Unwrap the latest research news, just in time for the holidays!

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RESEARCH NEWS

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

IOE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

England in TIMSS: Pupils improving in maths but falling behind in science

Released this month, results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) reveal pupils' Maths and Science performance across 64 countries as well as the extent to which gender, socioeconomic status, school and home environment is making an impact. Read the IOE's analysis for England.

Teachers' wellbeing: a research digest

Recent research from the IOE found that teachers have similar levels of wellbeing to other professional groups. Their wellbeing went largely unaffected by lockdown too, although the same was not true for headteachers. Marking and lesson planning are the key drivers of work stress among a largely White sample of teachers. However workload as a stressor is not top of Black, Asian and minority ethnic teachers' minds as much as the experience of battling racial inequalities, which creates a 'hidden workload'.

Research for the Real World: 5 remarkable research stories

Like a really good chocolate selection box, the producers' cut of favourite episodes from our leading podcast series makes for a handy starter episode if you haven't listened before.

Tell us what you want to hear in the IOE Podcast

FROM THE IOE BLOG

COVID vaccine: what makes some people wary while others want to be first in the queue?

And which type are you? Dr Keri Wong shares insights on vaccine hesitancy from the ongoing COVID-19 global study of social trust and mental health led by UCL and the University of Pennsylvania.

"A university education can lead to graduates demanding equality"

There's nothing like a pandemic to make us ask "is X really necessary?" Professor Elaine Unterhalter reviews multi-national evidence on the value of universities and how they really do enrich communities.

#IOEBlog at UCL. Boys look over Greenwich toward the City

Have you bookmarked the IOE Blog's new home?

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Getting "IN-TOUCH" with Christmas

Enjoy a Spotify playlist of festive songs that feature a tactile theme courtesy of the IN-TOUCH research team at the UCL Knowledge Lab, which is looking at touch digitally mediated through haptic devices, wearables, robotics, virtual reality, and other digital touch devices, systems, and environments.

Learn more about the playlist.

Christmas tree in lights at the UCL Portico

IOE NEWS

UCL leads £2m international policy initiative to mitigate COVID-19's social impacts

The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) aims to enable national, devolved and local UK governments to make better decisions to benefit the British public, particularly marginalised and at-risk groups, and accelerate the UK’s recovery. The IOE’s Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating Centre (EPPI Centre) is part of the team.

30,000 'myth-busting' Holocaust textbooks sent for free to 1,000 schools

The textbook draws on empirical research into teaching practices and students' knowledge and understanding to address common challenges that occur within Holocaust education.

High levels of serious mental health difficulties among UK 17-year-olds

Pre-pandemic data reveal worrying levels of self-harm and psychological distress among Generation Z, and highlight the urgent need to improve support and address the underlying causes, which will now have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

72% of teachers do not think they should be doing the Phonics Screening Check

The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 Years) reports on the continued criticism of the test, from the teachers who conduct it.

IOE EVENTS

For your 2021 diary

What if we could get all children reaching for books?

An IOE Public Debate featuring children's author and poet Joseph Coelho, Charlotte Hacking (children's charity the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education), and IOE experts.