This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at the effects happiness and wellbeing have on the economy. A study by Professor Andrew Oswald looked at the human impact of economic downturns and demonstrated that the true cost of a recession is much wider than just financial. This leads to...

This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing discusses how people who think positively are more likely to have good forward-planning skills, have more friends and earn more. Research has found that positive future-thinking leads to wellbeing but is greatly affected by psychological factors and...

Published in 2008, this report from the TDA outlines the investigation into how professional development across Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Early Professional Development (EPD) is manifested in secondary science teaching across England.

The...

The Science of Social Interaction document is a one-page summary of some recent Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research into the area of human interaction. As our society becomes ever more interconnected, with each person experiencing hundreds of social encounters every day, the way we communicate is...

This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at how middle class people take the need to exercise more personally than others. Although the need for exercise is generally recognised, research shows that more highly educated people are more likely to participate in regular exercise. The...

These two Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) opinion pieces were written to provoke discussion about social science issues. They were written by ESRC-funded researchers for the Debating Matters competition on the subjects of ageing and carbon emissions. They raise questions about received opinions, giving...

Published in August 2014, this is the final report of the three-year evaluation of the Triple Science Support Programme (TSSP) and the two year evaluation of Triple Science Networks (TSN).

The full collection of STEM Learning impact and evaluation research reports can be viewed...

This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing discusses fat as a class issue, as well as a feminist issue. Research shows that middle class families are more likely to be health-conscious eaters, and chances are the shops in their neighbourhoods offer a wider range of healthy food. The resource...

This resource explains how important it is that social research is conducted in a scientific way, following definite rules that have been developed over time with the aim of ensuring that the results are not just the product of the researcher’s own beliefs. The paper stresses the importance of research being valid...

This briefing, produced by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), looks at a study which shows that girls are twice as likely as boys to smoke. Researchers looked into the peer pressure put upon young people to smoke, comparing the pressures on girls and boys. They give recommendations for anti-smoking...

This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at the effects of volunteering on the community and also on the volunteer. Research has shown that people who volunteer enjoy a better quality of life and better health as well as improving conditions in their communities. The briefing includes...