional guidance provided by three UK research governance bodies: the Economics and Social Research Council; the British Education Research Association; and the British Psychological Society. The importance and foundation of institutional approval for research activities is analysed with several examples of the differences made by openness. It is argued that openness by its nature provokes particular issues for education researchers. A framework for understanding openness in education is then proposed based on basic meta-ethical positions (deontological; consequentialist; virtue). Used as a tool, the framework attempts to retain relevance in a variety of scenarios without requiring a dogmatic vision of openness (e.g. an insistence on open licensing). This framework is then evaluated in the context of the OER Research Hub project, which developed guidance for others in the form of an 'ethics manual' and online learning provided through the OER Research Hub's "Open Research" course hosted on P2PU's School of Open. Use of the framework is intended to contribute to a better understanding of professional ethics for open practitioners. [This paper was presented at the "Open Education Consortium Global Conference," Krakow, Poland, April 12-14, 2016.]
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- 2016
48. Juggling Hats: Academic Roles, Identity Work and New Degree Apprenticeships
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Martin, Lynn, Lord, Gemma, and Warren-Smith, Izzy
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This study considers academic identity and the performance of identity work in the context of the design and delivery of new degree apprenticeships. Recent UK Policies have driven many changes in UK higher education, including the rapid development of new awards combining an apprenticeship with a full bachelor's or master's degree. Delivery requires university partnerships with industry, supported by significant government funding--and targets. Semi-structured in-depth interviews identified the pressures on 30 participants to retain academic identity in managing relationships with a range of different partners as shown in a generative model of academic identity work. Results show the ambiguities and uncertainties embedded in supporting academic identity, with stress caused by managerial approaches and difficulties in maintaining the identity of 'a proper academic' with implications for university management.
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- 2020
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49. Social Enterprise as a Policy Panacea: Panel Discussions, Data and the Cultural Formulation of Policy in Bangladesh
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Adhikary, Rino Wiseman, Hardy, Ian, and Lingard, Bob
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This article illustrates how the British Council Bangladesh (BCB) made use of panel discussions and commissioned research as policy vehicles to persuade the government of Bangladesh of the value of social enterprises for public service delivery, including in education. Drawing upon Appadurai's notion of 'imagined worlds' in relation to influential global processes of educational policy governance, we view support for social enterprises as an instance of the cultural formulation of policy that the BCB sought to enact/steer through a policy network. The social entrepreneurial future of policy and governance was 'imagined' by the network, even as this was negotiated and contested. Panel discussion and commissioned research served as key policy vehicles in modulating discourses and logics demonstrating social enterprise as an imperative culture of governance into the future. Comparison with various 'successful' reference societies/markets also helped frame social enterprises as fostering opportunities for youth and women.
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- 2020
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50. Prophets, Pastors and Profiteering: Exploring External Providers' Enactment of Pastoral Power in School Wellbeing Programs
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McCuaig, Louise, Woolcock, Liz, Stylianou, Michalis, Ng, Johan Y. Y., and Ha, Amy S.
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This paper explores the governance practices that external providers of school wellbeing programs employ in their contribution to the subjectification function of education. In neoliberal times where this 'game' of subjectification has become more open, governmentality scholars have been challenged to provide more robust insight into how discourses permeate individual subjectivities. In response, we draw on recent theorising of Foucault's pastoral power concept and a resulting analytic framework of four interlinked practices to explore external providers' endeavours to 'shepherd' students, teachers and parents in the practices and responsibilities of personal wellbeing. Our data revealed that discourse tension and conflict emerges within school communities' increasingly 'messy' pastoral terrain. In conclusion, we suggest that more empirical and theoretical insight into actors' resistance and agency within the pastoral power landscape of schools offers a vital contribution to our understanding of external providers' influence on education policy and enactment.
- Published
- 2020
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