News
September 2007
WBL publishes new research report:
What role for the three Rs? Progress and attainment during primary school
Kathryn Duckworth,
WBL Research Report 23
Amendment to WBL Update Summer 2007 published to reflect the change in date of the Autumn Seminar
The Centre for the Wider Benefits of Learning is currently recruiting for
4 key roles to support its work in research and policy.
Please visit the Vacancies page for
more information.
August 2007
New WBL co-directors appointed
Ruth Lupton and John Vorhaus have been appointed as co-directors of the WBL.
Read more about them in the latest issue of WBL Update.
WBL Update Summer 2007 issue available online
WBL publishes new research reports:
Determination and pathways of progression to level 2 qualifications: Evidence
from the NCDS and BHPS
Ricardo Sabates, Leon Feinstein and Eleni
Skaliotis,
WBL Research Report No.21
Parenting behaviours and children's development from infancy to early
childhood: Changes, continuities, and contributions
Leslie Morrison Gutman and Leon Feinstein,
WBL Research Report No.22
June 2006
WBL publishes two new research reports
WBL has just published Research Reports 18 and 19 in the Wider Benefits of Learning series.
What is the relationship between child nutrition and school outcomes?
Annik Sorhaindo and Leon Feinstein review the literature on the relationship between aspects of nutrition and physical health, mental health, behavioural and social outcomes in children. Further information on WBL Research Report No. 18.
Are there effects of mothers' post-16 education on the next generation? Effects on children's development and mothers' parenting
Leon Feinstein and Kathryn Duckworth examine whether the strong correlation between mothers' participation in education and both her child's development and her parenting results from a primarily causal relationship, or from selection effects. Further information on WBL Research Report No. 19.
March 2006
WBL Update Spring 2006 issue available online
In our first newsletter of 2006 we have looked to international expertise for the discussion piece - Pamela Davis-Kean from the University of Michigan, USA has contributed the article "Stimulating the next generation". We also look at research on maternal educational attitudes and behaviours, and on flourishing at school and adult learning. We conclude this issue with outlines of forthcoming WBL research on nutrition and school readiness. WBL Update.
February 2006
WBL publishes new research report: Are those who flourished at school healthier adults? What role for adult education?
Cathie Hammond and Leon Feinstein examine the importance of school success and participation in adult learning for adult health and well-being. Further information on this report.
January 2006
WBL publishes new research report: Does education have an impact on mothers' educational attitudes and behaviours?
Using instrumental variable (IV) methodology, Leon Feinstein and Ricardo Sabates examine the relationship between education and mothers' educational attitudes and behaviours. Further information on this report.
November 2005
WBL Update Autumn 2005 is available online
The discussion piece in this issue is on the development of extended schools. We also look at recently published research, a debate held in the summer, forthcoming WBL research and events, and new arrivals to the WBL team. WBL Update.
October 2005
WBL Research Officer receives PhD award
In October 2005, Peter Stevens, a WBL Research Officer, received his PhD award for his thesis "An ethnography of teacher racism and discrimination in Flemish and English classrooms with Turkish secondary school pupils".
September 2005
WBL launches its new website
In September 2005, WBL launched its new website. The new site includes information on current WBL research, research reports and other publications, news, events, information for practioners and links to related organisations and datasets. You can also register on the new website to join the WBL mailing list to receive information on research reports as they are published, forthcoming events and news items. The site can be accessed by going to www.learningbenefits.net.
July 2005
Leisure contexts in adolescence and their effects on adult outcomes
In July 2005, WBL published the report 'Leisure contexts in adolescence and their effects on adult outcomes'
by Leon Feinstein, John Bynner and Kathryn Duckworth. The research was undertaken by WBL for the government's
Strategy Unit as part of the development of an evidence-base to inform government thinking on provision for young people.
Further information on this report.
June 2005
The wider benefits of learning, what role for government?
On 8 June 2005 WBL hosted the debate, 'The wider benefits of learning, what role for government?' for members
of the WBL Advisory Forum. Speakers were Leon Feinstein (Director, WBL), Frank Coffield (Professor of Education,
Institute of Education), Ursula Howard (Director, National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and
Numeracy, Institute of Education) and Anne Longfield (Chief Executive, 4Children). The issues discussed included
the importance of focussing on outcomes other than qualifications; the importance of communication of WBL’s work;
the meaning of "skills"; the selection of targets and the role of choice in service delivery; the problems of volume
and scale in policy implementation; the importance of "soft skills"; and the compartmentalisation of government.
April 2005
WBL welcomes three new members of research staff
In spring 2005, the WBL research team expanded as three new researchers were taken on. Peter Stevens, a sociologist
from Belgium, was offered the post of Senior Research Officer. His previous research includes ethnographic work on
schools and discrimination as well as large sample data collection and multi-level modelling of the same issues.
A further two Research Officers were also offered posts – Tash Anderson comes to WBL from the United States where she has just completed an MSc in Political Science at Ohio State.
Annik Sorhaindo joins the Centre from the School of Educational and Policy Studies at the Institute of Education where she examined issues in sexual health.
September 2004
Dr Leon Feinstein takes over as WBL Director following the retirement of Professor John Bynner
In September 2004, Dr Leon Feinstein, Reader in the Economics of Education at the Institute of Education, took over
the role of Director of WBL replacing Professor John Bynner. Under Leon's direction, WBL will continue to investigate
the effects of learning on outcomes. The team will explore effects of learning in terms of the well-being of individuals,
families and communities. There will also be more focus on the links between these different types of effect and
synthetic work will be carried out that considers the policy implications of the quantitative and qualitative work
undertaken to date.
Everybody at WBL would like to thank Professor John Bynner for his tireless efforts, together with his Co-directors (Professor Tom Schuller and Professor Andy Green), in establishing the Centre in 1999.
March 2004
WBL launches the book 'The benefits of learning'
'The benefits of learning: the impacts of formal and informal education on social capital, health and family life' by Tom Schuller, John Preston, Cathie Hammond, Angela Brassett-Grundy and John Bynner was launched at the Institute of Education on 11 March 2004. Presentations were given by John Bynner and Tom Schuller, WBL Co-directors and Alan Tuckett, Head of NIACE. Alan gave an informative speech and acknowledged the importance of the work which NIACE and WBL are pursuing in evaluating the importance of adult learning for policy makers.
The book is published by RoutledgeFalmer and is available from the Institute of Education bookshop (www.johnsmith.co.uk/ioe).
