Diane Thurston

Teaching Development Centre, Newcastle College

In Their Own Words:

Supporting HE practitioners in FE settings

“The higher education role of further education colleges has attracted onlyoccasional attention from scholars andresearchers.”

Parry, 2009: 325

‘If we are serious about making themost of learning opportunities,including the idea of improving them, then we need very good information about what people currently do, why they do it, and why they keep doing it.’

James & Diment, 2003: 407

CETTnet practitioner researchnetwork 2008

What supports researchers in FE context?

• management and leadership styles

• external policy

FEW reforms research project 2008

Action research projects 2009

RSA strategy 2009

Review of HE provision 2010

Reviewing HE provision: what the learners said…

• “College was the natural choice for me.”

• “I’ve done everything here.”

• “I knew I would get the support I need.”

• “They understand you here.”

• “College is made for people who are working.”

Reviewing HE provision: what the lecturers said…

• Distinctive Philosophy“open door policy”, “the aim is tonurture”, “the focus is on self-diagnosis”

• Characteristic Approachespeer mentoring, defined roles for pastoral and subject specialist support,targeted resources, role of situated learningin the workplace

What else did we learn?

What supports practitioner researchactivity in FE settings? What is the impact of funding to support research activity?What is the role of partnership working?How can we develop capacity?

Reviewing HE provision

Support • CPD that’s valued, sharing across schools/institutions, opportunities to

disseminate• The role of middle managers• FundingMeasuring the impact of funding• Bounded v expansive philosophyPartnership• Reducing isolation• Borrowed confidence • Who’s the expert?Developing capacity• Support for professional learning• Culture shift• Recognition• ‘is it in really in our hands?’

A ‘ghost’ in the machine?

“Conservatives to crack down on UK visas for foreign students.” The Guardian, Sat 9th Jan 2010 Translation: They don’t teach HE, do they?

“Foundation degrees - a vision for the future?” TheGuardian, Tues 23rd Feb 2010Translation: It’s not real HE anyway

Post-election coverage??You can hear a pin drop…

“Further education colleges competeas well as collaborate with institutionsin the higher education sector, under conditions of complexity, uncertaintyand dependency.”

Parry, 2009: 322

A glimmer…?

‘Fair access to the professions’ • recognises the vital role and

important work achieved by Further Education Colleges in widening access

• recommends a redistribution of funding between HEIs and FECs

• FE Colleges in England “contribute more than a third of entrants to higher education and teach one in eight of the undergraduate population. They are at the centre of policies to increase and widen participation in higher education”.

Gareth Parry 2005 (Foster review of Skills)

The FE sector:• A significant sector• An important contributor to HE• A distinctive offer

Not to be ‘misunderestimated’.

References

Byrne, C and Thurston, D, (2009) ‘Byrne, C and Thurston, D, (2009) ‘Supporting and Developing aSupporting and Developing aCollaborative Research CommunityCollaborative Research Community’, Teaching in Lifelong Learning:’, Teaching in Lifelong Learning:a journal to inform and improve practice, Vol. 1: 1, pp. 63 - 64 a journal to inform and improve practice, Vol. 1: 1, pp. 63 - 64 Cabinet Office (2010) “Cabinet Office (2010) “Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professionsthe Panel on Fair Access to the Professions’, London, COI’, London, COIJames, D. and Diment. K. (2003) ‘James, D. and Diment. K. (2003) ‘Going Underground: Learning Going Underground: Learning and Assessment in an Ambiguous Space’and Assessment in an Ambiguous Space’. Journal of Education And. Journal of Education AndTraining, 55: 4Training, 55: 4Parry, G. (2005) ‘Parry, G. (2005) ‘The Higher Education Role of Further Education The Higher Education Role of Further Education Colleges. Paper commissioned by the Foster Review of Further Colleges. Paper commissioned by the Foster Review of Further Education Colleges in EnglandEducation Colleges in England.’ London: DfES, 18 pp. .’ London: DfES, 18 pp. Parry, G. (2009) ‘Higher Education, Further Education and the Parry, G. (2009) ‘Higher Education, Further Education and the English Experiment.’ Higher Education Quarterly, 63: 4, pp 322–342English Experiment.’ Higher Education Quarterly, 63: 4, pp 322–342Thurston, D (2010) ‘Thurston, D (2010) ‘Experiencing ESCalate, ‘Supporting researchersExperiencing ESCalate, ‘Supporting researchersin further education settingsin further education settings’ Forthcoming June 2010, ESCalate 10-’ Forthcoming June 2010, ESCalate 10-year anniversary newsletteryear anniversary newsletterThurston, D (2010) ‘Thurston, D (2010) ‘The invisible educators: exploring the The invisible educators: exploring the development of teacher educators in the further education systemdevelopment of teacher educators in the further education system’,’,Journal of Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Vol. 2, no 1, pp. 47-59Journal of Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Vol. 2, no 1, pp. 47-59Thurston, D, (2009) ‘Thurston, D, (2009) ‘Widening the CETTnetWidening the CETTnet’, Teaching in Lifelong ’, Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Vol. 1, no 2, pp. 24 - 34 Learning, Vol. 1, no 2, pp. 24 - 34