The Centre for Applied Research and Development was established by the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education in 2002. The Research Centre undertakes a broad range of research activities which assist and encourage informed decision making within private, public and voluntary sector organisations. Our work also involves providing high quality and objective reports with focussed conclusions and in-depth recommendations to individual educational institutions and government departments. Our reports are produced to publishable standard.
External Research Projects
Preparing for SENDO
In May 05 the Research Centre launched its report reviewing the systems and strategies employed in the Further and Higher Education sectors across Northern Ireland to support students with disabilities. The research involved a needs assessment with recommendations which were used to drive phase II of the project commissioned by the Department for Employment and Learning. The research engaged all Further and Higher Education Institutes and the Universities across Northern Ireland and involved a series of research methods, including consultations with voluntary sector organisations, and surveying of student opinion via focus groups.
Entrepreneurship
The Research Centre was funded by the Executive Programme Fund to research the area of entrepreneurship in schools and colleges across Northern Ireland. This project included a benchmarking survey of the views of more than 120 teachers and lecturers in Northern Ireland regarding enterprise and labour market issues relating to their pupils and students. It was accompanied by a major study of pupil and student opinion about different types of work and related skill requirements with 2,250 young people contributing. Questionnaires, Semi-structured Interviews & Action Science Sessions were used to collect the data. The final report and recommendations were published in June 04.
Ulster Supported Employment Ltd (USEL) Connectability
USEL aims to "expand the choice of paid job opportunities for disabled people and by means of training and development assist with progression". In June 2003 the Centre for Applied Research and Development was commissioned by USEL to identify barriers and opportunities facing disabled people in the labour market and to examine their experiences in seeking and finding employment. This research included a 100% postal survey of employers and employees with a disability, who work with USEL, and a series of semi-structured interviews to facilitate the generation of case-studies that help demonstrate best practice.
Key Skills Support Systems
In June 2002 the Research Centre was commissioned by the Training and Employment Agency (T&EA) to explore the support systems in place to facilitate the achievement of key skills by young people in Training Organisations across Northern Ireland. The sample included 29 of the 100 Training Organisations and the methodology included a postal survey, semi-structured interviews and institutional visits. Following the publication of the report, the Research Manager was involved in consultations with senior managers from DEL and Training Organisations as well as the then Minister Ms Carmel Hanna which lead to a further paper written by the Research Manager at the request of the Minister.
Listening to Learners
The Research Manager worked with LSDA and staff from within the Institute to contribute to the data collection materials used by LSDA to sample student satisfaction across the sector. The Research Manager promoted and co-ordinated the survey within the institute and some 1,571 students responded. The final report will be available April 2006.
Graduate Survey
Between October and December 05 a postal survey of all this year’s graduates was carried out. More than 300 students responded and statistics are currently being summarised and analysed.
Enrolment Survey
In November 05, 787 students across the 5 main Institute campuses took part in a survey concerning their enrolment experience. Details of the findings were fed back to the Departmental Management Team of the Department of Customer & Admissions Services and to the Institute Senior Management Team. Based on the findings of the research an action plan was generated and is currently being implemented.
Gender Bias in Software Engineering
This project was carried out for the Department of Computing & Administrative Studies and students took part in the research via focus groups. The results were fed back to the Head of Department and Principal Lecturer and contributed to the departmental marketing strategy for HND programmes.
Curriculum 2000 in the Belfast Institute
A further piece of research was carried out by the Research Centre, which examined attendance, retention, achievement, key skills and inclusive learning on Curriculum 2000 programmes within the Belfast Institute. This report included the views of current students, students who had withdrawn, course co-ordinators, centre managers and teaching staff. The report has informed the strategic and operational plans of the Academic Heads of Department for the delivery of Curriculum 2000 programmes within the Institute.
A copy of the report published in November 2003 is available to staff from all Heads of Department.
Belfast Institute School Links Provision
The Research Centre examined the Belfast Institute School Links Provision. All 8 academic departments and all linked schools had an opportunity to contribute to the research. All aspects of provision were examined including benefits to schools and to the Institute, the mechanism for costing the provision, the quality of provision, the length of modules and outcomes. The report formed the basis of the Institute’s strategy with regard to School Links and contributed to the strategy for the implementation of the Costello Report.
A copy of the report completed in February 2003 is available to staff from the School Links Committee.
Role of the Statutory FE Sector
In January 2003 the Research Manager compiled a report on behalf of the Belfast Institute Stakeholders, in response to the FE Review Consultation Paper circulated by the Department for Employment and Learning. The information was collected following two workshop events to facilitate contributions from stakeholders and the report was submitted to the Department.
