Crisis and change in vocational education and training

This book provides a critical account of the nature, extent and impact of government policy for the further education sector in the United Kingdom. The author begins by asserting that the English vocational education and training system is in crisis as a result of Government reforms which have been misguided in intention and contradictory in outcome. This claim is explored, in light of the findings of a study of a group of lecturers who work in the English Further Education (FE) sector. The author also focuses on the radical Conservative education and training policies of the present administration and examines how these are realised within one department of a college in the English FE sector. The range of responses to policy is explored, exposing both intended and unintended consequences of the increased development of Human Resource Management and Quality Assurance systems, and setting these in the context of competing lecturer and manager perspectives. A case study is presented, involving the lecturers within one department of a large urban Further Education (FE) college. The study focuses on the impact of government policy and college procedures upon the lecturers' practice, as revealed through a variety of sources including observations, conversations, meetings and in-depth qualitative interviews. This book contains the following chapters: The changing context of further education; The lecturer as a reflective practitioner; Researching a college: methods and problems; Quality assurance; The component lecturer; Lecturers and managers; Conclusions: understanding teaching in FE and its importance as a management issue.

This book provides a critical account of the nature, extent and impact of government policy for the further education sector in the United Kingdom. The author begins by asserting that the English vocational education and training system is in crisis as a result of Government reforms which have been misguided in intention and contradictory in outcome. This claim is explored, in light of the findings of a study of a group of lecturers who work in the English Further Education (FE) sector. The author also focuses on the radical Conservative education and training policies of the present ...  [+] Show more