All Outputs (70)

Students’ gendered experiences of male-dominated Computing and Engineering courses (2023)
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Fabian, K. (2023). Students’ gendered experiences of male-dominated Computing and Engineering courses.

How does it feel to be in a gender minority on a STEM programme? Does it have an impact on individual students? Via an online survey (n=255), undergraduate students on Computing and Engineering programmes were asked whether they felt that gender had... Read More about Students’ gendered experiences of male-dominated Computing and Engineering courses.

Investing in degree apprenticeships: Analysing experiences through Conservation of Resources Theory (2023)
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Bratton, A. (2023). Investing in degree apprenticeships: Analysing experiences through Conservation of Resources Theory.

Degree apprentices have reported finding work-life-study balance challenging. This study uses the Theory of Conservation of Resources (COR) to investigate the resources invested and gained by apprentices in the achievement of their goal of a degree w... Read More about Investing in degree apprenticeships: Analysing experiences through Conservation of Resources Theory.

Addressing gender imbalance in STEM graduate apprenticeships (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Cecil, M., & Taylor Smith, E. (2023, December). Addressing gender imbalance in STEM graduate apprenticeships. Paper presented at Society for Research in Higher Education Conference 2023, Birmingham

There is currently significant gender imbalance within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduate apprenticeship (GA) programmes in Scotland. This is a considerable, ongoing issue for both higher education institutions and the l... Read More about Addressing gender imbalance in STEM graduate apprenticeships.

‘They gave me an opportunity, and I took it’: motivations and concerns of adult apprentices (2023)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., Barr, M., Berg, T., Bratton, A., …Zarb, M. (in press). ‘They gave me an opportunity, and I took it’: motivations and concerns of adult apprentices. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2023.2255576

In the UK context of an ageing population, degree apprenticeships represent a new opportunity to study for a degree while working. Apprentices are full-time employees granted time to study for a degree with a significant workplace learning component.... Read More about ‘They gave me an opportunity, and I took it’: motivations and concerns of adult apprentices.

Apprentices’ perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships: a longitudinal study (2023)
Journal Article
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Fabian, K., & Bratton, A. (2023). Apprentices’ perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships: a longitudinal study. Journal of Workplace Learning, 35(8), 779-795. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-01-2023-0007

Purpose: The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers, and universities. This study investigated the lived experiences and reflections of the apprentices at the centre, to inform... Read More about Apprentices’ perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships: a longitudinal study.

‘I can’t really say as my course is 90% male’: students perceptions of gender impact on computing and engineering degrees (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Fabian, K. (2023, June). ‘I can’t really say as my course is 90% male’: students perceptions of gender impact on computing and engineering degrees. Paper presented at 2023 Horizons in STEM, Swansea, UK

In UK higher education, the majority of computing and engineering students are men. HESA (2023) records the proportion of women studying ‘Computing’ and ‘Engineering and technology’ as 22.78% and 20.47% respectively. Lack of women is a problem for bo... Read More about ‘I can’t really say as my course is 90% male’: students perceptions of gender impact on computing and engineering degrees.

Women into Tech: understanding barriers, making connections (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Shankland, C., & Kolberg, M. (2023, June). Women into Tech: understanding barriers, making connections. Paper presented at 2023 Horizons in STEM, Swansea, UK

Computing and technology need a better gender balance. BCS report that, in 2021, only 22% of all IT specialists in the UK were women and their median hourly pay was 13% less than male employees. Further, according to HESA data, only 21% of students i... Read More about Women into Tech: understanding barriers, making connections.

The practice of apprenticeships as work-integrated learning (2023)
Book Chapter
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Fabian, K., & Klotz, D. (2023). The practice of apprenticeships as work-integrated learning. In K. E. Zegwaard, & T. J. Pretti (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Work-Integrated Learning (207-217). (3rd Edition). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003156420

The term ‘apprentice’ is used to describe an employee who is learning in order to fulfill a future job role, with this learning largely encompassing on-the-job training and learning by doing (Fuller & Unwin, 1998). Conventionally, apprenticeships wer... Read More about The practice of apprenticeships as work-integrated learning.

Signalling new opportunities? An analysis of UK job adverts for degree apprenticeships (2023)
Journal Article
Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Bratton, A. (2023). Signalling new opportunities? An analysis of UK job adverts for degree apprenticeships. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 13(2), 299-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-02-2022-0037

Purpose The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the degree apprenticeship labour market and employers' strategies for apprenticeship recruitment using job advertisement data. Specifically, this study identifies the skills, attributes, exp... Read More about Signalling new opportunities? An analysis of UK job adverts for degree apprenticeships.

Direct entrants as route guides to the higher education landscape (2022)
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Meharg, D., & Fabian, K. (2022). Direct entrants as route guides to the higher education landscape. In SRHE International Conference 2022

Students who study for an HND at further education college and then join the university directly into the 3 rd year of their honours degree are a valuable segment of our academic community. This route provides opportunities for more people to gain HE... Read More about Direct entrants as route guides to the higher education landscape.

Mobilising more women into computing (2022)
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Shankland, C., Smith, S., & Barr, M. (2022, December). Mobilising more women into computing. Paper presented at Mobilities in Higher Education: SRHE International Conference 2022, Online

According to HESA data, UK universities' computing departments continue to suffer from a gender imbalance, where at present only 21% of students are female. This imbalance can deter women and non-binary people from applying and also be challenging fo... Read More about Mobilising more women into computing.

Apprentices' longitudinal perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships (2022)
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Fabian, K. (2022, September). Apprentices' longitudinal perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships. Paper presented at Organisational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities, OLKC 2022, Trollhättan, Sweden

Purpose: In degree apprenticeships, the tripartite collaboration between the apprentice, the employer, and the university is key to success. As the apprentices are at the centre of the degree, their lived experience and reflections are essential to... Read More about Apprentices' longitudinal perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships.

Transactional distance in the context of online and blended learning (2022)
Presentation / Conference
Fabian, K., Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., & Meharg, D. (2022, September). Transactional distance in the context of online and blended learning. Paper presented at Association for Learning Technology Annual Conference, Manchester

Moore’s (1993) transactional distance theory recognises that communications and psychological distance between learner and teacher are affected by course structure, dialogue between lecturers and students, and learner’s autonomy. These factors affect... Read More about Transactional distance in the context of online and blended learning.

Participant-centred planning framework for effective gender balance activities in tech (2022)
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Barnett, C., Smith, S., Barr, M., & Shankland, C. (2022). Participant-centred planning framework for effective gender balance activities in tech. In UKICER '22: Proceedings of the 2022 Conference on United Kingdom & Ireland Computing Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555009.3555016

The gender imbalance in the tech industry [21], mirrored in computing education [13], is problematic in terms of providing appropriate products and services for the whole population. This lack of diversity and inclusion is also self-perpetuating thro... Read More about Participant-centred planning framework for effective gender balance activities in tech.

An exploration of academic identity through the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Plum, K., Taylor-Smith, E., & Fabian, K. (2022). An exploration of academic identity through the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(9), 1290-1303. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2022.2072194

The COVID-19 global pandemic precipitated migration to online learning and teaching for students and universities. This study explored the change in self-identification in an academic role through the significant disruption caused by the urgent migra... Read More about An exploration of academic identity through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Identifying factors influencing study skills engagement and participation for online learners in higher education during Covid-19 (2022)
Journal Article
Fabian, K., Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., & Meharg, D. (2022). Identifying factors influencing study skills engagement and participation for online learners in higher education during Covid-19. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1915-1936. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13221

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education across the world as campuses closed to restrict the spread of the virus. UK universities swiftly migrated to online delivery. The experiences of students and staff during this transition can inform our return... Read More about Identifying factors influencing study skills engagement and participation for online learners in higher education during Covid-19.

Degree Apprentices’ Lockdown Survey: Reflections on working and studying from home (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., & Fabian, K. (2021). Degree Apprentices’ Lockdown Survey: Reflections on working and studying from home. In SRHE International Conference on Research into Higher Education

During the first UK lockdown period, degree apprentices in two universities in Scotland were invited to complete a short qualitative survey with their reflections on starting to work and study from home. They were encouraged to complete the survey o... Read More about Degree Apprentices’ Lockdown Survey: Reflections on working and studying from home.

How are we positioning degree apprenticeships? Analysis of adverts (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., & Smith, S. (2021). How are we positioning degree apprenticeships? Analysis of adverts. In SRHE International Conference on Research into Higher Education

Degree apprentices are recruited by employers, rather than universities, reflecting their status as paid employees, first and foremost. This study analysed job adverts for IT degree apprenticeship roles to investigate the: skills, attributes, and qua... Read More about How are we positioning degree apprenticeships? Analysis of adverts.

A multi-institutional exploration of the social mobility potential of degree apprenticeships (2021)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Fabian, K., Zarb, M., Paterson, J., Barr, M., & Berg, T. (2021). A multi-institutional exploration of the social mobility potential of degree apprenticeships. Journal of Education and Work, 34(4), 488-503. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2021.1946494

This mixed-method study at six universities asked degree apprentices about their trajectories into the apprenticeship, to better understand the social mobility potential of apprenticeships. The degree apprenticeship offers a route to a degree for app... Read More about A multi-institutional exploration of the social mobility potential of degree apprenticeships.

Earn as you learn: Widening participation through apprenticeships as debt-free degrees (2021)
Presentation / Conference
Meharg, D., Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., & Khristin, F. (2021, March). Earn as you learn: Widening participation through apprenticeships as debt-free degrees. Presented at Advance HE Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference 2021, Online

Apprenticeship Degrees provide opportunities to study for a degree without incurring debt. Collaborations between employers and HEIs enable new or established employees to earn while they learn, with their fees paid. This facilitates people to study... Read More about Earn as you learn: Widening participation through apprenticeships as debt-free degrees.