BSc (Hons), MA, PhD

Profile

Ben joined the School of Education 2008 after completing his doctorate at the University of Essex. He is a Research Fellow in VICTAR working on an RNIB-funded project studying the transition experiences of blind and partially sighted students in England and Wales and the support they receive from schools and other agencies. Before that he worked on a survey project which compared the experiences and circumstances of visually impaired people with the general population in Britain across a range of topics. He has expertise in the secondary analysis of large-scale data-sets, including a range of mainstream social surveys focused on individuals and households, as well as more thematically focused surveys. He has used both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and used linear and non-linear statistical estimation techniques to analyse behaviours and attitudes. Ben’s doctoral thesis was awarded the Arthur McDougall Fund Dissertation Prize for ‘Elections, Electoral systems or Representation’ by the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom in 2009. He is an Associate Member of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the PSA and EPOP, has reviewed manuscripts for journals in the fields of politics, education and visual impairment, and books for Political Studies Review.

Research Interests

• Survey research and questionnaire design
• Youth transitions and post-school outcomes
• The views and circumstances of visually impaired people in Britain
• Attitudes towards education policy
• Voting behaviour and elections
• Public opinion and issue salience
• The role of religion in politics and society

Teaching and administration responsibilities

Ben contributes to the research methods programme for doctoral students in the School of Education and has undertaken co-supervision at the MA level. Prior to that he taught on politics modules at undergraduate level for four years in the Department of Government at the University of Essex.

Publications

Clements, B. (forthcoming) What contributes to change and stability in individual-level attitudes towards Britain's membership of the EU? An analysis of the British Election Panel Studies, 1987-92 and 1992-97, Journal of Contemporary European Research.

Clements, B.  (forthcoming - 2010) Understanding public attitudes towards faith schools in Britain, British Educational Research Journal, pp. 1-21.

Clements B. and Bartle, J. (November 2009) The European issue and party choice at British general elections, 1974-2005, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 19(4), pp. 377-411.

With G. Douglas, Network 1000: Comparing the general and registered visually impaired populations, Visual Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research, University of Birmingham, May 2009.

With G. Douglas, S. Pavey and C. Corcoran, Network 1000: Access to employment amongst visually impaired people, Visual Impairment Centre for  Teaching and Research, University of Birmingham, February 2009.

Clements, B. (April 2009) The sociological and psychological influences on public support for the European Union in Britain, 1983-2005, British Politics, 3(1), pp. 47-82.