IN BRIEF


EARLY LEARNING New technologies play an increasing role in young children’s lives. Is hands-on learning important? How will technologies change the way children interact and learn? Can we create new forms of digital materials for learning? Researchers will explore these issues by examining how children (aged 5-8 years) use digital and non-digital materials to learn mathematics. ESRC grant number ES/K001531/1


TARGET CULTURE Since the 1980s, the UK has seen a huge expansion of quantitative, performance-based measures across policy areas. What explains the appeal of targets and indicators? How has the ‘target culture’ affected policy outcomes and political debate? Researchers will analyse monitoring in climate change, immigration control and defence procurement from 1994 to 2014. ESRC grant number ES/K005170/1


TAX RESEARCH CENTRE The new joint Exeter-IFS Tax Administration Centre will deliver research that enhances tax policy and provides lasting benefits to the economy. The Centre will address a wide range of intersecting research projects. Methodologies will include economic modelling, econometric analysis, experimentation, numerical simulation and qualitative analysis. The Centre will make extensive use of HMRC/HMT Datalab. See page 26 for full article. ESRC grant number ES/K005944/1


6 SOCIETY NOW SUMMER 2011 AUTUMN 2013


Impact of protective measures


SPECIAL MEASURES FOR witnesses in rape trials – such as protective screens, live-links and video-recorded evidence – do not affect jurors’ evaluation of the evidence, says a recent study. Witnesses in criminal proceedings are generally required to give evidence ‘live’ in open court but, since 1999, some victims of rape have been granted more ‘witness-friendly’ trial arrangements.


Researchers explored whether the use of special protective measures affects juror decision-making. Based on simulation of four


different rape trials, findings suggest that use of video testimony did not reduce the emotional impact of evidence compared to evidence given in person. Nor did special measures substantially affect jurors’ evaluations of the rape testimony or perceptions of trial fairness. n


i Contact Professor Louise Ellison,


University of Leeds Email l.e.ellison@leeds.ac.uk Telephone 0113 343 2684 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-4277


Faith learning largely invisible


MANY UK TEACHERS are unaware of the significant amount of out- of-school learning that takes place in faith settings, says a new study. Researchers suggest that mainstream schoolteachers need to know more about the knowledge and skills learned by children in their faith settings so they can support the whole child. “Faith is highly important in the lives of many children and their families”, says researcher Professor Eve Gregory. “This is especially the case for families who have recently migrated to the UK, where the faith provides both community and individual support.” In this study, researchers set out to investigate how 16 children aged between four and 12 from the Bangladeshi Muslim, Ghanaian Pentecostal, Polish Catholic and Tamil Hindu communities became literate through faith activities in London between 2009 and 2013. Findings show that the scope and nature of learning through faith- related activities in children’s lives is


remarkable. Faith permeates children’s everyday lives, underpinning language and literacy activities, fostering both bilingual and biliteracy skills as well as logical reasoning, culture, social, artistic and creative skills. “A significant amount of learning


takes place in faith settings and we hope that teachers can see how much skill and knowledge this brings into the school setting and how they themselves can build on that”, says Professor Gregory. “Government reports are urging teachers to reach out to their communities to promote social cohesion. It would seem a matter of urgency for teachers to know more about children’s skills and knowledge developed through faith literacies if this aim is to become a reality in school.” n


i Contact Professor Eve Gregory,


Goldsmiths, University of London Email eds01eg@gold.ac.uk Telephone 0207 9197304 ESRC Grant Number RES-062-23-1613 www.gold.ac.uk/clcl/belifs


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