This study examined the similarities/differences between the social phenotypes of Williams syndrome (WS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As cultural norms may affect symptom evaluation, this study administered the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 to Japanese individuals with WS (n = 78, 4.4-44.0 years) and ASD (n = 75, 4.7-55.4 years). The scores…

This paper discusses different sources of students' expectations of university, beginning with a thematic analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews with a diverse set of students at a UK University. We find that students draw on several different sources to develop their ideas of what university will be like; some of these sources are trusted more…

Purpose: This study aims to explore the influence of the individual student profile of Hofstede's Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Collectiveness and Long-Term Orientation on student service quality expectations in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Data is collected via a survey consisting of items from a standard Hofstede and a…

Executive function (EF) is critical to students' academic behaviors and well-being. Environmental influences, particularly teacher-student interaction (TSI), play a key role in enhancing EF development. Previous studies have linked TSI quality to children's EF, yet the relationships between subdimensions of TSI--such as closeness, conflict,…

A growing evidence base has demonstrated the value of Forest School as an outdoor learning approach which supports a range of benefits including improved physical, social and mental wellbeing, increased confidence and self-esteem and the development of problem-solving skills. However, critics of Forest School have argued that a lack of theoretical…

We report on a case study using Positioning Theory as the basis for the design of a course to support Chinese international master's students understand and apply critical thinking (CT) within the context of higher education (HE) in the United Kingdom. Our aim was to understand the extent to which students found this helpful in their understanding…

In recent years, English-language voluntourism (EVT) has grown in popularity, with many conceptualizing it as a form of cultural exchange between English speaking volunteers and members of a non-English speaking host community. This article explores relationships between and within volunteers and host groups of an EVT program in Lima, Peru. Using…

Gender inequality in the workplace remains a persistent issue that impacts upon women from their first point of entry into the labour market. In this paper, we explore the experiences, of 20 women in the UK as they take their initial steps onto the career ladder upon graduation. Adopting an interpretive methodology that uses a Bourdieusian…

Background: Increasingly researchers are recognising the importance of including the perspectives of children and young people in research and in the development of interventions and innovations, in order to understand children's lives on their own terms. Purpose: This article reflects on the potential risks posed to children and young people in…

Calls to address concerning evidence surrounding mental health and wellbeing in doctoral researchers have grown internationally in recent years. Adopting an ecological systems approach, this article explores doctoral researchers' perspectives on what influences mental health and wellbeing in early-stage doctoral research. Forty-seven doctoral…

Conceptualising feedback as dialogue places even greater importance on successful interpretation of the message as a crucial step leading to the uptake of feedback. This interpretation is not always straightforward as it takes place through a cultural and linguistic lens that international students bring to feedback conversations. This research…

Parents of deaf children must decide whether to raise their child using spoken and/or signed language. Multilingual parents have the additional decision of whether to use multiple spoken languages (with or without a signed language as well). These communication choices -- which can be both explicit and implicit -- can change over time and are…

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first recognised in Wuhan City, China, has spread rapidly around the world. As a result, record numbers of students are not attending University due to temporary closures mandated by governments in an attempt to reduce the number of cases. The COVID-19 outbreak has created challenges for…

This paper proposes a new conceptualisation of learning in the age of the internet, increasing systemic rigidity of formal education and intensified media manipulation and partiality. Using empirical data and drawing on Social Activity Method it elaborates the different strategies young trans people recruit in their self-learning and contends that…

This article illustrates how the British Council Bangladesh (BCB) made use of panel discussions and commissioned research as policy vehicles to persuade the government of Bangladesh of the value of social enterprises for public service delivery, including in education. Drawing upon Appadurai's notion of 'imagined worlds' in relation to influential…