In January 2019 the University of Derby delivered its first module entirely dedicated to and structured around editing and writing articles for Wikipedia. The course focused on using Wikipedia as a means to improve students' skills in writing for public consumption, in addition to enhancing their digital and collaborative skills. Students…

This article describes a study of early childhood teachers' understanding of teaching and learning in children 4 and 5 years of age in technology education. The research aimed at assisting teachers' understanding of learning in technology using a developed framework. This study investigated the development of dispositions and attitudes including…

This paper reports on an existing undergraduate academic skills module where the assignment, a printed portfolio, has been replaced with an online portfolio. Qualitative feedback reveals that students most valued the provision of rapid and regular feedback on work, and had a raised awareness of employability goals. Tutors most valued the ability…

Students undertook a one-hour urban ecology activity based on the University of Leeds campus. The aims of the session were (1) to help students to link ecological theory to practice and (2) to encourage students to begin to think about and develop an online professional identity. Students were encouraged to tweet throughout the session and were…

The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not Techniques of Change associated with Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) could enhance engagement with learning for boys in the post-16 education setting. This was an action research case study that utilized a mixed methods approach. Participants were coached by a qualified NLP practitioner…

The psychological environment of schools is a powerful determinant of staff well-being and educational outcomes for children. The work reported here explored teachers' Collective-Efficacy (CE) and well-being. Staff in a sample of schools completed a survey of their CE. A sub-sample of teachers was interviewed to elicit views about the relationship…

Active learning is recognised as a crucial component of university courses in enhancing performance and retention. However, universities face numerous challenges in broadening the provision of active learning, including time constraints, and a lack of staff training and confidence to develop appropriate activities. This article outlines an…

This paper reports the findings of a small-scale empirical study into the practice learning experiences of black African students of social work in England. Undertaken in the form of a pilot study, the findings reveal that practice learning experiences can be beneficial in enhancing skills and knowledge but can also cause distress, lower…

Previous studies by the Primary Schools Research and Development Group at the University of Birmingham (England) raised questions about the nature of the professionalism to which primary school teachers lay claim. This study, intended to explore professionalism among teachers of young children, looked "back" over aspects of the history…