‘What with your grades?’ Students’ motivation for and experiences of vocational courses in further education

Abstract

IntroductionIncreased funding for vocational qualifications (BIS, 2010) as well as vocational qualifications that are understood and valued by employers underpins one of the new coalition government's key aims of better vocational training for teenagers [Cabinet Office, 2010]. Whilst the future of the Diplomas may be in doubt, a commitment to vocational courses emphasises the overall recognition that the UK needs to both develop its vocationally trained workforce as well as provide alternative post-16 educational routes for young people, including those most at risk of becoming NEET [Not in Education, Employment or Training]. However, despite increasing success in both the quality and completion rates of the plethora of vocational courses now offered as well as significant rises in the numbers of students opting to undertake vocational training 1 [report to Parliament, 2010], diversity remains in the range and content of courses meaning that vocational education still largely have much lower status than more traditional and academic routes. A report by Civitas (2010) suggests that many vocational courses are rarely connected to the world of work, have little academic content and tend to be offered to low attaining, lower-income students. Also many of these do not lead to work or opportunities for study in higher education

‘It’s the best thing I’ve done in a long while’: teenage mothers’ experiences of educational alternatives

“…(Sarina) Other participants also placed particular value on GCSEs or thought that not having them would limit their college options. These accounts resonate with those offered by the young people in Fuller and Macfadyen (2012) study who viewed the vocational qualifications they were working towards as second best. The authors make an important point when they conclude that, 'Only when traditional and non-traditional educational routes have parity can vocational courses be seen as an option that is not just for educational underachievers' (p. 99).…”

“…The smaller, less formal settings, tailored programmes of study and more respectful relationships between staff and students have all been identified as important contributing factors (Fuller & Macfadyen, 2012;Mills, Renshaw, & Zipin, 2013). However, educational alternatives have also been criticised for offering only low-level qualifications that do not necessarily support higher level academic study (Fuller & Macfadyen, 2012;Simmons, Thompson, & Russell, 2014), for overlooking the needs of girls where they are outnumbered by boys (Fuller & Macfadyen, 2012;Osler & Vincent, 2003), and for providing schools with an easy opt-out that removes the need to examine the systemic and institutional barriers that lead to disaffection among some students (Mills et al, 2013).…”

Dealing with disaffection: the influence of work-based learning on 14–16-year-old students’ attitudes to school

“…Thus, in order to impact on disaffection, vocational learning is used to improve attitudes to learning with the effect of reengagement in school emanating from a student's choice to participate (Davies and Biesta 2007). This is important as young people need to value their learning (Fuller and Macfadyen 2012). School disaffection, then, can reduce through the opportunity for students to experience alternative learning where school links are maintained.…”

“…Thus, attitude is conceptualised as a crucial factor in disaffection in that it is related to choice, whereby disengagement is arguably an agentic student action. Furthermore, education needs to be valued by young people (Fuller and Macfadyen 2012), and this can impact on attitude and, subsequently, engagement.…”

Teachers’ knowledge and experiences of Information Advice and Guidance: some implications for the current policy context in England

“…Research by the Slack, Hughes and Rout (2013) also found that students predicted to do well at GCSE were less likely to receive advice about vocational options, while those predicted to do less well were more likely to. In addition, students often have a sense that one route is more preferable for them than others, dependent on how they identify in relation to their understanding of themselves as educational 'achievers' or not (Fuller 2009;Fuller and Macfadyen 2012).…”