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Projects
On this page are
summaries of the following projects:
Click on titles with links below to read more about individual projects.
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Knowledge Exchange on Public Policy in Scotland: Promoting Best Practice on Equality and Human Rights in Scotland |
Summary
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Sheila Riddell and Nick Watson have recently completed an SFC-funded study on the development of research and knowledge exchange on equality and human rights in Scotland (report available at www.creid.ed.ac.uk and summary attached). Whilst there was broad support for the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, key questions remained with regard to understanding the key concepts and implementing policy effectively in key Scottish institutions. This knowledge exchange initiative will enable us to conduct the activities identified by stakeholders, drawing on the expertise of our already established network, which includes representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The Scottish Government has signalled strong support for this knowledge exchange project and a desire to provide additional financial resources. The newly-established Equality and Human Rights Commission is also keen to participate, since its central mission is to promote best practice in relation to equality and human rights in Scotland. The academic partnership between Edinburgh and Glasgow in this area is already well established, and in both universities the involvement of social scientists and lawyers will ensure an inter-disciplinary approach.
Papers and reports to download (PDF format):
full project summary
Project final report
CREID Briefing 15: Knowledge Exchange on Public Policy in Scotland: Promoting Best Practice in Equality and Human Rights in Scotland
CREID Briefing 17: Immigration, Equality and Human Rights
CREID Briefing 19: Dimensions of Persistent Inequality in Scotland
CREID Briefing 20: What does the Human Rights Agenda Have to Say About Care and Dignity? |
Funder
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supported by the Scottish Funding Council |
Project Team
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Lead Academic
Professor Sheila Riddell, Centre for Research in Education, Inclusion and Diversity, The Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh
Contact e-mail: sheila.riddell@ed.ac.uk
Co-investigators in the University of Edinburgh
Professor Jo Shaw, Co-Director, Europa Institute and Salvesen Chair of European Institutions, University of Edinburgh.
Rowena Arshad, Director, Centre for Education in Racial Equality in Scotland.
Co-investigators in the University of Glasgow
Professor Nick Watson, Director, Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research, University of Glasgow.
Professor Jim Murdoch, Chair of Human Rights, University of Glasgow.
Policy Partners
Sue Warner, Head of Social Justice Analysis, Senior Principal Research Officer, Communities ASD, The Scottish Government.
Chris Oswald, Head of Strategy, Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Professor Alan Miller, Chair, Scottish Commission for Human Rights. |
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Literature Review: Skills Development Scotland |
Summary
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The purpose of this literature review is to identify key issues and themes from evaluations and reviews of Scottish Government policy, as well as key evidence from bodies such as the OECD. The focus is on the following three areas:
The specific objectives are the following:
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To identify what is working well and what could be improved in current programmes, policy and delivery within the current remit and service delivery ambit of SDS.
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To provide a comprehensive overview of the evidence base relating to these areas of policy and delivery, identifying common or recurring themes across different areas of activity
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To identify gaps in the evidence base where further research may be beneficial.
Download the final report: Skills Development Scotland - An Overview of the Policy and Delivery Evidence Base (PDF)
Download CREID Briefing 14: An Overview of the Policy and Delivery Base for Skills Development Scotland |
Funder
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Scottish Government |
Start Date
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19th May 2008 |
End Date
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30th September 2008 |
Project Team
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Lyn Tett, Sheila Riddell, David Raffe, Sheila Edward and Elisabet Weedon |
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Reporting on Progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons made by public authorities in Scotland |
Summary
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The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 placed a general duty on all public authorities to have due regard to the need to:
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eliminate discrimination which is unlawful under the Act;
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eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is related to their disability;
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take steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled people more favourably than others;
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promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons; and
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encourage participation by disabled persons in public life.
Specific duties on certain public bodies are prescribed in Scottish regulations first published in 2005 and amended in 2007. These comprise the publication of a Disability Equality Scheme (DES) demonstrating how the body intends to fulfil the general and specific duties: involving disabled people in the development of the DES; carrying out impact assessments; making arrangements to gather relevant information; developing an action plan; taking steps set out in the action plan, within three years; and publishing an annual report. Scottish Ministers are required to publish reports providing an overview of progress made by public authorities and proposals for the co-ordination of action by public authorities to bring about further progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled and non-disabled people.
Our research will investigate the progress made by public authorities in order to inform Ministers’ reports. The study will focus on the extent to which monitoring by public authorities has been undertaken, the barriers they have identified and the specific actions they are proposing to take over the next period of time. Recommendations will be made with regard to further action required to achieve greater equality for disabled people, and the data which needs to be gathered and analysed in order to chart progress over time.
read more about the project |
Funder
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Scottish Government |
Start Date
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April 2008 |
End Date
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October 2008 |
Project Team
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Led by Sheila Riddell. Team members (in alphabetical order): Rowena Arshad; Will Bee; Alan Bell; Philomena de Lima; Sheila Edward; Adam Gaines; Rosemarie McIlwhan; and Judith Mackinlay.
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Religious Education in a multicultural society: school and home in comparative context |
Summary
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This research project explores the transmission of religious and secular beliefs and values through the education system and the family in Scotland. It is part of a collaborative European project which includes Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Ireland and Malta. The research will use case studies of three to four primary schools selected to capture diversity in school policy and practice. The key aim is to provide a holistic picture of the interaction between home and school in shaping the transmission of religious and secular belief systems.
The study addresses the following specific research questions:
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How does the structure and nature of the education system impact on the inclusion of secular, majority and minority religious groups?
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How does the structure within which school choice (at both primary and secondary levels) takes place affect the degree of segregation between religious groups? What consequences does any such segregation have for inter-group relations?
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What role do religious affiliation and religious or secular beliefs play in parents’ choice of primary school and subsequent choice of secondary school for their children? How is religion balanced against other factors, such as academic reputation, social mix, gender mix and location?
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What is the role of the school in terms of (i) formal policies and practices and (ii) informal climate/ethos in the religious education of primary school children?
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Do tensions arise between school and family over the religious formation of primary school-going children? What tends to happen in these circumstances?
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How do primary school-going children view their own religious and social identity in the context of both home and school?
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Do parents and children see differences between secular ethical beliefs and religiously-informed ethical beliefs?
For further information about the project contact: Professor Sheila Riddell, e-mail: Sheila.Riddell@ed.ac.uk; phone: 0131 651 6597
download "Country Notes: Scotland" working paper (PDF format - new version uploaded 14 Jan 09)
download literature review working paper (PDF format)
download "Report of the key informant interviews" working paper (PDF format) |
Funder
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European Union, 7th Framework |
Start Date
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January 2008 |
End Date
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December 2009 |
Project Team in Edinburgh
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Sheila Riddell, Sheila Edward, Elisabet Weedon, Linda Ahlgren |
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Summary
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The UK and Scottish Governments are both promoting proportionate dispute resolution as the most effective way of addressing disputes between the individual and the state in some cases. This is because courts and tribunals are judged to be expensive, time consuming and potentially stressful for participants. As a result, many people who could potentially take a case to court or tribunal choose not to do so. To encourage individuals to resolve disputes at the lowest possible level, providers of public services have been encouraged to engage in informal negotiation with service users, in addition to providing opportunities for formal mediation, conciliation or arbitration. Such approaches, which were first applied to the fields of employment and family law, have recently been extended to education, in particular special educational needs (England) and additional support needs (Scotland). Despite the growing emphasis on dispute resolution and avoidance, there is little empirical data on how these approaches are experienced by participants and whether they are effective in their goal of reducing the flow of cases to courts and tribunals. This research will fill a gap in existing knowledge by examining the use and experience of dispute resolution and avoidance in relation to special and additional support needs, and the wider impact of dispute resolution and avoidance on the education system.
Special and additional support needs is an area where there is considerable potential for conflict between parents, local authorities and schools. This is, in part, a result of the scope for disagreement over what constitutes the best education for a child with learning difficulties and the considerable costs which may be attached to non-standard forms of provision.
In England, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal has been operating since 1995, and until recently, experienced considerable year on year growth in the number of cases referred. In Scotland, there is less of a tradition of recourse to court, and the Additional Support Needs Tribunal has only been in place since 2005. There is now a legal obligation on local authorities in both countries to provide formal mediation services, and other forms of dispute resolution are also available, for example, an adjudication system exists in Scotland to deal with certain types of cases and the Equality and Human Rights Commission offers conciliation services. Evidence from pilot work suggests considerable variation in the use of mediation services by local authority. The extent to which there is a direct association between the uptake of mediation and a decline in tribunal use in England, or a generally low use in Scotland, will be explored. Explanations of the relationship between recourse to court or tribunal and experiences of mediation will be investigated. To summarise, this research will examine: (1) the strategies used by schools and local authorities to prevent disputes arising in the field of special and additional support needs; (2) the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in place and the way in which these are experienced by parents and service providers; (3) the success of ADR approaches in reducing the number of cases referred to courts. |
Funder
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ESRC |
Start Date
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January 2008 |
End Date
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September 2009 |
Project Team
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A collaborative project between the Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh and the School of Law, University of Manchester
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A Feasibility Study into setting up a Scottish Centre for Research on Equality and Human Rights |
Summary
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The feasibility study will investigate::
Current research landscape, Scotland, UK and international:
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to determine the range of equality research across Universities in Scotland;
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to examine appropriate models of equality applied elsewhere, such as those found in different parts of the UK, different European countries, North America, Australia, and New Zealand and compare and contrast how these countries have approached mainstreaming equality issues;
Partner attitudes and requirements:
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to document how people from a range of organisations including the Scottish Executive, Equality Bodies, Trade Unions, the Voluntary Sector and the Scottish CBI feel about such a Centre and the possibilities it offers them;
The international context
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to explore the positioning of the centre internationally in terms of both the international recognition of its research outputs and their relevance to other countries
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to explore the balance and tensions in a Centre between Scottish focus and international relevance
Next steps
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to look at the possibility of setting up collaborative research with colleagues from Wales and Northern Ireland on Equality and Devolution
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to identify opportunities for funding from the ESRC and other potential funders.
The feasibility study will look into setting up a Centre which will be inter-disciplinary in nature, providing the research infrastructure for effective interactions between diverse disciplines including, for example, sociology, law, politics and business. The scope for such a centre to act as a knowledge hub and undertake and disseminate high quality, strategic, applied, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, national and international research in the broad field of equalities and human rights will also be explored. We will look at the possibility for the development of a Centre which will forge links between a wide range of stakeholders including the business community, the public sector, voluntary organisations, academics, policy makers and local communities.
Download project final report and executive summary (PDF format)
Download CREID Briefing 10: Report of a Feasibility Study Into Setting Up a Scottish Centre for Research on Equality and Human Rights
Download project working papers (PDF format):
Working Paper 1 - Equality and Human Rights: Key Concepts and Issues, Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Working Paper 2 - Policy Review: Equality and Human Rights, Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Working Paper 3 - Human Rights Bibliography, Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Working Paper 4 - Digest of Research on Equality, Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Working Paper 5 - Report on key informant interviews, Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Working Paper 6 - Mainstreaming Equality: An International Perspective, Joanna Ferrie, Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research, University of Glasgow
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Funder
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Scottish Funding Council |
Start Date
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2007 |
End Date
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2007 |
Project Team
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University of Glasgow (lead institution): Prof Nick Watson (Co-director)
University of Edinburgh: Prof Sheila Riddell (Co-director) |
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Summary
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This collaborative project, conducted by staff at the Universities
of Gloucestershire, Central Lancashire, Lancaster and Edinburgh,
investigates the learning experiences and learning outcomes of
students with impairments in higher education. Find more information at http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase111/fuller.htm
download CREID Briefing 12: Disabled Students in Higher Education - Experiences and Outcomes |
Funder
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Start Date
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2003 |
End Date
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2007 |
Project Team
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Professor Mary Fuller, University of Gloucestershire
Dr Andrew Bradley, University of Gloucestershire
Professor Mick Healey, University of Gloucestershire
Professor Alan Hurst, University of Central Lancashire
Gillian Oddy, University of Gloucestershire
Dr Linda Piggott, Lancaster/UCLA
Professor Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Terry Wareham, Lancaster University
Dr Elisabet Weedon, University of Edinburgh |
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Summary
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This is a four-country (UK) study of a relatively new and
radical form of welfare provision, direct payments, conducted
by leading
centres for disability research in England and Scotland. The
research explores national and local variations in the implementation
of direct payments, and the power relations that underpin these
differences.
Download final report: part 1; part 2; part 3 (PDFs)
Download the TLRP Research Briefing (PDF) |
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The Implementation of Direct Payments for People who use Care Services |
Summary
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The over-arching aim of the research is to evaluate the implementation of direct payments policy in Scotland. It will review the impact of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, identify why some people choose not to take up direct payments and examine differences in uptake between different client groups. Finally, it will identify good practice as well as barriers to effective implementation of the direct payments scheme by local authorities and support organisations. |
Funder
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Scottish Parliament |
Start Date
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2005 |
End Date
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2006 |
Project Team
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Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Jane Mulderrig, University of Edinburgh
Linda Ahlgren, University of Edinburgh
Charlotte Pearson, University of Glasgow
Nick Watson, University of Glasgow
Hazel McFarlane, University of Glasgow
Victoria Williams, University of Glasgow |
Papers to download: |
CREID Briefing 6: The Implementation of Direct Payments in Scotland for People Who Use Care Services |
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Literature Review of Pupils with Additional Support Needs |
Summary
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This literature review contains the following broad elements:-
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A comparative review of definitions of children with special/additional support needs and definitions of types of placement.
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A review of approaches to pedagogy and curriculum for children with special/additional support needs.
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Funder
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Scottish Executive Education Department |
Start Date
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March 2006 |
End Date
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May 2006 |
Project Team
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Sheila Riddell, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity,
University of Edinburgh
Kay Tisdall, Department of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh
Jean Kane, St Andrews Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow
Jane Mulderrig, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity,
University of Edinburgh |
Papers to download: |
CREID Briefing 5: Literature Review of Pupils with Additional Support Needs |
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Summary
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In light of the European Union's equal treatment principles
and a new focus on mainstreaming equality, this seminar series
focuses on the implementation of equality policies in different
policy arenas and in different parts of the UK. |
Funder
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Start Date
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2004 |
End Date
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2005 |
Project Team
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Professor Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Dr Anne Stafford, University of Edinburgh
Professor Linda McKie, Glasgow Caledonia University |
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The Treatment of Equalities in Regeneration Outcome Agreements |
Summary
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The project considers the extent to which Regeneration Outcome Agreements in Scotland take account of equality issues by formulating a mainstreaming equality policies, developing projects with a view to meeting the needs of specific equality groups, engaging with equality groups in the community and explicitly setting up monitoring processes to consider the outcomes for particular groups. |
Funder
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Communities Scotland |
Start Date
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25/05/05 |
End Date
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31/08/05 |
Project Team
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Roseann Maguire
Sheila Riddell |
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Summary
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This project explores the reasons and possible solutions for an imbalance of men and women in the teaching profession. |
Funder
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Scottish Executive Education Department |
Start Date
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Jan 2005 |
End Date
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June 2005 |
Project Team
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Professor Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Professor Lyn Tett, University of Edinburgh
Dr Anne Stafford, University of Edinburgh
Alan Ducklin, University of Edinburgh |
Papers to download: |
CREID Briefing 2: Gender Balance of the Teaching Workforce in Publicly Funded Schools in Scotland |
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Summary
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As a result of recommendations of the Discipline Task Group,
funds were channelled to local authorities to fund additional
staff to promote positive school discipline. This research investigates
the use of the funds in different local authorities. The research
also included a survey of teachers' perceptions of school
discipline. |
Funder
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Scottish Executive Education Department |
Start Date
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2003 |
End Date
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2004 |
Project Team
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Professor Pamela Munn, University of Edinburgh
Dr Gwynedd Lloyd, University of Edinburgh
Professor Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Dr Gale McLeod, University of Edinburgh
Dr Gillean McCluskey, University of Edinburgh
Jean Kane, University of Glasgow
Professor John Fairley, University of Strathclyde
and colleagues |
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Summary
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This project reviews GB and Scottish policy and research on
disability and employment. |
Funder
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Scottish Executive Equalities Unit |
Start Date
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2003 |
End Date
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2004 |
Project Team
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Professor Sheila Riddell, University of Edinburgh
Dr Pauline
Banks, University of Glasgow |
Link to report |
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/desreb-00.asp |
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Evaluation of ENQUIRE, the Scottish Advice Service for Additional Support for Learning |
Summary
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The Scottish Executive commissioned CREID to conduct an evaluation of services of ENQUIRE. CREID will also undertake an options review of the possible mechanisms for delivering the service from 2007/08 onwards. These aims will be addressed in two separate reports. |
Funder
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SEED |
Start Date
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01/08/05 |
End Date
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31/12/05 |
Project Team
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Sheila Riddell
Anne Stafford
Roseann Maguire
Linda Ahlgren
Catherine Burns |
Status |
Completed |
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Equality and Diversity in the Further Education Workforce |
Summary
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Following the European Employment Directives, organisations such as FE colleges have new duties to ensure that they do not discriminate against their staff on six grounds (gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion/belief). Currently, little research has been conducted on equality issues in Scottish colleges. The Funding Councils and the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) have commissioned CREID to conduct some research on equality and diversity in the Further Education workforce in Scotland. This research will break important new ground in terms of identifying how FE colleges are currently monitoring equality in relation to staff employment and the uses to which these data are being put.
In collaboration with Helene Witcher at the SFEU. |
Funder
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SFEU |
Start Date
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01/07/05 |
End Date
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31/12/05 |
Project Team
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Sheila Riddell
Elisabet Weedon
Judith Litjens
Linda Ahlgren |
Status |
Completed |
Papers to download: |
CREID Briefing 3: Equality & Diversity in the FE Workforce |
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