VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Family background and home literacy environment as predictors of the early literacy development of children in Wales - findings from the millennium cohort study

Early literacy and language development plays a vital role in later school success. Home literacy environment has long been recognised as a strong predictor of such development, which is in turn influenced by a child’s family background. We aimed to replicate some of these well-established relationships in a sample of 612 children in Wales, with secondary data obtained from a UK national longitudinal survey, the Millennium Cohort Study. Specifically, we examined the developmental relationships between family background around childbirth (family income, maternal education, maternal literacy/numeracy skills), home literacy environment at age 3 (home tutoring, home literacy practices), precursor English literacy and language skills at age 5 (vocabulary, phonological awareness, print concept), and later English literacy and language outcomes at age 7 (decoding, speaking/listening, reading, writing), controlling for child sex, season of birth, and household single-parent status. Results from a longitudinal structural equation model showed that the effects of family background on literacy and language development were partially mediated by variations in home literacy practices, but not home tutoring; meanwhile, effects of home literacy practices (but not home tutoring) on later outcomes at age 7 were fully mediated by the precursor skills at age 5. Additionally, direct pathways were revealed between family income to early vocabulary at age 5, between maternal education to English writing at age 7, and between maternal literacy/numeracy skills and English reading at age 7. The results suggest that home tutoring may be insufficient to close the attainment gaps from early disparities, and the effects of family background are more salient than previously thought.

Keywords: Longitudinal structural equation model
RDM
Millennium Cohort study dataset
RDM2021
Wales
Secondary data analysis
Early childhood development
Family background
Quantitative research
Developmental relationships
Home literacy environment
Advisor: Nag, S
Exploring the critique environment of industrial design education in the US: the influence of critique experience in recent graduates’ performance in the design industry

Today, the influence of industrial design (ID) is expanding beyond the traditional field of physical modelling. However, ID students seem to struggle to cope with the changing trends of society under the traditional curriculum of design education. Even with this mismatch between ID education and the design industry, not many studies made connections between ID education and the design industry to understand how design students transfer their knowledge into the professional field of design. Despite the lack of literature on the bridge between ID education and the design industry, many studies emphasized the critique environment as an essential pedagogical space for design education and its foundational knowledge generation. Therefore, this study aims to explore the ID students’ knowledge application in professional areas through reviewing the critique environment. Two research questions formed around the research aim: (1) what knowledge gained from critique helps and hinders recent graduates’ performance in the design industry? and (2) how accurately does the critique environment portray the professional design field? With a qualitative approach, the study conducted in-depth interviews with six major stakeholders of industrial design in the US (recent graduates, educators, and designers). The study suggests that critique experience supports the identity formation of design students. In contrast, it hinders coworking with non-design fields due to students’ lack of awareness of the cross-functional culture in the design industry. Additionally, the study indicated systematic complexities existed in a collaboration between higher education institutions and companies in the US, which inhibit the active involvement of professional insights in academic critique. The study concludes by highlighting strategies to improve the critique experience of industrial design students and further support a successful transition after graduation

Keywords: Knowledge transfer
RDM2021
Transition from academia to history
Novice designers
RDM
Critique
Qualitative research
Industrial design
Recent graduates
In-depth interviews
Advisor: Eynon, R
Conceptualising teacher resilience: A comparative systematic multidisciplinary review of teacher resilience literature

Background – Substantive research into teacher resilience has focused on a variety of individual and contextual factors that hinder or help teachers to overcome challenging situations in the exercise of their profession. Rooted primarily in psychological theories, extant teacher resilience literature has largely focused on personal dispositions, social relations, and school processes, with little attention to cultural and structural factors that affect teachers’ work. Comparative, cross-country analysis has also been limited.
Purpose – This systematic review aims to conceptualise teacher resilience based on empirical literature regarding three countries (the Philippines, United Kingdom, and United States), as well as appraise the breadth and quality of the evidence base.
Methods – A systematic review was conducted to identify relevant articles based on pre-defined eligibility criteria. The following databases were searched: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), British Education Index (BEI), PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Identified articles were analysed via thematic synthesis and appraised for methodological quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).
Findings – The thematic synthesis revealed a multi-dimensional framework of teacher resilience, incorporating four dimensions: personal, social, organisational-institutional, and cultural-structural. The cultural-structural dimension was the least examined among the four dimensions. The review also demonstrated gaps pertaining to the geographical distribution of the articles, population of interest, and sub-sectoral coverage (i.e., early childhood care and education, primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational, non-formal). These results were discussed in relation to the research questions and possible areas for future enquiry.

Keywords: Resilience (psychology)
Systematic review
Thematic synthesis
RDM2021
RDM
Ecological systems (educaions)
Teacher resilience
Advisor: Randhawa, A
Exploring science capital with primary-school-aged children

It is widely recognised that there is an urgent need to make access to and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education more equitable, from both a social justice and economic perspective. The concept of science capital has been used as a tool to understand patterns in young people’s perceptions of science, science identity and aspirations, with those categorised as having high science capital being more likely to feel that science is something they identify with and to continue with science post-compulsory education. Science capital encompasses all of the resources available to an individual that could be advantageous in the context of science, for example, knowing people who have science-related jobs, or consuming science-related media. Research has shown that science capital is patterned by structural inequalities, such as class, gender, and ethnicity. To date, the majority of the available research related to science capital has been conducted with children and young people aged 10–19 years old and in the context of formal science education. This study explored the concept of science capital in everyday settings through a multiple case study with four children aged 8–10 years old. Diaries, interviews, and questionnaires provided an insight into who and what children considered to be science-related in their lives. Thematic analysis of their responses demonstrated that there is a mismatch between the breadth of what children considered to be science-related and what is important for being science person, and what is traditionally valued and represented in the field of science. This apparent disconnect with everyday science by the field was reflected by a surprising absence of school science in children’s diaries and interviews. The findings also added to a recognised challenge for equitable STEM education initiatives: none of the children agreed that people like them work in science despite agreeing that anyone can become a scientist. In light of this insight to science in the lives of a group of primary-school-aged children, reflections and recommendations are offered for the field of STEM education, including support for a science capital teaching approach that broadens what counts as science, and a call for time and training to equip young people, families, educators, and policymakers to actively challenge traditional and dominant science representations and practices.

Keywords: Equitable STEM participation
Critical theory
Questionnaires
Research with children
Constructivism
Semi-structured interviews
RDM2021
RDM
Thematic analysis
Case study
Diary methods
Science capital
Informal science learning
Advisor: Cullinane, A
An investigation in student agency between vocational and research students in chinese higher education

Despite improvements in Chinese higher education, vocational education and students still experienced stagnation, in terms of both resources and perceptions. Their disadvantages include structural, institutional and cultural aspects. The study investigates and compares student agency in both vocational education and research universities, enriching and critiquing the macro-level structural lens by emphasizing students as active agents. It offers a bottom-up explanation of student agency, investigating contributing factors from all of internal, external, and collective perspectives.
The study deploys a mix-method design. The survey of students shows no significant difference in composite agency factors between the vocational and research university students t(69) = .427, p = .670. However, it finds that students who received bursaries were significantly lower in agency than students who did not, t(66) = -2.13, p = .037. The institutional constraints on low SES students are discussed in relation to structural theorisations such as the Bourdieusian framework. In contrast, the semi-structured interviews with twenty-three participants revealed the transformational and reflective power of student agency. The thesis argues that among these students, habitus and capital were not determinants of student agency. Misfits between habitus and circumstances led to habitus transformation, resilience and resistance. The process of transformation was apparent in evolving identity, values and future plans. Reflexivity was encouraged through deep learning, participatory activities and mobility. Finally, conformity was identified as a form of collective agency among Chinese higher education students as a means of resisting ‘powerlessness’.
Agency works both as a mean and as an end in the recognition and empowerment of less resourced members in the higher education system. Recommendations are made in relation to both students and policies.

Keywords: Mixed methods research
Reflexivity
Interviews
Questionnaires
Student agency
HE
Vocationalism
HE2021
Habitus transformation
Bourdieu
Advisor: Marginson, S
University-industry-government cooperation in the context of poverty alleviation in Shanxi Province, China

In recent years, the United Nations has emphasized the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and the Chinese government is also actively promoting the poverty alleviation, aiming to change the development mode of the underdeveloped regions and eradiate absolute poverty. In this process, prestigious universities have become an essential force to boost regional development. They provided various education programmes for students and various training courses for adults from all walks of life. Furthermore, they have cooperated with local government and enterprises to drive the transformation and upgrading of local economy from the perspective of industrial development, technical and scientific assistance, human resources assistance, and so on. They have adhered to the notion that the financial support is temporary, and only when the underdeveloped region owns its internal force could it be truly lifted out of poverty. This study aims to explore the contribution and influence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Chinese poverty alleviation from a critical perspective.
Underpinned by a constructionist methodology, this study conducted 18 semistructured interviews with residents, local government officials, university students, and university staff members from Beihang University and Beijing Institute of Technology. This research includes the following parts: the analysis of summer camp programme, the cooperation between universities, enterprises and the local government, novel assistance strategies, and the prospect of Rural Revitalization. Furthermore, this study compares the assistance provided by two prestigious universities to the assistance provided by other organisations as local universities, NGOs, and doctoral students service group in Lvliang.
This study finds that though higher education institution was not the original driver in this cooperation, it has played indispensable role in contributing to local development. It not only introduced various resources to assist economic development, but also subtly influenced the passive mindset of local people. Further, its role is constantly changing, conforming to the policy requirement and the characteristics of disciplines in universities. The focus of a future study would be on how to consolidate and expand the previous achievements in poverty alleviation and deepen the assistance mechanism. Hopefully, the situation of passive waiting for assistance can be converted to active cooperation among the different organisations and people involved.

Keywords: China
Semi-structured interviews
Beihang university
Education and development
HE
Poverty alleviation
HE2021
Qualitative research
Advisor: Marginson, S
Internationalization at home and undergraduate students’ international competence: A case study in China

As the participation of higher education and international mobility has been increasing during the recent 20 years, it is important for China, a developing country that has the largest population and the world’s second-largest economy, to reform the higher education system to train more talents. International Competence (IC) is the ability of talents to learn, work with people effectively in an international and multicultural environment, which has been developing as a hot field for the higher education system, especially in student training. Internationalization at Home (IaH) is a reformation that scholars have argued as having many advantages, and there have been several practices and research about the topic. However, there is a lack of research aiming to explore the experiences of IaH in a Chinese higher education context, and investigate the impacts of internationalized training on students’ IC.
This study explores the IaH and undergraduate students’ IC training in two schools at a Chinese university. This exploratory study collected and examined the experiences and views based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. In total, 345 questionnaires were collected and five interviews were held, supplemented by secondary data analysis of two schools at a case university in China. While two schools are in the same discipline, one school implemented internationalization at home strategies (the “internationalized school”) and the other follows the traditional education pathway (the “traditional school”).
Findings of the research revealed that students in the internationalized school demonstrate a generally higher level of IC than those in the traditional school. Besides, English is considered as an important part of IC and international courses, activities, internationalized teachers influence IC training.
Building on findings and discussions, this research contributes to the conceptual discussions on students’ IC, and has practical implications regarding the influence of COVID on IaH and the training of students’ IC.

Keywords: Multicultural environment
Mixed methods research
International competence
Case study
Chinese universities
Interviews
Questionnaires
HE
Internationalization at home
HE2021
Advisor: Xin, X
Perceptions of ‘value’ in foundation year programmes

Universities have developed Foundation Year programmes to widen participation and provide an alternative access route into higher education. Foundation Year programmes are designed to target students who have not met the A-level conditions needed to gain university admission and qualification. The provision of Foundation Year programmes has, however, been criticized by policy makers who argue that they are cash-cows for universities and exploitative of students. Drawing on data from Foundation Year programmes students and practitioners in England, this study aims to do two things: first, to investigate and assess the value of Foundation Year programmes from the perspective of students and of practitioners who teach on them; and second, to assess the role of Foundation Year provision and its place in higher education. I use the Capability Approach to evaluate Foundation Years, in particular how the programmes impact students’ ability to take advantage of opportunities. The findings reveal that students have a wide-ranging understanding of the value of Foundation Year programmes. Students express strong support for the continuation of Foundation Year programmes and reject the suggestion that they are exploitative and a poor investment. The data show that Foundation Year teaching methodology is suited to students’ individual circumstances and life contexts: the education is pluralistic and the programmes encourage students to think critically about their subject matter in relation to the wider world. The capabilitarian evaluation also reveals that the provision is highly valued by students and universities alike and serves as a valuable tools for Widening Participation.

Keywords: HE
Integrated foundation year
Capability approach
HE2021
Widening participation
Higher education
Mixed methods research
Questionnaires
Semi-structured interviews
Value
Foundation year
Advisor: Puttick, S
Which family capitals aid rural and urban first-generation college students in China to realise intergenerational mobility in higher education?

With the growth of the gross enrolment rate in higher education in China, the number of college students whose parents have no higher education experience is also increasing. This group of students is known as the first generation of college students. This phenomenon challenges cultural reproduction theories’ view that it is difficult for children from disadvantaged family who lack the cultural capital to realise an intergenerational breakthrough in higher education. Many studies found that family capitals are the core factors to aid first-generation college students to realise such an intergenerational breakthrough. However, to date, numerous studies considered Chinese first-generation college students as rural students and ignored their first-generation urban counterparts. Furthermore, it is essential to establish the role of family capitals based on Chinese students’ experience. Therefore, this research aims to establish the family capitals aiding rural and urban first-generation college students to realise intergenerational breakthrough in higher education, and the differences as well as similarities in rural and urban family capitals.
Using grounded theory, seven family capitals were identified by coding the content of 30 interviews across three groups: rural students, urban students, and rural students whose parents worked in the urban areas. Family capitals consist of normative capital, family guiding force capital, family collaborative capital, emotional capital, Guanxi capital, economic capital, and information capital. In terms of the similarities between the groups, in all three cases these five capitals are present: normative capital, family guiding force capital, emotional capital, Guanxi capital, and economic capital. A difference is that family collaborative capital only exists in the urban group. There is information capital in two groups but not in the case of rural students. There are also differences in the categories and subcategories within the five capitals shared by the three groups. The study finds that the degree of parental involvement in children's learning increased with the average number of years of parental education. This research also provides four recommendations for cultivating first-generation college students: parents should steer children to study in elementary school and trust them adequately in high school; parents should provide role models; school should focus on rural students’ mental health; the establishment of an official, unified college selection information platform would assist students significantly.

Keywords: First-generation college students
Grounded theory methods
Mixed methods research
HE2021
Semi-structured interviews
Questionnaires
HE
Family capitals
Advisor: Marginson, S