University of Huddersfield Press eBooks, Jul 5, 2023
The lives and work of 12 further education based teacher educators in England Contents 10.5920/Li... more The lives and work of 12 further education based teacher educators in England Contents 10.5920/LivesWork12.fulltext 10.5920/LivesWork12.fulltext
This paper focusses on peer education and specifically on young women peer educators working with... more This paper focusses on peer education and specifically on young women peer educators working within the charity Home-Start in the north of England. This work is undertaken in a social context where educational achievement is increasingly measured by certification and occupational hierarchies have been 'professionalised' whilst notions of professionalism have been drained of meaning in ways which can be potentially democratising. State educational imperatives in the UK have focussed on concepts such as academic excellence and the promotion of vocational opportunities (for those from 'hard working families'). Within this paper the peer educator is positioned as generally similar to the individuals and groups with which they work in that they are likely to share characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, social class, and educational attainment. The peer educators who participated in the study support each other in circumstances that lead to mutual benefits which are largely outside the educational mainstream. The paper considers motivations for involvement as a peer educator, peer educators' perspectives on the benefits/value of this work, the impact on confidence and aspiration, as well as their experiences of engagement and encounters with professionals. The paper, which focusses on empowerment, is informed by thinking on the importance of recognition and suggests that peer education holds potential for propagating forms of pedagogy which are relatively free of the authoritative relationships typically associated with 'teaching'.
This paper focusses on young women working as peer educators through the charity Home-Start in th... more This paper focusses on young women working as peer educators through the charity Home-Start in the north of England. The paper is conceptual whilst incorporating findings from a small-scale empirical study undertaken in 2016. It holds relevance to the following SCUTREA conference themes: active citizenship; families and communities; formal and informal learning; social inclusion in times of austerity. The peer educators who participated are undertaking their work in a context where educational achievement is increasingly measured by certification and at a time when occupational hierarchies have been ‘professionalised’ whilst notions of what it is to be a professional have been drained of meaning in ways which can be seen as potentially democratising. State educational imperatives in the UK have focussed on academic excellence (for ‘the gifted few’) and the promotion of vocational opportunities (intended for those from ‘hard working families’) such as ‘apprenticeships’. Deeper and mo...
... Avis, James, Fisher, Roy and Simmons, Robin (2009) Issues in post-compulsory education and tr... more ... Avis, James, Fisher, Roy and Simmons, Robin (2009) Issues in post-compulsory education and training: critical perspectives. University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK. ISBN 9781862180860. Metadata only available from this repository. Item Type: Book. ...
This presentation considered some of the key issues surrounding the pedagogy of working with inte... more This presentation considered some of the key issues surrounding the pedagogy of working with international students embedded within vocational classes, including the Access to HE Diploma. It was based on work undertaken by Mike Saunders (Head of Studies, Lifelong Learning and HE, York College) and Roy Fisher (Professor of Education, University of Huddersfield). A section of the work presented will be included as part of a chapter in a book published by Springer International. The work will also contribute to a research project being carried out at York College, which aims to investigate how the principles identified from research in other countries apply in the UK further education (FE) sector. The presentation focussed on the principles needed to develop pedagogy that meets the needs of both international and local students
Ideology, Culture and Hegemony 110 The Curriculum and Reproduction 117 Teachers 135 The Further E... more Ideology, Culture and Hegemony 110 The Curriculum and Reproduction 117 Teachers 135 The Further Education College as a Workplace in Transition 141 Summary 160 CHAPTER 5-The Inception and Development of BTEC 161 Introduction and Background 161 BEC 171 BTEC 175 CHAPTER 6-Tracing the Evolution of the BEC/BTEC Curriculum Huddersfield Technical College and the University of Huddersfield who have shaped my understanding(s) of the vocational curriculum over the years. These people, too numerous to mention individually have, sometimes directly and more often indirectly, influenced the formulation and content of this work. I wish to thank Dr. Yves Benett and Professor David Newbold of the University for their guidance during the early and inevitably difficult years of what was a part-time project where competing demands on my time too often conspired to impede progress. Latterly, Professor Cedric Cullingford became my Director of Studies and I have greatly appreciated the encouragement and detailed advice that he has given. I also wish to acknowledge the generous funding support that I have received from the University of Huddersfield and from the University's School of Education and Professional Development. Professor Inge Bates of the University Of Leeds, whilst in her previous post at the University of Sheffield, kindly commented on drafts of early chapters. I have also benefited over the last two years from the opportunity to attend, at the invitation of Professor Bates, regular seminar meetings of the Post-14 Research Group at the University of Leeds School of Education. I have been fortunate to have conducted two lengthy interviews with John Sellars, the former Chief Executive of BTEC, one of which was generously scheduled during his last week in office after twenty years at the helm. It should be noted, however, that this does not imply any kind of endorsement of this study by either John Sellars or BTEC/Edexcel. This work rests primarily on my academic background as a history graduate, my subsequent interest in the sociology of education, and my experience as a lecturer and curriculum developer in post-compulsory education. My studies in the sociology of education began when, as a masters student at the University of Bradford, I was taught by Dr. Ivan Reid and continued under the supervision of Dr. Ian Varcoe in the Department of Sociology at the University of Leeds. In Chapters 3 and 4I have revisited, developed and applied in the context of this very different study some theoretical work which I undertook at Leeds in the late 1980s. There has also been something of a "conversation" between this research and other projects which I have worked on since 1992; the Employment Department funded study Good Practice in GNVQ Induction Programmes which, together with University of Huddersfield colleagues, I contributed to during 1993/94 was one of these. Another influence was the Further Education Development Agency funded Improving College Effectiveness project from 1998-99 (also a Huddersfield team effort). It is likely that some extracts from Chapter 4 here will ultimately appear in a coauthored FEDA publication, however, all the work featured in this study was independently researched and is my own, as are all errors and omissions.
Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 2011
... Avis, James, Canning, Roy, Simmons, Robin and Morgan-Klein, Brenda (2010) Vocational educatio... more ... Avis, James, Canning, Roy, Simmons, Robin and Morgan-Klein, Brenda (2010) Vocational education teacher training in Scotland and England: policy and practice. In: European conference on educational research, 25-27 August 2010, Helsinki. (Unpublished). ...
Summary The analysis of cultural artefacts, such as cartoons and films, provides the potential to... more Summary The analysis of cultural artefacts, such as cartoons and films, provides the potential to gain insights into both the professional identities of teachers and the behaviour and self-concepts of students. This paper suggests that the ostensibly banal animated ...
This study provides a basis for deepening understandings of approaches which offer effective and ... more This study provides a basis for deepening understandings of approaches which offer effective and enhanced learning experiences for predominantly East Asian international students following provision alongside local students in UK general further education colleges. A mixed methods approach employed a largely quantitative questionnaire to access the views of 25 international students, 22 of whom were Chinese nationals, and to identify four participants (two Chinese, one Japanese and one Maldivian) for subsequent semi-structured interviews. This fieldwork was supported by the collection of college achievement data for the international students and for the local students who had studied directly alongside them. The outcomes indicate that the international students achieved at least as well as the local students in relation to academic outcomes, and that they valued teachers who allowed their cultural experiences to directly contribute to classroom learning. The study also highlights the importance of inter-cultural activities. More prosaically, the outcomes also suggest that important concerns for these international students were that they should receive clarity in answers to their questions as part of the processes of learning, as well as the resolution of ostensibly more peripheral issues such as the quality and type of food available in the college catering outlets.
University of Huddersfield Press eBooks, Jul 5, 2023
The lives and work of 12 further education based teacher educators in England Contents 10.5920/Li... more The lives and work of 12 further education based teacher educators in England Contents 10.5920/LivesWork12.fulltext 10.5920/LivesWork12.fulltext
This paper focusses on peer education and specifically on young women peer educators working with... more This paper focusses on peer education and specifically on young women peer educators working within the charity Home-Start in the north of England. This work is undertaken in a social context where educational achievement is increasingly measured by certification and occupational hierarchies have been 'professionalised' whilst notions of professionalism have been drained of meaning in ways which can be potentially democratising. State educational imperatives in the UK have focussed on concepts such as academic excellence and the promotion of vocational opportunities (for those from 'hard working families'). Within this paper the peer educator is positioned as generally similar to the individuals and groups with which they work in that they are likely to share characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, social class, and educational attainment. The peer educators who participated in the study support each other in circumstances that lead to mutual benefits which are largely outside the educational mainstream. The paper considers motivations for involvement as a peer educator, peer educators' perspectives on the benefits/value of this work, the impact on confidence and aspiration, as well as their experiences of engagement and encounters with professionals. The paper, which focusses on empowerment, is informed by thinking on the importance of recognition and suggests that peer education holds potential for propagating forms of pedagogy which are relatively free of the authoritative relationships typically associated with 'teaching'.
This paper focusses on young women working as peer educators through the charity Home-Start in th... more This paper focusses on young women working as peer educators through the charity Home-Start in the north of England. The paper is conceptual whilst incorporating findings from a small-scale empirical study undertaken in 2016. It holds relevance to the following SCUTREA conference themes: active citizenship; families and communities; formal and informal learning; social inclusion in times of austerity. The peer educators who participated are undertaking their work in a context where educational achievement is increasingly measured by certification and at a time when occupational hierarchies have been ‘professionalised’ whilst notions of what it is to be a professional have been drained of meaning in ways which can be seen as potentially democratising. State educational imperatives in the UK have focussed on academic excellence (for ‘the gifted few’) and the promotion of vocational opportunities (intended for those from ‘hard working families’) such as ‘apprenticeships’. Deeper and mo...
... Avis, James, Fisher, Roy and Simmons, Robin (2009) Issues in post-compulsory education and tr... more ... Avis, James, Fisher, Roy and Simmons, Robin (2009) Issues in post-compulsory education and training: critical perspectives. University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK. ISBN 9781862180860. Metadata only available from this repository. Item Type: Book. ...
This presentation considered some of the key issues surrounding the pedagogy of working with inte... more This presentation considered some of the key issues surrounding the pedagogy of working with international students embedded within vocational classes, including the Access to HE Diploma. It was based on work undertaken by Mike Saunders (Head of Studies, Lifelong Learning and HE, York College) and Roy Fisher (Professor of Education, University of Huddersfield). A section of the work presented will be included as part of a chapter in a book published by Springer International. The work will also contribute to a research project being carried out at York College, which aims to investigate how the principles identified from research in other countries apply in the UK further education (FE) sector. The presentation focussed on the principles needed to develop pedagogy that meets the needs of both international and local students
Ideology, Culture and Hegemony 110 The Curriculum and Reproduction 117 Teachers 135 The Further E... more Ideology, Culture and Hegemony 110 The Curriculum and Reproduction 117 Teachers 135 The Further Education College as a Workplace in Transition 141 Summary 160 CHAPTER 5-The Inception and Development of BTEC 161 Introduction and Background 161 BEC 171 BTEC 175 CHAPTER 6-Tracing the Evolution of the BEC/BTEC Curriculum Huddersfield Technical College and the University of Huddersfield who have shaped my understanding(s) of the vocational curriculum over the years. These people, too numerous to mention individually have, sometimes directly and more often indirectly, influenced the formulation and content of this work. I wish to thank Dr. Yves Benett and Professor David Newbold of the University for their guidance during the early and inevitably difficult years of what was a part-time project where competing demands on my time too often conspired to impede progress. Latterly, Professor Cedric Cullingford became my Director of Studies and I have greatly appreciated the encouragement and detailed advice that he has given. I also wish to acknowledge the generous funding support that I have received from the University of Huddersfield and from the University's School of Education and Professional Development. Professor Inge Bates of the University Of Leeds, whilst in her previous post at the University of Sheffield, kindly commented on drafts of early chapters. I have also benefited over the last two years from the opportunity to attend, at the invitation of Professor Bates, regular seminar meetings of the Post-14 Research Group at the University of Leeds School of Education. I have been fortunate to have conducted two lengthy interviews with John Sellars, the former Chief Executive of BTEC, one of which was generously scheduled during his last week in office after twenty years at the helm. It should be noted, however, that this does not imply any kind of endorsement of this study by either John Sellars or BTEC/Edexcel. This work rests primarily on my academic background as a history graduate, my subsequent interest in the sociology of education, and my experience as a lecturer and curriculum developer in post-compulsory education. My studies in the sociology of education began when, as a masters student at the University of Bradford, I was taught by Dr. Ivan Reid and continued under the supervision of Dr. Ian Varcoe in the Department of Sociology at the University of Leeds. In Chapters 3 and 4I have revisited, developed and applied in the context of this very different study some theoretical work which I undertook at Leeds in the late 1980s. There has also been something of a "conversation" between this research and other projects which I have worked on since 1992; the Employment Department funded study Good Practice in GNVQ Induction Programmes which, together with University of Huddersfield colleagues, I contributed to during 1993/94 was one of these. Another influence was the Further Education Development Agency funded Improving College Effectiveness project from 1998-99 (also a Huddersfield team effort). It is likely that some extracts from Chapter 4 here will ultimately appear in a coauthored FEDA publication, however, all the work featured in this study was independently researched and is my own, as are all errors and omissions.
Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 2011
... Avis, James, Canning, Roy, Simmons, Robin and Morgan-Klein, Brenda (2010) Vocational educatio... more ... Avis, James, Canning, Roy, Simmons, Robin and Morgan-Klein, Brenda (2010) Vocational education teacher training in Scotland and England: policy and practice. In: European conference on educational research, 25-27 August 2010, Helsinki. (Unpublished). ...
Summary The analysis of cultural artefacts, such as cartoons and films, provides the potential to... more Summary The analysis of cultural artefacts, such as cartoons and films, provides the potential to gain insights into both the professional identities of teachers and the behaviour and self-concepts of students. This paper suggests that the ostensibly banal animated ...
This study provides a basis for deepening understandings of approaches which offer effective and ... more This study provides a basis for deepening understandings of approaches which offer effective and enhanced learning experiences for predominantly East Asian international students following provision alongside local students in UK general further education colleges. A mixed methods approach employed a largely quantitative questionnaire to access the views of 25 international students, 22 of whom were Chinese nationals, and to identify four participants (two Chinese, one Japanese and one Maldivian) for subsequent semi-structured interviews. This fieldwork was supported by the collection of college achievement data for the international students and for the local students who had studied directly alongside them. The outcomes indicate that the international students achieved at least as well as the local students in relation to academic outcomes, and that they valued teachers who allowed their cultural experiences to directly contribute to classroom learning. The study also highlights the importance of inter-cultural activities. More prosaically, the outcomes also suggest that important concerns for these international students were that they should receive clarity in answers to their questions as part of the processes of learning, as well as the resolution of ostensibly more peripheral issues such as the quality and type of food available in the college catering outlets.
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