British Education Research Articles

Linguists and language workers

In this paper, I address two connected topics: firstly, the relationships between linguists working in academia and language professionals, such as communication managers and consultants, in other sectors; and secondly, how a strong emphasis on knowledge exchange and impact in British higher education policy has led to increased collaboration between academic and non-academic language workers, but also to a realignment of traditional academic values with the interests of practitioners. The investigation is partly based on published reflections – mostly by linguists – on collaborating with (language) professionals in other sectors, and partly on insights from 13 interviews with language workers in consulting, communications and campaigning. The interviews are manually analysed for thematic categories and, where relevant, for pragmatic meanings in the context of the interview situation and conversational interaction. Findings suggest conflicts around registers and timescales, along with concerns over data and the relevance of academic interests. Crucially, language professionals show little concern about collaborating with academics, leading to an imbalance in interests. I supplement the evidence with personal observations on the opportunities and obstacles that are present when straddling academic and non-academic work, as well as with a discussion of how a unidirectional realignment of values changes the nature of academic work.

Blackness as intervention: Black English outer spaces and the rupturing of antiblackness and/in English education

PurposeBy engaging in critical literacy, participants theorized Blackness and antiblackness. The purpose of this study was to have participants theorize Blackness and antiblackness through their engagements with critical literacy.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a youth-centered and informed Black critical-race grounded methodology.FindingsParticipants’ unique and varied revelations of Blackness as Vitality, Blackness as Cognizance and Blackness as Expansive Community, served to withstand, confront and transcend encounters with antiblackness in English curricula.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a model for how to engage Black youth as a means to disrupt anti-Black English education spaces.Social implicationsThis study provides a foundation for future research efforts of Black English outer spaces as they relate to English education. Findings in this study may also inform existing English educator practices.Originality/valueThis study theorized both the role and the flexible nature of Black English outer spaces. It defined the multi-ethnic nature of Blackness. It proposed that affirmations of Blackness sharpened participants’ critical literacies in Black English outer spaces as a transformative intervention to anti-Black English education spaces.

Multi-ethnic societies in transition to independence: the uneven development of colonial schooling in Cyprus and Singapore

ABSTRACT The article seeks to formulate a comparative framework that explains the uneven development of schooling in Cyprus and Singapore during the British colonial rule. It specifically focuses on the moment of transition to independence and on the role played by ideas and the interaction of ideas in the evolution of social institutions. The overall argument put forward is that the divergent ideational and institutional dynamics of schooling in the two settings at the moment of decolonisation were the outcome of the intersections of British colonial education policies, locally-indigenised cultural heritages, and relations with other nation-states in the region. These complex intersections permitted and, at the same time, constrained certain readings and re-readings of the continental European idea of mass schooling over time.

Understanding the impact of academic difficulties among medical students: A scoping review.

Many medical students may encounter a range of academic and personal challenges during their course of study, but very little is known about their experiences. Our aim was to review the literature to inform future scholarship and to inform policy change. A scoping review was conducted searching PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, British Education Index, Web of Science and ERIC for English language primary research with no date limits. This retrieved 822 papers of which eight met the requirements for inclusion in the review. Data were independently reviewed by two researchers and underwent thematic analysis by the research team. Three major themes emerged. Theme 1: 'Identity preservation' addressed students' aim to preserve their sense of self in the face of academic difficulty and their tendency to seek support. This connected the apprehension many students expressed about their educational institutions to Theme 2: 'The dual role of the medical school'-medical schools are required to support struggling students but are predominantly seen as a punitive structure acting as the gatekeeper to a successful career in medicine. Students' apprehension and attempts to protect their identities within this complex landscape often resulted in 'maladaptive coping strategies' (Theme 3). Understanding and exploring the academic challenges faced by medical students through their own experiences highlight the need for the development of more individualised remediation strategies. Educators may need to do more to bridge the gap between students and institutions. There is a need to build trust and to work with students to enhance their sense of self and remediate approaches to engagement with learning, rather than focusing efforts on success in assessments and progression.

‘I have bills to pay!’ Sugar dating in British higher education institutions

ABSTRACT The increased participation in the UK of university students in activities that are liminal to the sex industry such as ‘sugar dating’, defined as the transactional relationship between a younger woman (Sugar Baby) and an older, affluent man (Sugar Daddy), is under-researched. This article draws from seven interviews conducted with university Sugar Babies regarding the factors that influenced their decision to sugar date. Interviewees systematically described the lack of economic capital to cover basic expenses – rent, bills, or food – as a critical factor, despite having acquired a student loan. Other factors such as the expectation of ‘fun’, the acquisition of symbolic capital, and the forecast of enjoying a superior lifestyle were also noted. The findings suggest that the economic context of female students in the UK should be investigated to offer economic alternatives to gendered sexual activities such as sugar dating.

Tutor and tutoring in modern education and Ukraine

In the article the problems of tutoring, as component individualization of studies, are considered. Authors estimate the attempts of some Ukrainian scientists to equate the functions of tutor and of counsel known yet from soviet times of academic group critically. Moreover, the current Ukrainian legislation does not give determination of concept "counsel" and does not envisage this activity. 
 Implementation of tutor functions needs certain knowledge and abilities, forming of that is not envisaged by maintenance of traditional preparation of teacher and personality internalss that today does not have support in the legislative field of Ukraine. Therefore that is why logically to lean against western scientific and practical revisions from this object.
 Actuality and necessity of tutoring, – here authors support opinion of some other scientists, - are conditioned by the primary purpose of British education – by the development of ability to think, that is realized in mainly due to independent work of student at accompaniment of tutor.
 Authors pay attention to that in Oxford and Cambridge of tutors occupy important position as regular units, providing a feed-back between a student and concrete teacher and all faculty advisors. Tutor here is a tutor that is fastened after every student, and conducts him to the end of studies.
 He elects the programs for a ward student, recommends him the certain algorithm of study, and controls all process. Due to the role of counsels of studies in Oxford becomes individual in a great deal.
 The German model of education, that envisaged no freedom and choice and only hard discipline and limitation, was used in Ukraine, This model was brought yet in the days of tsar's Russia by М. Lomonosov. But present time requires from education new approaches, methods and facilities. One from such systems and there is tutoring.
 Thus, there is an urgent requirement in bringing of profession of tutor to the National classifier of Ukraine SK 003: a 2010 «Classifier of professions».

Clarification for: Right‐wing populism and education: Introduction to the special section by Hussain and Yunus (2021)

British Educational Research JournalVolume 47, Issue 6 p. 1735-1735 Clarification Clarification for: Right-wing populism and education: Introduction to the special section by Hussain and Yunus (2021) First published: 06 August 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3763Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume47, Issue6Special Section: Close to Practice ResearchDecember 2021Pages 1735-1735 RelatedInformation

A Brief Analysis of the Reform of British and American Literature Education Mode Based on Artificial Intelligence

With the development of society and progress, the computer technology has been widely used to the life of people, now fairy many teaching using multimedia technology, British and American literature course makes students’ compulsory course for English majors, for students to British and American literature, oh sister have a vital role to improve your English, multimedia technology has been widely applied to the British and American education mode, education technology in British and American literature play a crucial role in the education reform, the application of multimedia teaching, make the British and American literature course more vivid, more effective.

Retraction: A Brief Analysis of the Reform of British and American Literature Education Mode Based on Artificial Intelligence (J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1992 032089)

This article has been retracted by IOP Publishing following an allegation that raises concerns this article may have been created, manipulated, and/or sold by a commercial entity. In addition, IOP Publishing has seen no evidence that reliable peer review was conducted on this article, despite the clear standards expected of and communicated to conference organisers. The authors of the article have been given opportunity to present evidence that they were the original and genuine creators of the work, however at the time of publication of this notice, IOP Publishing has not received any response. IOP Publishing has analysed the article and agrees there are enough indicators to cause serious doubts over the legitimacy of the work and agree this article should be retracted. The authors are encouraged to contact IOP Publishing Limited if they have any comments on this retraction. Retraction published: 9 September 2022

Do school closures and school reopenings affect community transmission of COVID-19? A systematic review of observational studies

ObjectivesTo systematically reivew the observational evidence of the effect of school closures and school reopenings on SARS-CoV-2 community transmission.SettingSchools (including early years settings, primary schools and secondary schools).InterventionSchool closures and...

Italian-Bangladeshis in London: Onward Migration and Its Effects on Their Linguistic Repertoire

This article discussed language use and language maintenance among the Italian-Bangladeshi community in London, considering in particular the effects of onward migration on the reorganisation of their linguistic repertoire. Drawing on focus groups and interviews with the second-generation members of Italian-Bangladeshi families, initial findings revealed that Italian is maintained through communication with same-age friends and siblings, with older siblings acting as the main agents of language maintenance. English is considered the most important language and, together with a British education, functions as a pull-factor for onward migration to improve the second generation’s future prospects. Bengali, on the other hand, is spoken by parents among themselves and children are not always fluent in the language. Bengali also represents a marker of identity for the Italian-Bangladeshi community as opposed to the larger Sylheti-speaking British-Bangladeshi community.

Enlightening Idea of British and German Higher Education on the Pilot Reform of Curriculum in China

Enlightening Idea of British and German Higher Education on the Pilot Reform of Curriculum in China

Developing Critical Thinking: Experiences of Chinese International Students in a Post-1992 University in England

Critical thinking is a key attribute for students in British higher education, but there has been little research on how Chinese students develop critical thinking during their studies at British universities. Based on interviews with sixteen Chinese students at a university in England, this paper reports their experiences of developing critical thinking during their one-year Master’s programmes. Developing critical thinking was not always an easy task for these students. In addition to cultural background, other factors that played important roles in influencing how these students developed critical thinking included the teachers’ questioning approaches, group discussions in the classes, English language proficiency, and the criteria for assessing critical thinking in writing practices. The findings suggest that it is time to shift the ‘deficit’ conceptualization in which Chinese students are seen as lacking critical thinking and reexamine the ways that lecturers can facilitate the development of critical thinking of these students.

Above and beyond: Schools supporting their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic

British education has faced an upheaval during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, schools often went beyond traditional interpretations of what was needed for educational provision. This article explores how those interpretations have been challenged by the response to Covid-19. It discusses the various ways in which, during the crisis, schools have supported their communities and the most vulnerable in them. It looks at how schools themselves have transformed from local hubs into comprehensive community support networks. It suggests that through the provision of emergency childcare, material resources and locally varying forms of support beyond traditional remits, schools have significantly enhanced their communities' ability to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. It concludes by suggesting a number of positive consequences accruing from this support, including strengthened school-community relationships and mutually enhanced teacher/parent recognition.

Context of and Controversy over ‘British Values’ Education: Is it Civic Nationalism or Racial Imperialism?

This article also explored the social context of institutionalizing British Values education and mobilizing citizenship and history programs to create national identity by Labour and Conservative governments in the last two decades. This article also explores the problems and criticisms faced by British Values education and the controversy over its policy. Based on news paper articles, governmental documents, and academic works, this article has found that the British governments has imposed the social cohesion duty in the 20000s and the prevent duty in the 2010s in response to social diversity, and that a few scholars have justified the British Values education as ‘reconstructive citizenship intervention’ in terms of liberal civil nationalism, but others have criticized it as a surveillance strategy, racial imperialism, white supremacy, and a discourse of exclusion. The British case helps gain an insight into the pitfalls of identity formation based on specific values in the age of migration and diversity.

Inclusive pedagogy through the lens of primary teachers and teaching assistants in England

ABSTRACT Inclusion is an expectation of all mainstream schools across England yet research into strategies concerning how teachers and teaching assistants facilitate effective inclusive practice remains limited. This study explores the enactment of Florian and Black Hawkins (2011. “Exploring Inclusive Pedagogy.” British Educational Research Journal 37 (5): 813–828) approach to inclusive pedagogy through the lens of teachers and teaching assistants working with children across year 4 within one primary school in London to redress this balance and identify any challenges they may encounter with this approach. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed several key themes: whole-class approaches; emphasis on learners’ capabilities; flexibility; commitment to ongoing professional development; diversity of needs; TA interventions; and ability-based tasks. While practitioners exemplified inclusive pedagogy on a regular basis it was difficult to implement in all aspects of classroom life, given the complex nature and diverse range of needs they encountered in mainstream classrooms. The importance of acknowledging individual needs was recognised and some key strategies to accommodate these without causing feelings of marginalisation were highlighted. Practitioners voiced positive experiences and placed great value on, working flexibly with one another to create welcoming environments for all children yet the effective deployment of TAs was not consistently realised.

The Socio-Political Magnitude of Humanism of Swami Vivekananda

Between 1872 and 1886, when Sri Ramakrishna took his last breath, Belur became a new pilgrimage for people from all walks of life, from the upper classes of English educated Bengalis to the completely uneducated, and Sri Ramakrishna filled the spiritual thirst of everyone who came with true desire. But it was unusual that Sri Ramakrishna's first pick was young people, mostly English educated, and he became the backbone of his spiritual teachings and disseminated his message to the entire globe. Sri Ramakrishna selected Narendra Nath Datta, or simply ‘Noren,' as their leader, and he charged all of these young people with forming a new band of Sanyasins to disseminate the word of Vedanta to every part of the globe. Swami Vivekananda was inducted into his new function by Sri Ramakrishna following a roughly six-year spiritual training from 1881 to 1886. Armed with all of Sri Ramakrishna's divine energy, which he received at Kashipur when he took a vow to fulfill the work of 'Mother' (Divinely ordained task), he ready himself for the new chosen duties, the task of spreading the forest philosophy of Vedanta, the man-making philosophy of the old Indian system, which was held hostage by a few Sanskrit-knowing priests. Swami Vivekananda was a bridge figure among both East and West because of his English education, prior Brahma Samajist connection, and spiritual instruction under Sri Ramakrishna. After reviewing the existing socio-religious and economic situation for nearly seven years (August 1886-May 1893) and visiting every nook and cranny of the country, he discovered that the country was drenched in deep dogmatism, superstition, and ignorance spread in the name of religion, and was more dead than alive. People's thoughts were captivated with local rituals and superstitions in the guise of spirituality and religion, and they were thoroughly immersed in lethargy and unable to accomplish any real work. Slavery for hundreds of years and the imparting of British education had permanently shattered their confidence. People's physical power has been reduced by abject poverty, preventing them from having higher and noble thoughts.

From preschool educator to preschool English Educator: A study of transformation of classroom practice

This case study aims to analyze how preschool educators can play the role of language educators (Spanish and English) and how their pedagogical and teaching practice is being transformed. This study considers the theoretical framework behind the constructivist paradigm, which states that the context, participants' actions and views, and historical elements all play a part in constructing a theory. That truth is relative depending on one's perspective, while also focusing on establishing a rigorous and thorough process throughout this study, focusing on qualitative research principles (Creswell, 2014). The findings show that preschool educators can significantly improve their communicative competence, particularly in discourse, strategic and socio-cultural competencies. Furthermore, through reflection and self-assessment, preschool educators refine their classroom practices and enhance their conception about teaching English to preschool learners.

ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE POLITICAL STATUS AND ROLE OF WOMEN DURING THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT

Like the freedom movement of the other countries of the world, the history of freedom movement in India is rich with equal participation of men and women. Like other countries of third world, our countrymen also had to struggle long and hard to get freedom. In the glorious story of the struggle against the British rule, the names of many brave sons as well as the names of brave ones are also printed in the golden letters in history. As such, during the freedom movement, the role of intellectuals, farmers, lawyers and social reformers has been very important at every level and at every stage of the movement. But keeping in mind the circumstances of that time, it is also very interesting and important to analyze the role of women in this regard. From the Vedic era to the modern era ,the role of women has been changing according to the time and circumstances in the various segments.Lopamundra,Ghosha and Apala in Vedic era, Gargi and Maître in post Vedic era, Sheela and Attarika in the Gupta age and in the Mogul era Razia gninfluence in politics was important and extra-ordinary. Similarly, the role of Begum Hazrat Mahal and Jhansi Queen Rani Laxmi Bai during the period of independence struggle especially during 1857 Revolution and later in the Gandhi era, Mrs. Annie Besant, Bhagini Nivedita, Madam Cama,Pandita Ramabai ,Sarojini Naidu,Kamla Nehru, Sucheta Kruplani,Prabhadevi,Vijaya Laxmi Pandit ,Mniben Patel and the roles of other such women cannot be ignored.Similarly,the British Education system, increased the means of transport and the social reform movement has increased the political consciousness of women and motivated them to contribute to the National Movement. In spite of all the adverse circumstances such as low educational level and various ban in public life, after tough struggles, women made their unique identity in the history of freedom movement. Gradually, women became involved in social issues, their understanding in this regard increased which changed their thinking. Due to this, women gradually moved forward in the struggle for independence, in the movement of reforms and in the Legislative Councils. Here also the fact cannot be denied that most of the women who led the national movement were highly educated and belonged to the upper middle class. KEY WORDS-National movement, Social reform, Political consciousness, Women’s Organization, Gandhi Era, Female suffrage.

Context and Implications Document for: Recruitment to STEM studies: The roles of curriculum reforms, flexibility of choice, and attitudes

Context and Implications Document for: Recruitment to STEM studies: The roles of curriculum reforms, flexibility of choice, and attitudes