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Wales Institute of Social & EconomicResearch, Data & Methods
NEWS
Issue 7 June 2013
Findings from the Skills and EmploymentSurvey 2012 (Page 4)
New Research Project on Access toHigher Education (Page 8 - 9)
Dataportal(Page 13)
AL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS
YDLIAD YMCHWILL GYMDEITHASOL AC ECONOMAIDD, DATA SEFYDLIAD YMCHWILL GYMDEITHASOL AC ECONOMAIDD, DATA SEFYDLIAD YMCHWILL GYMDEITHASOL AC
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The past few months have beenan exceptionally busy time forWISERD. Professor Ian ReesJones, the Cardiff Co-Director,has been leading thepreparation of a major bid forWISERD to become a designatedESRC Research Centre,focussing on how structuralchanges (economic,demographic and political) areimpacting on civil society,especially at the local andregional levels.
We are still at a very early stage in theprocess; and competition will beexceptionally stringent. However, if our bidwere successful, it would provide verysubstantial funding over a five year period.Irrespective of the final outcome, theprocess of preparation has been extremelyvaluable, involving not only extensivediscussion between academic colleaguesacross the WISERD network, but also withresearchers in other settings and withpotential research-users in the public,
private and third sectors. Certainly, thishas further strengthened WISERD’scommitment to both research-capacitybuilding activities and knowledgeexchange and transfer.
In the latter context, WISERD has alsobeen heavily involved in the preparation of– what has just been announced to be - asuccessful proposal to run the WelshGovernment’s Public Policy Institute forWales. Originally flagged in the LabourParty manifesto for the last NationalAssembly elections,
this has the potential to be amajor new initiative in thedevelopment of evidence-informed policy; and toprovide a new focus for socialscience researchers toengage with the policy-making process.
It comes at a time when the synthesis andapplication of research is receivingrenewed attention, not least through theestablishment of the What Works Centres,jointly funded by the UK Government andthe ESRC. It remains to be seen, however,in what ways these Centres will relate tothe devolved administrations in NorthernIreland, Scotland and, of course, Wales.
The continuing importance to WISERD ofresearch that has direct relationships withthe development of policy in Wales (andmore widely) is well illustrated in thecontents of this issue of WISERD News.Our educational research is especiallyhighlighted in what follows; and this hasreceived a major boost through thefunding (by the HEFCW) of the WISERDEducation programme. What is significanthere is that this work provides animportant input to policy development notonly within Wales, but also more widelyacross the UK and internationally(especially in other parts of the EuropeanUnion). It is also crucial that this researchenables important methodologicaldevelopments, as well as contributing towider theoretical and analytical debatesacross the social sciences.
An Introductionby the WISERD Director
Professor Gareth ReesWISERD Director
The report begins with a description of thedata used in the empirical analysis: theAnnual Population Survey (APS) and a briefreview of the factors that have been foundto be associated with SWB. The APScontains four different measures of SWB:
• the respondent’s overall satisfactionwith life (Life Satisfaction),
• whether the things they do in life areworthwhile (Worthwhile),
• how happy they felt yesterday(Happiness) and
• how anxious they felt yesterday(Anxiety).
Responses to each of the questions arerequested on a 0-10 scale, where 0represents ‘not at all’ and 10 representscompletely. Although mean levels of SWBare included in the report, the main focusis on the distribution of responses acrossdifferent socio-economic groups. Thisparticularly relates to geographic areasand demographic groups where a low levelof SWB is reported. The report focuses oncomparisons between variations in SWBacross countries of the UK and areaswithin Wales, as well as how SWB varies bydemographic sub-groups within Wales. Inparticular, it identifies groups ofindividuals and areas within Wales wherelow levels of SWB are observed.
Some of the key findings in the report are:
• SWB does not differ greatly across theUK, although there are somevariations. For example, Wales has thehighest proportion reporting very lowlevels of SWB of all four of the homenations for Life Satisfaction andHappiness but is ranked secondamongst the four countries for highlevels of SWB for all of the measures.
• Self-reported health appears to be themost important influence on SWB, with
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The Welsh Government has recently published a report which itcommissioned from WISERD in Swansea relating to the analysis ofSubjective Wellbeing (SWB) in Wales using data from the AnnualPopulation Survey (APS) for April to September 2011. The releaseof these data forms an important part of the Office for NationalStatistics (ONS)’ Measuring National Wellbeing Programme, whichwas launched in November 2010 and aims to develop an acceptedset of statistics that measure Wellbeing in the UK.
those in very bad health reporting byfar the lowest levels of SWB. This isparticularly noticeable for individualswith mental health problems.
• Unemployment is strongly linked withlower levels of SWB. The duration ofunemployment is also important as thelong-term unemployed are far morelikely to report a low level of SWB.
• The influence of personal andhousehold characteristics appears tobe very similar in Wales to other partsof the UK. This is likely to explain therelatively small variation in SWB acrossthe regions of the UK. There arehowever some differences betweensocio-economic characteristicsincluding that:• females report slightly higher levels
of SWB on some measures;• there is generally a U-shaped
relationship between age and SWB;• students and those in employment
tend to report the highest levels ofSWB;
• SWB is lowest for people with noqualifications, divorcees, socialhousing tenants and some ethnicminority groups.
• Although SWB varies across areaswithin Wales, such as between unitaryauthorities, localities with differentlevels of deprivation and rurality,spatial factors are far less importantthan individual characteristics. As aresult differences due to geographyseem to be largely explained bydifferences in the characteristics ofpeople living in different areas.However, unitary authorities located inthe South Wales Valleys tend to featureat the bottom of the SWB rankings,while SWB tends to be higher in ruralareas. Furthermore, splitting areas upinto quartiles based on a deprivationindex, reveals that those living in themost deprived parts of Wales are most
New Research onSubjective Wellbeing in Wales
likely to report very low levels of SWB.• Multivariate regression analysis is
undertaken to control for individual andarea characteristics, in order toproduce a more accurate picture ofprecisely which characteristics areassociated with lower levels of SWB.The results from the descriptiveanalysis largely hold and indicate thatthe strongest influence on SWB is self-reported health. Unemployment alsoremains a very important influence onSWB even after other factors have beennetted out.
• The report also discusses howresearch on SWB in Wales could befurther developed. In particular, it isalso necessary to examine panel datato obtain a more completeunderstanding of the dynamics of SWBin Wales because of the influence ofcertain factors such as the adaption toparticular circumstances.
To download the report:An Analysis of Subjective Wellbeing in Wales:Evidence from the Annual Population Surveyby Professor David Blackaby, Dr StephenDrinkwater, Dr Melanie Jones, ProfessorPhil Murphy, Dr Mamata Parhi and Dr KateRobinson, please go towales.gov.uk/about/aboutresearch/social/latestresearch/wellbeing
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Every five or six years a survey is carried out which collects data on theemployment experiences of British workers. In 2012 the sixth of thesesurveys was carried out by an interdisciplinary team headed byProfessor Alan Felstead of Cardiff University, in collaboration withDuncan Gallie and Hande Inanc (both Nuffield College, University ofOxford) and Francis Green (Institute of Education, London). Like itspredecessors, The Skills and Employment Survey 2012 (SES2012) is anational study of people aged 20-65 who are in paid work. Theoverarching aim of the survey is to collect data on skills andemployment experiences of those working in Britain in 2012, making ita key and distinctive resource for research on contemporary workinglife. In addition to funding for British-wide polls, funds to boost theWelsh sample were successfully sought in 2006 and 2012. In 2006, theFuture Wales Skills Partnership funded the boost, while in 2012 boostfunds came from WISERD.
Two events, sponsored by the Economicand Social Research Council and the UKCommission for Employment and Skills,took place in London during April and Mayto support the launch of national reportsoutlining the first findings from the SES2012. The first event covered the themesof job skills, training and job control inBritain, whilst the second provided anoverview of findings in relation to workintensification, fear at work and job-relatedwell-being in Britain. Key findings fromthe national reports point to theresumption of work intensification inBritain since 2006, reductions in jobrelated well-being, continued increases inqualification requirements and a sharpincrease in fear of job loss.
In July, WISERD in partnershipwith the Bevan Foundation, willhost a launch event to accompanythe launch of a Welsh reportbased on findings drawn from the2006 and 2012 studies.
The report, authored by Professor AlanFelstead in collaboration with Rhys Daviesand Sam Jones (both of WISERD at CardiffUniversity) provides hitherto the mostdetailed picture of work skills and quality
of jobs in Wales. In contrast to the nationalreports, the Welsh study is unique inproviding geographical comparisons ofresults derived from the survey, withresults for Wales being compared to otherparts of Britain. The main report of theWelsh analysis is being accompanied by
the publication to 2 theme based shortreports. Following analysis by the researchteam, the data will be deposited with theUK Data Archive during 2014 (data-archive.ac.uk).
For further information on the Skills andEmployment Survey, including copies ofreports available free for download,please visit the project website:cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/ses2012
Copies of the Welsh reports andsupporting data resources will availablefollowing the Welsh launch event onMonday 8th July 2013.
Working in Wales:First Findings from the Skillsand Employment Survey 2012
To book your place for thelaunch event:Work, Skills and Well-being in Wales:First Findings from the Skills andEmployment Survey 2012on Monday 8th July please visit:wiserd.ac.uk/work-skills-well-being oremail [email protected].
Relationships betweenthe Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diplomaand Higher Education
school students undertaking the WBQ inthree school sixth-forms from acrosssouth Wales, 37 university students whoachieved the WBQ and are now studying atthree different types of universities inWales, the WBQ coordinators from thethree school sixth-form case studysettings, and 12 staff members(admissions tutors, course directors,admissions managers) from the threeuniversity case study settings.The final report presented three sets offindings:• university participation;• progress and outcomes in University;
and• the experiences of the WBQ amongst
university staff and managers.
The evaluation reported two key findings,which demonstrated that the WBQ andaccess to and progress at university areinextricably linked. The first keyconclusion was that there is strongevidence to suggest that the WBQ isenormously valuable in helping studentsto enter higher education. This benefitwould appear to be largely due to theweighting given to the Core component ofthe WBQ as the equivalent of an additionalA-level qualification (at grade A) for (some)university admissions.However, the second main finding was thatthere was also evidence to suggest that
Thedevelopment and successfulimplementation of the WelshBaccalaureate Qualification (WBQ)
represents one of the principal ways inwhich, following parliamentarydevolution in 1999, Wales has developedits response to UK and internationaldebates about the most effective ways ofpreparing young people for highereducation. The WBQ was introduced inSeptember 2003 as a pilot scheme andhas since been rolled out across asignificant number of schools and FEcolleges. The WBQ involves a distinctiveapproach to the organisation of thecurriculum (and associated assessment),combining significant elements ofgeneral and/or vocational education (theOptions, comprising existingqualifications) with the development ofkey skills, research/analysis through theIndividual Investigation, knowledge ofWales’ culture and its place in Europe andthe wider world and wider social andwork related competences (the Core,comprising bespoke provision for theWBQ).
In June 2012 WISERD was awarded thecontract to undertake a research project into the relationship between the WelshBaccalaureate Advanced Diploma andHigher Education for the WelshGovernment. This project was concernedwith one key aspect of the WBQ: namely,its effectiveness in preparing young peoplefor higher education (HE). Therefore, itwas concerned only with the WBQAdvanced Diploma (for which the Optionsare defined in terms of A-levels orequivalent qualifications).
The main aim of the evaluation was,therefore: To examine the relationshipbetween the Welsh BaccalaureateAdvanced Diploma and performance in HE,using robust social research techniques.
The evaluation used a mixed methodsdesign, incorporating a quantitativeelement based on existing large-scaledatasets and a qualitative element thatprovides more detailed insights from 25
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students with the WBQ Core find they areless likely to achieve a ‘good’ degree resultthan equivalent students without the WBQCore, once they are at university.
However, the report also suggests thatthese relationships differ somewhat,depending on the nature of the students.Critically, low-achieving students appearto have the most to gain from having theWBQ in terms of university participation.Although overall levels of HE participationfor relatively high-achieving students donot appear to be affected by having theWBQ, it does confer some advantage interms of entry to Russell Groupuniversities.
Despite these mixed results, the projectfound general support amongst staff andstudents in schools and universities forthe WBQ and its main aims. But equally, itwas acknowledged that there need to beimprovements in the content and deliveryof the WBQ for these benefits to be fullyrealised. The report identified three mainareas in which the WBQ could beimproved:• the way in which the WBQ is promoted
and delivered within centres;• making the WBQ more challenging, in
terms of skills and knowledge; and• greater tailoring of the WBQ Core
components to the particular needs ofstudents.
This summary of the research project istaken from the Executive Summarypublished by the Welsh Government. Thefinal report and complete ExecutiveSummary can be accessed from thefollowing website:wales.gov.uk/about/aboutresearch/social/latestresearch/relationships-between-welsh-baccalaureate-advanced-diploma-higher-education/
For more information about this projectplease contact Professor Chris Taylor:[email protected].
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Surveyingthe Leavers of ESFFunded Training ProgrammesCommencing in 2009, a research team led by Rhys Davies ofWISERD based at Cardiff University has been commissionedby the Welsh European Funding Office to undertake threesuccessive surveys of leavers from training programmessupported by the European Social Fund; referred to as theESF Leaver’s Surveys. Other members of the research teaminclude Professors Max Munday and Gerry Makepeace (alsoof Cardiff University) and Gareth Williams of Old Bell 3 Ltd.Fieldwork for the surveys is undertaken by IFF ResearchLimited.
These surveys provide a detailedinvestigation of the experiences of peoplewho participated in training programmesin Wales and a unique insight in to theeffectiveness of such labour marketinterventions. The team has recently beencommissioned to undertake a fourthsurvey; the 2012 ESF Leaver’s Survey.Fieldwork for the 2012 survey is beingundertaken this summer, with the analysisof the survey being completed during theautumn. This article provides an overviewof what has become an important area ofWISERD’s work over the last four years.
European Social Fundin Wales
The two ESF Operational Programmes(referred to as the Convergence andCompetitiveness Programmes) that arebenefiting Wales for the Programmingperiod 2007 – 2013 are together providinga little over £1.2 billion of investment. Theinterventions that are supported by theProgrammes are wide-ranging, though allrelate to investment in human capital. It isforecasted that approved projects willreach almost 600,000 participants by theend of this programming period. Theinterventions covered by the ESF surveyfall under two broad categories; thoseaimed at improving participation in thelabour market which primarily supportthose not in work (Convergence Priority 2;Competitiveness Priority 1) and thoseaimed at improving progression inemployment which primarily supportthose in work (Convergence Priority 3;Competitiveness Priority 2).
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Overview of the Surveys
Given the scale of the investment, it isclearly essential to evaluate the impact ofmeasures supported by the Programmes,above all in increasing access toemployment for those currentlyunemployed or economically inactive, inraising skills levels, and in increasing thecapacity of those in work to add value totheir economic contribution. The aim ofthe ESF Leavers Surveys is to assist inassessing the effectiveness of labourmarket interventions delivered under theESF Convergence and CompetitivenessProgrammes. The over-arching objectiveof the survey is to understand thecharacteristics, experiences and outcomesof those participating in ESF projects.
The three Leavers Surveys led by WISERDto date have varied in terms of theirdesign, target sample size to be achievedand their coverage of Priority Areas. Forthe 2011 survey, interviews were achievedwith approximately 6000 ESF participantsfrom 34 different projects. The surveyseach collect information on: the pre-entrycharacteristics of ESF participants; theirmotivations for participating in an ESFproject; the skills acquired as a result ofthe intervention and details of the careersof respondents since completing theproject. Employment outcomes, `softer’benefits from learning (such as increasedconfidence) and entry into further learningwere also identified. The interviewsincluded questions to explore participants’levels of satisfaction with their coursesand their perceptions of the benefits thatthey had experienced as a result ofparticipating in an ESF project.
ESF Leavers Surveys
2009a 2010 2011
Fieldwork period Feb/March June/July Sept/Nov
2010 2011 2012
Achieved samples (Number of projects covered) 4,058 (7) 7,507 (19) 6016 (34)
Response rates 60% 50% 48%
a The 2009 survey was conducted in waves, with respondents to the first wave of interviews being re-contactedapproximately 5-6 months later to take part in a shorter follow-up survey. Both the 2010 and the 2011 Surveyswere conducted during a single wave.
Methodological Innovations:Quantifying theEffectiveness of ESF
Any examination of the effectiveness ofESF requires an assessment of whatwould have otherwise happened to theseparticipants in the absence of ESF. It isnecessary to define a control group orsample whose experiences accuratelyreflect the hypothetical, unobservedoutcomes for the treatment group in theabsence of the ESF intervention. Thereport of the 2010 ESF Leavers Survey wasthe first to contain the results ofCounterfactual Impact Evaluation (CIE)techniques, where the labour marketexperiences of respondents to the ESFsurvey were compared with theexperiences of similar groups of people inthe wider labour market. UsingPropensity Score Matching (PSM)techniques, respondents to the ESF surveyhave been matched to respondents to theLabour Force Survey (LFS). The analysisfocussed upon transitions intoemployment made by ESF participantswho were not in work prior to theirparticipation in ESF, comparing theincidence of such transitions with thosemade by otherwise comparable peopleidentified in the LFS.
Further InformationThe commissioning and managementof the ESF Leavers Surveys is led by theResearch, Monitoring and EvaluationBranch of WEFO. Queries regardingthe monitoring and evaluation of ESF inWales can be addressed to the RMEteam at WEFO:
Reports of the 2009 and 2010 Surveysare available from the WEFO websiteat: wefo.wales.gov.uk/. Queriesregarding the content and analysiswithin these reports should beaddressed to Rhys Davies:[email protected].
Whilst CIE techniques have been used inthe evaluation of ESF programmeselsewhere in Europe, this is the first timethat these techniques have been applied todata derived from a combination ofsources. In 2011, members of theresearch team contributed to an experthearing in Brussels on the experiences ofEU Member States on the use of controlgroups in ESF evaluations. Continuity inthe design of key survey instruments inthe ESF surveys means that data fromsuccessive surveys can be pooled. Thisenables the effectiveness of theseinterventions in improving participation inemployment to be assessed for moredetailed groups of ESF participants, suchas those who undertook particular types ofinterventions.
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WISERDBegins a New Researchto Higher EducationAccess to higher education (HE) has become a controversialarea of policy, as successive UK administrations have soughtto balance increasing student fees with ensuring that HE isopen to individuals from as wide a range of socialbackgrounds as possible. Moreover, distinctive approacheshave been adopted in the different devolved administrationsof the UK. For example, currently, the Welsh Governmentpays the increased costs to students resident in Walesarising from the abolition of the fees cap. However, theevidence-base for evaluating different approaches towidening access is relatively weak. Accordingly, WISERD, theHigher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) andthe Welsh Government (WG) are collaborating to develop aninnovative research study in this field.
The project is funded by the ESRC (as partof its Secondary Data Analysis Initiative)and the HEFCW. It runs from 1 January2013 until the end of December 2014. Itwill be led by Professor Gareth Rees, incollaboration with Professor Chris Taylor,Rhys Davies and Dr. Stephen Drinkwater.Two researchers, Ceryn Evans andCaroline Wright, will work on the projectfull-time.
The project will:• Analyse how individuals who are
resident in Wales progress throughsecondary school, into sixth forms andfurther education colleges for post-16education and on to HE; and
• Explore what are the key factors here indetermining whether individualsprogress through the education systemto HE or not.
What are the relative impacts of the socialcharacteristics of individuals, theirprevious educational attainment and theirprogression through the education
system? What does this imply for theeffects of barriers at the point of entry toHE, such as fees levels, entry processesand so forth? Answers to these questionsare known for England, but not for otherparts of the UK.
The analysis will be based on theinnovative use of three linked sources ofinformation, the data for each of which arecollected initially for administrativepurposes. These are:• the National Pupil Database (NPD) for
Wales;• the Lifelong Learning Wales Record
(LLWR); and• Higher Education Statistics Agency
(HESA) data.
By linking the data-sets together, it will bepossible to trace individual trajectoriesthrough the education system to entry toHE. It will also be possible to comparesystematically the trajectories of thosewho do participate in HE with those who donot. Moreover, using appropriate statisticaltechniques, it will be possible to determinewhat are the most influential factors in
shaping patterns of HE participation.Results here will be compared with thosethat have been produced by similaranalyses in England.
A second part of the study (funded byadditional resources made available by theHEFCW) will investigate the developmentof distinctive approaches to wideningaccess to HE by successive Welshadministrations since devolution in 1999.Of key significance here will be:• to establish the rationales that
underpin the approaches adopted inWales; and
• to compare these with those that haveinformed policy approaches in theother countries of the UK and England,in particular; and
• to examine the ways in which nationalpolicies have been implemented by theWelsh universities, paying specialattention to the assumptions about thedeterminants of HE participation thatare in play here.
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Project on Access
This part of the study will be based onfieldwork, comprising the analysis ofofficial and semi-official documents andinterviews with politicians and seniorofficials responsible for widening-accesspolicies; and with the professionals insidethe universities responsible forimplementing these policies.
The project is unusual in that the results ofthe research will be fed directly into thedeliberations of the WG and the HEFCW onthe future development of policies onwidening access to HE, which will beespecially intensive over the next fewyears. Moreover, they will also provide thebasis for working with the professionals inthe universities with responsibility forimplementing widening-access policies, tointegrate the use of analyses ofadministrative data more firmly into theirday-to-day practices.
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a bilingual reading intervention designed to raiseeducational outcomes for young children byincreasing the quality and quantity of adult-childinteractions around reading in the home learningenvironment (HLE).
BooktrustThe link between socio-economicdeprivation and educational attainment iswell established, both in Wales andelsewhere (Egan, 2013). Alleviating theimpact of deprivation on educationaloutcomes, and in closing the associatedachievement gap between advantaged anddisadvantaged learners, has been apriority in Wales since devolution (TheLearning Country, 2001). In 2012 a newnational plan was introduced in Wales toraise standards in 3 to 16 education;Improving Schools (2012a) identified threepriorities for improving educationaloutcomes for learners in Wales: toimprove literacy; to improve numeracy;and to reduce the impact of deprivation oneducational outcomes. The overall successof this plan will be measured against theproportion of 15-year-olds who leaveschool with Level 2 includingEnglish/Welsh and mathematics.
The policy response to these priorities hasbeen extensive, and includes theintroduction of the School EffectivenessFramework, reconfiguration of the wayeducation services are delivered by localauthorities (regional consortia), theintroduction of school banding (currentlyfor secondary schools), additional fundingfor schools in the lowest two bands, theintroduction of a new early yearseducational programme for 3-7 year olds(the Foundation Phase), a fully-fundedMasters in Educational Practice (MEP) fornewly qualified teachers, ambitious GCSEand PISA targets, and more recently theintroduction of the National Literacy andNumeracy Programme. Central to manyof these initiatives has been the provisionof funding for targeted activities designedto raise educational standards, such asthe School Effectiveness Grant andadditional funding for secondary schoolsin the two lowest bands of performance.The introduction of the Pupil DeprivationGrant (PDG) in 2012-13 is designed tofurther support these aims, and to directschools and local authorities to placegreater emphasis on mitigating the effectsof poverty and socio-economicdisadvantage on educational attainment.The PDG has similar aims to the PupilPremium in England.
Dr Kate Moles (WISERD/ School of SocialSciences) is working with Dr Alex Morgan(School of Social Sciences) on a three yearevaluation of Pori Drwy Stori, a bilingualreading intervention designed to raiseeducational outcomes for young childrenby increasing the quality and quantity ofadult-child interactions around reading inthe home learning environment (HLE).This reading intervention is focuseddirectly upon current national policyimperatives to improve the outcomes forall children and to narrow the gapbetween those who do well in educationand those who do not.
The Pori Drwy Stori initiative is bothappropriate and timely in addressingcurrent national policy imperatives toimprove the outcomes for all children andto narrow the gap between those who dowell in education and those who do not.There is good reason to do so. TheProgramme for International StudentAssessment (PISA) tests are designed tomeasure if students at the end ofsecondary school are well equippedacademically to cope with therequirements they are likely to encounterin the future. In the 2009 PISA tests Walesdid not do well, ranking 38th for reading,40th for mathematics and 30th for scienceof the 67 countries that took part; and allbelow England.
A recent report (Estyn, 2011) highlightedthat in a ‘significant minority of schools,there is not enough direct teaching ofreading, and appropriate opportunities forchildren to practise and use their readingskills are not always provided’. It was alsomentioned that ‘children’s written work inmany schools is often limited becausewriting tasks are formulaic andundemanding’. Estyn has also recently
indicated concern that 20% of pupils reachsecondary school with a reading age belownine years and six months, which isconsidered to be the basic level offunctional literacy. Clearly childrenstruggling to learn to read will have greatdifficulty when required to read to learnand so this will impact negatively on theirfuture educational progress.
This evaluation will explore how the PoriDrwy Stori resources and supportmaterials are adopted by parents andpractitioners, and the extent to which theyare increasing or improving:• the quality time that families spend
together• attitudes by parents/carers to reading
and books (for themselves and theirchild)
• the number of rhymes known byparents /carers and their children
• parental confidence around sharingbooks, stories and rhymes and in beinga partner in their child’s learning overtime.
It will document and critically appraise theexperience of children, parents andpractitioners in the first three years of itsoperation in the light of its aims andobjectives. The evaluation will use a rangeof mixed methods; online surveys withparents and teachers following theirreceipt of each set of materials andethnographic research in the classroomand homes of participants.
To listen to Dr Moles and Dr Morgan talkmore about this project please visitWISERD's podcasting page:
Evaluation of thePupil Deprivation Grant
In its first year, 2012-13, the PDG wasworth £32.4 million, and was increased to£36.8 million in 2013-14. The PDG isdelegated in its entirety to schools suchthat, currently, individual schools receivean additional £450 per pupil eligible forfree school meals through the grant.Approximately 1,600 primary andsecondary schools across Wales (justunder 60% of all schools) are eligible toreceive the PDG, although this rangesfrom £450 to £200,000 per school. Schoolsare encouraged to work in Clusters (feederprimary and secondary schools) to ensuregreater effectiveness and value for money.Access to the PDG is conditional and onthe basis of approved Spending PlanForms – a costed annual programme ofactivities that are expected to be in linewith local authority and/or regionalconsortia strategies. Any underspend ofthe PDG is meant to be returned to localauthorities.
WISERD, in partnership with Ipsos-MORI,has been awarded the contract toundertake an evaluation of the PDG. Theevaluation has six main aims:1. Assess the extent to which the overall
aims and objectives of PDG have beenmet;
2. Determine the impact of the PDG onimproving the educational outcomes ofpupils receiving support through PDGfunded provision. This will entailassessing its contributionto improvements instandards of educationand any long-termcapacity building inimproving theeducational attainmentof socio-economicallydisadvantaged pupils;
3. Identify how effectiveLAs, regional consortiaand clusters have beenin ensuring that thegrant is used effectively;
4. Identify the key strengthsof PDG and anyconstraints/issues that mayhave impeded itseffectiveness;
5. Assess the value for money of thegrant;
6. Provide recommendations as to howthe Welsh Government, localauthorities and schools can best buildupon the PDG in meeting the Ministerfor Education and Skills’ priority toreduce the impact of deprivation onacademic attainment.
Following an initial scoping study theevaluation is expected to last two years.The evaluation will have five main phasesusing a mix of primary and secondarysources and analysing qualitative andquantitative data.
Key features of the evaluation are:• Evaluating the implementation of PDG,
including official records of spending(e.g. from Spending Plan Forms) aswell as how this works in practice via aschool survey (if necessary) and schoollevel case study research.
• Evaluating the impact of the PDG onhard attainment and attendanceoutcomes through modelling pupil-level data from the National PupilDatabase (using a difference-in-
difference approach); furthermore, thisanalysis will be linked to data capturedabout the activities the PDG is fundingso that we can understand the impactof different types of PDG spend, as wellas the PDG programme as a whole.
• Evaluating the impact of the PDG onsofter outcomes, principally pupil well-being, and inclusion, etc. We may usethe HBSC survey in Wales as abaseline measure of these softoutcomes in schools with varyingproportions of FSM pupils, and runningan ad hoc follow-up survey early in2015 to measure change over time.Furthermore, this may involveconducting a large number of casestudies towards the mid-point and endof the evaluation, so they captureevidence of both impact andimplementation.
For more information about the evaluationplease contact Professor Chris Taylor inWISERD: [email protected].
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Since its launch at the endof 2012, WISERDEducationhas been making greatprogress. The mostimportant factor in this hasbeen the appointment ofthree researchers to theteam:
Kimberley Horton,Research AssistantAfter finishing a BSc inEducation at CardiffUniversity, Kimberley wasa support worker working
with adults with learning disabilities in thecommunity. Kimberley then acquiredfunding from the ESRC to study for an MScin Social Science Research Methods and aPhD at Cardiff University.
Dr Kathryn Sharp,Research AssociateKathryn completed aPsychology degree atBangor University in 2007and then secured a 1 + 3
ESRC scholarship at the ESRC onBilingualism. For the past four years sheworked on a project assessing theacquisition of gender in Welsh in bilingualWelsh-English speaking children. Kathryncompleted her PhD at Bangor University.
Dr Kevin Smith,Research AssociatePrior to joining WISERD,Kevin worked inNuku’alofa, Tonga as theFellow in Curriculum at
the Institute of Education with theUniversity of the South Pacific. Kevin alsoworked for six years as a secondary schoolteacher in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Duringthis time, he completed a research andteaching fellowship with the University ofWales Trinity St David in Camarthen, Walesconducting ethnographic research anddelivering lectures on social inclusion andcultural studies. Kevin completed his PhDat Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA.
Over the last two months, the team hasbeen busy identifying which secondary andprimary schools will be best placed toparticipate in the cohort studies. So far wehave twelve excellent secondary schoolshelping us with the research and havebegun to collect the baseline data from ourcohorts of Year 8 and Year 10 students.
Over the next few weeks we will beworking with the feeder primary schools toidentify and survey the two youngestcohorts of Year 1 and Year 6 students. Withall but the youngest pupils, we havedecided to use android tablets toundertake the surveys. Although we havehad a few teething problems, we believethese tablets provide a really effective wayof motivating students to participate andare more efficient for data entry than theconventional pen and paper surveysusually used in schools. Next year we willbe interested in exploring the potential ofthe tablets to collect a broader range ofquantitative and qualitative data from ouryoung participants.
Once the baseline data have beencollected, we hope we will have a reallygood platform from which toundertake further
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a progress updateresearch and draw in the enthusiasm andexpertise of education staff across Welshuniversities. We have now visited everydepartment of education in Wales tooutline the opportunities thatWISERDEducation affords. In the comingweeks, we will be having face-to-facemeetings with interested individuals todraw up plans of action and to explore howwe can increase their involvement with theprogramme of research and capacitybuilding. We will take these discussionsfurther at a WISERDEducation roundtablewhich will take place during lunchtime on26th June - the second day of the annualWISERD Conference at the University ofSouth Wales, Treforest Campus. We hopethat you can join us there.
If you have any queries please contactProfessor Sally Power([email protected]) orProfessor Chris Taylor([email protected]).
For moreinformation onWISERD Educationplease scan here:
The WISERD social science data discovery tool
UPDATE on the
WISERD DataportalThe WISERD Dataportal is anexciting and innovative web-based software application,which enhances aresearcher’s ability todiscover socio-economicresearch data related toWales. A working prototype(called the WISERDGeoPortal) was created aspart of the Data Integrationstrand of WISERD phase 1.
The prototype has since been developedinto a fully functioning data search anddiscovery tool allowing researchers toaccess rich meta-data on a whole range ofsocio-economic data sets such as the 2011Census, Labour Force Survey, WelshHealth Survey, British Crime Survey, etc aswell as the qualitative interviewsundertaken during the WISERD phase 1Localities Programme. The meta-datacomplies with national and internationalstandards such as Dublin Core, INSPIRE(Gemini 2) and DDI3. It allows researchers
to quickly ascertain the usefulness of asurvey in terms of questions asked,response categories, sample sizes and thegeographies at which the data areavailable (e.g. Wales only, Welsh LocalAuthorities, Census areas, etc). The meta-data will also provide details of how toaccess the source data, whether fromStatsWales, the ONS or via the UK DataService (UKDS).
Current development work on theDataportal is investigating ways ofaccessing some of the source dataautomatically using data feeds. In theseinstances, the organisation whichmanages the source data makes the dataavailable as an API (ApplicationProgramming Interface) that theDataportal can access and retrieveseamlessly. We are currently working with2011 Census data which is accessible viaan API from NOMIS and ONS.
By searching through the 2011 Censusmeta-data held in the Dataportal,researchers will be able to select datarelated to a question (or questions) andthese data will be brought into theDataportal and displayed bothin table and map formats.Researchers will be able toexport the meta-data andsource data for their own use
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For further information and a link to theDataportal visit:wiserd.ac.uk/resources/wiserd-dataportal
if they wish. As more source data are madeavailable via data feeds (e.g. StatsWales),the meta-data/source data linkages madepossible by the Dataportal will allow foreasier discovery and access to these data.
WISERD recently gained fundingthrough the ESRC’s KnowledgeExchange Funding Scheme to developand disseminate the WISERDDataportal further. As part of thisproject, the Institute will beestablishing a series of user, technicaland steering groups. The aim of thesegroups is to inform the furtherdevelopment of the portal and tofacilitate dissemination to the wideruser community. If you would like to bea member of one of these groups, orfind out more about the WISERDDataportal, please contactDr ScottOrford: [email protected].
For regular updates on the Dataportalplease visit our blog and Twitter feed:
dataportal-development.blogspot.co.uk
@WISERD_data
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‘Understanding Wales’Seminar Series
A recent presentation byProfessor Gareth Reesmarked the end of theUnderstanding Walesseminar series. Jointlyhosted by WISERD@Aberand the Institute of WelshPolitics (IWP), theprogramme brought leadingacademics to AberystwythUniversity to discuss aseries of key social andpolitical processes at workin contemporary Wales, andin an international context.
The first of these sessions was led byProfessor Michael Keating (University ofAberdeen) on the subject of RescalingEurope: The Rise of the Meso Level.Focusing on political restructuring inEuropean States, comparisons were madebetween the politics of devolution inWales, Italy and Spain, and the variousdrivers of change in these differingterritorial contexts.
The subsequent seminar was given byProfessor Jonathan Bradbury (SwanseaUniversity) on the subject of ElectoralInnovation and Devolution in Wales: thebest of both worlds?, with key themesincluding proportional representation andthe politics of coalition. As expected, thispaper provided the basis for aconsiderable discussion on the prospect ofelectoral reform in Wales, with questionsbeing asked in regard to the demand forgreater proportionality, and therelationship between regional andconstituency seats.
Professor John Curtice (StrathclydeUniversity) presented the third paper ofthe series; with the title Is Scotland Set toSeparate? Considering the wider debatesaround Scottish independence, ProfessorCurtice used evidence obtained by theScottish Social Attitudes Survey as a basisfor discussing the public outlook ondevolution in Scotland, with particularreference to the perceived benefits of theunion and the upcoming 2014 referendumon Scottish independence.
The final seminar in the series wasdelivered by the Director of WISERD,Professor Gareth Rees, on the subject ofUniversities, Civil Society and Citizenship.Focusing on development of the highereducation system in Wales, key themesincluded university provision in Wales andthe role of Welsh universities in educatingstudents from across the UK more broadly.In particular, this session invited debateand discussion regarding the‘massification’ of higher education in post-War Britain, and the potential long termimplications of top-up fees for the highereducation system in Wales.
On reflection, each of the sessionsprovided an up-to-date take on issues ofcurrent concern in Wales. This wasreflected in the audiences, which includedacademic staff, students and a wider crosssection of the public, and in the livelydebate which followed each presentation.
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WISERD /Welsh GovernmentEvidence SymposiaWISERD, in partnership with the WelshGovernment, was successful in gainingfunding from the ESRC to support theorganisation of a series of four evidencesymposia, focused on key policy themesrelevant to Wales. Symposia events bringtogether academic researchers withpolicy, public, private and third sectororganisations and individuals, to discusstopics of key policy relevance to Wales.Previous events have included:• Understanding Behaviour Change,
September 2010• Measuring Wellbeing, March 2011 &
June 2012• The Best Start in Life: What do we
know about the impact of earlyinterventions on children’s lifechances? February 2013
• To deliver a programme of researchthat delivers relevant and usefulevidence in support of Welsh policy andpractice
• To provide a sustainable infrastructurefor research and knowledge exchange
• To support researchers to engageeffectively in knowledge exchange
• To create opportunities for a genuinedialogue and shared understandingwith research users
• To improve our communication ofresearch/evidence
• To develop strategic alliances with keystakeholders
• To evaluate the effectiveness ofWISERD’s KE strategy and activities
To take forward the strategy, WISERD iscurrently engaged in a series of activitiesand projects, these include:
WISERD’s work on knowledge exchange and engagementhas continued to develop during the Institute’s secondphase. In 2012, WISERD published its Knowledge ExchangeStrategy which set out seven key priorities for theprogramme, these are as follows:
Update on Knowledge ExchangeUpcoming symposia include:• Health Inequalities in Wales,
September 2013• Social Mobility in Wales, October 2013• Social Care in Wales, February 2013
For further information on the Symposia,visit:wiserd.ac.uk/research/current-projects/welsh-governmentevidence-symposia
Unequal WalesSeminar SeriesOctober 2012 – July 2013Organised in collaboration with the WalesGovernance Centre (WGC) these seminarsexplore patterns of economic and socialinequalities in contemporary Wales.Previous events have included:• Homelessness, legislation and social
justice in Wales• Inequalities in access to higher
education• Welsh speakers and the labour market• Class, lifestyles, and health
inequalities
Further information on the series andfuture events can be found at:wiserd.ac.uk/research/knowledge-exchange/unequal-wales-seminarseries
For further information on the programme, please visit:wiserd.ac.uk/research/knowledge-exchange
If you wish to express an interest in becominginvolved, please contact the WISERD Director of Operations,Victoria Macfarlane:: email: [email protected]; tel: 029 2087 9710
Wednesday 3rd July 2013
Unequal Wales Seminar:Migrant workers in WalesDr Stephen Drinkwater,Swansea UniversityDr Andrew Thompson,University of South WalesVenue:Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay5.45pm – 7.30pm
Friday 5th July 2013
ASCC Seminar: The Role ofCommon Knowledge inAchieving Collaboration AcrossPracticesProfessor Ann Edwards,Oxford UniversityVenue:Cardiff University 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Monday 8th July 2013
Work, Skills and Well-being inWales: First Findings from theSkills and Employment Survey2012Professor Alan Felstead,Cardiff UniversityVenue:Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University12.30pm – 3.30pm
Friday 12th July 2013
NOVELLA Workshop: EnergyBiographies and Family Livesand the EnvironmentVenue:Cardiff University 10.00am – 4.00pm
Monday 22nd July 2013
ASCC Seminar: Talking Points –A Personal Outcomes ApproachDr Ailsa Cook,Edinburgh University& Dr Emma Miller,University of StrathclydeVenue:Cardiff University 2.00pm-4.00pm
Thursday 19th September 2013
From Guidelines to Mindlines:Developing Evidence EnrichedPractice in WalesProfessor John Gabbay & ProfessorAndrée Le May, University ofSouthampton, Professor JoRycroft-Malone, Bangor Universityand Alison Petch, IRISSVenue:Swansea University 9.30am-4.30pm
Thursday 26th September 2013
ASCC Seminar: The EnrichedOpportunities Programme:Developing Evidence EnrichedPractice to Support People Livingwith Dementia in Extra CareProfessor Dawn Brooker,University of WorcesterVenue:Swansea University 11.30am-3.30pm
Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research,Data & Methods
EventsJuly 2013 – September 2013
CH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECONO
GYMDEITHASOL AC ECONOMAIDD, DATA SEFYDLIAD YMCHWILL GYMDEITHASOL AC ECONOMAIDD, DATA SE
Full details of all courses and events are available on theWISERD website: wiserd.ac.uk.
To enquire about WISERD events, please [email protected] or call 029 2087 6318
@WISERDNews
facebook.com/wiserdnews
Introducing the newWISERD website
WISERD now has a new website!Providing easier navigation and a morevibrant user experience. We will beintroducing moredigital and socialmedia over thecoming monthsincluding a WISERDblog, podcasts andvideo. Scan here tosee the latestdevelopments:
NESETlaunch a new onlineresource library
NESET has launched a new onlineResource Library for policy makers,practitioners and researchers interestedin promoting equity and inclusion inEducation and Training. NESET(Network of Experts on Social Aspects ofEducation and Training) is a network ofAcademics across Europe and the rest ofthe world working on social aspects ofeducation and training. For moreinformation scan here:
For moreinformation onWISERD eventsplease scan here:
