Search results

Although the post-compulsory education and training (PCET) sector is the largest in the United Kingdom (UK), it remains chronically under-theorised and under-researched. Surprisingly little is yet known about what pedagogical approaches work for teachers and learners in the sector or why. This often leaves practice open to rapidly implemented but poorly understood educational interventions sometimes based on little more than fad, the jingo of the catchy strap-line or the persuasiveness of commercial curriculum designers. There is therefore a need for research to contribute to an understanding of effective pedagogy in PCET. This action research study was conducted by the University of Sunderland, in collaboration with colleagues in further education colleges, across the North East of England. The aim of the project was to evaluate the impact of a popular thinking skills intervention called 'community of enquiry' upon teacher thinking and student learning. Through tutor and learner accounts of experience, we offer practical insights into the realities and impact of using this intervention. While teachers repeatedly reported that they 'knew' community of enquiry was working, when pressed they found it difficult to identify their evidence for making this claim beyond reference to anecdote. In this research we worked alongside teachers in PCET to identify indicators and evidence of the impact of this intervention upon pedagogy.