Research Driven Analysis. Lifelong and Work-Related Learning
Non-participation in HE: Decision-making as an embedded social practice This study examined the extent to which HE is conceived as ‘within the bounds of the possible’ for non-participants and explored how attitudes to HE and decisions about nonparticipation are embedded within ‘networks of intimacy’ consisting of family members and close friends. The research involved two overlapping and interacting parts: stage one drew on existing large-scale survey data to develop a macro-level account of (non) participation in the general population and a critique of the extant literature on educational decision-making. The implications of the emerging issues were explored in the qualitative study (stage two).This involved case studies of sixteen networks of intimacy. We identified non-participating adults at different stages in the life-course to provide ‘entry points’ to each network. Focusing on non-participants helped to generate evidence from networks with a spectrum of attitudes to and experiences of HE, as well as from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Each case study involved an initial structured interview with each ‘entry point’ individual to determine educational and employment histories, household and family composition, and details of their self-defined network of intimacy, followed by semi-structured interviews with each of these individuals plus five or six members of their network who were identified as sources of influence in the decisionmaking process. The focus at the macro and micro levels on non-participants and on adults at various stages in the life-course make this research distinctive, as existing research has tended to focus on non-traditional participants, and applicants and on adults below the age of thirty.
The key findings were: - No single agency has the widening of participation in HE across the life course as its core mission. - The ‘potentially recruitable’ in our research are living comfortable, stable lives and usually seen little need to participate in HE. - HE experiences within social networks critically shape the perceptions of ‘potentially recruitable’ adults across and within generations. - There is an appetite for high quality, work-related and employer-supported provision, and for recognised qualifications that offer recipients tangible returns. Research team: Professor Alison Fuller (Co-Director) Professor Sue Heath (Co-Director), Dr Martin Dyke, Professor Nick Foskett, Dr Ros Foskett, Dr Brenda Johnston, Dr Felix Maringe, Karen Paton, Dr Patricia Rice, Laura Staetsky, Professor John Taylor Funding body: conomic and Social Research Council (ESRC RES-139-25-0232)
Lifelong and Work-related Learning Research Centre Research in the ‘Lifelong and Work-related Learning’ research centre is located within the changing relationship between education, the economy and society. Members are particularly interested in shifting patterns of participation in and transitions between Further, Higher and Adult Education, and in the opportunities individuals at different life-stages and from different socio-economic, educational and employment backgrounds, have for personal, educational, vocational and professional development. The Centre’s view of learning is inclusive, covering the experience of learning at work, in the community and in colleges, universities and other formal educational and training settings. This leads to a research and practice interest in pedagogy and the possibilities that digital technologies are providing for widening access and enhancing learner experience. Our research focus is clearly linked to public policy formation and analysis in the areas of education, training, skills, qualifications and employment. Geographically, members’ interests are grounded in national, European and international contexts and their diverse landscapes of organisational structures and cultures. The centre for Lifelong and Work-related Learning currently hosts the ‘Higher Education Research’ Special Interest Group. A strategic approach The research landscape has shifted significantly in recent years and the need to address today’s big societal issues is a strategic focus for government, research councils, business and industry. In order to tackle these issues, we are developing cross-faculty, multidisciplinary approaches to our research collaboration that bridge the conventional boundaries between disciplines.
Partnerships with government and industry We work in partnership, at both national and international level, with government, industry, schools and other universities to break new ground in our discipline. Our academic staff members make valuable contributions in this respect, advising professional bodies, policy makers and the academic community, and bringing synergy to work in the field.
Activities that we are interested in include:
Special Interest Groups The School also has a diverse selection of Special Interest Groups (SiGs) where members explore their specific interests across disciplines.
- Support for research bid development where appropriate.
The Lifelong and Work-Related Learning Research Centre (LaWRL) is very pleased to support the Higher Education Research SiG which has over 100 members from the University of Southampton and beyond. Areas of particular interest include academic writing, criticality, dyslexia, student perceptions of what is required of them in higher education, staff expectations, inclusive practices, student experiences, academic skills, support for students and the wider institutional and societal context that impacts on higher education policy and delivery. We are interested in higher education pedagogic theory and practices in different disciplinary areas. We are also keen to explore methodological issues relating to higher education research.
- Regular seminars to discuss research interests in order to share expertise and to stimulate interest and engagement in the field. These meetings are held on different days and at different times in order to maximise the number of people able to attend. Meetings are in a variety of different formats according to the wishes and needs of the group.
- Support for publications where appropriate (e.g. sharing knowledge about different journals, commenting on article drafts) The group was started in 2006 and has run a programme of events each year since. Further details can be found on the SoE website. Members include both established and newer researchers, practitioners and support staff. It has members in various disciplines from the different universities in the region as well as other people with an interest in higher education. For further information contact Dr Brenda Johnston (email bhmj@ southampton.ac.uk).
Our staff
Our academics, post graduate students and other interested parties work alongside each other to develop new approaches to address society’s needs in the area of lifelong and workrelated learning. Below please find a selection of staff to give you an idea of our areas of interests and where we can support research and consultancy. Check our website at www. southampton.ac.uk/education for the latest list of staff. Professor Alison Fuller (Centre Head) Research Interests Apprenticeship; patterns of educational participation; relationship between forms of work organisation; learning and performance; social theories of learning; transitions between education and work; vocational education and training; workplace learning. Dr Martin Dyke Research Interests Action research; further education; learning theory; lifelong learning; post-compulsory education; reflective learning and social theory; sociology of education Alan Harding Research Interests Management of post-compulsory education; use of online video-conferencing technology to support teaching; learning and assessment; role of film, and especially the Crown Film Unit, in our perception of history; role of television in education and training.
Selected recent publications
Dr Brenda Johnston Research Interests Academic writing; action research; assessment criticality;graduate employment;higher education; higher education pedagogy; research methodology; widening participation. Dr Peter Jones Research Interests Political economy of knowledge; European Union education policy; globalisation and education policy; ethnographic discourse analysis; neo-liberalism Dr Zhen Li Research Interests Learners’ experiences of e-learning; social and cultural context in teaching and learning; learning theory; cross-cultural research Dr Malcolm Ogles Research Interests Applied learning theory and adult learners; higher education curriculum development and course design; learning strategies in teaching and learning; professional development for those working with children and young people; social psychological development in older children and adolescents; work-based learning and work-based research.
The following list of publications has been selected as illustrative of the wide range of research being undertaken by members of the LaWRL research centre.
realistic theory,informs the theoretical framework for investigating the interaction between individual learners and their e-learning environment.
Improving working as learning
Johnston, B, and L. Elton. “German and UK higher education and graduate employment: the interface between systemic tradition and graduate views”, Comparative Education, Volume 41, No.3. 2005, p.351-373.
Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Jewson, Nick and Unwin, Lorna (2009), London, UK, Routledge, 231pp. This book explores the learning that goes on in workplaces – ranging from offices, factories and shops to gyms, health centres and universities – and how it can be improved. Such learning includes everyday work activity, on-the-job instruction and off-the-job training events. The book draws on research completed for the project ‘Learning as Work: Teaching and learning in contemporary work organisations’ funded by the ESRC’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme (RES-139-25-0110A) The role of the ‘Other’ in reflection, knowledge formation and action in late modernity Dyke, M (2006) International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol 255, pp106-125 This paper reviews approaches to reflection in learning and argues that we require a model of learning sensitive to the complex interaction between theory, practice and reflection that takes place in social contexts and relationships with others.
This article presents a comparative analysis of the German and UK higher education systems and their relationship to graduate employment. It scrutinizes the complex interconnections between (1) higher education systems and traditions; (2) the role of higher education in the state, society and the economy; and (3) the views of graduates as expressed in interviews. Jones, P.D. (2010), Regulatory Regionalism and Education: the European Union in Central Asia, Globalisation, Societies and Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 59-85. In this journal article, the role of the European Union in the governance of Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training reform in Central Asia is investigated empirically and theorised in relation to Regulatory Regionalism perspectives. It is based on research with policy actors in Brussels and Central Asia, as part of the ongoing work of EUCAM (EU-Central Asia Monitoring).
Li, Z (2009) ‘Making our way through the e-world: the Fuller, A. and Heath, S. (2009) Educational decisionmaking, social networks and the new widening learning experiences of Chinese adult e-learners participation, in M. David (ed) Improving Learning by Journal of Education, Information and Cybernetics, Widening Participation in Higher Education, London: Vol 1, No. 2, pp.37-44 Routledge . This chapter presents the key findings from the project: ‘Non-participation in Higher This paper describes some of the findings from Education: Decision-making as an embedded social a doctoral study of Chinese adult e-learners’ learning experiences in two e-learning programmes practice.’ conducted in China. Margaret Archer’s critical
www.southampton.ac.uk/education educate@southampton.ac.uk +44 (0) 23 8059 3475