Muscular fitness (MF) is an important modifiable factor to improve overall health. Schools offer a unique opportunity to deliver MF activity during physical education (PE) and develop competence to engage in various activities across the life course. However, the implementation of school-based MF activity may be impaired by some teachers reporting…

Over recent years, the professional development review process has risen in importance in universities with such exercises being shown to have a positive effect on student learning, staff motivation, recruitment and retention. However, they may also be perceived as a controlling mechanism and part of a culture of 'performativity', which implies a…

Tutors play an important role in effective Mathematics Learning Support, and ensuring good initial training and development is key. Typically, in the UK and Ireland, tutors do not gain any formal recognition for the training they receive. This paper details a four competences model of training for tutors and presents the analysis of feedback from…

Much research investigates why women do not participate in physics, or why female attrition in physics is high; this study focuses on elite female academic physicists and how they have persisted and succeeded in their fields. As opposed to researching reasons for attrition or not participating, this study focuses on six elite female academic…

Institutional Research associations across the world are re-imagining and redesigning their professional development and capacity building activities. This paper outlines the professional development activities of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in the United States (est. 1966), the European Association for Institutional Research…

This study focuses on the problem solving skills in technology-rich environments of teachers. PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) data on adults' (n = 11,294) competencies, is used to investigate how problem solving skills of teachers are associated with sociodemographic, work-related, and everyday-life related…

This article presents findings from a small-scale qualitative study of student perceptions of a High Achievers' Recognition Scheme in a faculty within a UK university. This scheme is unusual in UK higher education in that it provides tailored support and development for students who have been identified as high-achievers. The findings suggest…

Employability and skills development are contemporary issues in higher education. For vocational-professional disciplines, such as engineering, the signature pedagogy directs teaching and learning towards acquiring scientific knowledge. Engineering employers have called for graduates to be more work-ready and trained in team-working, communication…

In this impact study, Institute of International Education's (IIE's) evaluation team looked into the achievements and impact of IIE's trustees Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) scholars following the completion of their fellowships. In doing so, the evaluation team explored scholars' post-fellowship impact through four lenses: (1) the IIE-SRF…

Across the sporting landscape, there has recently been increased interest in how best to facilitate Coach Developer (CD) learning. The framework of Landscapes of Practice (LoP) encourages us to consider how CD learning can be better understood through consideration of individual negotiated identity as a process of engagement, imagination and…

Academic excellence is brought about by effective leadership, which may encompass the concept of distributed leadership, which signifies a collective engagement. However, leadership positions within higher education are frequently filled with scholars lacking leadership skills and experience, which can be detrimental both to their performance and…

This paper explores the different epistemologies that define the Professional Doctorate, paying close attention to how Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) doing a Professional Doctorate reconcile academic and professional knowledge. Through a narrative exploration of the literature published since the first UK Professional Doctorates were awarded in…

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a substantial, but hitherto largely unappreciated component of lifelong learning and education (LLL/LLE). CPD encourages analysis of the LLL/LLE of those with high education in early years. It draws attention to the influence of particular organisations, professional associations and regulatory bodies,…

The concept of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is now being increasingly used as a tool to evidence excellence in teaching (Hutchings & Shulman, 1999; Kreber, 2002), support for academic promotion (Hutchings et al, 2011) and professional recognition within UK Higher Education (UKPSF, 2011). However, SoTL is not yet fully embedded…

Higher education institutions have developed postgraduate work based curricula to incorporate employer perspectives regarding the learning and development needs of the professional workforce. Within these work based curricula there is an assumption that work based projects have some sort of utility and impact for the work place alongside the…