Co‐production of quality in the Applied Education Research Scheme

Abstract

This contribution looks at the ways in which research quality is defined and addressed in the Applied Education Research Scheme (AERS), particularly within the network on Schools and Social Capital, which is one of the four areas of work within the overall AERS scheme. AERS is a five‐year programme, funded jointly by the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, with the combined aims of developing research capacity in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland and supporting the achievement of Scotland's National Priorities in Education (NPEs). Research capacity building is a key objective, because of the relatively poor performance of education research in Scottish HEIs in the last RAE, and the NPEs encompass a range of social, political and economic targets for education, from raising attainment to building social inclusion. AERS falls squarely within the Frascati definition of applied research, and the funders have a strong interest in securing significant improvements in both schooling and research performance. The scheme offers an interesting site for consideration of the interaction of research steering and research quality. This contribution draws primarily on the author's experience as a member of one of the four AERS networks, that on Schools and Social Capital, and also on recent related research on knowledge transfer. ¹ It explores the principles that shape research in this network, with particular attention to the concern to promote and achieve quality in relation to both process and impact.

Keywords:

• Applied research
• Impact
• Knowledge transfer
• Quality
• Research capacity
• Social capital

Notes

1. Research on knowledge transfer was funded by ESRC (RES‐00–22–0747). The author is a member of and PI in the AERS network on Schools and Social Capital (AERS SSC). Her views should not be taken as representative of that network nor of the AERS network as a whole.

2. SEED is the equivalent of the DFES in England. The funding councils for FE and HE in Scotland have merged to form the Scottish Funding Council.

3. The national priorities, very briefly summarised, concern (i) achievement and attainment; (ii) the framework for learning; (iii) inclusion and equity; (iv) values and citizenship; (v) learning for life (see www.scotland.gov.uk/education/nationalpriorities/priorities.asp).

4. These observations are based wholly on the author's experience as a participant in AERS SSC, and should not be taken as applying across the entire AERS scheme.

5. The node leaders are Node 1: Jim McGonigal, Moira Hulme (Glasgow University) and Andy McDonald (Midlothian Council); Node 2: Grace Paton (Paisley University) and Joan Forbes (Aberdeen); and Node 3: Carey Normand (Dundee University), Peter Hamilton (Shetland/University of Edinburgh) and Jenny Ozga (University of Edinburgh).