Post-14 Research Group

Director: Professor Jeremy Higham

Co-ordinator: Dr David Yeomans


Post-14 education and training has been a site of intense policy debate and change for over two decades in Britain and in many other parts of the world. This is partly explained by the positioning of this phase of education and training at the interface of compulsory education, further education, work-based learning, higher education and employment. The phase is also marked by the growing independence of learners and increased opportunities for them to exercise choice over what, how and where they learn. Thus the post-14 phase reflects a wide range of aims, objectives and values which embody the views and interests of a wide variety of stakeholders.

Inter-related strands of work include:

  • 14-19 curriculum research especially the analysis of curriculum innovation and implementation
  • the analysis of education and training with particular focus upon the relationships between vocational education and training, wider social and family structures and young people's emerging identities
  • further and higher education research with emphasis upon transitions as well as teaching and learning cultures in further education and widening participation initiatives in both further and higher education
  • policy analysis and evaluation of national and local initiatives and programmes in 14-19 education and training.

Staff working in this area are members of the Centre for Policy Studies in Education and have interests in the analysis of the above issues across a variety of contexts and from a range of methodological perspectives.

Funded research and evaluation projects have included: 

  • National Evaluation of the Vocational Specialist Schools Programme. SSAT: £125,000 to December 2008.
  • National Evaluation of '14-19 Pathfinders'. DfES: £347,000 to May 2006.
  • Evaluation of 14-19 Confederations in Bradford. West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council: £4,000 to December 2004.
  • Evaluation of BECTa's IPAS.  DfES: £33,000 to November 2003.
  • Evaluation of the Leeds Community Partnership Education Action Zone.  Learning Partnerships: £52,000 to July 2003.
  • Changing the 14-19 school curriculum in England: lessons from successive reforms. ESRC: £41,000 to Oct. 2001.
  • Independent/State School Partnerships: sustainability of the 1998-1999 funded projects. DFEE: £23,000 to March 2001.
  • Learning Pathways: Patterns of Progression in Post-16 Education & Training. ESRC: £39607 to August 2000
  • The Impact of the Specialist Schools Programme: Case Study Research Project. DFEE: £30,000 to November 1999.
  • Evaluation of the 'Independent/State School Partnership Scheme 1998-99'. DFEE: £22,000 to May 1999.
  • Evaluation of 'The Virtual Classroom Project'.  DFEE: £17,000 to July 1998
  • Constructing a New Curriculum: the rise of General National Vocational Qualifications. ESRC: £103,000 to Dec. 1997.
  • Evaluation of Vocational Projects in the 'Education Departments' Superhighways Initiative'.  NCET: £104,000 to June 1997.
  • A Study of the Medium-Term Impact of TVEI in Ten Schools. ESRC: £56,510 to September 1992.

Reports from the National Evaluation of 14-19 Pathfinders can be found here:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/ACF12AB.pdf
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR642.pdf
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR737.pdf

Reports from the National Evaluation of the Vocational Specialist Schools programme can be found here: https://www.schoolsnetwork.org.uk/specialism/appliedlearning/pages/appliedlearningspecialismevaluationreports.aspx?token=ba733d31-e9bb-4185-968d-f92bf78167f5 
(requires registration)

Current Doctoral Students

Abdullah Alnutaifi The potential implications of developing Web 2.0 learning pedagogies for Saudi educational policies (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and Maggie McPherson)

Anas Al-Fattal Making the right plan: an analysis of consumer behaviour for making strategies in the context of the Syrian private higher education market (Supervisors: Michael Wilson and Jon Prosser)

Khaled Baker Reforming secondary education in Bahrain: a multi-site case study of policy implementation and management of change. (Supervisors: Jon Prosser and Michael Wilson)

Anita Collins Identities and literacies in further education (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and Miriam Zukas)

Leigh Garrett The motivators and inhibitors of using technology to enhance learning and teaching amongst academic staff in the higher education sector.(Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and Maggie McPherson)

Adeline Goh Technological changes and the implications for vocational and technical education and training (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham, Miriam Zukas and Phil Hodkinson)

Paul Lloyd An examination of the way in which student union sabbatical officers are prepared for their role (Supervisors: Linda Evans and Jeremy Higham)

Jeff Potter Vocational education and training for the childcare profession (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and David Yeomans)

Jacqueline Stevenson Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to engage with higher education of those facing multiple barriers to participation (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and Miriam Zukas)

Bettina Suarez Young people's decision making in the 14-19 phase of education (Supervisors: Jeremy Higham and David Yeomans)

Magnus Udo Gender dimensions in the teaching and learning of vocational business education in Nigerian senior secondary schools. (Supervisors: Rebecca O'Rourke and David Yeomans)

Recently completed doctorates

Richard Bott The role of chairs of governing bodies in English universities (Supervisors David Smith, Patrick Wiegand and David Yeomans)

Colin Forrest Senior managers' perceptions of the role of inspection of college improvement: a further education case study (Supervisor: Jean Gardiner)

Mark Goodrham Using research to enhance professionalism in further education (Supervisors: Phil Hodkinson and David Yeomans)

Barbara Hibbert The nature of the study of history at A level and at university (Supervisor: Jeremy Higham)

Mike Roberts Employers' perspectives on current qualifications for the coloration industry (Supervisors: Inge Bates and David Yeomans)

Paul Smith Work-based learning programmes within English universities: a study of government policy and practice (Supervisors: Paul Armstrong and Richard Taylor)

Last updated by Jeremy Higham on 4th March 2010