Michelle Heys’ Post

We are recruiting three research fellows to work in Equalise, our new ESRC Centre at UCL. See the link below and feel free to share widely. https://lnkd.in/eUUTMERn One each to conduct research as part of Equalise: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity on: • place-based health inequalities from a life course perspective • the role of work – the working environment, job characteristics and participation – in reducing health inequalities from a life course perspective • the role of care – both childcare and adult care, generally unpaid – in reducing health inequalities from a life course perspective

🗣️ Join us in-person or online tomorrow, Tuesday 21st May at 11am, when we'll host Dr Laurel Fish & Dr Livia Bernardi from the Centre For Longitudinal Studies at UCL, for the CFR Seminar Series. Sign up: https://bit.ly/3tMQYOJ Evidence indicates substantial and growing disparities in educational attainment and data from a range of studies indicate that these inequalities are established very early in development, long before formal schooling begins. In scientific and policy terms, it is critical to identify malleable risk factors linked to these early inequalities to inform policy and intervention. The Children of the 2020s is a new nationally representative longitudinal birth cohort study of families in England UK, and is a collaboration between University College London, Ipsos, the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Birkbeck. It will examine how differences in the early life and home environment influence infant and child developmental competencies, including language, cognition and socio-emotional development. Fieldwork for the first wave of data collection took place between June and November 2022, where over 8,500 families were recruited into the study when their child was nine months old. These families will be followed annually up to when their child is five years. The talk will provide an overview of the study design, methodology,our plans for data sharing, and share early findings from the first wave of data collection.  #CFRSeminars

The hypocrisy of the universities lobby: The universities lobby group, Universities UK has called for an increase in #studentfees to £13,000 a year ahead of the #AutumnBudget. IF researcher Tobias Whelton argues not only are these calls intergenerationally unfair but they are also cynical: https://lnkd.in/e2KpwEaN Interest #intergenerationalfairness #highereducation #HigherEd #studentloans #maintenanceloans #livingcosts is #students #NUSUK #mentalhealth #youngpeople Department for Education

It’s #neurodiversitycelebrationweek here in the U.K. There are lots of events to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e2ghBvhW And for one small action right now, how about contributing to the short survey below 👇

A Worksheet to Quantify Social and Digital Media Content as Scholarly Products for Academic Promotion "Social and digital media contributions are a timely way of adding to the public discourse, serve as an online footprint of public contributions that a faculty member has made on behalf of their institution, can increase community trust, and serve as a public commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. Thus, such contributions should be considered significant and meritorious in a promotion package." Read about how a diverse group of 6 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine academics created a consensus worksheet for the inclusion of social and digital media contributions in a promotion package: https://ow.ly/6BJB50QKQ9e. #academicmedicine #medicaleducation #socialmedia #digitalmedia #scholarship #promotion

I am very pleased to share my contribution to a chapter in the book: Researching Social Inequalities in Higher Education: Access, Diversity and Inclusion. Boliver, Vikki.; Siddiqui, Nadia. In Chapter 5: The experiences of working-class medical students in England and Portugal I discuss how elite institutions in both countries, through their “institutional habitus” influence the experiences of working-class students in a very similar way between countries. However, I bring a reflection on how these experiences can be facilitated through academic capital as an exchange for medical students in Portugal in the elite field, which is not the case in England. https://lnkd.in/erMrJ4AR

New paper from DEAR deputy director James Burford 📢 Written with Katrina McChesney and Liezel Frick titled "Living the best way possible: Distance doctoral students navigating care for others and themselves": https://lnkd.in/gUsTEP6i The paper is part of a special issue "Radical disruptions: Regenerating care-full academic norms" edited by Marie-Pierre Moreau and Genine Hook: https://lnkd.in/gB_2hyVv Abstract: Caring responsibilities can shape how students negotiate access, experience and success in doctoral education. However, norms that construct the ideal university subject as ‘carefree’ continue to circulate, framing the experiences and expectations of doctoral students, their supervisors, and others who work with them. This paper shares care-related insights from an international survey involving 521 doctoral students across 42 countries who undertook their studies wholly or partly off-campus. Over half of these respondents had caring responsibilities for others, underlining the importance of distance modes for student carers. Many carer respondents felt distance modes offered the best way possible to organise life, education, and caring responsibilities. Care for self was also an important thread throughout the data, encompassing students managing specific physical or mental health needs as well as being proactive in caring for themselves through the challenges of doctoral education. Finally, in terms of care that respondents received rather than provided, peer connections with other doctoral students were emphasised as critical sites of care that enabled wellbeing and success. Given that both off-campus students and student carers have often been rendered less visible in higher and doctoral education, this paper brings new insights into the important nexus between distance study and care – in multiple forms – for doctoral students.

🧑🏫 Academic Freedom in America — In Support of Institutional Voices 🧑🏫 The debate over academic freedom and institutional obligations has been reinvigorated by public statements made by a Stanford faculty member in 2020 regarding COVID-19. These statements have brought to the forefront the critical balance between individual academic freedom and the responsibility of institutions, especially in matters of public health. Academic freedom is a cornerstone of higher education, allowing scholars to explore, research, and express diverse perspectives without fear of censorship. However, when public health is at stake, institutions have a duty to ensure that the information disseminated aligns with scientific evidence and public safety measures. The challenge lies in maintaining the integrity of academic discourse while upholding public trust. Institutions must navigate the fine line between supporting their faculty's freedom of expression and addressing potentially harmful misinformation. This debate underscores the need for clear policies and open dialogue within academic communities to balance these sometimes conflicting interests. As we move forward, it is essential to support institutional voices that prioritize evidence-based information while respecting academic freedom. This approach ensures that universities remain spaces for intellectual exploration and societal responsibility. 🧑⚕️🔬🧑🎓 #AcademicFreedom #PublicHealth #InstitutionalResponsibility https://lnkd.in/dh3YxVvg

ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council #impact funding has been awarded to Marion Heron at the University of Surrey, to develop a task-based approach to doctoral education 🎓 Recent research has highlighted the changing nature of doctoral education, which is viewed as a 'practice' within research, with little recognition of the role of pedagogy, the method and practice of teaching. The changing landscape of doctoral education has also had an impact on supervisors who need guidance on how to best support their doctoral students. The team, including Gill Adams, Helen Donaghue and Lisa McGrath, are working with doctoral students to co-construct pedagogic principles and resources for doctoral education, evaluating their impact on supervisors and students. These will be organised into several broad themes: developing researcher identity, understanding the disciplinary context, understanding doctoral literacies and working with genres - and will be made available online through open access. Find out more here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eySu3FCY #doctoraleducation #doctoralsupervision #pedagogy #supportingstudents #supportingteaching #creatingimpact #education #research #impactatsurrey

Schools are more than educational spaces; they are social institutions that play a key role in transmitting values through processes of socialization and enculturation. Teachers, as pivotal figures in this process, shape their pupils' development through their value-related educational goals. But what factors influence teachers' value-related educational goals? Are they purely personal, or do they reflect broader societal values? 📚These questions are addressed in our latest publication: "Value-Related Educational Goals of Primary School Teachers: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study in Two European Countries". 🎉 A special congratulations to Thomas Oeschger, the first author, who recently completed his PhD on the topic at the Institut für Bildungswissenschaften (IBW) | Universität Basel, Universität Basel! This collaborative study, co-authored with Thomas Oeschger, Elena Makarova, Ella Daniel, and Anna Doering, explores: 1. Differences in value-related educational goals of primary school teachers in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 2. The alignment of teachers' value-related educational goals with their countries' national value orientations, based on the European Social Survey (ESS). Key findings: Significant cross-national differences in value priorities among teachers. A strong correlation between teachers' value-related educational goals and their societies’ prevailing value profiles. These results highlight the deep connection between value education in schools and societal contexts, offering insights into cross-national educational priorities. 🔗 Curious to learn more? Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gNVB3U4R #Education #ValuesInEducation #CrossCulturalResearch #PrimaryEducation #TeacherDevelopment