Partners in learning?: young people's perspectives on 14-19 transitions: research tales about the 'manufacture' of choice through partnership

This paper draws on the findings from two research studies conducted in England and Wales in 2003-2005 containing the voices of 150 young people interviewed in localised settings, in order to examine their understandings about learning choices, pathways, and partnerships. The studies focused upon local evaluations of the 14-19 Pathfinder Initiative, a program designed specifically to test and integrate ways of providing education and training. The findings draw upon learners' perceptions of choice based on their understanding of access to, experiences of and outcomes of their learning in diverse provider settings. Viewed in relation to the perceptions of providers and other stakeholders, including adults, this paper suggests that urgent attention to the views of learners is long overdue, specifically among those who continue to challenge prevailing views about learning and about knowledge worth having.

This paper draws on the findings from two research studies conducted in England and Wales in 2003-2005 containing the voices of 150 young people interviewed in localised settings, in order to examine their understandings about learning choices, pathways, and partnerships. The studies focused upon local evaluations of the 14-19 Pathfinder Initiative, a program designed specifically to test and integrate ways of providing education and training. The findings draw upon learners' perceptions of choice based on their understanding of access to, experiences of and outcomes of their ...  [+] Show more