16 research outputs found
Citizenship Learning and Democracy in the Lives of Young People
In this paper we draw upon a case study from our research to identify the relationship between the democratic, non-democratic and non-participative dimensions of the process of citizenship learning. We learn that the process can prove uncomfortable for those involved
Listening to 'the thick bunch': (mis)understanding and (mis)representation of young people in jobs without training
publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleYoung people in jobs without training are ubiquitous but invisible, working in shops, cafes, and other lowâwaged, lowâstatus occupations. Commonly elided with young people who are not in education, employment or training, they are positioned as the âthick bunchâ with empty and meaningless working lives. The main purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of this group of marginalised and socially disadvantaged young people through a deeper understanding of their interests and enthusiasms inside and outside work. These young people have been (mis)understood and (mis)represented. A more holistic and nuanced approach that is not uncritically founded upon a set of neoâliberal stereotypes and assumptions, and instead recognises the complexity of their lives, would offer new opportunities for understanding and representation of their interests. Our findings challenge the conflation of identity with work and the notion that only certain forms of employment create meaning
Beyond compliance: teacher education practice in a performative framework
publication-status: Publishe
Understanding young people's citizenship learning in everyday life: The role of contexts, relationships and dispositions
In this article we present insights from research which has sought to deepen understanding of the ways in which young people (13-21) learn democratic citizenship through their participation in a range of different formal and informal practices and communities. Based on the research, we suggest that such understanding should focus on the interplay between contexts for action, relationships within and across contexts, and the dispositions that young people bring to such contexts and relationships. In the first part of the paper we show how and why we have broadened the narrow parameters of the existing citizenship discourse with its focus on political socialisation to encompass a more wide-ranging conception of citizenship learning which is not just focused on school or the curriculum. In the second part of the paper we describe our research and present two exemplar case studies of young people who formed part of the project. In the third part we present our insights about the nature and character of citizenship learning that we have been able to draw from our research. In the concluding section we highlight those dimensions of citizenship learning that would have remained invisible had we focused exclusively on schools and the curriculum. In this way we demonstrate the potential of the approach to understanding citizenship learning that we have adopted
Mentoring and Individual Learning Plans: Issues of practice in a period of transition.
publication-status: Acceptedtypes: ArticleThis article draws upon research undertaken with 28 teacher education mentors,
managers and trainee teachers within the SW Centre for Excellence in Teacher
Training (CETT) in 2008, following the introduction of the new revised Lifelong
Learning UK (LLUK) standards. The first part of the article locates and contextualises
the policy context in relation to the school and further education (FE) sectors.
Two separate and distinctive models of mentoring practice are delineated, the first
model as a source of formative support for trainee teachers, and the second model
as a tool for the assessment of competence. The article concludes by suggesting
that the danger and indeed unintended consequence of separating out these functions
of mentoring is that an unnecessary dichotomy is created that dislocates
coherent teacher practices from one another. It argues that what is needed is a sustained
period of stability in the sector. This would leave a space for CETT professionals
and others to promote those practices that will make a difference not only
to the work of teacher educators but to the work of staff and students
The myth of meeting needs revisited: the case of Educational research
publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleOur primary objective in this paper is revisit a debate that was articulated 25 years ago in this
journal in which it was argued that the idea of meeting needs in adult and continuing education
is a myth. We extend the original analysis of need and apply it to the case of educational
research. We look at the policy context, which has, in the intervening period, increasingly
reflected the neo-liberal emphasis upon accountability and measurement. Taking into
account the discussion stimulated by Hargreaves and followed through by Tooley on the
supposed âpovertyâ of educational research in the UK, we show how the discourse of need has
been sustained. Using the Transforming Learning Cultures (TLC) project in the Teaching
and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) as an exemplar, we show that, despite the
constraints that are imposed upon researchers by the funding and accountability frameworks
of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the researchers on that project have
nonetheless made significant and important contributions in the field that they have
researched. By way of outcomes, we argue for an approach to the commissioning of educational
research from bodies such as the ESRC that will allow researchers to frame their
projects in ways that do not meet current prescriptions. In conclusion, we suggest that what is
needed is a greater level of trust which will allow researchers to set the research agenda themselves,
rather than be driven by the needs identified and specified by policymakers.
Introduction
In this paper we revisit a debate that was first articulated 25 years ago in this journal,
where it was argued that the idea of meeting needs in adult and continuing education
was a myth (Armstrong 1982). Intending to challenge the liberal ideologies that
subscribed to, and supported the idea that needs have an objective reality of their
own, the claim of the original paper was that needs are manufactured political
constructions. Whilst there appeared to be some considerable support for the
critique at the time, it did not have the effect on the academy that initial indications
had suggested. Writing about recent 14â19 education policy in the UK, Lumby and
Wilson (2003) suggest:
Robert Law
âPassionate about teachingâ â the role of mentors in implementing professional standards
This article originated from a qualitative research project that inquired into the impact of the changing requirements of programmes leading to teaching qualifications in the Learning and Skills Sector (LSS). The project was undertaken with the participation of a number of trainees, tutors and managers and used biographical methods to explore the experience of being mentored and the functioning of Individual Learning Plans(ILPs) within restructured programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Particular interest was taken in what participants had to say about the subject specialist mentoring that was intended to be a particular feature of new programmes. The authors conclude that there is dissonance between formal structures and traineesâ expectations: while programme specifications emphasise the knowledge and skills of mentors, participants in ITE look for more human qualities
Hard to reach? : young people's experiences and understandings of the post-16 transition
This thesis is concerned with the experiences and understandings of young people as they move from their final two years of compulsory education into a range of post-16 destinations including Further Education, work, apprenticeships and unemployment. The participants were all identified as being âhard to reachâ by school practitioners. The research responds to a need to deepen understanding of such young people ahead of the age of participation in education and training in England being raised to 18 in 2015. The research was conducted in the South West of England. The empirical research was undertaken between January 2008 and April 2010 and comprised semi-structured interviews with 51 young people who were interviewed between one and three times during that period. The data presented in this thesis is focused on 11 of those young people who were each interviewed on three occasions. The findings suggest similarities between the post-16 transition experiences of the young people participating here and those of young people in this age range, not identified as âhard to reachâ. Notwithstanding these parallels, the research revealed that young peoplesâ post-16 transitions and the aspirations they hold are often more nuanced than has been theorised in previous research. The findings raise questions about the implications of labelling young people, and 14-19 policy predicated upon assumptions regarding those who do not participate post-16. In conclusion it is suggested that at a time of continued economic uncertainty and UK youth unemployment approaching one million , young people need more flexibility in the school and post-16 experiences that are available and actively encouraged, rather than increased levels of constraint.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
The lamp of sacrifice : professional identity and work culture
Britain has a culture of long working hours, resulting in significant levels of work-related stress. Teachers are arguably the professional group most likely to experience pathological stress and burnout as a result of working long hours. Research in schools suggests that teachersâ work orientations are strongly influenced by factors of personal identity, social background, career stage and personal resilience to stress. In Further Education (FE) research hitherto has emphasised the impact of Government policy and managerial style on teacher behaviour, and notions of teacher professionalism. There has been less research into the impact of FE teacher identities and attitudes towards work upon their working lives. This thesis investigates the relatively under-researched area of work culture within a single FE College, in an attempt to discover the reasons underlying teacherâs reactions to the pressures of overwork. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 13 teachers and managers to investigate teacher responses to the work culture of the College. Based upon existing theoretical models of stress and burnout, three groups of potential determinants are explored: personal identity, the social context of the College, and the impact of external political, economic and social factors. The research confirms the existence amongst College teachers of a culture of working long hours, and identifies examples of stress and burnout. Interview responses support previous research findings concerning the central importance of teacher identity. Interview data underline the importance of personal factors in determining teachersâ responses to workload and their resilience to stress. A model is developed which summarises potential teacher responses to workload stress, and proposes ways in which these may be linked to factors of teacher identity and work cultures. The findings also highlight the pivotal role of managers and work teams in supporting teachers, particularly those most emotionally susceptible to stress.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo