Overview

This session is part of Newer Researcher Work in Progress Webinar series. These sessions are open and free for all to attend. SRHE aims to provide a platform to present the most stimulating and innovative research taking place in higher education studies and practice. The Newer Researcher Network recognises the body of exciting research being undertaken by newer and early career researchers and seeks to create a supportive space in which such researchers can present their work-in-progress, receive feedback, and develop connections with national and international peers. Questions and feedback from attendees are warmly welcomed. We aim for this to be a constructive space for work in progress. 

Schedule  

Speaker Bios

Joanne Tallentire is a third year ESRC-funded doctoral researcher at Brunel University London. Her wholly qualitative study explores the experience of students admitted to academically selective universities in England through contextual admissions. Her interest in researching social and educational inequalities was stimulated by study on the MA in Policy Studies in Education at the UCL Institute of Education in 2021/22. Prior to entering the world of academic research, Joanne spent over thirty years in university professional services roles, latterly as Head of Admissions at the University of Essex and Queen Mary University of London, and a short spell at UCAS as Senior Relationship Manager for London. Joanne is a Fellow of the Association of Higher Education Professionals and a Governor of Colchester Sixth Form College.

Azamat Valei is an Assistant Professor in Economics at the School of Economics, University of Nottingham. He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules in microeconomics, industrial organisation, and quantitative methods. His current research examines how students’ pre‑university backgrounds shape academic performance in Year 1 core modules. Using regression analysis, he investigates the effects of A‑level subjects, marks, and other factors on outcomes in Microeconomics and Mathematics, incorporating categorical variables to reflect programme‑level differences. His findings show that A‑level qualifications are strong predictors of success in quantitative and economics modules, though their impacts vary across degrees and module structures.