Research group: The Q-Step Centre
Improving the data skills of social science students and using innovative methods to help them better understand society.
About
About our research
We are a centre of excellence for data and analysis skills, internationally recognised for how we teach and use those skills in our research.
Our Q-Step Centre is one of 17 established by the Nuffield Foundation to address a quantitative skills gap in social science students.
Our goal is to promote statistical literacy, and we have developed a narrative approach to teaching that enables students of all levels to gain confidence while working with quantitative data.
High-level numeracy skills can help in everyday life and create job opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Among our study initiatives are:
- teaching quantitative methods as core units for all students in the sociology department. Each year we take 1200 students from Level 3 to Level 7.
- giving students valuable real-world experience in quantitative research through our Q-Step in the Community programme. Placements are available at the university or with our local, public, private and third-sector partners. The host organisations benefit through more robust funding applications and evaluations.
- offering free online tutorials to promote statistical literacy — developed by students for students. We’ve also produced bespoke student guides for SAGE Research Methods.
Postgraduate students can take an MSc in Applied Quantitative Methods. We also support PhD candidates in their research studies.
Our quantitative expertise helps students develop statistical and analytical skills for academic and career success.
It also helps the wider research community at Manchester Met further our knowledge of society, including by:
- examining issues that affect hard-to-reach groups such as young people, sex workers and victims of domestic violence
- tackling challenging research topics, including quantitative aspects of love and the efficacy of community policing
The Economic and Social Research Council has highlighted our Q-Step approach as best practice. Our work featured in its report on improving maths education for 16 to18-year-olds.
Research approach and themes
We aim to develop inclusive methods of teaching that help students succeed, remain in higher education, and achieve their career or academic goals.
This involves studying:
- reverse mentoring - with students as mentors to academic members of staff
- statistical anxiety of undergraduate social science students (working with Cardiff University, Edinburgh University and UCL University College, Denmark)
- learning through experiences as part of the Q-Step in the Community programme
We also encourage innovative quantitative methods in research, such as:
- creative questionnaire design to support research with children
- comparisons of children’s wellbeing and attitudes to maths
- reflexive quantitative methodologies
Selected projects
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Selected publications
- Scott Jones, J, and Goldring, JE (2021) Descriptive and Exploratory Statistics (Vol 3), Sage Quantitative Methods Toolkit. London: Sage
- Pourmehdi, M (2021) Measurement Reliability. In Barnes, JC and Forde, DR (eds) The Encyclopaedia of Research Methods and Statistical Techniques in Criminology and Criminal Justice. London: John Wiley and Sons
- Goswami, H (2021) Children’s Subjective Well-being in Bangladesh: Influence of Socio-demographic and Economic Factors. Population Review. 61(1), pp 119-140
- Massey, SA (2021) Using Emojis and Drawings to Measure Children’s Attitudes to Mathematics International Journal of Social Research Methodology
- Westall, A (2021) Exploring the Contribution and Relationship to Policing and Community Safety of Volunteer Street Patrols. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice
- Westall, A (2021) Volunteer street patrols: responsibilised and motivated volunteering in community safety. Safer Communities 20(1), pp 31-41
- Snee, H and Goswami, H (2020) Who Cares? Social mobility and the ‘class ceiling’ in nursing. Sociological Research Online
- Cain, L, Goldring, JE, Ismail, N and Cordner, CM (2019) The Advice on Prescription service: ‘Working hard to make it better’. An Evaluation of the Advice on Prescription Service, run by Citizens Advice Manchester
- Watt, L and Elliot, M (2019) Homonegativity in Britain: Changing Attitudes Towards Same-Sex Relationships, The Journal of Sex Research, 56(9), pp 1101-1114
- Pourmehdi, M and Al Shahrani, H (2019) The role of social media and network capital in assisting migrants in search of a less precarious existence in Saudi Arabia Migration and Development, pp 1-15
- Laverick, W, Joyce, P, Calvey, D and Cain, L (2019) The menopause and the female police workforce. British Journal of Community Justice, 15 (2) pp 59-81
- Watt, L and Elliot, M (2017) Continuity and change in sexual attitudes: A cross-time comparison of tolerance towards non-traditional relationships. The Sociological Review, 65(2)
- Scott Jones, J and Goldring, JE (2017) Telling Stories, Landing Planes and Getting Them Moving ― a Holistic Approach to Developing Students’ Statistical Literacy Statistics Education Research Journal 16 (1), pp 102-119
- Scott Jones, J and Goldring, JE (2015) “I’m not a quants person”: Key strategies in building competence and confidence in staff who teach quantitative research methods. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 18(5), pp 479-494
- Laverick, W and Cain, L (2015) The Gender Agenda in an Age of Austerity. Policing, 9(4), pp 362-376
Organisations we work with
The Children's Society
Gtr Manchester Combined Authority
LGBT Foundation
Manchester Action on Street Health
Contact
Contact us
You can contact individual members of the team through their staff profiles.
For general enquiries, please contact the Q-Step Centre director, Dr John E Goldring.