Research projects

This multidisciplinary research network project is jointly hosted by WISERD and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. It is funded under a Global Challenge Research Fund award from the Academy of Medical Sciences. The Principal Investigators are Professor Paul Chaney (WISERD, Cardiff) and Dr Sarbeswar Sahoo (IIT, Delhi) – in collaboration with Dr Seuty Sabur…

Significant changes are happening in Wales through the development of a new curriculum together with a wide range of enabling education reforms. These are set out in the Welsh Government’s action plan ‘Education in Wales: Our National Mission 2017-2021. In recognition of the importance of Estyn’s role in the success of the reform programme, Her…

This project utilises routinely available linked administrative data to examine the effectiveness of the services provided by Careers Wales for the sustained progression of young people through education and into employment or further training/education. The research also explores how the use of administrative data can contribute to the effective follow-up of clients for Careers Wales…

The research context is the post-1945 Cultural Cold War. There is a considerable literature on the USA and its agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); and to a lesser extent on the Soviet Union and agencies such as the Communist Information Bureau (Cominform). The use of the United Nations and UNESCO in this…

Research Questions In what ways are additional learning needs being considered in the process of curriculum development? What are the opportunities and challenges of curriculum development for ALN learners? How far is there perceived alignment between curriculum reform and the ALN transformation programme? Aims The primary aim of this research is to investigate how ALN…

Research Questions How are pioneer schools and teachers are building and shaping the Expressive Arts AoLE? What are the implications for disadvantaged learners and schools? How does impact vary between primary and secondary teachers?   Aim This study aims to provide insight  into the construction of one aspect of the new  curriculum (Expressive Arts AoLE)…

Research Questions To evaluate how schools are implementing computational thinking in the classroom. What classroom tools do practitioners use to develop computer coding. Evaluate any differences in provision that might exist between different schools, such as internet speed, device allocation etc. To evaluate any socio-economic factors that might exist between different demographics and settings, such as…

Research Questions How can a mindfulness approach contribute to the development of the Health and Wellbeing AoLE in a pioneer primary school? What processes support such an intervention? What are the perceptions of pupils, teachers and parents regarding the approach? What is the impact of such an approach on pupil views of themselves as confident…

This research will seek to add value to the Welsh Government’s existing evaluation of the progress of the Pioneer Schools in developing the new 3-15 curriculum in Wales. The Successful Futures programme offers an exciting and radical departure for education in Wales, and it is important that its benefits and opportunities are made available to…

Research Questions How are Pioneer Schools developing the new curriculum in a way which benefits all learners? What are Pioneer Schools doing to ensure that the implementation of the new curriculum benefits all learners, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds? What are teachers’ perceptions of the new curriculum, preparation and support for its full implementation and…

Research Questions Primary question: What are the organisational implications for leaders in rural schools of the way the new curriculum is being developed? Secondary aims: Identification of challenges and opportunities in respect of teacher recruitment and retention. Identification of opportunities to develop curriculum provision which reflects the needs of learners in rural areas. Identification of…

Centre for Welsh Politics and Society / WISERD@Aberystwyth researchers are involved in a European study to investigate interactions between rural and urban areas and how they can be more effectively managed. ROBUST is a European research project involving 24 partners from 11 countries. It is coordinated by Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The project receives funding from the…

The Cultural Participation Research Network was established in June 2017 with help from Cardiff University’s Strong Communities, Healthier People Flagship Engagement Project led by Dr Eva Elliott. The network brought together a range of individuals and organisations in Wales and developed a programme of research around cultural participation and what it meant for communities, culture, policy and government…

This project, facilitated through WISERD and the Ecole Normale Superieure, Lyon, is exploring the contrasting relationship between education, the state and civil society in Wales and France. France and the UK provide two important contexts in which to explore these issues as the relationship between the state, the education system and civil society is very…

The Super Ambassadors programme is a scheme for primary schools in Wales. The scheme has been running for 14 years with 412 schools currently enrolled across Wales. Typically, two pupils from years five or six are elected by their peers each year and undertake Special Missions for the Children’s Commissioner. These either involve raising awareness…

How are young people responding to Brexit, and how does it affect their political engagement? Young People & Brexit is an interdisciplinary study of how young people in the UK feel about and are responding to the most significant policy issue of this Parliament: the UK’s exit from the European Union. Drawing on both existing…

The IMAJINE project (Integrative Mechanisms for Addressing Spatial Justice and Territorial Inequalities in Europe) is one of the largest social sciences projects to be financed as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The five-year project aims to come up with new policy approaches for tackling inequality and promoting a fairer distribution of resources across the EU….

Overview The Skills and Employment Survey (2017) collects data on what people do at work, what skills they use and how they work. The 2017 survey is the seventh in a series of studies which began in 1986. A total of 3,306 workers took part in the latest survey. These cross-sectional surveys provide the means…