The Institute for Learning (IfL) has published a report of four seminars hosted jointly by IfL, the 157 Group and the Institute of Education (IOE). Titled “Professionalism in further education”, the report outlines a series of debates about leading professionalism in vocational teaching and learning, from international, national, institutional and classroom or workshop perspectives. It also includes a summary of the previous seminar series, which featured debates about the leadership of learning, collaborative professionalism, employer engagement and local learning ecologies.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, “When we came together three years ago to discuss professionalism, we wanted to engage the sector in a proper debate about the nature of professionalism; to shine a light on good practice around the country; to influence the thinking of policymakers and others; and to introduce a degree of academic rigour to our discussions and deliberations. We have proven that the further education world can engage in meaningful debate and reflection about its own practice, without too much interference from others. We have demonstrated that the biggest impact on learning is felt at the most local levels – in one classroom or one city – and that top‑down approaches to imposing improvement rarely succeed. These overarching principles are ones we will take forward into the next decade.”
Professor Ann Hodgson, co‑director of the Centre for Post‑14 Research and Innovation at the IOE and an IfL patron, said, “We have been delighted to work in partnership with IfL and the 157 Group, to share the findings of our research with further education institutions and others aimed at establishing the best conditions for bringing about the highest quality teaching and learning. I think we have laid the foundations for some exciting work ahead. It is vital that policy is informed by research and by the views of those on the ground, and activities like the ones described in this report are an excellent way for the government to hear those views.”
IfL’s chief executive, Dr Jean Kelly, said, “At the outset, we wanted to acknowledge, first and foremost, that teachers in the further education sector are a professional workforce. I feel we have brought to a wider audience the hard work and efforts of some of the people at the leading edge of professional practice in further education. As IfL prepares to close and transfer its legacy to the Education and Training Foundation, I am heartened to know that so much committed work is going on across the sector. Throughout these events, teachers have shown an amazing capacity to do things differently, and to reinvent themselves in order to improve the learning for their students. They need the space and the permission to do so, and I hope that there will be room in the future for some kind of activity, such as the work we have undertaken, to provoke and inspire them to carry on developing as professionals.”
Please click here to download the full report.