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We need to talk about IELTS, and the case for testing English 'in-subject' (2017)
Digital Artefact
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2017). We need to talk about IELTS, and the case for testing English 'in-subject'. [Webpage]

No abstract available - read the full article here - http://wonkhe.com/blogs/we-need-to-talk-about-ielts-and-the-case-for-testing-english-in-subject/

Problematising the ‘Career Academic’ in UK construction and engineering education: does the system want what the system gets? (2017)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., Forster, A., Tennant, S., Murray, M., & Craig, N. (2017). Problematising the ‘Career Academic’ in UK construction and engineering education: does the system want what the system gets?. European Journal of Engineering Education, 42(6), 1477-1495. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2017.1306487

‘Career Academics’ are principally research-led, entering academia with limited or no industrial or practical experience. UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) welcome them for their potential to attain research grant funding and publish world-lead... Read More about Problematising the ‘Career Academic’ in UK construction and engineering education: does the system want what the system gets?.

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk: Are Career Academics Gatekeepers to Students’ Tacit Knowledge? (2017)
Journal Article
Murray, M. D., Tennant, S., Forster, A., Craig, N., Copping, A., & Pilcher, N. (2017). Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk: Are Career Academics Gatekeepers to Students’ Tacit Knowledge?. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 5(2), 112-114. https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v5i2.268

An opinion piece that argues for a more balanced portfolio of academic staff within faculty, whereby pracademics are ‘pivotal’ academic staff who can ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’ with students who have industrial placement experience.

Challenging the power invested in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Why determining ‘English’ preparedness needs to be undertaken within the subject context (2017)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2017). Challenging the power invested in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Why determining ‘English’ preparedness needs to be undertaken within the subject context. Power and Education, 9(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757743817691995

Higher Education (HE) institutions worldwide base international student recruitment on the assumption their preparedness in ‘English’ is assured if they reach a certain level in tests such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).... Read More about Challenging the power invested in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Why determining ‘English’ preparedness needs to be undertaken within the subject context.

Exploring the viability of an emission tax policy for ships at berth in Taiwanese ports (2016)
Journal Article
Tseng, P. H., & Pilcher, N. (2016). Exploring the viability of an emission tax policy for ships at berth in Taiwanese ports. International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 8(6), 705-722. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSTL.2016.079289

This paper considers an emissions tax to help limit external air pollution from ships in Taiwanese ports through a mixed methods research (MMR) approach. Through an empirical bottom-up activity-based model, external air pollution costs are estimated... Read More about Exploring the viability of an emission tax policy for ships at berth in Taiwanese ports.

Dialogues: ‘QUANT’ researchers on ‘QUAL’ methods. (2016)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., & Cortazzi, M. (2016). Dialogues: ‘QUANT’ researchers on ‘QUAL’ methods. Qualitative Report, 21(3), 450-473

Qualitative researchers commonly perceive that positivist hard-science researchers and policies of governments deprecate qualitative methods and approaches. Curiously though, we could not see anyone asking quantitative researchers ‘What do you think... Read More about Dialogues: ‘QUANT’ researchers on ‘QUAL’ methods..

The Role of Experienced Practitioners in Engineering Education: the End of an Era? (2016)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Craig, N., Tennant, S., Murray, M., Forster, A., & Pilcher, N. (2016). The Role of Experienced Practitioners in Engineering Education: the End of an Era?. In 6th International Symposium for Engineering Education 2016 (271-278)

Delivering excellence in higher engineering education is dependent on many variables. This includes programme design, delivery and content, university support and the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of faculty members. Over the past decade there... Read More about The Role of Experienced Practitioners in Engineering Education: the End of an Era?.

Port governance in Taiwan: How hypocrisy helps meet aspirations of change (2016)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., & Pilcher, N. (2016). Port governance in Taiwan: How hypocrisy helps meet aspirations of change. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 22, 38-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2016.07.003

In Taiwan, significant port reform commenced in 2012 that aspired to enhance port performance and competitiveness. Previously managed by four units, the ports are now managed by only two: the Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) (a port regulator) and the... Read More about Port governance in Taiwan: How hypocrisy helps meet aspirations of change.

Deconstructing 'Mono'-Lingualism: considerations of value for 'English' 'language' education in a global setting. (2015)
Book Chapter
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2015). Deconstructing 'Mono'-Lingualism: considerations of value for 'English' 'language' education in a global setting. In L. T. Wong, & A. Dubey-Jhaveri (Eds.), English language education in a global world: practices, issues and challenges (81-90). Nova Science Publishers

Traditionally, language speakers are categorised as mono-lingual, bilingual, or multilingual. It is traditionally assumed in English language education that the ‘lingual’ is something that can be ‘fixed’ in form, written down to be learnt, and taught... Read More about Deconstructing 'Mono'-Lingualism: considerations of value for 'English' 'language' education in a global setting..

The impact of National Qualifications Frameworks: by which yardstick do we measure dreams? (2015)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., Fernie, S., & Smith, K. (2017). The impact of National Qualifications Frameworks: by which yardstick do we measure dreams?. Journal of Education and Work, 30(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2015.1122178

National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) are a global phenomenon. This is evidenced by their scale, coverage and intrinsic link with education policy across Europe and beyond. Research into their impact has encompassed a number of perspectives; theo... Read More about The impact of National Qualifications Frameworks: by which yardstick do we measure dreams?.

A study of the potential of shore power for the port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan: To introduce or not to introduce? (2015)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., & Pilcher, N. (2015). A study of the potential of shore power for the port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan: To introduce or not to introduce?. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 17, 83-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2015.09.001

To reduce ship emissions in port and city environments, cold ironing, or shore power has been suggested and implemented in many global advanced ports. Shore power is a land-to-ship electricity connection that allows ships to switch off onboard diesel... Read More about A study of the potential of shore power for the port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan: To introduce or not to introduce?.

Hunt the shadow not the substance: the rise of the career academic in construction education (2015)
Journal Article
Tennant, S., Murray, M., Forster, A., & Pilcher, N. (2015). Hunt the shadow not the substance: the rise of the career academic in construction education. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(7), 723-737. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2015.1070342

Construction education is context-laden, navigating and reflecting the byzantine influences of period, place and person. Despite considerable rhetoric, in UK higher education (HE) and construction studies in particular the importance of contextualize... Read More about Hunt the shadow not the substance: the rise of the career academic in construction education.

International Students' First Encounters with Exams in the UK: Superficially Similar But Deeply Different (2013)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., Smith, K., & Riley, J. (2013). International Students' First Encounters with Exams in the UK: Superficially Similar But Deeply Different. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2013(1), 1-13

Although end of course exams remain a key mode of assessment in higher education, little research has focused on international students' experiences of exams. There seems to be a tacit assumption in most literature that exam preparation and strategie... Read More about International Students' First Encounters with Exams in the UK: Superficially Similar But Deeply Different.

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework: what's academic practice got to do with it? (2013)
Journal Article
Fernie, S., Pilcher, N., & Smith, K. L. (2014). The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework: what's academic practice got to do with it?. European Journal of Education, 49(2), 233-248. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12056

National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) are a globally established and expanding phenomenon. They are increasingly merging and being mapped onto meta-qualifications frameworks. One key NQF in both these roles is the Scottish Credit and Qualification... Read More about The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework: what's academic practice got to do with it?.

Da capo: A musical technique to evoke narrative recall (2013)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. (2014). Da capo: A musical technique to evoke narrative recall. Psychology of Music, 42(4), 483-502. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735613480257

This article proposes the use of recorded music chosen by researchers to elicit participant accounts of life experiences, a technique we name ‘da capo recall.’ Fifteen mainland Chinese students who had studied in the UK were played seven contrasting... Read More about Da capo: A musical technique to evoke narrative recall.

Language choices and 'blind shadows': investigating interviews with Chinese participants (2011)
Journal Article
Cortazzi, M., Pilcher, N., & Jin, L. (2011). Language choices and 'blind shadows': investigating interviews with Chinese participants. Qualitative Research, 11(5), 505-535. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794111413225

This article shows the importance of the language chosen for research interviewing when more than one language could be used. It does so through the context of research with Chinese speakers published in English. The article has two research aims: fi... Read More about Language choices and 'blind shadows': investigating interviews with Chinese participants.

The UK postgraduate Masters dissertation: an ‘elusive chameleon’? (2011)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N. (2011). The UK postgraduate Masters dissertation: an ‘elusive chameleon’?. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), (29-40). doi:10.1080/13562517.2011.530752. ISSN 1356-2517

Many studies into the process of producing and supervising dissertations exist, yet little research into the ‘product’ of the Masters dissertation, or into how Masters supervision changes over time exist. Drawing on 62 semi-structured interviews with... Read More about The UK postgraduate Masters dissertation: an ‘elusive chameleon’?.

National Qualification Frameworks: developing research perspectives. (2009)
Journal Article
Fernie, S., & Pilcher, N. (2009). National Qualification Frameworks: developing research perspectives. Quality in Higher Education, 15, 221-232. doi:10.1080/13538320903343099

Arguments for National Qualification Frameworks (NQF) are compelling. Indeed, such frameworks are now an international phenomenon. Yet, few studies take a critical perspective and challenge the broad assumptions underpinning NQF. Arguments presented... Read More about National Qualification Frameworks: developing research perspectives..