The lasting negative implications of school exclusions on vulnerable learner’s life chances are well documented. Despite the ample research which highlights the harmful trajectory exclusions can set learners on, school exclusion data in both Wales and England remains disproportionately higher for learners with additional learning needs. Therefore, this study aimed to further scrutinise school exclusions within the maintained specialist settings in Wales. Contact was made with the gatekeepers in the 40 maintained specialist settings in Wales to invite staff to complete a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. The aims of this study were to: • Explore staff perceptions of school exclusions and learn more about their professional perspectives with regards to behaviours that might warrant an exclusion. • Further explore staff perceptions of protective factors which were in place that would help mitigate the need to resort to exclusions. • Lastly, explore the challenges encountered by staff in their setting…
The increasing presence of brands in urban public spaces has become an obvious part of modern cities due to the rise of the global economy and urbanization. Consumer brands today are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the competitive urban landscape by integrating themselves into the city's consumer culture. They are taking a step beyond shaping interactive consumer experiences to participate in building the future city and solving contemporary urban societal issues. This gives rise to dynamic public-private partnerships conceptualized as brand urbanism. It creates a possibility for brands to enhance their own urban identities through a collaborative process with local urban authorities and enterprises, non-profit organizations, and consumer citizens. This paper aims to explore the key tenets that underlie brand urbanism as a strategic approach in co-created brand management by recognizing the active role of multiple stakeholders in creating brand value. The research study adopted a quali…
When I started on my coaching journey, I was excited at the prospect of running my own company and helping individuals bring positive change into their lives. I had not anticipated the negative effects that I experienced, and I was curious to find out if other independent novice coaches had encountered similar experiences. This research is both timely and relevant as coaching is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the world (Venkatesh, 2023). There is also no evident literature on the negative effects experienced by the independent novice coach. This study will provide individuals considering the profession, existing coaches, supervisors and educational establishments an insight into these negative effects so that they can be addressed. The research employs a qualitative study using a purposive sample and a heuristic inquiry approach. There were eight co-researchers including myself who were all novice coaches that worked independently and had experienced negative effects either bef…
Introduction There is a long tradition of school uniform within the UK, yet the topic receives relatively little attention in UK-based research, particularly compared with other parts of the world. In my experiences within FE, I have encountered a prevailing narrative that uniform benefits students’ academic and vocational successes, yet I have not seen robust evidence to support this; whilst some studies explore such correlations, few – perhaps none – are situated within FE; yet this research setting has witnessed diminishing numbers of students adhering to uniform policy, against a backdrop of socioeconomic disruption caused at least in part by Covid-19. Accordingly, this research aims to explore purpose and effects of uniform in FE, with a view to informing future policy design within the setting. Participants and Methods The research was set in a large FE college in South-East England. Following an extensive literature review, which provides both justification and direction for the research, a particular…
Educational institutions face continuous pressure to adapt to changing societal needs and technological advancements. Information and communications technology (ICT) integration requires schools to update policies and teaching practices continually. However, leading and managing technology-driven reforms is complex, necessitating effective leadership and strategic planning tailored to local contexts. While existing literature has examined educational change leadership broadly, gaps remain regarding reforms focused on transitioning teacher ICT resources. This study investigates teacher and leader perceptions of an ICT policy mandating teacher desktops be replaced with laptops in a UK secondary school. It aims to elucidate perspectives on policy implementation and impacts on teaching strategies. The mixed methods used in this study collected quantitative questionnaire data and qualitative interview data from teachers and leaders at the school. A convergent parallel design enabled data integration through tria…
The present qualitative study was focused on educational staff in a Swiss Special School setting and aimed to investigate their understanding of the Nurture Approach and attunement, the effectiveness of training in attunement and the impact of this training on their practice. The study followed staff pre and post training over a total period of 9 months. Data from focus group discussions, questionnaires and participant observations were collected. The tools and guidelines by Education Scotland (2023) were recognized as helpful strategies by educational staff. The results of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ) and the Neuroception of Psychological Security Scale (NPSS) suggested an increase in self-awareness of staff for their behaviour and for their environment following the training. The participant observations and the statements pronounced by participants in the focus group discussions revealed discordances. This demonstrates the importance for including data from the natural environments of particip…
This study explores the challenge of building and sustaining a strong sense of community among higher education students engaged in distance learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward remote education, making distance learning a vital alternative to traditional classroom instruction. However, this popularity surge has brought forth new obstacles, especially in creating a cohesive student community without physical interaction. Against this backdrop, the study examines the development and endurance of communities in distance learning, emphasising their crucial role in individual and collective academic success. The investigation revolves around communities of practice, groups united by shared interests, learning, and pursuit enhancement. The study utilises a systematic review methodology, employing a “best evidence synthesis” approach to comprehensively assess existing literature. Thematic content analysis is used for data analysis, allowing for an in-depth exploration of materials without a…
Purpose – This paper explores employee engagement, a contemporary business topic. The study aims to improve relationships at work by identifying people-management practices associated with employee engagement in highperforming organisations and to assess how these practices affect performance. Each practice was discussed to determine whether they were transferable and whether context plays a role. Design / methodology / approach – Research took the form of a comparative case study between Google and W. L. Gore & Associates, drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from documentation, archival records and secondary interviews, closely following Yin’s guidelines. Data was analysed through thematic, narrative analysis and content analysis, together with time-series analysis. Work by Kahn is synthesised in the JD-R model of work engagement by Bakker and Demerouti and further reference is made to work by Maslow and McGregor. Findings – Findings were extensive for both Google and W. L. Gore & Associates. Numero…
Employee engagement, first introduced in 1990, has become a growing research topic since the mid-2000s. Now, organisations spend three quarters of a billion dollars trying to increase employee engagement because high levels of employee engagement are expected to return significant benefits for the organisation. However, the concept of employee engagement has evolved without a clear definition which has resulted in the development of several frameworks. Furthermore, many different drivers and outcomes of engagement have been identified. The literature shows that public sector employees and knowledge workers have a particular set of characteristics that distinguish them from other types of workers. Therefore, this research analyses the factors affecting the engagement of knowledge workers in public, STEM organisations in the UK, the relationship with job satisfaction and performance and how employee engagement may be boosted for this type of organisation. This research uses the Central Laser Facil…
There are 4 global accounting firms in Antigua and Barbuda (Antigua). There are also several indigenous firms. Both sets of firms provide financial advisory services. This consultancy project aims to establish the feasibility of launching firm offering financial advisory services to Small- to Medium-Sized Entities (SMEs) in Antigua. The project background, research context, research objectives, and the terms of reference are introduced in Chapter 1. The investigation is being conducted on behalf of our client and the rationale for the research is documented in Chapter 2. The consultancy project researched the behaviours of SMEs operating in Antigua, the financial advisory services available in Antigua and any gaps that exist in the services provided to SMEs to determine the feasibility of launching the new business using a qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 SMEs and 1 Business Advisor provided primary data. While articles from academic literature and websites provid…