This PhD study explores the transitional experiences of working class students between institutions of Further Education and Higher Education within the field of post-16 sports education. It draws its empirical illustration from the interview and ethnographic data collected over an 18 month period between October 2007 and July 2009 from a group of six students who had enrolled on a vocational FDSc Foundation Degree qualification. The study is comprised of two interrelated parts: Part I of the study illustrates the conceptual and methodological considerations which have driven the exploration of the student experience. The theoretical approach for investigating these experiences is informed by the structurationist perspective of Rob Stones (Stones, 2005). Stones conceptualises the relations between agent and structure four interlinked areas: External Structures, Internal Structures, Active Agency and Outcomes. Conceptualising transitional experience in this manner offers possibilities for a more contextually sensitive, refined, developed and ultimately adequate ontology of structuration. In further developing the framework, the study draws upon the sociological understanding of Basil Bernstein and Pierre Bourdieu. The incorporation of these two distinguishable but related perspectives allows the framework to inform an understanding of the interconnections between the sanctioned practices of a context, the role of agents within a context and the power capacities that are derived from these relations (Mouzelis, 1991; Morrison, 2005). In doing so, it provides a number of lenses in understanding the practices and relations between Further and Higher Education and the consequences of this for agents who enter this transition. Part II critically reflects on the participants experiences. Drawing upon data collected at three institutions: Hope Further Education College (HFEC), Fawlty University-College (FUC) and Ivory Tower University (ITU), the study discusses and explores in depth how the relations between the participants and the external structures of the institutions begin to form three identifiable and conceptually distinguishable transitional experiences which are seen to be either Empowering, Fragmented or Failed. In reflecting upon such relations and experiences, the study suggests that discourses of opportunity surrounding vocational qualifications forwarded to these students prior to, and during their course, is rather more complex than previously illustrated and for some functions as more of a myth than empowering discourse. Rather than providing equal possibility, the relations and transitional experiences that are currently produced only afford restricted opportunities to students choosing this vocational pathway within post-16 sports education. In conclusion, the study begins to discuss the implications of the relations and experiences highlighted for present and prospective relations and practices, asking whether change is possible, creating equal possibilities, not restricted opportunity.

The 1980s saw an increase in learning support assistants (LSAs’) in colleges for further education to support post-sixteen learners with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD). LSAs’ were appointed on an ad hoc basis with little or no experience, or relevant qualifications to deliver support in ‘inclusive’ vocational classrooms. The Workforce Development Plan in 2004 acknowledged this phenomenon and advocated that occupational standards be developed. Two years later, in October 2006, the first National Occupational Standards (NOS) for college LSAs was launched but it did not include an official training framework for their professional learning and although there are some training structures in place, this still remains the case today. Learners with LDD are, therefore, still supported by untrained LSAs’ who are not professionally equipped to deal with the particular challenges they present. Educators like myself who work alongside LSAs’ in colleges, must seek to naturalistically explore professional learning opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Such professional learning opportunities should reflect the creative and dynamic contribution college LSAs’ bring to inclusive classrooms and, thereby, not only improve the quality of the support LSAs’ give but the overall integrative, ethical and non-discriminative ethos of a college. With this knowledge, I developed and implemented an Enhanced Learning Support Assistant Programme (ELSAP) for the professional learning of volunteer LSA participants with the aim of improving their knowledge and skills to deliver a more meaningful education for postsixteen learners with LDD. For the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, professional learning for LSAs’ needs to occur systemically over time and be integrated within the multilayered context of a college to allow dynamic and reciprocal influences to make transformative connections. Critically, my action research study strengthens the connection between socio-political theory and practice within the sociology of disability education on moral, ethical and human rights grounds.

The thesis is dealing with possibilities of m-learning in further education of pedagogical employees at schools of all levels. The author of the thesis explores the basis of findings from expert literature, what possibilities mobile technologies offer in further education of pedagogical employees and which of these technologies pedagogues use most. The author also points out the advantages, the disadvantages and the barriers, which have impact on using mobile products in further education. The thesis includes the research which factors have impact on m-learning in further education of pedagogical employees. In the final part of the thesis the author sums up all her findings and gives recommendations for educational practice.

Student Number : 0206171T - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / The aim of the study is to explore the relevance to the workplace of the Further Education and Training college curriculum in electrical subjects. The study uses a combination of interviews, questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. The study was carried out in Johannesburg and Germiston, and involved six learners, four training managers, three educators, a curriculum developer and an education specialist. Educators noted that there had been no changes in the curriculum for a considerable period, and felt that there was a need for change. They mentioned in particular the absence of practicals as a cause for concern. The curriculum developer agreed that there had been no substantial curriculum change. He cited report 190/191 and the FET Act of 1998 as contributing to the stagnation in the curriculum. Employers continue to recruit learners from the FET colleges, but do not feel that they have been fully equipped for the workplace. The colleges provided only the basics, and training continued at the workplace. Colleges play a vital role in qualifying learners for a trade. One of the entry requirements for trade test is that candidates have N2, which is only obtainable at FET colleges. Learners were divided on the question of whether or not the FET college empowered them to cope in the world of work, with some, but not all, expressing satisfaction. This response was understandable as the electrical field is very broad, and companies operate on various levels within the field. In the electrical field, FET colleges have adopted a technocratic approach to the curriculum, characterized by inflexibility and stagnancy. New curricular approaches beckon with the government’s recapitalization plan for the FET colleges.

Job creation remains a critical challenge for South Africa. Despite strong achievements in macro-economic stability and increases in employment, the growing labour force has outstripped the capacity of the labour market to absorb young people. The state of the country’s skills base, rendered inadequate by the legacy of apartheid, contributes to sustained inequalities in the labour market. This impacts on the capacity of the economy to grow in an increasingly competitive global environment. In this context, Vocational Education and Training (VET) is viewed as an important mechanism for building the necessary intermediate technical skills to support key sectors of the economy. However, international experience demonstrates that expanding the VET system and developing human capital more broadly will not in itself lead to increased job creation. The alignment of skills supply and demand can only be achieved through a well-developed understanding of the factors that support or inhibit the transition of young people into the labour market. This study investigates these factors through the lens of social capital theory. Through tracing 1,532 individuals who graduated from FET Colleges in the Gauteng province in 1999, the study interrogates the role of bonding and bridging social capital in supporting the transition into colleges and from colleges into the labour market. The findings show support for the three hypotheses: 1) Poor socio-economic family contexts appear to offer little information from which to make effective educational choices. Young people generally make such choices on the basis of perceived long-term value of post-school education rather than short-term economic considerations. 2) FET colleges are ineffective agents of bridging social capital and therefore have limited impact on the rate of employment, in particular the rate of relevant employment. 3) Personal networks are critical, but in impoverished environments are ineffective for finding meaningful employment on initial entry into the labour market. Therefore, restricted social networks have the potential to further entrench social inequality. The study contributes to a greater understanding of the challenges facing youth in navigating through the transition from school to work and the implications for FET policy in pressurising colleges to create access to effective social networks for their students and thereby meaningfully contribute to job creation.

Student Number : 0107553H - MSc research report - School of Science Education - Faculty of Science / One of the most important challenges of the secondary school science teacher is to help learners to obtain, analyze and evaluate evidence using experimental and investigative methods. The understanding and application of concepts of evidence play a central role in setting up valid experiment and is usually ignored in the secondary school science curriculum. Recognizing the significance and value of an understanding of evidence in developing learners’ ability to carry out appropriate experimental work in science, the question arises of learners’ understanding of ‘concepts of evidence’ in experimental design. In this study the researcher endeavored to answer some of the questions concerning learners’ understanding of evidence: What understanding do learners entering the Further Education and Training (FET) band have of the concepts of validity in experimental design? What is the effect of an intervention on their understanding of concepts of validity? How well do learners show their ability to apply concepts of evidence to an assessment task? The study investigated the ability of a sample of grade 10 Physical Science learners, in one Gauteng Province secondary school to use and understand the concepts of evidence before and after an intervention, and their ability apply these ideas about evidence in an assessment sheet task. First, a survey of learners’ understanding of the concepts of validity was conducted using a written diagnostic test, consisting of three probes that had been previously used to diagnose learners’ understanding of validity in experimental design. Second, an evaluation of changes in such understanding due to a specific teaching intervention was completed using the same diagnostic test. Finally, the 2004 Grade 9 Common Tasks for Assessment (CTA) investigation task was administered to the same subjects in order to investigate whether or not their understanding of concepts of evidence would be apparent in this CTA investigation task. Several key findings emerged from the data. The major findings of this study were that the sample investigated began the study with a level of understanding equal to a group of Foundation University students tested in a previous study and that their understanding did not change much during the intervention. In fact, analysis of the results from the probes in the diagnostic test revealed that learners had little problem choosing the independent variable and controlling variables. However, the findings from the probes indicated that the intervention did not seem to have had a major effect since the difference in the number of responses between the pre-test and post- test was relatively small. Moreover, the results also revealed that it was possible to analyze learners’ responses using the existing model of learners’ understanding of validity, and that the majority of learners fell into Level C in the model which refers to the application of previous understanding in a new situation. The results from the CTA investigation task revealed that learners’ understanding of concepts of evidence could be demonstrated in new science context. In fact, the results revealed that learners showed ability to apply their understanding of concepts of evidence in experimental design to the assessment task. Moreover, the CTA results indicated that the understanding of identifying variables, constructing graphs; describing the relationship between variables in a graph; formulating the investigative questions were the most applied concepts of evidence by learners. Finally, the results of this study highlight the need for providing secondary science learners with opportunities to practice and develop concepts of evidence. In the light of these findings it is recommended that children need to be explicitly taught about the purpose of science investigations and introduced to important ideas about evidence if their ability to perform investigation tasks is to be improved.

This project evaluates a proposed framework designed to support professional learning for teacher educators, focusing on Post Compulsory Education & Training, and particularly practices in Further Education. The intention of the framework is to enhance practice and promote professional recognition for people who support others in becoming or developing as teachers: teacher educators. The project proposal is that this can be achieved through engagement with processes of professional learning (Timperley, 2011) in the form of professional pathways, defined here as professional and individual learning journeys supported by principles and research-based recommendations within a recognised framework of underpinning factors. The theoretical framework for the project is interpretative, based on transformative learning (Cranton, 1994, 2002; ; Mezirow, 1997) with a constructivist epistemology and reflexive ontology (Door, 2014). It builds on previous research (Exley & Ovenden-Hope, 2013) using new data to develop initial ideas through a methodology of creative praxis, representing practices and approaches where reflexive, innovative thinking and impact on the world are equally important. The intention is to arrive at a robust, flexible and well-considered framework designed to support the professional formation and development of prospective, new or experienced teacher educators practicing in the Further Education sector.

The programme provision in a third of further education (FE) colleges in England is poorly designed, according to Ofsted which inspect colleges in England, and does not provide post-16-year-olds the skills needed for employment. The policy landscape shapes the complex FE college environment. Often programme decision-making at strategic level does not respond to stakeholders’ needs or achieve stability and sustainability of these institutions. The aim of this research was to analyse programme decision-making in FE colleges in England. It focused on how FE colleges use the opportunities and constraints presented by their locality and context to tailor their programme provision whilst under pressure to meet the local needs for the provision of education and training and the expectations of the Ofsted inspection framework. A review of literature on the theories and models of decision-making led to the formation of research questions and a framework for the analysis of programme decision-making in FE college environment. Empirical data was collected by means of college principals and other senior managers in three contrasting FE colleges in England. Documentary analysis provided stimulus for interview questions and corroboration of evidence. The research found that programme decision-making is influenced by the opportunities and constraints presented by the locality of the FE college and a number of internal and external factors. It shows that FE leaders and managers who prioritise leadership for learning, which is characterised by a strong focus on learners’ learning experience, implement management approaches to the organisation of programme provision. Such focus informs the strategic directions to achieve effectiveness of programme provision and accountability, increase engagement with stakeholders and improve the sustainability of the college. The study shows that effective programme decision-making requires a collaborative approach involving the participation of stakeholders to provide a solution-driven method to managing programme provision in FE colleges.

Among the circumstances that have an impact on the lifelong growth, career development and professional prestige of headmasters is their continuous education and specialized studies. This thesis deals with regulations concerning headmaster performance and further education details, and analyses key statistics as well as provides information on the bulk of previous research related to the subject. The theoretical part also treats the development of a headmasters' professional career and motivation for self-study, and touches upon the new upcoming career system. The empirical section includes a data-based research which assesses the experiences of headmasters at the beginning of their headmaster careers. It also includes their views on personal motivation, time in office and career system, and also types and forms of preferred study and education programs. The analyses outline relations between the length of experience, a degree of education and a motivation for further studies. The attention is also paid to the acquired experience and willingness of headmasters to become actively involved in the future mentoring especially of their junior colleagues. The conclusions bring some information and recommendations in connection with periodical evaluations of headmasters in terms of their time in office.

This thesis examines the emerging role of emotional labour in the context of Further Education (FE) colleges in England. These colleges provide Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses of study for Further Education teachers who are training to become qualified practitioners in the English lifelong learning sector. Using four teacher trainees and four teacher trainers, the thesis explores the nature and scope of how emotional labour can impact on teacher trainees’ learning and the well-being of both teacher trainees and teacher trainers in order to investigate how the insights gleaned would help to develop practice in the field of English ITT in English FE. The findings evidenced that when teaching, a relationship can form. This can be a professional relationship or a relationship that exceeds the boundaries of professionalism. Over a six-month period in 2013/2014 the teacher trainee participants completed an autobiographical life-grid, whilst both trainees and trainers completed a diary and end interview. An exploratory study using two FE colleges and analysis of data using thematic analysis was used to explore the role of emotions in ITT in FE colleges. Two significant findings presented themselves within this thesis. Firstly, the emotional dimensions of a) FE teaching are explored, and b) it is recommended that the support that is given for new teachers in FE in England become an explicit part of the curricula and of staff development in ITT delivery. Secondly, in supporting teaching staff to alleviate the burden of emotional labour, social sharing (i.e. talking about emotional aspects with peers, colleagues) should be encouraged.