Similarities and differences amongst learning sites in four further education colleges in england, and some implications for the transformation of learning cultures

Abstract

This article is based on questionnaire data collected in November and December 2001 as part of the first year of fieldwork for the Economic and Social Research Council funded research project ‘Transforming Learning Cultures in FE’ (TLCFE). In this initial survey, 229 questionnaires were returned from 15 learning sites in four further education (FE) colleges in England. Sites could be divided into two types, ‘full-time only’ and ‘full-time and part-time’, on the basis of students’ modes of attendance. Analysis of demographic data from the questionnaires revealed that students in the ‘full-time only’ sites appeared to be younger, much more homogeneous in age and were usually living with parents/guardians. Students in the ‘full-time and part-time’ sites were more varied in age, but generally older, and were also more independent. For them, education seemed to be part of a complex range of activities in which they were engaged. This pattern broadly matched that which can be seen in national statistics. In addition to this demographic information, the questionnaire collected data on students’ perceptions of the learning environment in their classrooms. The article explores the relationships between these variables and the demographic variables. It shows that within the great diversity of FE, some similarities amongst sites could be identified. These groupings were used to encourage interrogation of the qualitative data from the project to give insights into learning cultures and into the possibilities and limitations that might surround transformation of those cultures. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.