Themes, Models, Findings and Collaborative Processes: some lessons from the Learning Society Programme

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• Themes, Models, Findings and Collaborative
  Processes some lessons from the Learning Society
  Programme
• BY
• Frank Coffield
• TLRP Conference LEID
• Cardiff Institute of Education
• 22 November, 04 F.Coffield_at_ioe.ac.uk

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The Learning Society Programme Knowledge and
Skills for Employment1994 2000
1. 15 Projects 50 Researchers 2. 20
Universities from Edinburgh to Exeter, Belfast to
Brighton 3. Funds 2.5 million 4.
Multi-disciplinary - economics, education,
sociology and psychology
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Main Publications

• Learning at Work
• Whys the Beer always Stronger up North? Studies
  of Lifelong Learning in Europe
• Speaking Truth to Power Research and Policy on
  Lifelong Learning
• The Necessity of Informal Learning
• Differing Visions of a Learning Society Vol 1 -
  26 July 2000
• Differing Visions of a Learning Society Vol 2 -
  28 October 2000
• Brown A and Keep E (eds) Review of Research into
  VET in the UK, Luxembourg CEC, July 2000
• All published by The Policy Press, Bristol

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Books By Projects

• Ball, SJ, Maguire, M Choice, Pathways and
  Transitions Post-16,
• and Macrae, S (2000) London Routledge
• Bartlett, W, Rees T and Adult Guidance Services
  and the Learning
• Society,
• Bristol Policy Press
• Gorard, S and Rees, G Creating a Learning
  Society? Learning careers
• (2002) and policies for lifelong learning,
• Bristol Policy Press
• Hannan, A and Silver, H Innovating in Higher
  Education,
• (2002) Buckingham Open University Press
• Riddell, S, Baron, S and The Learning Society and
  People with Learning
• Wilson, A (2001) Difficulties
• Bristol Policy Press

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Eight Themes
1. learn at work, if you can 2.
participation and non-participation 3. an
over-reliance on human capital theory 4. the
shifting of responsibility to individuals 5.
theres precious little society in the learning
society 6. the centrality of learning for a
learning society 7. new inequalities 8.
lessons from elsewhere in Europe
Source Coffield, F (ed) (2000) Differing Visions
of a Learning Society, vol 2, Bristol The Policy
Press, pp 1-34
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Ten Models of a Learning Society
1. Skills Growth 2. Personal Development 3.
Social Learning 4. Learning Market 5.
Local Learning Societies 6. Social Control 7.
Self-Evaluation 8. Centrality of Learning 9.
Reformed System of Education 10. Structural
Reform
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Percentages of Employees in Different Types of
Organisation
Source Skills Survey 1997, Green Ashton and
Felstead
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Lifelong Learning Trajectories
Source Rees G, Fevre R, Furlong J and Gorard S
(2000) Participating in the Learning Society
History, Place and Biography in F Coffield (ed)
Differing Visions of a Learning Society, Vol 2,
Bristol The Policy Press
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Social Determinants of Participation
1. TIME when born, changing
opportunities, salience of
qualifications 2. PLACE where born and
brought up, local opportunities and social
expectations, geographically mobile 3. GENDER
men report more learning than women, social
expectations 4. FAMILY social class,
educational experience and religion, financial
and cultural capital 5. INITIAL SCHOOLING
learner identities, 11 NB All 5 factors
determined relatively early in the
life-course Source Rees G, Fevre R, Furlong J
and Gorard S (2000) Participating in the
Learning Society History, Place and Biography
in F Coffield (ed) Differing Visions of a
Learning Society, Vol 2, Bristol The Policy
Press
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• The market is not simply a new mechanism of
  service provision, it is a new culture and values
  system it works to eradicate partnerships,
  planning and collaboration our market is marked
  by insecurity, high anxiety, ruthlessness,
  suspicion, duplication, knocking copy and
  poaching

Source Ball, SJ, Macrae, S and Maguire, M (1998)
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Let Them Eat Skills"

• Investment in education and training is a
  necessary but not a sufficient condition of
  sustained economic prosperity.
• Paradox a strong manufacturing base is essential
  for long-term economic growth, but it doesnt
  create many jobs.

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• COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES3 Levels Programme,
  Inter-Project and Individual Project

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• A Programme repeated return to central Qs
• eg
• Why a programme rather than a collection of
  stand-alone projects?
• What new themes / thematic groups needed?
• Using informal learning to build social capital?
• Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?
• Are the findings worth 28m? Cf Standards Unit
  100m

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B Inter Project

• Presentation and discussion of papers
• Cross-referencing
• Joint presentations / publications
• Director A as discussant of Project B
• Director B as discussant of Project A
• Researchers from Project A (Phase 3) explore the
  potential of instruments, concepts and theories
  from Project B (Phases 1 or 2)
• Shared challenges
• a) our collective messages on TLA?
• b) how to present discomforting findings to
  policy makers in ways
• they can respond positively?
• c) how to engage employers?

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C Individual Project

• Identify common interests with other projects and
  establish links
• 2. Annual review of commitment to Programme
• 3. Pros and cons of being part of a Programme
• 4. Advice to ESRC