Dr Steve Burton

This paper presents the findings of a year-long study investigating global best practice in digital learning, in the global university sector. A collaborative team of researchers from UK universities undertook primary research with 21 established digital pedagogues in six countries to determine any fundamental lessons for integrating digital learning into higher education. The analysis revealed five key elements that contribute to successful digital learning. These are presented and explored within the paper as flexibility of access, the pre-eminence of subject and pedagogy, authentic digital activity, immersive learning experiences, and communitarianism. The paper concludes by advocating for a model for successful digital pedagogy within the university sector and positions this model as a pivotal catalyst for a digital paradigm shift in university education practices.

However, 'child protection' has again gained prominence as a specific professional activity undertaken with children who ... for the early years practitioner to be aware of two aspects of professional activity: child protection and safeguarding.

New content for the second edition includes: Updating of the policy environment, particularly in light of the Lingfield Review 14-16 provision in education and training Higher education within the context of further education Teaching in ...

This article investigates the perceptions of former in-service Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees in the post-compulsory sector of the United Kingdom (UK), and identifies how they intellectualised the contribution that successful completion of ITT had made to their practice as teachers. Former trainees reported perceptions of such professional enhancement in three key ways. Firstly, they felt more connected with the sector, connected with their institutions and connected with the realities of teaching following their ITT. Secondly, they felt a greater sense of professionalism, and were able to carry more practical and pedagogical skills into the workplace. Finally, they felt a stronger commitment to their own continuing professional development.

This article investigates the perceptions of former in-service Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees in the post-compulsory sector of the United Kingdom (UK), and identifies how they intellectualised the contribution that successful completion of ITT had made to their practice as teachers. Former trainees reported perceptions of such professional enhancement in three key ways. Firstly, they felt more connected with the sector, connected with their institutions and connected with the realities of teaching following their ITT. Secondly, they felt a greater sense of professionalism, and were able to carry more practical and pedagogical skills into the workplace. Finally, they felt a stronger commitment to their own continuing professional development.

The rapid move to remote learning in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenge for all educational institutions. The pedagogy of online teaching is not usually included in teacher education, and the recent experiences of online education have revealed that many teachers have a lack of knowledge in online pedagogy and digital tools. There is also a variation in how educational institutions and personnel value the importance of digital education, with factors such as media, city or regional setting and community opinion often influencing educational decisions. Furthermore, even if teachers’ digital competencies are appreciated, the availability of digital devices varies substantially between schools. To achieve meaningful learning and improved learning outcomes through online education, future teachers need competencies in using digital tools and online pedagogical methods. In addition, they need to understand the move from web1.0 to web2.0 and the maker-culture in which the children and young people are living. Rural and Indigenous communities should have a strong presence in teacher education. Local languages and culture can be lost in English speaking online environments, and this is further hampered by expensive or limited access to the Internet. With these competencies and a critical understanding of the realities of online teaching and learning, future teachers can be equipped for their working lives in the coming decades and will be able to ensure educational equality for their students.

‘Perhaps we should all stop for a moment and focus not only on making our AI better and more successful but also on the benefit of humanity’. - S. Hawkins, Web Summit, 2017 This international collaborative piece argues for a paradigm shift in our use and understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, and in the development of Artificial Intelligence Literacy amongst our learners and professional colleagues. The main premises are: AI can change societal practices, and aid competency and capacity building within society, thereby having a positive impact on education. AI in education can support equity, inclusiveness and lifelong learning, through customisable and tailored learning experiences, while building up future professions and societies according to sustainable development premises. Education ought to equip learners with the knowledge, competency and mindset required to use AI to solve professional and societal challenges and improve day-to-day practices

This book provides a comprehensive guide to safeguarding and child protection in the early years. Aimed at students and practitioners it offers insight into contemporary developments in early years and safeguarding practice and sets out the legal and policy foundations for effective practice before exploring areas of contemporary concern. Drawing on the everyday dilemmas and experiences of early years professionals, the book focuses on helping you to seek solutions to both practical and moral issues in a context of legal duties and responsibilities.

Gender disparities remain a persistent challenge in Computer Science (CS) education in the UK, with female students continuing to disengage from the subject beyond the compulsory stage. This thesis investigates the cultural, institutional, and pedagogical factors that contribute to these inequities, while exploring the potential of immersive reality pedagogies to create more inclusive, equitable learning environments. Framed through Technofeminism, the research recognises that technologies are not neutral but are shaped by and implicated in gendered power relations. This study employed a mixed-methods case study design across five UK secondary schools, combining quantitative questionnaire data, qualitative focus groups, and teacher observations. This approach was underpinned by the development of a Post-Modern Pragmatic Technofeminism Model, which blends pragmatism with feminist critique to provide a flexible, reflexive methodological lens. This framework represents a significant methodological contribution to knowledge, offering a new paradigm for researching gender, technology, and pedagogy. Findings reveal that female students frequently experience CS education as male-dominated, uncreative, and causes them to lack a sense of belonging in the subject. This is not due to lack of ability, but because of stereotypes, classroom dynamics, and curriculum design. Yet the introduction of an immersive pedagogical approach, with virtual reality, demonstrated potential for changing female participation. Female participants reported higher levels of engagement, creativity, and confidence in VR activities, while teachers observed more equitable classroom dynamics. To support responsible adoption, this thesis presents a framework for embedding VR into the classroom, addressing wellbeing, accessibility, and inclusivity. This thesis argues that gender disparity in CS is not inevitable but social constructed, and therefore open to transformation. By combining critical theory with applied pedagogy, it shows the potential for a transformation of CS education and demonstrates how the subject can be equitable, inclusive, and empowering for all students.

In England, children aged 5-6 years old transition from a play-based curriculum (the EYFS) to a formal curriculum (the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum) as they leave Reception and enter Year 1. The literature surrounding this transition revealed a lack of involvement from parents in this transition, with parental involvement from parents’ perspectives not being researched since Sanders et al’s study in 2005, 18 years before this study was carried out. This investigation examines parents’ personal experiences in this transition in present contexts. Five mothers were interviewed between July 2023 and December 2023 as their children left Reception, entered Year 1, and ended the first term of Year 1. Their opportunities, expectations, aspirations and entitlements or rights were explored; characteristics encouraged by the Educational Transitions and Change [ETC] Research Group (2011) as needing to be considered by researchers, policymakers and practitioners in conversation around this transition. This study highlights how parents may be involved from a strength-based perspective, understanding that every parent is different, and explores the many sociopsychological factors that influence a parent’s ability to support their children during this transition through the lenses of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979/1986) Ecological Model, Griebel and Niesel’s (2009) Notion of Change and Rimm-Kaufman and Pianta’s (2000) Ecological and Dynamic Model of Transition. The parents themselves helped to establish the themes that were deemed the most important to present and discuss, those being communication about the teacher, the classroom, the transition and children’s progress, transition days for children, homework concerns, and the differences between Reception and Year 1. This study aims to provide valuable insights into the importance of parents being involved in this transition and the challenges that they face in doing so, along with the proposal of the Collective Ecological Transition Model, in hopes that parental involvement in this transition becomes more prominent in transition-based discussions and practices.

This article presents the results of a study conducted in collaboration with two universities – one in Lapland (Finland) and the other in Hong Kong (China) – during the development of an international university course on global media education. The objective of the study was to examine international students’ changing conceptual understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy as part of the course. The need for this study arose from the recent rapid spread of AI across industries, which has connected human learning to machine learning. This requires competence in AI to contribute to future society. Five hours of online lectures on AI literacy were delivered during two workshops to students (N = 29) from 13 countries with no or limited prior knowledge of the subject in 2021 and 2022. The participants filled out pre- and post-workshop quantitative questionnaires and wrote diaries about their learning process, the development of their understanding of AI-literacy concepts, and their thoughts on the pedagogical approaches used. The quantitative data were analysed using a paired-samples t-test, while the qualitative data were examined using thematic-content analysis. The findings show that the students’ knowledge of AI and their awareness of the importance of AI literacy and media education increased significantly. Further research is needed so that a more appropriate curriculum can be designed for them. We outline some key activities that offer interactive and participatory ways to learn AI in order to assist educators in planning and delivering AI-literacy courses as part of cross-cultural media education.