This paper aims to explore Academic Staff Governor (ASG) roles at three further education colleges in England. Uniquely, the research focuses on ASG activities, the understanding of ASG roles, and aspects of the role that can be reimagined, which may be of benefit to practising governors, particularly ASGs such as further education (FE) teacher governors. The study draws upon relevant literature to identify concepts related to governors' roles and activities. An interpretivist stance is used to collect predominantly qualitative data through a combined methods approach, and to engage with ASGs and external governors. During fieldwork, qualitative and quantitative evidence was analysed from semi-structured interviews, questionnaire responses, observations of governance meetings and governance documents. Findings suggest that ASGs' insiderness, their affiliation with other groups and decision-making circumstances may influence their governing activities. Activities rooted in operational settings such as professional-information giving were highly valued by other governors, while there were uncertainties about the benefit of having managerial staff as ASGs. There was evidence indicating uncertainty among the college staff regarding the role of an ASG in the colleges' boards. As a result of the study, to conceptualise an ASG's role in FE colleges, 'The 3 RaPs (Roles as Position/Perceived/Practice) Framework' for an ASG's role has been developed. The research recommends clear and specific role descriptions for ASG posts; action to allow more opportunities for ASGs to act as governors in order to transform the scope of the role. Finally, several recommendations are set out in order to address ASGs' insiderness, to promote ASGs' professional profiles in the FE sector and to improve the methodological approach for use in similar future research.
Abdulla joined Birmingham City University in January 2019 after 20 years of teaching in the British Further Education sector and in the Maldives. He completed his Doctor of Education in 2017 at University of Warwick's Centre for Education Studies. His current research focuses on educational governance; and teachers' and academics' roles in educational governance both in the UK and internationally. Abdulla is also a co-founder of Maldives Research, a think tank researching public policy in the Maldives.
This article presents an exploratory analysis of the external secondary examination system in the Republic of Maldives. The school system is structured around primary grades following a local national curriculum, secondary grades leading to O-level (Ordinary Level) examinations and higher secondary grades leading to A-level (Advanced Level) examinations. Based on desk data, the article analyses different dimensions of secondary and higher secondary education enrolments and attainment levels. It considers the implications from the reliance on British international examinations for students and schools. In addition, there is an exploration of the National Curriculum and equity in secondary education in relation to gender-specific outcomes and outcomes for students in rural atolls in comparison to the outcomes in urban capital island, Male’. The article concludes by considering alternatives to the reliance on international examinations and potential options for national certification that may be more aligned to local needs and relevant to the context.
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