Professor Colin McCaig
Professor of Higher Education Policy
- Sheffield Institute of Education
- Centre for Development and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ in Education
- Social and Economic Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
Summary
Dr Colin McCaig is a Professor of Higher Education Policy in the Sheffield Institute of Education, with 20 years' experience in education policy research. Colin's research interests are in the area of inequalities of access to higher education which he approaches through critical analyses of policies concerning the marketisation of higher education. A policy analyst by background, Colin's PhD thesis, Preparing for Government: Education policymaking in the Labour Party 1994-1999 (Department of Politics, University of Sheffield) was successfully defended in 2000. Colin also holds a Masters in Political Economy from the Department of Politics, University of Sheffield.
He has published widely in areas of education policy and has written over 30 research publications and forty commissioned research reports. Colin is currently co-editing a book 'The Business of Widening Participation: policy, practice and culture' (with Jon Rainford and Ruth Squire) to be published by Emerald Publishing in 2022. He also published a co-edited book on the impact of marketisation on equality of access to HE Equality and Differentiation in Marketised Higher Education: A New Level Playing Field? for Palgrave (June 2018); and a single-authored book on the Higher Education and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Act for Emerald Publishing entitled: The marketisation of English Higher Education: a policy analysis of risk-based system (September 2018).
About
Colin is a Professor of Higher Education Policy and part of the Centre's Leadership Group; he leads on HE policy research and evaluation within the Centre and represents SIRKE on various bodies including the Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies (as Co-Director); the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Leadership Group (D&S) and Professors and Readers Group.
He was entered in the 2014 and 2021 REF exercises and led on an Impact Case Study on widening participation to HE. He is currently Director of the SIRKE's evaluation of OfS and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ England-funded work to deliver a four-year (2022-26) programme of change designed to widen access to postgraduate research for UK black, Asian and minority ethnic people. As part of this work he leads SHU's involvement in The Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education is a partnership between five Universities (University of York (lead), University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and University of Bradford), 12 UKRI and Leverhulme funded doctoral training programmes, student unions and many external stakeholders.
Previous large scale evaluations include: Formative Evaluation of National Collaborative Outreach Programme, a longitudinal study over four years (2017-21); Scottish Funding Council (developing an Evaluation Toolkit), HEFCE (an evaluation of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme) and for the University and College Union (on perceptions of the Teaching Excellence Framework).
He was Principal Investigator on the highly influential Office for Fair Access (OFAA) project tasked with designing statistical and qualitative tools to measure the Effectiveness of Institutional financial support on student success, reporting in December 2016. The Office for Students (OfS) requires all HE Providers (HEPs) to use these instruments when reporting on the efficacy of their support for students from poorer backgrounds. Along with Professor Jacqueline Stevenson, Colin led the Evaluation of the National Networks Collaborative Outreach project (2015-17) for HEFCE. He co-directed research into the Impact of number controls, choice and competition: An analysis of the student profile and the student learning environment in the new higher education landscape (funded by an open call grant from the Higher Education Academy) with Professor Carol Taylor.
Colin is a member TASO - The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes - working group: Effectiveness of WP Outreach (2019-21) and is co-convener of the Society of Ï㽶ÊÓƵ into Higher Education's Higher Education Policy Network (with Karen Smith).
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Education
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Evaluation of OfS/Ï㽶ÊÓƵ England- funded four-year (2022-26) programme of change designed to widen access to postgraduate research for UK black, Asian and minority ethnic people as part of the YCEDE Consortium of universities.
Formative Evaluation of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) 2017-21
Scottish Funding Council Toolkit for Fair Access (2018-20 with CFE Ï㽶ÊÓƵ)
Office for Fair Access Understanding the evaluation of outreach interventions to widen access to higher education to under 16 year olds in England from disadvantaged backgrounds (2017-18)
HEFCE Evaluation of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (2017)
Office for Fair Access (OFFA) Understanding the impact of institutional financial support on student success (2015-16 OFFA)
The Evaluation of National Networks for Collaborative Outreach (NNCOs) for HEFCE, working with the Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University (2015-2017)
HEA research grant (with Carol Taylor): "Evaluating the impact of number controls, choice of competitions: An analysis of the student profile and the student learning environment in the new higher education landscape". 2013 (HEA)
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ into the need for and capacity to deliver STEM related Apprenticeship Provision in England, 2013 (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills)
The Impact of the Schwartz Report 'Fair admissions to higher education' four years on, 2008 (for DIUS) with the Institute for Education Policy Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Staffordshire University.
Social Sciences and Arts
Policy
Courses taught:
EdD
PG CertHE
Publications
Key Publications
McCaig, C. (2022). . In Burnell Reilly, I. (Ed.) The lives of working class academics. (pp. 29-40). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C. (2022). People, Place and Policy Online, 16 (2), 163-169.
McCaig, C., & Squire, R. (2022). In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 19-39). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C., & Rainford, J. (2022). . In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 57-79). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., & Squire, R. (2022). The business of widening participation: Policy, practice and culture.
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., & Squire, R. (2022). Conclusion: Evolving Markets; Where Next for the Business of WP? In The Business of Widening Participation: Policy, Practice and Culture. (pp. 187-206). Emerald Publishing Limited:
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., & Squire, R. (2022). Introduction: The Case for a ‘Business of Widening Participation’. In The Business of Widening Participation: Policy, Practice and Culture. (pp. 1-17). Emerald Publishing Limited:
McCaig, C. (2020). Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Intelligence (quarterly magazine), 143, 15-17.
Madriaga, M., & McCaig, C. (2019). . Teaching in Higher Education.
McCaig, C., & Lightfoot, N. (2019). . Social Sciences, 8 (10), 268.
McCaig, C. (2018). Higher Education Review, 50 (2), 27-32.
McCaig, C. (2018). The Marketisation of English Higher Education A Policy Analysis of a Risk-Based System. Emerald Group Publishing.
McCaig, C. (2018). . United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing.
McCaig, C. (2018). . In Mccaig, C. (Ed.) The Marketisation of English Higher Education. (pp. 125-164). Emerald Publishing Limited:
Bowl, M., McCaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.). (2018). Palgrave.
McCaig, C. (2018). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 73-93). London: Palgrave:
McCaig, C. (2018). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 73-93). London: Palgrave:
McCaig, C. (2017). . Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 19 (2), 167-172.
Harrison, N., & McCaig, C. (2017). . British Educational Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Journal, 43 (2), 290-309.
McCaig, C., Harrison, N., Mountford-Zimdars, A., Moore, D., Maylor, U., Stevenson, J., ... Carasso, H. (2016). . Office for Fair Access.
McCaig, C., & Harrison, N. (2015). . Journal of Further and Higher Education, 39 (6), 793-817.
McCaig, C., & Taylor, C.A. (2015). . Studies in Higher Education, 42 (9), 1641-1654.
McCaig, C. (2015). . Higher Education Review, 48 (1), 6-24.
McCaig, C. (2015). . Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 17 (1), 5-22.
McCaig, C. (2014). . Studies in Higher Education, 41 (2), 215-230.
Taylor, C., & McCaig, C. (2014). . York: Higher Education Academy.
McCaig, C., Clague, L., Hogarth, T., & Gambin, L. (2014). . London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
McCaig, C. (2011). . Journal of education and work, 24 (1-2), 7-25.
McCaig, C. (2010). In Molesworth, M., Nixon, E., & Scullion, R. (Eds.) The marketisation of higher education and the student as consumer. Routledge:
Adnett, N., McCaig, C., Slack, K., & Bowers-Brown, T. (2010). Higher education quarterly, 65 (1), 12-33.
McCaig, C., & Adnett, N. (2009). . British Journal Of Educational Studies, 57 (1), 18-36.
McCaig, C., & Adnett, N. (2008). .
McCaig, C. (2003). School Exams: Leavers in Panic. Parliamentary Affairs, 56 (3), 471-489.
McCulloch, G., & McCaig, C. (2002). Reinventing the Past: the Case of the English Tradition of Education. British Journal of Educational Studies, 50 (2), 238-253.
McCaig, C. (1998). Labour's policy development in opposition: the changing constraints on action. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 50 (3), 425-435.
McCaig, C. (n.d.). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 51-72). London: Palgrave:
McCaig, C., Bowl, M., & Hughes, J. (n.d.). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 195-210). London: Palgrave:
McCaig, C., Bowl, M., & Hughes, J. (n.d.). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 195-210). London: Palgrave:
Journal articles
McCaig, C. (2020). Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Intelligence (quarterly magazine), 143, 15-17.
(n.d.). Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Social Sciences in 2019. Social Sciences, 9 (1), 6.
Conference papers
McCaig, C. (2019). . SRHE blog https://srheblog.com/2019/03/29/five-stages-of-marketisation-in-english-higher-education-policymaking/, 1.
McCaig, C., Stevenson, J., & Madriaga, M. (2017). . In BERA Annual Conference 2017, Brighton, 4 January 2017 - 6 January 2017.
McCaig, C., & Lightfoot, N. (2017). In European Educational Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Association Annual Conference 2017, Copenhagen, 21 August 2017 - 24 August 2017.
McCaig, C. (2016). . In BERA Annual Conference 2016, University of Leeds, Leeds, 12 September 2016 - 15 September 2016.
McCaig, C. (2016). . In Widening Participation Conference : 'HE: Transforming lives through life-wide learning', Milton Keynes.
McCaig, C., & Stevenson, J. (2016). In Widening Participation Conference : 'HE: Transforming lives through life-wide learning', Milton Keynes, 27 April 2016 - 28 April 2016.
McCaig, C. (2015). . In SRHE Annual Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Conference, Newport, South Wales, 2015 - 2015.
McCaig, C. (2015). . In BERA Annual Conference 2015, Belfast, 15 September 2015 - 17 September 2015.
McCaig, C., & Taylor, C. (2013). . In Society for Ï㽶ÊÓƵ into Higher Education Annusl Conference, Celtic Manor, Newport, South Wales, 2013 - 2013.
Coldwell, M., Maxwell, B., & McCaig, C. (2010). . In BERA Annual Conference September 2010, Unviersity of Warwick, 1 September 2010 (pp. 1-20).
McCaig, C. (2009). In BERA annual conference, Manchester, 2 September 2009 - 5 September 2009 (pp. 1-23).
McCaig, C., Stevens, A., & Bowers-Brown, T. (2006). . In Higher Education Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Network, Sheffield, 2006 (pp. 1-16).
Larson, A., Garland, P., & McCaig, C. (2009). In European conference of education research, Vienna, 28 September 2009 - 30 September 2009.
McCaig, C. (2015). In ECER : Education and Transition - Contributions from Educational Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Budapest, 7 September 2015 - 11 September 2015.
Book chapters
McCaig, C. (2022). . In Burnell Reilly, I. (Ed.) The lives of working class academics. (pp. 29-40). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C. (2022). Power, Corruption and Lies: Fighting the Class War to Widen Participation in Higher Education. In The Lives of Working Class Academics. (pp. 29-40). Emerald Publishing Limited:
McCaig, C., & Squire, R. (2022). In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 19-39). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C., & Rainford, J. (2022). . In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 57-79). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C., & Squire, R. (2022). In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 19-39). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C., & Rainford, J. (2022). . In Mccaig, C., Squire, R., & Rainford, J. (Eds.) The business of widening participation: policy, practice and culture. (pp. 57-79). Emerald Publishing:
McCaig, C. (2018). . In Mccaig, C. (Ed.) The Marketisation of English Higher Education. (pp. 125-164). Emerald Publishing Limited:
McCaig, C. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 29-40). 2010: Sage:
McCaig, C. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 29-40). 2010: Sage:
McCaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 59-75). Sage:
McCaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 59-75). Sage:
McCaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 219-237). Sage:
McCaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2010). . In Mccaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (Eds.) Practical research and evaluation: a start-to-finish guide for practitioners. (pp. 219-237). Sage:
McCaig, C., & Smith, M. (2006). . In O'Donoghue, J. (Ed.) Technology supported learning and teaching: a staff perspective. (pp. 106-124). USA: Information Science Publishing:
Peacock, S., & Dunlop, G.M. (n.d.). Developing E-Learning Provision for Healthcare Professionals' Continuing Professional Development. In Technology Supported Learning and Teaching. (pp. 91-104). IGI Global:
McCaig, C. (n.d.). . In Bowl, M., Mccaig, C., & Hughes, J. (Eds.) Equality and differentiation in marketised higher education: a new level playing field?. (pp. 51-72). London: Palgrave:
Books
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., & Squire, R. (2022). The business of widening participation: Policy, practice and culture.
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., & Squire, R. (2022). The business of widening participation: Policy, practice and culture.
McCaig, C., Bowl, M., & Hughes, J. (Eds.). (2018). Equality and Differentiation in Marketised Higher Education: A New Level Playing Field? Palgrave.
McCaig, C., Bowl, M., & Hughes, J. (Eds.). (2018). Equality and Differentiation in Marketised Higher Education: A New Level Playing Field? Palgrave.
Reports
Pullen, C., McCaig, C., Emms, K., & Laczik, A. (2024). . Edge Foundation.
Clague, L., Mccaig, C., & Madriaga, M. (2024). The YCEDE Programme: midpoint interviews with key staff (2022-2024). YCEDE.
Stiell, B., Willis, B., Clarkson, L., Rutgers, D., McCaig, C., Crossfield, J., & Behailu, A. (2023). School Recovery Strategies: Year 2 findings Ï㽶ÊÓƵ report (January 2023). (DFE- RR1318). DfE.
Bowes, L., Tazzyman, S., Sandhu, J., Moreton, R., Birkin, G., McCaig, C., ... Wright, H. (2019). . Office for Students.
Bowes, L., Tazzyman, S., Sandhu, J., Moreton, R., Birkin, G., McCaig, C., ... Wright, H. (2019). . Office for Students.
Diamond, A., Bowes, L., Moreton, R., Welford, J., Crawford, C., McCaig, C., ... Frances, N. (2018). . CFE Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Harrison, N., Vigurs, K., Crockford, J., McCaig, C., Squire, R., & Clark, L. (2018). . Bristol: Office for Students.
Harrison, N., Vigurs, K., Crockford, J., McCaig, C., Squire, R., & Clark, L. (2018). . Bristol: Office for Students.
Austen, L., Donnelly, A., McCaig, C., & O'Leary, C. (2018). . Office for Students website: Office for Students.
Tazzyman, S., Bowes, L., Moreton, R., Madriaga, M., & McCaig, C. (2018). . CFE Ï㽶ÊÓƵ for HEFCE.
Tazzyman, S., Bowes, L., Moreton, R., Madriaga, M., & McCaig, C. (2018). . Bristol: HEFCE.
Stevenson, J., McCaig, C., & Madriaga, M. (2017). . Sheffied Hallam University for HEFCE.
McCaig, C., & Taylor, C. (2014). . Colin McCaig.
Coldwell, M., Maxwell, B., McCaig, C., & Stevens, A. (2011). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ for the Training and Development Agency for Schools.
Theses / Dissertations
Billau, S. (2024). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Mccaig, C.
O'Connor, C. (2024). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Mccaig, C., & Morrison, A.
Windle, D. (2024). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Pountney, R., & Mccaig, C.
Squire, R. (2022). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Mccaig, C., & Dean, J.
Dent, S.R. (2019). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by McCaig, C.
Presentations
Madriaga, M., & Mccaig, C. (2019). How international students become black: a story of whiteness in English higher education. Presented at: Society for Ï㽶ÊÓƵ into Higher Education Annual Conference, Newport, Wales
McCaig, C. (2017). . Presented at: Developing your access agreement conference, Woburn House, London, 2017
McCaig, C. (2016). . Presented at: BERA Higher Education Special Interest Group Seminar: The (Proposed) Teaching Excellence Framework: Whose world-view is this anyway?, Institute of Education, London, 2016
Other publications
McCaig, C., & Bowers-Brown, T. (2007).
Other activities
Network co-convenor for HE Policy, SRHE
Member of TASO working group on effectiveness of outreach activities
Postgraduate supervision
Jessica Benson-Egglenton; Kate Papworth; Jo McNeil; Catherine O'Connor; Sally Billau; Damien Windle
Media
Colin McCaig's main interests are in inequalities of access to higher education, the impact of higher tuition fees and of student number controls on university access and admissions policies.