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