Activity theory analysis of training for workplace mentors in apprenticeship degrees
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Taylor-Smith, E., & Smith, S. (2024, December)
Activity theory analysis of training for workplace mentors in apprenticeship degrees. Paper presented at International Conference of the Society of Research into Higher Education, Nottingham, UK
Apprenticeship degrees bring the radical possibility of higher education without debt. They also require taking learning off-campus and into the workplace, collaborating with ...
Resisting the gendered categorisation of Computing and Engineering
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Taylor-Smith, E., & Smith, S. (2024, December)
Resisting the gendered categorisation of Computing and Engineering. Paper presented at 2024 SRHE International Research Conference, Nottingham, UK
As information infrastructures increasingly shape decisions that affect us, especially through the undertow of artificial intelligence, it is essential that women and gender m...
Workplace Mentor Training for Inclusion: Training resources for work-based learning mentors
Digital Artefact
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Cecil, M., & Scott, A. (2024)
Workplace Mentor Training for Inclusion: Training resources for work-based learning mentors. [Blog]
This is a resource for work-based learning mentors, with a special focus on mentoring for inclusion, featuring Key Elements of Inclusion for Mentors infographic and Intro to I...
Job-seeking narratives: in search of graduate capitals acquired during student placements
Journal Article
Smith, S., & Smith, C. (in press)
Job-seeking narratives: in search of graduate capitals acquired during student placements. British Journal of Sociology of Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2024.2328125
Being a graduate is no longer sufficient to secure a fulfilling and rewarding graduate role. This paper drew on Tomlinson’s Graduate Capital Model to analyse the job-seeking n...
Students’ gendered experiences of male-dominated Computing and Engineering courses
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Fabian, K. (2023)
Students’ gendered experiences of male-dominated Computing and Engineering courses.
How does it feel to be in a gender minority on a STEM programme? Does it have an impact on individual students? Via an online survey (n=255), undergraduate students on Computi...
Investing in degree apprenticeships: Analysing experiences through Conservation of Resources Theory
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Bratton, A. (2023)
Investing in degree apprenticeships: Analysing experiences through Conservation of Resources Theory.
Degree apprentices have reported finding work-life-study balance challenging. This study uses the Theory of Conservation of Resources (COR) to investigate the resources invest...
Disparities in work-integrated learning experiences for students who present as women: an international study of biases, barriers, and challenges
Journal Article
Bowen, T., Drysdale, M. T., Callaghan, S., Smith, S., Johansson, K., Smith, C., …Berg, T. (2024)
Disparities in work-integrated learning experiences for students who present as women: an international study of biases, barriers, and challenges. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 14(2), 313-328. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-05-2023-0115
Purpose
This study identifies gendered disparities among women students participating in work-integrated learning and explores the effects of the disparities on their percepti...
‘They gave me an opportunity, and I took it’: motivations and concerns of adult apprentices
Journal Article
Smith, S., Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., Barr, M., Berg, T., Bratton, A., Kolberg, M., Paterson, J., & Zarb, M. (2025)
‘They gave me an opportunity, and I took it’: motivations and concerns of adult apprentices. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 77(2), 465-483. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2023.2255576
In the UK context of an ageing population, degree apprenticeships represent a new opportunity to study for a degree while working. Apprentices are full-time employees granted ...
Apprentices’ perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships: a longitudinal study
Journal Article
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Fabian, K., & Bratton, A. (2023)
Apprentices’ perspectives of the tripartite collaboration at the heart of degree apprenticeships: a longitudinal study. Journal of Workplace Learning, 35(8), 779-795. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-01-2023-0007
Purpose: The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers, and universities. This study investigated the li...
‘I can’t really say as my course is 90% male’: students perceptions of gender impact on computing and engineering degrees
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Fabian, K. (2023, June)
‘I can’t really say as my course is 90% male’: students perceptions of gender impact on computing and engineering degrees. Paper presented at 2023 Horizons in STEM, Swansea, UK
In UK higher education, the majority of computing and engineering students are men. HESA (2023) records the proportion of women studying ‘Computing’ and ‘Engineering and techn...