Jon Swain
University College London, Institute of Education, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The aims and objectives of the study were to: ? - assess the impact of literacy and numeracy skills and literacy and numeracy interventions on the personal and professional development of Service personnel and on their operational... more
The aims and objectives of the study were to: ? - assess the impact of literacy and numeracy skills and literacy and numeracy interventions on the personal and professional development of Service personnel and on their operational effectiveness. ? - make recommendations for the most effective interventions and support for Service personnel in their first two years of service. The study focused on recruits assessed with low levels of literacy or numeracy skills on joining the Armed Forces, and the support they received during their subsequent two years in uniform.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This document is also available in pdf format from NRDC's website, www.nrdc.org.uk. This is the summary version of the full research report of the same name. For information on alternative formats, or to give feedback on the content... more
This document is also available in pdf format from NRDC's website, www.nrdc.org.uk. This is the summary version of the full research report of the same name. For information on alternative formats, or to give feedback on the content and accessibility of this publication, please contact:
Research Interests: Cover()
()
This paper presents findings from a study of family literacy provision in England and focuses on the effects of family literacy programmes on the home literacy environment. The fieldwork took place between September 2013 and December 2014... more
This paper presents findings from a study of family literacy provision in England and focuses on the effects of family literacy programmes on the home literacy environment. The fieldwork took place between September 2013 and December 2014 and involved 27 school-based programmes for pupils aged between 5 and 7, and their parents. The study used mixed methods, which involved observations of family literary sessions, a quantitative pre- and post-survey of 118 parents, and pre- and post-telephone qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of 24 parents. Building on previous theoretical work, the study conceptualises the home literacy environment into four areas (family resources; parental literacy behaviours and attitudes; parental beliefs and understandings; and family literacy activities and practices). The paper develops understandings of how parents translate and implement messages from family literacy into the home setting, and it shows how participation in these programmes leads to ...
Research Interests:
This paper describes different types of femininity within one working class UK junior school. The fieldwork took place between 1998-99 and the data come from observations and a series of interviews with twelve 10-11-year-old girls. The... more
This paper describes different types of femininity within one working class UK junior school. The fieldwork took place between 1998-99 and the data come from observations and a series of interviews with twelve 10-11-year-old girls. The paper attempts to go beyond using typologies and argues that femininities are more nuanced and malleable, and also temporal and situated. Although all the forms of femininity were constructed through the heterosexual matrix, the findings differ from the work of other researchers in that only two girls attempted to perform Connell's (1987) 'emphasised' form of femininity, and the others were able to resist this dominant discourse.
Research Interests:
This article is based on an ethnographic exploration into the construction of masculinities among ten-and eleven-year-old boys in three schools in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 1999. The research found that there were different... more
This article is based on an ethnographic exploration into the construction of masculinities among ten-and eleven-year-old boys in three schools in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 1999. The research found that there were different patterns of masculinity both between and within each setting that drew on the resources and storylines available. The author discusses the way the research was theorized, particularly in relation to the concept of hegemonic masculinity and its link with the body. He interrogates the use of typologies and outlines the reasons why he found them unsatisfactory. Although the terms “hegemonic,” “complicit,” and “subordinate” masculinity are borrowed from Connell, the author found it necessary to propose another form of masculinity, which he calls “personalized.” This was made up from boys who appeared content to pursue their own types of identity, and did not aspire to, or imitate, the leading form. Finally, the author briefly discusses the implications of t...
Research Interests:
Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and... more
Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and practice. We use an example of a conversation between one of us and a participant to highlight their nuanced and specific nature, and to raise and interrogate a number of ethical and methodological issues that emerge. We view informal conversations as opportunities to add "context" and "authenticity" to data and argue that they can unlock otherwise missed opportunities to expand and enrich data. We also consider the role of ethical boards and ethical guidelines, and the practical effects and consequences these have for researchers when they use informal conversations during their fieldwork.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article is based on an ethnographic exploration into the construction of masculini-ties among ten-and eleven-year-old boys in three schools in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 1999. The research found that there were different... more
This article is based on an ethnographic exploration into the construction of masculini-ties among ten-and eleven-year-old boys in three schools in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 1999. The research found that there were different patterns of mascu-linity both between ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper raises and discusses a series of key issues that arose during a 20-month evaluation project concerning the impact of family literacy programmes on the skills of parents and their children. Using a range of mixed methods, the... more
This paper raises and discusses a series of key issues that arose during a 20-month evaluation project concerning the impact of family literacy programmes on the skills of parents and their children. Using a range of mixed methods, the research was based on 74 family literacy programmes in England and involved 583 parents and their children. The majority of previous evaluations of family learning have been quantitative and concentrated on children’s literacy outcomes; they have tended to ignore issues from qualitative research (which can both enable and constrain effective provision), many of which are of great interest to policy-makers. The specific issues raised in this paper coalesce around themes of recruitment; accreditation; the educational profile of parents (including the scarcity of men); the physical teaching and learning environment; the competing agendas between local authorities and schools; and planning opportunities between adult family literacy tutors and early years...
Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and... more
Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and practice. We use an example of a conversation between one of us and a participant to highlight their nuanced and specific nature, and to raise and interrogate a number of ethical and methodological issues that emerge. We view informal conversations as opportunities to add "context" and "authenticity" to data and argue that they can unlock otherwise missed opportunities to expand and enrich data. We also consider the role of ethical boards and ethical guidelines, and the practical effects and consequences these have for researchers when they use informal conversations during their fieldwork.
Research Interests:
This paper reports on one of a suite of projects on adult basic education, combining analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Adult numeracy teaching was observed in a wide range of settings and involved diverse groups of learners... more
This paper reports on one of a suite of projects on adult basic education, combining analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Adult numeracy teaching was observed in a wide range of settings and involved diverse groups of learners and teachers. Classes made a significant overall mean gain of 9 % in attainment, but the range of gains between classes was large. Few correlations between gains in learning or attitude and characteristics of teaching, teachers or learners were found to be significant. This connects with the awareness expressed by teachers of the need to be flexible and adapt their approach to circumstances.
Research Interests:
The remit of this 21-month empirical project was to explore what makes numeracy teaching meaningful to adult learners. The study breaks new ground in looking in depth at this issue with respect to adults. The project began in December... more
The remit of this 21-month empirical project was to explore what makes numeracy teaching meaningful to adult learners. The study breaks new ground in looking in depth at this issue with respect to adults. The project began in December 2002, based in three colleges of [further education] FE in different geographical areas in England. Integral to the project were three [teacher-researchers] TRs based in each of the three colleges, who worked on the project for approximately one day each week. They collaborated in the design of the project, in the conduct of the fieldwork and took part in the analysis. The project investigated four adult numeracy classes, three day classes and one evening class, with 80 students in total, who were working between entry level 1 and level 2. The two principal methods of data collection were semi-participant observation within the classroom and loosely structured interviews. The study explored a particular and limited cohort of adult learners: these were ...
Research Interests:
This research involved 27 family literacy programmes running in 18 Local Authorities in England. We examined: 1) the impact of school-based family literacy programmes on young children’s progress in reading and writing 2) how parents... more
This research involved 27 family literacy programmes running in 18 Local Authorities in England. We examined: 1) the impact of school-based family literacy programmes on young children’s progress in reading and writing 2) how parents translate and implement what they learn in these classes into the home literacy environment (HLE). The study followed a mixed methods embedded approach; qualitative data from in-depth observations and parental interviews were embedded in a quantitative quasi-experimental design. As the data suggest family literacy programmes have a positive effect on Key Stage 1 children’s reading scores: children who attended the programmes made greater gains in their reading than children who did not attend programmes (effect size of 0.17). The also were extensive changes in the home literacy environment experienced by families participating in the programmes.
Research Interests: Medicine()
()
This article is about the changing identities of young male recruits in the British army. The data is based on 60 in-depth, semi-structured, interviews that formed part of a major three-year longitudinal study (2008–11). The great... more
This article is about the changing identities of young male recruits in the British army. The data is based on 60 in-depth, semi-structured, interviews that formed part of a major three-year longitudinal study (2008–11). The great majority of the recruits, were aged between 16–19 years old, and were in the infantry or other combat related units. The article explores the characteristics of the peer group culture, discusses the important function of role models, and considers the career point at which the trainees begin to regard themselves as being a “real” soldier. The idealised and hegemonic form of masculinity that the recruits aspired to was based on physicality and toughness and was encapsulated in the action image of the “warrior hero”. However, although the culture was highly competitive, the data shows there to be a more nuanced form of hegemonic military masculinity, which was also inclusive and egalitarian, and contained a number of more feminised associated qualities such ...
Abstract: This thesis investigates the construction of masculinity of 10-11 year old boys at school. It is a comparative ethnographic study set in three junior schools differentiated by the social characteristics of their intake. The two... more
Abstract: This thesis investigates the construction of masculinity of 10-11 year old boys at school. It is a comparative ethnographic study set in three junior schools differentiated by the social characteristics of their intake. The two main sources of data come from participant observation and interviews with children. The thesis draws on social constructionist and feminist-inspired theories and argues that the boys construct, negotiate and perform a range of different masculinities which are contingent on the meanings and practices found within each school. It is argued that there is a hierarchy of masculinities, of which one can be identified as dominant within each setting. Whilst, in each school, some masculinities are subordinated, the study found that not all boys aspire to, or compete with, the dominant form of masculinity and the version of the 'idealised' boy this presents. Some boys appear content to pursue their own forms of masculine identity. The boys' pee...
Research Interests:
This article reports research findings from a 21-month empirical project called Making Numeracy Teaching Meaningful to Adult Learners, which was funded by the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy... more
This article reports research findings from a 21-month empirical project called Making Numeracy Teaching Meaningful to Adult Learners, which was funded by the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC). It looks at motivations behind adult learners returning to study numeracy in three FE colleges, and finds them to be complex and multiple, and inextricably linked
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper uses a life course perspective to explore and understand how an individual’s experiences over their lifetime contribute to the formation of a growing consciousness about their impending retirement. The fieldwork took place in... more
This paper uses a life course perspective to explore and understand how an individual’s experiences over their lifetime contribute to the formation of a growing consciousness about their impending retirement. The fieldwork took place in 2016 and was part of a wider mixed methods study about retirement in the UK, which used data from the 1958 birth cohort study (also known as the National Child Development Study). The paper focuses on the qualitative dimension of the study and uses in-depth case studies of four people approaching 60 to consider, in particular, the effects of health, financial resources and employment history on their views on retiring, including the anticipated timing of their exit from the labour market. All four were purposively chosen because they had experienced low pay or poverty during their lifetime and were employed in relatively low paid jobs. State Pension Ages (SPAs) are on the rise in many countries, including the UK, and the authors maintain that it is i...
Research Interests:
This paper explores the reasons why people exit the UK labor market early and some of the barriers working against them returning. The specific focus is a qualitative exploration of three out of work individuals, approaching the age of... more
This paper explores the reasons why people exit the UK labor market early and some of the barriers working against them returning. The specific focus is a qualitative exploration of three out of work individuals, approaching the age of 60, each of whom had experienced poverty and periods of worklessness during their lifetime. The fieldwork took place in 2016 and was part of a wider mixed methods study about retirement, which used data from the 1958 birth cohort study. Researchers used narrative interviews to uncover the lived experiences and realities of these three people’s lives, and applied a life course perspective to understand how the accumulation of advantages and disadvantages during their lives shapes their attitudes and expectations. The data also show the effects of money, health, and previous employment on their decision making, and how structures such as social class, gender, and poverty are represented in and through the stories they tell.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper reports findings from a mixed methods research project in 2011, which set out to examine the extent and nature of father and child shared home reading practices. There was a particular focus on exploring fathers’ perceptions of... more
This paper reports findings from a mixed methods research project in 2011, which set out to examine the extent and nature of father and child shared home reading practices. There was a particular focus on exploring fathers’ perceptions of their role in reading with their child, aged five years old. The research was commissioned by Booktrust and conducted by the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy. It involved 254 fathers and the results from the study are supplemented and enhanced by analysis of data on fathers’ reading from the Millennium Cohort Study. One of the main findings from this study and the Millennium Cohort Study data is that significant numbers of fathers read to their children either every day or a few times a week. The other findings are presented under the headings of father’s own reading practices, their motivation for reading with their child/children, the place and the time reading occurs, the strategies and practices that are ...