research in further education - presentation for alt c 2013
DESCRIPTION
This session was run by Nigel Ecclesfield (Jisc FE and Skills Programme Manager), Emma Procter-Legg and Ellen Lessner (Abingdon and Witney College Jisc project: Students4WebES) (Students for Webinar Employment Skills). It was an overview and activity to focus on the need for more research to be done within the FE sector.TRANSCRIPT
Practitioner Research in Further Education
Creating a culture and building networks
Nigel Ecclesfield, Emma Procter-Legg and Ellen Lessner
Research by FE practitioners in the UK
• Publication of research on FE in academic journals is common in the period considered (1985 – 2013) in 2 journals
–The Journal of Further and Higher Education–Research in Post-Compulsory Education
– Publication by FE practitioners is another matter!
Publishing Statistics - 1
• Journal of Further and Higher Education– Volumes 4-9 (1980 – 1985)• 169 papers of which 89 FE focused (53%)• 208 Authors of whom 48 had FE affiliations (23%)
– Volumes 32-37 (2008 – 2013)• 203 papers of which 61 FE focused (30%)• 402 authors of whom 20 had FE affiliations (5%)
Publishing Statistics - 2
• Research in Post-Compulsory Education– Volumes 1- 6 (1996 – 2001)• 182 Papers of which 92 FE focused (51%)• 173 Authors of whom 16 had FE affiliations (9%)
– Volumes 14-18 (2009-2013)• 136 papers of which 91 were FE focused (67%)• 250 Authors of whom 12 had FE affiliations (5%)
What are the issues facing practitioner researchers in FE?
• ?
Quick case study: How we got involved in research
Research in FE
National funding
opportunities
FE college/institution
Individual(s)
Here’s how research works in FE
Own research
Outside research
Time and flexibility at
work
The Individual
(s)
FE college/institution
Institutional culture
Flexibility and spare staff to cover research time
Senior management support
Research in relation to:
No research department or research positions
National funding
opportunities(FE)
Becta
LSIS
Jisc
FERL
EUIfL (Institute for Learning)
Niace?
ETF?
UFI
Key points
• FE colleges are not uniform– HE in FE? A levels? Vocational?
• Research has to be useful to the institution• Help with writing bid, methodology and
evaluation• Enough time and people to run project – not
tack it onto existing timetables• Realistic outputs to encourage more research
Jisc FE and Skills project: Webinar employability skills for students
National funding
opportunities
FE college/institution
Individual(s)
Abin
gdon
and
Witn
ey
Colle
ge
Case study part 2
• Learning from Research• Prior experience – PGCE, EU Project• Awareness of the bid/project/institution • Relevant skills
Learning from Research
What did we learn? How would we do it again?• Timing • Structure• Marketing• Support• Dissemination
Conclusions
• Better funding• Ring fenced time• Flexibility• Support from HE
ActivityParticipants divide themselves into HE and FE/ACL.
1. Do you work in FE and teach across the curriculum? (Go to the left side of the room) 2. Do you teach in HE in FE and 50% of your teaching in HE? (Right side of the room)
In your groups;• Consider the hurdles of doing research
relating to FE in FE ?• What is interesting about FE that needs
researching whether you are in FE or HE?• If you are in HE how can you encourage and
support your colleagues in FE?• Feedback from each group – use Textwall Is
there one thing that you would like to be discussed at the ALT research committee and to be taken back to JISC?
Open Scholarship
• Work by Nigel and Fred Garnett on Open Scholarship (2011)– Builds on Boyer’s model of scholarship to;– Promote collaborative and supportive networks of
scholarship, research and mutual support that use the affordances of new technologies – Terry Anderson’s keynote to ALT-C in 2010 was the starting point
– Identify “do-it-yourself” research opportunities– Re-consider learning and research across disciplinary
and organisational boundaries e.g. Haythornthwaite’s network research and models (2010)
Questions?
• Q&A chaired by Malcolm Ryan