PASCAL Links to AERS Schools and Social Capital Network.

What is AERS?

The Applied Educational Research Scheme aims to enhance educational research capacity in Scottish HE institutions, and to use the enhanced capability to conduct high quality research that will benefit school outcomes. There are three thematic networks, namely Learners, Learning and Teaching; School Management and Governance; and Schools and Social Capital. In addition there is an overarching capacity building network, to which each thematic network contributes. All seven Scottish Universities with Education Faculties are participants. The project is led by a consortium of three universities, namely Edinburgh, Stirling , and Strathclyde. It is jointly funded by SEED and SHEFC over a period of five years from 2004.

SSC Network.

The Schools and Social Capital Network aims to enhance understanding about social capitals within educational research. It seeks to examine how understandings about social capitals can inform research, policy and practice. Through specific research projects, the aim is to achieve outcomes for students, staff, and communities. University staff together with staff from other stakeholders will have the opportunity to build their capacity to participate in and use research. There are three linked projects.

Project 1. Defining, measuring and enhancing social capital .

Prof Jenny Ozga, Dr Kay Livingstone, Dr Ralph Catts

Existing indicators of social capital have been identified and the utility of these indicators will be assessed in terms of validity in the school context. Measures appropriate for use with deprived communities will be identified and/or developed at the national, regional and local community level. In addition research into strategies aimed at raising educational outcomes through enhanced social capital will be identified.

Project 2. Enabling Professionals in Schools to use Social Capital .

Rowena Arshad, Prof Julie Allan , Dr Ralph Catts

Strategies to enable professionals in schools to identify and use school and community social capital to enhance educational outcomes will be developed, and evaluated using operationalised constructs developed in Project 1.

Project 3. Recognising Identities. Building Social Capital among Learners.

Prof Julie Allan , Dr Kay Livingstone, Dr Ralph Catts .

The extent to which school students can use formal and informal networks to access and build social capital will be examined. The impact of this capacity on educational outcomes will be evaluated, utilising outcomes of projects 1 and 2.

Links with PASCAL
PASCAL provides a network through which the Scottish SSC Network of AERS can link with research in communities in Australia and elsewhere.

Ralph Catts

Senior Research Fellow
SSC Network, AERS.
July 22, 2004

• Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED)
• Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC)