Several arguments have been put forward about the benefits of young people carrying out their own social science research in terms of empowering their voices and their participation. Much less attention has been paid to investigating the understandings young people develop about the research process itself. Seven twelve-year olds carried out…

The paper considers two problematic aspects of the lives of young people: the long-standing issues of truancy from school and more recent concerns about the extent of mental well-being. It uses data from a large-scale survey, the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE). LSYPE provides a very large sample which allows for robust…

This paper reports a case study on working closely with a secondary school, to enhance understanding of disruptive behaviour, through the use of bespoke Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials. This project evolved from the researchers' previous research on the extent to which teachers believe disruptive pupils can control their…

The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of students who report themselves as highly test anxious in a sample of English secondary schools and whether this proportion differed by gender. Self-report test anxiety data were collected from 2435 secondary school students in 11 schools. Results showed that 16.4% of the sample reported…

The paper reports a study that investigated the relationship between students' self-predicted and actual General Certificate of Secondary Education results in order to establish the extent of over-and under-prediction and whether this varies by subject and across genders and socio-economic groupings. It also considered the relationship between…

Recent changes in the English tuition fee policies have spurred a debate on the impacts on student choices for higher education. Expectations range from a sharp decrease in participation in higher education to relatively little change in student demand. We surveyed 1549 year 12 sixth-form students from four institutions spread geographically…

During 2009-2012, one Sixth Form College (SFC) introduced Building Learning Power (BLP) as a new philosophy and framework for learning and teaching. This short paper sets out to explain why and how BLP was introduced, and discusses how effective this process has been.

Retention and continuation are key challenges for educators in higher education; understanding the issues that make either a positive or negative impact on student success and drop-out is therefore pivotal. Previous studies have concentrated around the issues contributing to students' decisions not to continue with their course of study. In…

Examines the values of eleven to sixteen year olds (111 girls and 133 boys) in terms of their philosophies of life, fears, and underlying values. Finds that girls focus on relationships with family, friends, and boys; while activities like sports are the main focus for boys. Includes references. (CMK)

Explores the coverage and effectiveness of child protection training within school-centered teacher training courses in England in the aftermath of the new requirements for these courses. Concludes with a call for a full evaluation of the effectiveness of child protection training within teacher training. (CMK)

Explores evidence of English student interest and achievement in their chosen A-level subjects. Focuses on economics among ten major A-level subjects. Concludes that students may be discouraged to study A-level economics by severe grading at the mid-point of A-level study. Includes references. (CMK)

Reports the view and perceptions of approximately 1,000 Welsh and English students in their final two years of compulsory schooling focusing on self-efficacy, goal orientation and motivation, stress, and interpersonal skills. Finds that most students were positive about their school, their futures, and their perceived control of their life. (CMK)

States that many students feel history and geography do not need to be taught after Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14). Explains that students lack an understanding in correlating the importance of these subjects to their future. Draws from questionnaire data that focused on students' perceptions of history and geography. (CMK)

Investigates the heroes and heroines of 244 school children (11-16) in order to explore both identity development and the socio-cultural factors that shape the self. Finds that (1) almost a quarter of the young people were happy to be themselves and (2) heroes were drawn primarily from the sporting world and media. (CMK)

Describes one aspect of an evaluation of an action-planning initiative to improve pupils' learning in Year 9, focusing on Personal Learning Planning (PLP). Reveals that students did not link PLP with fundamental aspects of effective learning and that outcomes differed for boys and girls. Includes references. (CMK)