This book contrasts British programs for vocationally and academically minded students and looks at differences and similarities in practice in General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) and Advanced level (A level) courses. "Contrasts in Learning?" (Tony Edwards) provides background. "Educating Leaders and Training Followers" (Tony Edwards) outlines the difficulty in securing parity of esteem for training alternatives and differences in curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy in A level and Advanced GNVQ. "Listening to Students and the 50 Percent Framework" (Carol Taylor Fitz-Gibbon) draws on data from the first four Advanced GNVQs to address how they are operating and the extent to which they can be judged to earn parity of esteem. "Classroom Observation in Academic and Vocational Courses Post-16" (Nick Meagher) examines results from classroom observation and suggests interpretations for the difference between academic and vocational learning. "A Level English Language and English Literature: Contrasts in Teaching and Learning" (Frank Hardman) draws on two empirical studies to explore teaching and learning methods in the A level curriculum. "Links between Learning Styles, Teaching Methods, and Course Requirements in GNVQ and A Level" (Roy Haywood) explores potential and real links. "Concentrated and Distributed Research: Reflective Observations on Methodology" (Carol Taylor Fitz-Gibbon) uses the Kolb model to express doubts about research styles that avoid active experimentation. "Conclusion: Different and Unequal?" draws tentative conclusions about differences between A levels and GNVQ alternatives and the prospects for parity between them. Contains 223 references and an index. (YLB)