This paper considers the concept of professionalism via perceptions (real or imagined) of lecturers delivering higher education business programmes (HEBPs) in further education colleges in England. The study comprised 26 in-depth interviews conducted in the Yorkshire and Humber region in the UK. The study builds on Perkin's views of a…

The English education sector is undergoing major restructuring with the coalition government placing great emphasis on two key principles of policy: deregulation and marketisation. This development follows on two decades in which the British state has sought to raise performance levels and reduce costs through a variety of policies that are drawn…

What it means to be a "professional" in further education (FE) in England has been the subject of ongoing debate over the last two decades. In an attempt to codify professionalism, New Labour developed a package of reforms, crystallised by the introduction of professional standards and qualifications and a new inspection framework under…

The study considers the retention of 708 students studying for higher education awards at further education colleges in 2008-2009. The study challenges the relevance of literature on retention at higher education institutions to students studying at partner colleges. Using data provided on registration and end-of-year status, the study considers…

This article focuses on a Western Vocational Lifelong Learning Network (WVLLN) initiative aimed at supporting Level 3 vocational tutors in further education (FE) who have moved into a teaching career via professional experience rather than through higher education (HE), but who play a significant role in advising young people about progression to…

This article discusses the implications of continuing to support the delivery of higher education (HE) in further education (FE) settings. Although a critical mass of students studying HE in Further Education Colleges (FECs) is significant in sustaining the viability of the provision, we argue that the qualitative dimensions to "capturing HEness"…

In the "age of austerity", educational institutions in many countries are under pressure from a variety of sources to work more closely, reduce costs and raise educational performance. There are a number of possible outcomes that follow on from developing closer institutional ties: sharing of professional expertise through best practice networks,…

This paper explores the concept of culture within Further Education Colleges (FECs) from the perceptions of 26 lecturers delivering Business Higher Education Programmes (BHEPs). It offers a brief overview of the history of both Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) in England, and how they have evolved. This then will provide an…

In the UK, Personal Development Planning (PDP) is now an important part of a student's time at university. Its aim is to help students develop skills that will help them at university and in the workplace. However, research has shown that students do not always engage with this element of the curriculum. The aim of this article is to report on an…

This article examines the perceptions of Accrediting Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) from the point of view of lecturers delivering higher education in further education institutions. Despite the fact that APEL is recognised as potentially providing a range of benefits for higher education providers, students and employers, little research has…

Ethnographic research in an FE College (College X) between 2000 and 2005 was designed to uncover the extent to which quality self-assessment processes had effectively utilised productive motivational inputs (i.e. lecturer self-interest, intrinsic motivation, altruism and tacit knowledge) in line with New Labour's agenda of improved skills in…

Further education (FE) has traditionally been a rather unspectacular activity. Lacking the visibility of schools or the prestige of universities, for the vast majority of its existence FE has had a relatively low profile on the margins of English education. Over recent years this situation has altered significantly and further education has…

This paper considers conceptions of the term "academic identity" amongst lecturers delivering higher education business programmes (HEBPs) in further education colleges (FECs). A brief look at leading authors' work on the subject of identity is considered first, which then moves on to offer a preconception of the term "academic". The data were…

This paper reports findings from the first year of a UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), "Widening participation: Diversity, isolation or integration in Higher Education?" Over a three-year period this project will explore issues of diversity and integration, social cohesion and separation, equality and discrimination as…

This paper questions the assumption underpinning recent government initiatives, both at national and international level, that the Further Education Sector is "an enterprise free zone". As part of the drive for global competitiveness policies to improve the business start-up rate as well as engender enterprise skills and capabilities within young…