Richard Davies | UWC South East Asia (original) (raw)
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Amongst a cacophony of noise in the educational community from the competing and adversarial self... more Amongst a cacophony of noise in the educational community from the competing and
adversarial selfinterested cries of practitioners, policy makers, education providers and
teaching unions, there is a deafening silence in one crucial area in which there appears
to be a broad consensus of agreement. More than anything else in a school, teaching
quality matters as more effective teachers are an essential prerequisite in the elusive
quest to produce high performing students equipped with the skills to succeed in the
21st Century (Ripley, p1, 2012; Jensen, p3, 2011). A similar agreement surrounding
what exactly constitutes effective teaching amongst the fractional parties remains elusive
in spite of an increase in research, however ‘appraising and providing feedback to
improve teachers once they enter the profession and are working in schools’ is one of
the five mechanisms through which Jensen (p7, 2011) argues teacher effectiveness can
be improved and will provide the focus for this study. Whilst traditional instruments such
as quantitative analysis of pupils achievement gains and observations from senior
leaders will be considered, one of the most significant developments for education
reform over the past decade has been the advent of student feedback in teacher
evaluations (Ripley, p5, 2012). The aim of this study is, therefore, to develop an effective
student survey to be used alongside traditional instruments of appraisal and feedback as
part of a ‘balanced scorecard’ approach in order to improve teacher effectiveness
(Jensen, p10, 2011).
This research project seeks to explore the extent to which the learning environment within a scho... more This research project seeks to explore the extent to which the learning environment within a school can be improved by capitalising on the intellectual and leadership potential of pupils themselves to innovate, identify and contribute to the direction of their own learning through the introduction of a Student Leader Scheme as a component of wholeschool behaviour for learning policy. It sets out a rudimentary framework that has served as the basis for a pilot scheme that has been used with a top set year 9 mathematics class for the academic year 2012/13. By analysing the results of pupils' experiences as Student Leader throughout the year, the project establishes that not only is there broad support for the idea of increased Student Leadership but that there is an appetite to extend the mandate and responsibilities that the position entails. It suggests that by incorporating this feedback and extending the scheme to other mathematics classes and the sociology department for the academic year 2013/14 an effective Student Leadership Scheme can be developed that can be rolled out across the school.
The illicit narcotics industry in Afghanistan dominates the economy and pervades all aspects of t... more The illicit narcotics industry in Afghanistan dominates the economy and pervades all aspects of the international heroin market. In a country devoid of many other natural resources, this beacon of economic opportunity has encouraged the evolution of a triangular relationship between the Taliban, insurgents and organised criminals that seeks to collectively undermine the state in order to benefit from the cultivation, production, processing and trafficking of drugs. This investigation will conduct a quantitative analysis of country-level data pertaining to the production of opium and the level of terrorist violence which will enable an assessment of the merits of integrating counter-narcotics operations into the heart of counter-terrorist policy. It will conclude that there is a high degree of correlation between opium production and terrorist violence and posits that the deleterious effects of the opiate economy can be tackled only through sustained and multinational long-term action.
In 1996 the IRA brought an end to its 18 month long ceasefire by detonating a car bomb in London'... more In 1996 the IRA brought an end to its 18 month long ceasefire by detonating a car bomb in London's Canary Wharf financial district. By constructing a case study of the attack, this paper seeks to ascertain an insight into the terrorist rationale for targeting such critical components of the nation's infrastructure. It will investigate the bombing as an extension of the IRA's previous campaign and analyse the role of subsequent counterterrorism measures in the selection of Canary Wharf as a target. It will conclude that Critical Infrastructure Protection requires a holistic and integrated approach from both the public and private sector in order to tackle the pervasive and dynamic terrorist threat that has been heightened with the rise of Islamic extremism.
Research in the field of Terrorism Studies has experienced marked growth in recent years as acade... more Research in the field of Terrorism Studies has experienced marked growth in recent years as academics seek to fulfil the insatiable demands of governments and the security industry for substantiated research that can be used in the fight against terrorism. The absence of a consistent definition for 'terrorism' hampers a coherent approach to research which is exacerbated further as Terrorism Studies is not yet an autonomous academic discipline and its research is conducted by individuals from myriad other disciplines. Accordingly, research in the field embraces the full spectrum of techniques from substantive quantitative techniques to questionable thought pieces more appropriate for an editorial opinion. By analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the principle research methods and illustrating them with recent examples this paper will conclude that the complex nature of the discipline often requires a combination of strategies and emphasises the role of mixed method research. Looking to the future it will suggest a greater role for terrorism research in evaluating the effectiveness of counter-terrorism policies in order to enhance its proactive role in an environment in which, judging by the burgeoning literature, the spectre of terrorism will not disappear.
Amongst a cacophony of noise in the educational community from the competing and adversarial self... more Amongst a cacophony of noise in the educational community from the competing and
adversarial selfinterested cries of practitioners, policy makers, education providers and
teaching unions, there is a deafening silence in one crucial area in which there appears
to be a broad consensus of agreement. More than anything else in a school, teaching
quality matters as more effective teachers are an essential prerequisite in the elusive
quest to produce high performing students equipped with the skills to succeed in the
21st Century (Ripley, p1, 2012; Jensen, p3, 2011). A similar agreement surrounding
what exactly constitutes effective teaching amongst the fractional parties remains elusive
in spite of an increase in research, however ‘appraising and providing feedback to
improve teachers once they enter the profession and are working in schools’ is one of
the five mechanisms through which Jensen (p7, 2011) argues teacher effectiveness can
be improved and will provide the focus for this study. Whilst traditional instruments such
as quantitative analysis of pupils achievement gains and observations from senior
leaders will be considered, one of the most significant developments for education
reform over the past decade has been the advent of student feedback in teacher
evaluations (Ripley, p5, 2012). The aim of this study is, therefore, to develop an effective
student survey to be used alongside traditional instruments of appraisal and feedback as
part of a ‘balanced scorecard’ approach in order to improve teacher effectiveness
(Jensen, p10, 2011).
This research project seeks to explore the extent to which the learning environment within a scho... more This research project seeks to explore the extent to which the learning environment within a school can be improved by capitalising on the intellectual and leadership potential of pupils themselves to innovate, identify and contribute to the direction of their own learning through the introduction of a Student Leader Scheme as a component of wholeschool behaviour for learning policy. It sets out a rudimentary framework that has served as the basis for a pilot scheme that has been used with a top set year 9 mathematics class for the academic year 2012/13. By analysing the results of pupils' experiences as Student Leader throughout the year, the project establishes that not only is there broad support for the idea of increased Student Leadership but that there is an appetite to extend the mandate and responsibilities that the position entails. It suggests that by incorporating this feedback and extending the scheme to other mathematics classes and the sociology department for the academic year 2013/14 an effective Student Leadership Scheme can be developed that can be rolled out across the school.
The illicit narcotics industry in Afghanistan dominates the economy and pervades all aspects of t... more The illicit narcotics industry in Afghanistan dominates the economy and pervades all aspects of the international heroin market. In a country devoid of many other natural resources, this beacon of economic opportunity has encouraged the evolution of a triangular relationship between the Taliban, insurgents and organised criminals that seeks to collectively undermine the state in order to benefit from the cultivation, production, processing and trafficking of drugs. This investigation will conduct a quantitative analysis of country-level data pertaining to the production of opium and the level of terrorist violence which will enable an assessment of the merits of integrating counter-narcotics operations into the heart of counter-terrorist policy. It will conclude that there is a high degree of correlation between opium production and terrorist violence and posits that the deleterious effects of the opiate economy can be tackled only through sustained and multinational long-term action.
In 1996 the IRA brought an end to its 18 month long ceasefire by detonating a car bomb in London'... more In 1996 the IRA brought an end to its 18 month long ceasefire by detonating a car bomb in London's Canary Wharf financial district. By constructing a case study of the attack, this paper seeks to ascertain an insight into the terrorist rationale for targeting such critical components of the nation's infrastructure. It will investigate the bombing as an extension of the IRA's previous campaign and analyse the role of subsequent counterterrorism measures in the selection of Canary Wharf as a target. It will conclude that Critical Infrastructure Protection requires a holistic and integrated approach from both the public and private sector in order to tackle the pervasive and dynamic terrorist threat that has been heightened with the rise of Islamic extremism.
Research in the field of Terrorism Studies has experienced marked growth in recent years as acade... more Research in the field of Terrorism Studies has experienced marked growth in recent years as academics seek to fulfil the insatiable demands of governments and the security industry for substantiated research that can be used in the fight against terrorism. The absence of a consistent definition for 'terrorism' hampers a coherent approach to research which is exacerbated further as Terrorism Studies is not yet an autonomous academic discipline and its research is conducted by individuals from myriad other disciplines. Accordingly, research in the field embraces the full spectrum of techniques from substantive quantitative techniques to questionable thought pieces more appropriate for an editorial opinion. By analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the principle research methods and illustrating them with recent examples this paper will conclude that the complex nature of the discipline often requires a combination of strategies and emphasises the role of mixed method research. Looking to the future it will suggest a greater role for terrorism research in evaluating the effectiveness of counter-terrorism policies in order to enhance its proactive role in an environment in which, judging by the burgeoning literature, the spectre of terrorism will not disappear.