News and Blog

The Welsh Government’s flagship Foundation Phase has led to overall improvements in pupil’s educational achievements, their well being and their engagement in learning according to  new research published today. The findings follow a three year programme of independent evaluation, commissioned by the Welsh Government and undertaken by researchers at Cardiff University and the Wales Institute…

In recent years the political, economic and social climate in which volunteering by older adults occurs has changed significantly, with the onset of an economic downturn, concern about pensions, a change in the public policy context for volunteering following a change of government, and the abolition of default retirement age. The notion of ‘unretirement’ is…

Delegate bookings for the WISERD Annual Conference 2015 are now open! Details about how to register can be found on our events page The 2015 conference is the sixth annual WISERD conference, and follows on from five successful conferences, held in the Universities of Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor, South Wales and Aberystwyth.  Bringing practitioners, policy makers and…

A new social research centre has been launched at Swansea University. Minister for Finance and Government Business, Jane Hutt AM, officially launched the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales at an event at Swansea University on Monday,  March 23, 2015. The Administrative Data Research Centre Wales, led by Swansea University’s Medical School in partnership with the…

On Monday 23rd March, 2015,  Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Government Business, officially launched the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales at an event at Swansea University. The Administrative Data Research Centre Wales, led by Swansea University’s College of Medicine in partnership with the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD) at Cardiff University,…

Dr Kevin Smith, a Research Associate with WISERD Education Kevin Smith is excited to announce he has been offered a contract to write his first book. He was approached by Palgrave Macmillan to write ‘Curriculum, Culture and Citizenship Education in Wales’ which will examine citizenship education in schools in Wales and the curricular complexities that…

With just 50 days until the UK general election the opinions of young people are becoming ever more important to politicians. However research suggests that young people are becoming increasingly disengaged from the political system, with many feeling that politicians are failing to discuss the issues which matter to them. Only 41% of those aged 18 to 25…

Today the heart breaking news of the death of best-selling author Sir Terry Pratchett weighs heavily on my mind. Sir Terry died on Thursday 12th March, 2015, following an 8 year battle with Alzheimer’s disease; a disease I lost someone very dear to me to a few years ago. Sir Terry never shied away from talking…

The Furlong Report, published this week, has highlighted the invaluable work undertaken by WISERD Education, and calls for further funding to be injected into the project. The report was written by Emeritus Professor John Furlong, of the University of Oxford, who was appointed by Welsh Education Minister Huw Lewis last year as an adviser on initial teacher…

The Furlong report on future of teacher education in Wales stressed the importance of the work WISERD and WISERD Education undertakes. A copy of the report can be accessed by following the link below. http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/150309-teaching-tomorrows-teachers-final.pdf