The primary objective of this research is to ascertain the manner in which higher education institutions offering open and distance education incorporate the concept of openness into their vision, mission, core values, and tactics. This study employs a descriptive research design to ascertain the current state of affairs. The research methodology…

This article considers the networked nature of Teach First in order to illustrate the different business, philanthropic and educational agents that have a vested interest in the organisation. It also reflects on Teach First's strategic positioning within the initial teacher education landscape in order to attract high-calibre graduates into the…

This article explores the modes of school communication associated with language and cultural diversity, demonstrating how organisational communication theory can be applied to the analysis of schools' communication responses to the presence of pupils who have English as an additional language (EAL). The article highlights three analytical…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of staff/employee (i.e. learning and teaching, curriculum support and administrative staff) perceptions, anxieties and worries about early merger change in the UK further education (FE) sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey data were collected from 128 out of 562 employees to…

There is wide recognition that early childhood experiences are critical to a child's development and their subsequent life chances. However, little research has been undertaken into leadership in early years settings, which is so influential in this regard. This article summarizes research into the leadership of Sure Start Children's Centres,…

In this paper we describe some of the complexities involved in the construction of a sample of "ordinary" schools. We outline the policy context in England that produces pressures to resist "ordinariness". The paper then explores two theoretical tools, fabrication and rhetoric, that are deployed in an analysis of some key…

Alumni relations professionals need a method of measuring alumni engagement, including giving, that goes beyond counting event attendees and the number of Twitter followers. Social media are changing the way things have been done within the alumni relations profession, but that does not mean that people throw out everything they have done in the…

The General Teaching Council for England (GTC) commissioned RAND Europe in 2008 to undertake a perceptions audit, to take the temperature on its current status and to inform its future work with teachers, organisational partners and the wider public. A perceptions audit is a method for gathering opinions and views of selected informants about how…

An evaluation of a workplace course in England for English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) learners who were caregivers to the elderly found that while the curriculum emphasised sex differences, the participants voiced ideas and negotiated identities that sidestepped gendered conventions. Their refusal to adopt the workplace communique in…

Using the development of Third World countries as a metaphor for individual school development, this article describes a method used for eight years in a British secondary school to support internal school development initiatives. Emphasis is placed on internal communication and collaboration and on obtaining outside support rather than outside…

This paper discusses the concept of a dual cultural and political perspective for analyzing interaction. It also illustrates how this dual perspective can explain how senior management teams (SMTs) operate in English secondary schools, in which senior faculty profess commitment to teamwork. Methodology included: (1) case studies of six secondary…

West German and English teachers completed questionnaires and interviews about stress situations and responses. English teachers identified more stress situations than German staff, who felt more certain of their roles and more involved in school decision-making. Both reported poor staff communications and disruptive pupil behavior as their major…

This article analyses how one institution, the London School of Economics under Anthony Giddens's directorship, sought to occupy the "condition of publicity" that is increasingly a prerequisite for university success in "knowledge-society" contexts. In particular, we illustrate how the LSE has sought to develop a brand and…

This trainer's guide is intended to assist supervisors of work-based career training projects in familiarizing students with abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology that are commonly used in the workplace. The guide is one in a series of core curriculum modules that is intended for use in combination on- and off-the-job programs to familiarize…

This trainer's guide is intended to assist supervisors of work-based career training projects in familiarizing students with different types of radio paging systems (bleepers) that are used in departments where staff spend a considerable amount of time out of the office. The guide is one in a series of core curriculum modules that is intended for…