Search results

The £3 million ESRC Research Programme on Youth Citizenship and Social Change was launched in 1998, with 15 projects commissioned to explore different dimensions of young people’s lives in the changing social landscapes of Britain and Europe. Three of the projects were international in scope. One of them, directed by Professor Karen Evans, has recently been completed and this article conveys some of its major findings.

Examines the role of “key workers” in industry, who combine both technical and training mastery in the workplace. Such workers are significant because, as well as providing training to meet existing needs, they also prepare workers to cope with the demands of longer‐term change. The role of British key workers is compared with those of their counterparts in Germany and Japan. Factors which affect the development of key workers in the UK are discussed, focusing particularly on the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications and their functions as “enablers” or “containers”. Suggests that the key worker should not be viewed as one person. The term can be applied to many people at different levels within a company according to the nature of the training and development required.

The purpose of this paper is to explore efforts to bridge conceptualisation and practice in work‐based learning by reflecting on the legacy and sustainability of the Centre for Excellence in Work‐based Learning for Education Professionals at the Institute of Education, University of London. The Centre was part of the national CETL (Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning) initiative (2005‐2010) and focussed on exploring ways of transforming current models of work‐based learning (WBL) in a bid to respond to the diversity of professional learning needs within education and beyond.

The paper presents three case studies which are representative of the Centre's approach to drive theoretical development in WBL.

The three projects featured contributed to the development of WBL through synergetic cross fertilisation while operating independently from each other. Also, they are characterised by sustainability beyond the end of the CETL initiative. The Putting Knowledge to Work project developed and operationalised the concept of recontextualisation for WBL in successfully moving knowledge from disciplines and workplaces into a curriculum; and from a curriculum into successful pedagogic strategies and learner engagement in educational institutions and workplaces. The London Mobile Learning Group developed a research dynamic around theory and practice of learning with mobile media which contributed to the development of new approaches in (work‐based) learning. The Researching Medical Learning and Practice Network created a community of practice bringing together educational researchers with medical education practitioners and researchers resulting in a greater understanding of how professional attitudes and practices develop in both undergraduate and postgraduate contexts.

The experience of the WLE offers an example of innovative ways to continue to develop our understanding of work‐based learning and inform practice. The impact of the WLE activities on theory, policy and practice is evident in the creation of national and international platforms strengthening existing institutional links.

The part played by tacit skills and knowledge in work performance is well recognised but not well understood. These implicit or hidden dimensions of knowledge and skill are key elements of “mastery”, which experienced workers draw upon in everyday activities and continuously expand in tackling new or unexpected situations. This paper, based on the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Network on Workplace Learning, argues that it is important to understand better how tacit forms of key competences can contribute to sustaining learning outcomes in different types of learning environments.

Examines the issues raised by “Dearing 2” (“Review of 16/19 Qualifications” Dearing, 1996) in the light of the change of government in the UK in May 1997. Presents a brief summary of findings of Anglo/German studies published between 1991 and 1994 and submitted as evidence to the Dearing review. Outlines the various metaphors which are used to describe approaches to education and entering the workforce. Advocates a “climbing frame” approach, whereby individuals can reach the top by many different routes and modes of learning. Argues that education needs to be transformative, not reproductive, in view of rapid advances in technology and that education needs to plant the seeds for life‐long learning.