Dr James Williams
James is a historian by background with a passionate interest in the origins and development of contemporary society and culture, both at macro and micro levels.
For James, there are two key issues: first, how global and national trends and the individual interact; and second, how we engage with our environment and how our environment shapes us. Academia has given him the opportunity to engage with fellow students of life in these issues, both in Academia and in the wider community through our various projects.
Areas of Expertise
- Quality in higher education;
- Student and staff feedback mechanisms in higher education;
- Issues relating to vulnerability in contemporary Europe;
- Issues relating to gender-based violence within higher education;
- History of higher education; history of Birmingham City University;
- Birmingham’s history and development;
- History of sport in Early Modern England;
- Journal editing and managing: Quality in Higher Education;
- Research ethics.
Qualifications
- PhD Modern History (Birmingham, 1999)
- BA (Hons) Medieval and Modern History (Birmingham 1992)
Memberships
- European Association of Institutional Research (Distinguished Member)
Teaching
- PG Cert in Research Methods (BLSS Lead)
Research
Erasmus+ project Sustaining Quality in Higher Education Learning and Teaching (SQELT, 2017-20). This explores and identifies key performance indicators in learning and teaching and the role of learning analytics in a European context.
EU-REC project: Families: Social Exclusion in Places of Safety (FSEPS, 2018-2020). This Europe-wide project addresses the impact of living in places of safety for women survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Erasmus+ project: Vulnerable Young People Accessing Vocational Training and Apprenticeships (VYPASVTA/Positive Partnerships for Change, 2015-8). This project developed online educational resources to support employers across Europe in giving vocational training to the most vulnerable young people in society.
BCU-funded project: Students perceptions of gender-based violence on campus (2015-17). This project engaged with staff and students across the University to explore how students viewed experiences and dangers of gender-based violence.
History of Birmingham City University (2005- ongoing). This project explores the history of the University from its origins as individual colleges to the present day. It places the institution and its constituents in the wider history and development of Birmingham.
Postgraduate Supervision
As Director of studies:
- James Coombes (Exploring individual drug-using journeys through a series of life histories)
- Saphiya Rajer (Exploring the impact of religious belief amongst academics on their experience in university)
- Poona Awlak (Quality management of cross border higher education partnerships)
As second supervisor:
- Ron Austin (Learning analytics and the improvement of the student learning experience)
- Luke Millard (Exploring the impact of on-campus employment on student engagement)
Publications
Books
Pritchard, R.M.O., O’Hara, M., Milsom, C., Williams, J. and Matei, L. (Forthcoming, 2019), Competition, Collaboration and Complementarity in Higher Education. Budapest: Central European University Press.
Pritchard, R.M.O., Pausits, A. and Williams, J. (Eds.) (2016), Positioning Higher Education: From Here to There. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Research monographs
MacDonald, M., Kane, D., Williams, J., Haynes, K., Russell, S., Walters, G. and Doal, J. (2014), Women with Multiple Needs: Breaking the Cycle. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
Williams, J., Kane, D., Sagu, S., and Robinson, J. (2011), Cities and Science Communication: Final Report. Brussels: European Union.
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2009). LUCID: and evaluation of stakeholder and beneficiary experiences. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2008), Exploring the National Student Survey: assessment and feedback issues, Higher Education Academy: York.
Cappuccini, G., Harvey, L., Williams, J., Bowers-Brown, T., McCaig, C., Sagu, S. & MacDonald, M. (2005), Careers Advisory Services and International Students: Research Report, Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU): Manchester.
Morey, A., Harvey, L., Williams, J., Saldaña, A., Mena, P. with MacDonald, M. (2003), Higher Education Careers Services and Diversity, HECSU: Manchester.
Journal Articles
Cheng, M., Taylor, J., Williams, J. & Tong, K. (2016), ‘Student satisfaction and perceptions of quality: testing the linkages for PhD students’, Higher Education Research & Development.
MacDonald, M., Williams, J. and Kane, D (2013), ‘Inequalities in healthcare for prisoners in Europe: a review’, Diversity and Equality in Health and Care 9, pp. 243–51.
MacDonald, M., Williams, J. and Kane, D (2013), ‘Throughcare for prisoners with problematic drug use: a European perspective’, EuroVista 2(3), pp. 144–53.
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2010), ‘The part-time student’s experience 1996 – 2007: an issue of identity and marginalisation?’ Tertiary Education and Management 16 (3), pp. 183–210.
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2009), ‘Assessment and Feedback: Institutional Experiences of Student Feedback, 1996 to 2007’,Higher Education Quarterly 63 (3) pp. 264–286.
Williams, J. 2008, ‘”Dear Me, How the Boy does Grow”. Accommodation, identity and Birmingham College of Commerce, 1898 – 1970’, Midland History 33 (2), pp. 218–39.
Williams, J. (2008), ‘Sports and the Elite in Early Modern England’, Sport in History, 28 (3), pp. 389–413.
Kane, D., Williams, J. and Cappuccini-Ansfield, G. (2008), ‘Student Satisfaction Surveys: The Value in Taking an Historical Perspective’, Quality in Higher Education, 14 (2), pp. 137–58.
Williams, J. (2007), ‘Disadvantage in Higher Education: A view from the institutional careers service’, Tertiary Education and Management 13 (4), pp. 349 – 64.
Williams, J. (2007), ‘Higher Education, Careers services and Diversity: the importance of integration and collaboration’, Career Research and Development 18 (Autumn), pp. 9–18.
Williams, J. (2007), ‘Higher education careers services and widening participation’, Journal of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning 9 (1), pp. 16–27.
Williams, J. and Cappuccini-Ansfield, G. (2007), ‘Fitness for purpose? National and institutional approaches to publicising the student voice’, Quality in Higher Education 13 (2), pp. 159–72.
Williams, J. (2005), ‘Hunting and the Royal image of Henry VIII’, Sport in History 25(1), pp.41 – 59.
Williams, J. (2002), ‘Hunting and the early Tudor gentleman’, History Today 53(8), August 2002, pp. 21 – 7.
Chapters in Edited Books/Collections
Brown, M., Kane, D., and Williams J. (2019), ‘Higher Education Institutions Responding to Issues: Gender-based Violence on Campus’, in Pedro Teixeira, Amélia Veiga, Maria João Rosa & António Magalhães (Eds.) Under Pressure? Higher Education Institutions Coping With Multiple Challenges? PA Leiden, Koninklijke Brill. (Accepted 08/08/18). Available at http://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/6431
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2018), ‘Building Capacity for IR in the EU: Professional Development for IR and Decision Support in UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands’, in K. Webber, (ed.), Building Capacity in Institutional Research and Decision Support. Rotterdam: Springer.
Williams, J. (2017), ‘Quality Assessment and Excellence’, in M. Peters (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory. Rotterdam: Springer. (Available at https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-287-532-7_637-1)
Williams, J. and Harvey, L. (2015), ‘Quality Assurance in Higher Education’, in J. Huisman, H. de Boer, D. Dill & M. Souto-Otero (eds. 2015), Palgrave Handbook of Higher Education Policy and Governance. London, etc.: Palgrave.
Williams, J. (2014), ‘Student feedback as institutional data’, in Menon, M.E., Terkla, D.G. and Gibbs, P., Using Data to Improve Higher Education: Research, Policy and Practice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Hards, L., Vaughan, S. and Williams, J. (2014), ‘Universities’ Use of Public Art: Changing Strategies on Campus’ in Temple, P. (ed.), The Physical University. Abingdon: Routledge.
Williams, J., Kane, D. and Millard, L. (2013), ‘Transforming the Student Experience in the UK from 1989’, in Shah, M. and Nair, S., Enhancing Student Feedback and Improvement Systems in Tertiary Education. Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) Quality Series
Williams, J. and Kane, D. (2013), ‘It’s hard to tell what students think’, in Strawson, H., 53 Ways to Deal with Large Classes. Newmarket: The Professional and Higher Partnership, Ltd.
Williams, J., (2012), ‘Student Feedback in Engineering – experience in the United Kingdom’, in Nair, C.S., Patil, A. and Mertova, P., eds., (2012) Enhancing Learning and Teaching through Student Feedback in Engineering, Chandos Publishing: Abingdon.
Williams, J., (2011), ‘Acting on student feedback to effect change’, in Nair, C.S., Patil, A. and Mertova, P., eds., (2011), Student Feedback: The Cornerstone to an Effective Quality Assurance System in Higher Education, Woodhead Publishing: Cambridge.