Challenge and change in further education: a commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Abstract

The Teaching and Learning Research Programme [TLRP] is the UK’s largest-ever initiative in education research, and has taken a strong interest in further education (FE). In this commentary, its researchers explain the pressures on the further education sector and the people in it, and the many policy changes with which it has had to cope. [The authors] also point out that further education is resilient and innovative. Its tutors and other staff are a unique resource for learners who are often lacking in confidence. They are at the forefront of developing students’ existing skills as well as teaching them new ones. They often recognise and nurture abilities which students undervalue or do not realise they possess. The TLRP’s research shows that relations between tutors and students are the heart of successful further education. Unless tutors and students have time and space to work together effectively, employers, governments and the many other groups with a stake in further education will not get the results they want. More money is going into further education than ever before, and its performance reflects these increased resources. But it is vital for this important sector of British education to continue improving the way it provides for the needs of learners, employers and the wider economy.