News and Blog

Ann Keane, former HM Chief Inspector at Estyn, delivered our first keynote address of the WISERD 2015 Annual Conference. Ann discussed what she’d learnt throughout her 5 years at Estyn, and what she regarded as the key issues for Welsh education moving forward. Ann Keane, former HM Chief Inspector at Estyn, delivered our first keynote…

What effects do different environments have upon stress levels in the human body? What affect does it have upon our well-being and health? In order to test this in June 2014 WISERD’s biomapping project was invited by BBC Coast to ‘stress-test’ its presenter Nicholas Crane. The WISERD funded biomapping research project, led by Professor Chris Taylor (WISERD) and Dr Jon Anderson (CPLAN), ‘stress-tested’ the BBC…

At the WISERD conference I talked about what people expect from an inspectorate of education and training in Wales and I outlined the methods that inspectors use to come to professional judgements about standards in education.  I also talked about standards in the education system and the challenges that continue to exist. Inspectorates offer public…

WISERD, in partnership with the Research Institute for Applied Social Science (RIASS) and the Academy of Social Science, have today launched a new booklet showcasing the vast array of social science research taking place in Wales; titled ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences 10 – Wales’. It includes a new study by Welsh researchers which…

Professor W. John Morgan, an honorary professor at WISERD and the Cardiff School of Social Sciences, has co-chaired a senior panel of experts that has produced a major report for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on the future of education in the 21st century. Professor Morgan was appointed to chair the panel…

Ann Keane was interviewed by Made in Cardiff TV following her keynote address at the WISERD 2015 Annual Conference. A link to the video coverage of the event can be found below.

The concept of well-being is very slippery as it has many different meanings and applications. With politicians and governments increasingly using it as an adjudicating value for how policies should be formulated and implemented (including, most recently, the Welsh Government’s Social Services and Well-being Act 2014), it has become especially important to take a step back…

Wales’ Largest Social Science Conference Comes to Cardiff Wales’ largest social science conference is taking place at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium next week. Now in its sixth year, the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD) Annual Conference brings together practitioners, policy makers and social scientists to discuss and debate a range…

Nursery World give coverage to the  Foundation Phase report, which can be found below. https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1151756/play-based-foundation-phase-improving-outcomes

The release of the WISERD Education’s report to HEFCW – Access to Higher Education in Wales received widespread media coverage.   The Times Higher Education –https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-access-wales-depends-school-attended-study-finds BBC News – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hk3 Wales Online – https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/school-pupils-chances-getting-university-10121310?service=responsive Research Professional – http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/141953-catchment-22-school-and-local-authority-impact-university-chances