Sixth Form College Research Articles

Community cohesion in post-16 education: principles and practice

Background: This paper is the product of a two year investigation into the contribution of post-16 education to community cohesion. The investigation took place between 2010 and 2012 and was funded by the University Centre at Blackburn College in England. Fieldwork was undertaken in three East Lancashire colleges and focused on students aged between 16 and 19 years. Purpose: The aims of the paper are to identify the nature of community cohesion initiatives in East Lancashire’s post-16 sector and to establish the extent to which these initiatives are successful in uniting students from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. The paper discusses student attitudes towards community cohesion and the role of further education colleges in shaping these attitudes. Sample: The data were collected from nine in-depth interviews with college lecturers and managers and from a questionnaire survey of 355 students. The research was conducted in two further education colleges and a Roman Catholic sixth form college. All three colleges were overwhelmingly dual-ethnic, with white and Asian students making up the majority of the college populations. Design and methods: The methods used throughout the investigation were threefold: (1) a review of the literature on the role of further education colleges as agents of community cohesion, (2) nine semi-structured interviews with college lecturers and managers, and (3) a closed-response questionnaire distributed to 355 further education students. Results: (1) While all three colleges referred to community cohesion in their policy documents, there was an absence of explicit community cohesion strategies. (2) Although there was clear evidence of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity in the three colleges, there was significant variation in cohesion initiatives. Most students, however, recognised the importance of cohesion and felt that, at the macro level, their colleges operated in an inclusive and cohesive manner. (3) At the more micro level, divisions between students were pronounced, evidenced by very little cross-cultural mixing either in or outside classrooms. (4) While over 50% of the survey respondents were unable to offer examples of cohesion initiatives in which they had been involved, around 45% stated that they had learnt about issues such as equality, diversity and integration during their time at college and that this had had a positive effect on their attitudes. Conclusions: The findings both support and refute the contention that further education colleges can make a worthy contribution to community cohesion. For the most part, levels of cohesion are contingent on recruitment of students from different backgrounds and on the ability of teachers and lecturers to impart positive messages about integration and social unity. At the same time, the investigation exposes a dissonance between the value that students claim to place on community cohesion and their ability and/or desire to bring this cohesion about. These conclusions have important implications for pedagogy and for the professional development of those employed in the post-16 sector.

Post‐secondary School Type and Academic Achievement

The Further Education (FE) sector has been the Cinderella of English education, attracting less research, despite the large number of students who attend FE colleges. We ask whether the post‐16 institution attended by the pupil, i.e. FE college or school‐based provision, influences pupils' final achievement and whether the gain in pupil achievement at A level is greater in FE colleges as compared with school‐based provision. Allowing for the fact that FE colleges admit more disadvantaged pupils, those who attend an FE college do marginally less well at A level. Sixth form colleges have significantly higher value‐added, particularly for higher achieving pupils.

The Anthology Project: giving voice to the silent scholars

The paper describes an Anthology Project for newly-qualified teachers in the post-compulsory sector, designed to celebrate their achievements and to encourage the dissemination of their work via a printed and bound set of papers. The teachers worked in Further Education Colleges (FECs), Sixth Form Colleges, private training providers and Adult and Community Education (ACE) and had recently completed an in-service Initial Teacher Training (ITT) qualification. Some held secure, full-time positions, while others had part-time or insecure work. The project supported their transition from trainee to fully qualified, recognised professional teacher by promoting the value of their scholarship and its impact on practice. A rationale is provided, exploring themes of good practice in Higher Education (HE) using concepts of student as producer and as change agent. The paper draws on Eraut’s (2004) writing on the formation of professional identity and Wenger’s (1998) work on communities of practice. Vignettes are provided, using Bourdieu’s (1986) work on social and cultural capital to analyse the contrasting situations of two participants. The use of the Anthology to support other trainees is described. A recommendation is made for similar projects to be developed.

Servant leadership in English sixth form colleges: what do teachers tell us?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether servant leadership can be applied to college management. The research methodology involved questionnaire and co‐constructed discussion eliciting the views of teachers on how they interpret leadership in a sixth form college. Three other models of leadership were discussed along with servant leadership. The results suggest that servant leadership is the least recognised form of leadership in colleges.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology involved two phases. The first phase involved a probing questionnaire that elicited teachers’ views on institutional leadership and enquired about the purpose of leadership. This pilot questionnaire was followed up with a series of co‐constructed discussions with teachers.FindingsThe findings suggest that servant leadership is not prevalent within the sixth form college sector. Transactional leadership was the most identified form of organisational leadership, with distributed and transformational models coming ahead of servant leadership. These outcomes highlight the shared instrumentalism that exists within colleges as they confront the developing education market in the UK.Research limitations/implicationsThis case study, albeit echoing other larger investigations, was undertaken at a single college and is therefore limited in its generalisability.Originality/valueThere is very little research undertaken into the leadership and management of sixth form colleges, and even less on the relevance of servant leadership to the education sector. This paper offers a tentative view of how teachers view leadership and the dominance of transactional leadership in the college system.

New approaches for new media: moving towards a connected methodology

PurposeDefining and describing research methodologies is difficult. Methodologies have similarities and resonances, and overlapping characteristics. Familiar labels of case study, action research and ethnography may not be adequate to describe new and creative approaches to qualitative research. If we simply transfer old ways to new contexts, we risk limiting our understanding of the complexities of real life settings. The call to set aside old dualisms and devise new methodological approaches has been sounded. Accordingly, this article sets out to describe a fledgling new methodological approach, and how it was operationalized in a small‐scale study of digitally‐mediated classroom learning.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology combines elements of action research and case study with an ethnographic approach. It was devised for a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a sixth form college in north‐west England. Its flexibility and attention to detail enabled multiple data collection methods. This range of methods enabled meticulous analysis of many of the group's online and offline interactions with each other and with Facebook as they co‐constructed their group Facebook page.FindingsReflexively combining elements of case study, action research and ethnography thus helped capture the “connected complexities” (Davies) of this contemporary classroom setting. This is necessary if researchers are to obtain any meaningful understanding of how learning happens in such contexts.Originality/valueThe author hopes to contribute to the discourse on qualitative methodology and invites other researchers studying similar contexts to consider a similar approach.

Transforming learning and teaching: introducing building learning power into a sixth form college

During 2009–2012, one Sixth Form College (SFC) introduced Building Learning Power (BLP) as a new philosophy and framework for learning and teaching. This short paper sets out to explain why and how BLP was introduced, and discusses how effective this process has been.

Sixth-form colleges: an endangered organisational form?

The sixth-form college sector is often marginalised in policy and academic discourse, where the much larger school and further education sectors dominate. This paper sets out to describe the sector’s key features, assess its position within the wider education system and consider its future in an increasingly competitive education market. The research involved discussions with senior managers and teachers, as well as analysis of policy documentation from within and without the sector.

Cognitive ability and educational level in relation to concussion: a population study of young men

ObjectivesTo investigate the association of concussion with cognitive ability (CA) and educational level (EL).DesignEpidemiological—cross-linkage of national computer registers.SettingDenmark.Participants130 420 young men appearing before the Danish draft board during the period...

The Positive Experiences of Openly Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Students in a Christian Sixth Form College

Previous research has demonstrated that LGBT students tend to have negative experiences of school, suffering social marginalisation and discrimination. One key reason for this has been the homophobia of heterosexual male students. However, my research into sixth forms in the south of England has documented a marked change in the attitudes of straight youth, who now espouse pro-gay attitudes. In this article, I explore how this changing social zeitgeist impacts on the school experiences of LGBT youth. Building on a four-month ethnography at a religious sixth form college, I present the experiences of four students: one gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered student. Highlighting the similarities and differences in their experiences, I demonstrate the positive influence decreasing homophobia has on all students, and I argue that it is necessary to focus on combating heteronormativity in school settings. Framing these findings using inclusive masculinity theory, I also explore the extent to which this theory has relevance for women.

“…If we were cavemen we'd be fine”: Facebook as a catalyst for critical literacy learning by dyslexic sixth‐form students

AbstractThis article is derived from a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a sixth form college in north‐west England. Through a project in which teacher‐researcher and student‐participants co‐constructed a group Facebook page about the students’ scaffolded research into dyslexia, the study examined the educational affordances of a digitally mediated social network. An innovative, flexible, experiential methodology combining action research and case study with an ethnographic approach was devised. This enabled the use of multiple mixed methods, capturing much of the rich complexity of the students’ online and offline interactions with each other and with digital media as they contributed to the group and co‐constructed their group Facebook page. Social perspectives on dyslexia and multiliteracies were used to help interpret the students’ engagement with the social network and thereby deduce its educational potential. The research concludes that as a digitally mediated social network, Facebook engages the students in active, critical learning about and through literacies in a rich and complex semiotic domain. Offline dialogue plays a crucial role. This learning is reciprocally shaped by the students’ developing identities as both dyslexic students and able learners. The findings suggest that social media can have advantageous applications for literacy learning in the classroom. In prompting learning yet remaining unchanged by it, Facebook can be likened to a catalyst.

Exploring quality assurance in sixth form colleges

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the changing nature of quality assurance systems within the sixth form college sector.Design/methodology/approachTen sixth form colleges were surveyed across England and staff from varying levels within college hierarchies questioned about how quality assurance systems were implemented. Research involved interviews and questionnaires to staff, as well as documentary research.FindingsThe main finding was that there is no single model of quality management system within the sixth form colleges sector and that the clearest differences in practice are between the colleges in the north and south of England which may suggest different organisational cultures in play.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper was limited by the relatively small sample size – ten from 94 sixth form colleges. However, it does provide a foundation for further research and a basis upon which to debate whether the sixth form college sector should aim for a standardised model of quality assurance.Originality/valueInsufficient research is undertaken into the work of sixth form colleges compared to the school and general further education sectors. This paper provides an insight into an under‐researched area.

Reflecting on attention-deficient hyperactivity disorder and disablement in education with Eric Fromm

Drawing upon the thought of Eric Fromm, this paper argues that efforts to understand and counter behaviour that causes difficulties in education should begin in a critical and reflective engagement with both the conditions of human freedom and the character of educational institutions and society as a whole. Fromm’s critique of dominating ideas about good mental health within capitalistic societies is examined in relation to disablement and attention-deficient hyperactivity disorder. A study of a sixth-form college in the south of England elucidates connections between Fromm’s insights into social psychology and disablement as a process of oppression.

Applied and academic A levels: is there really a need for the applied track in UK further education?

The term ‘applied track’ in UK further education has been used to refer to the applied A level, the vocational, coursework-based version of the traditional academic A level. Vocational and coursework-based courses are often criticised for being easier than academic courses, for only attracting students who do not satisfy the requirements to take academic courses and for not developing in students the skills they need to be successful in higher education. This paper considers the extent to which these criticisms may be justified and explores the reasons why students chose to take an applied A level. The study involved 666 students at a large, mixed sex sixth form college in the UK, who were taking both applied and academic A levels. Although statistical analysis showed that students on the applied course performed worse than students on two academic courses once their different GCSE scores had been accounted for, it was also found that the applied students were relatively well qualified, that they were generally well motivated and hard working, and that they were extremely satisfied with the course. Finally, it is suggested that perhaps universities are misguided in assuming that applied courses do not develop in students the skills that they need to be successful in higher education.

Assessing an outbreak of tuberculosis in an English college population

To the Editors: In October 2008, a sixth form college student in England, UK, who had had a cough for 2 months was diagnosed with sputum smear-positive cavitatory pulmonary tuberculosis. An investigation led to the identification of 19 cases of active tuberculosis among 2,284 students. Here, we describe the outbreak and investigation into the factors associated with active tuberculosis. The study population consisted of students enrolled at the college for daytime courses. All participants were aged >16 yrs. Members of staff who directly taught these students were also screened. Between October 2008 and December 2009, students, friends of the index case and staff at the college were interviewed. The interviews were used to collect demographic and clinical information, including symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis. At the same time, a blood sample was drawn from each participant for interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) testing [1, 2]. Following the screening of household contacts and friends of the index case, the students at the school were assessed in concentric circles of decreasing intensity of exposure in three groups (table 1) [3]. Those with a positive IGRA result from any screening round were recalled for chest radiography and clinical review at a respiratory medicine clinic. Preventative therapy was offered to …

Education, leadership and the age of austerity: an investigation into the experiences at college level

The Spending Review announced by the Coalition Government in 2010 represents a challenge to those who lead a variety of state-sponsored institutions, not least in post-compulsory education. For General Further Education Colleges (GFECs) who are confronted with a reduction in funding for a wide variety of programmes, and Sixth Form Colleges (SFCs) who have had their funding for tutorial provision and enrichment curtailed, the Spending Review heralded a major financial challenge. How principals respond to this challenge, together with the long term drift towards the marketisation of education, is reflected in their values and priorities. This investigation set out to explore how teachers in a variety of SFCs and GFECs viewed the response and leadership style of their principal. The findings suggest that principals are primarily driven by institutional interests. Although colleges may claim to contribute to the economic and social regeneration of their local community, social democratic values are likely to be subordinated to neo-liberal exigencies in the current financial and ideological climate.

Positioning or positioned: teachers’ perspectives on the leadership of Sixth Form Colleges

Together with the former Polytechnic sector and General Further Education Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges have witnessed major change since the enactment of the Further and Higher Education Act (1992). Change within the post‐compulsory education system has taken place on different levels in the UK: at the macro level with change manifest in the structural relationships between the State, the sectors of the post‐compulsory education system and individual institutions; at the meso level with changes that have taken place within the Sixth Form College sector; and at micro level within individual institutions through the redefinition of roles and responsibilities. This research was concerned with an investigation into how teachers in Sixth Form Colleges viewed the practice of ‘leadership’. It is a term that has been promoted by Central Government as it has re‐engineered the education system and presented as a critical factor in raising performance levels within the education system.

Student performance–university preference model: a framework for helping students choose the right A‐level subjects

Every year, many students in the UK fail to achieve a place at their preferred university because they take the wrong A‐level subjects. This study aims to suggest a framework for helping students choose the right subjects. Data on student achievement in A‐level examinations were obtained from a UK sixth form college over a four‐year period. Statistical techniques were employed to support our hypothesis that a student’s choice of A‐level subjects should be based on both the student’s ability and a university’s preference for particular subjects and grades. Despite the limitation of small sample size, a model has been created that will maximise a student’s chance of achieving a place at his/her university of choice. The model presented could easily be extended in future to incorporate more levels in each of the attributes considered, and in this way it could provide the optimal choice of subjects for each individual student given his/her particular aspirations.

PERSONALITY AND INTELLIGENCE PREDICT ARTS AND SCIENCE SCHOOL RESULTS IN 16 YEAR OLDS

This study examined personality trait and intelligence scores as predictors of school- level academic performance (AP) (British GCSE; America Grade 10) in various arts (i.e. languages) and science subjects. The participant sample consisted of 80 school pupils from a British Sixth Form College. Conscientiousness and Openness-to-Experience of the Big Five personality factors (Costa & McCrae, 1992) were found to account for 13% of unique variance in AP. Intelligence (Wonderlic, 1992) accounted for the initial 10% of unique variance in AP. For science subjects (maths, science) intelligence accounted for more of the variance than personality traits, while for English language (literature, language) subjects the opposite was true. The results further support the use of personality measures being used in academic selection procedures and confirms that personality can predict AP at school level. Limitations of the study are discussed.

Changing perceptions - a practical day for school students

There has been much emphasis in recent years on attracting students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to medical school, but they are still vastly under-represented. We have developed a 'Refugee Day', a simulated learning environment in an East Yorkshire school, which over the last 4 years has involved over 1200 15-year-old students. School teachers, engineers, army personnel and medical staff work with school students to complete a range of activities, all aiming to simulate life in a refugee camp. A medical workshop aims to give school students some basic knowledge of the common medical conditions encountered in such a setting. To our knowledge this simulation is unique. It gives school students the opportunity to engage with professionals and discuss possible career plans. School students interact with doctors in an informal and non-threatening setting, allowing them to explore medicine as a career. Research has shown that school students from working-class backgrounds have difficulty identifying with medicine. The day challenges many of their perceptions of the medical profession, and may encourage students to consider a career in medicine. From our perspective learning in a simulated environment effectively engages school students with professionals in an informal environment, facilitating the discussion of moral and career issues. We feel that there is scope for such ideas to be used more widely. Medical schools could offer their expertise to local schools and sixth-form colleges. Alternative scenarios might include a road traffic accident or the aftermath of an earthquake.

RULE NUMBER ONE

It was the famous line in the Fight Club: rule number one, ‘don’t talk about Fight Club.’ Surreal as it was, the great thing about Fight Club as a film was the sideways look it took at support group culture. The only thing that’s missing is a support group for people who have no real problems but would like someone to talk this over with. Are support groups and charities really part of the problem more than part of the solution? When my brother died of cancer at the age of 42 I was left so isolated I might as well have been on a desert island with my top 10 favourite records. The advice I heard time and time again was to go and see the nice volunteers at Cruse Bereavement Care. This is all well and good but I suspect at least part of the function of organisations such as Cruse is to provide a ‘feel good factor’ for their volunteers as much as to provide ‘therapy’, doled out in 60-minute bursts, for us poor unfortunates who’ve experienced what is, after all, a purely natural event that is going to happen to everyone sooner or later. As a way of getting to know new people and make friends I’ve been setting up a county-wide yahoo group for Shakespeare fans. It was an idealistic image — a housebound octogenarian chatting online with a 17-year-old GCSE student about the real meaning of ‘get thee to a nunnery’. People lift sharing, offering the seldom used back seat of their car to someone who can no longer drive (perhaps because of failing eyesight, a Parkinson’s tremor, or being unable to afford a car). E-mails have flooded out from this PC to the MS society, the blind association, the deaf association, schools, and sixth form colleges. I was obviously being too idealistic if I thought groups would be interested or even bother to mail a reply. There certainly are people out there who would love to join a yahoo group and chat about Shakespeare, get the old grey cells working, perhaps visit a local amateur dramatics performance, but it’s difficult to break down the barriers that age and ability have placed around us all. Charities have their own agendas. Those poor unfortunates (who are blind or have MS for example), need the help of those lovely volunteers and have to be treated as ‘disabled’ rather than as people who have all kinds of experiences which they could share with the younger generation. I sent an email to Cruse about the Norfolk Shakespeare fans, believing that bereaved people would benefit from the opportunity to chat online about their hobby, have the chance to meet up with other people at the theatre, life share, that kind of thing. I should have known better than to think that Cruse wanted someone treading on their patch and challenging their idea that all bereaved people need a good cry and someone to hold their hand rather than a network of new friends. The Norfolk branch of the Depression Alliance didn’t reply either. Perhaps they’ve already seen Hamlet. We live in a society which is increasingly placing us all in different boxes. Faith schools are going to break us all down by religion. From Lidl to Sainsbury’s, from The Sun to the Telegraph, our class system breaks us down by work and education. Support groups are breaking us down by ‘problem’. Even the egalitarian world of yahoo groups is unable to scale the dizzy heights of the walls we all live behind. Pity really, it was such a nice idea. The Norfolk Shakespeare fans yahoo group welcomes members regardless of (dis)ability, education or income. You just need to live in Norfolk, enjoy Shakespeare and want to chat about the world’s most frequently performed playwright. We’re also on Facebook. By the way, ‘nun’ in Elizabethan England was slang for a prostitute so Hamlet’s famous line to Ophelia is just a way of a young man calling his ex-girlfriend a whore. Shakespeare could prove better than temazepam!