Widening participation : an exploration of the use of collaborative approaches to enable learners from disadvantaged groups to access further education and training

• Main Author: Giwa, Moore
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2006
• Subjects: 374
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.630786

This thesis examines the different types of collaboration used by providers to widen participation in further education and training in England, between 2001 and 2003. The first chapter, an introduction, sets a scene for the study, and definitions are offered for the main terminology — collaboration and widening participation. The political, economic and policy contexts for the study are also briefly introduced. A review of relevant literature, pertaining to widening participation and collaboration is carried out in chapters two and three to set a context and establish a rationale for the study. The methodology, which is a case-study approach employing multiple methods of data collection, is adopted and rationalised in chapter four. The casestudy sites are described in chapter five. A justification is also offered for the choice of case-study boroughs and institutions in the same chapter. The data are reviewed and described, using interviews, questionnaires, statistical and documentary analysis, in chapter six. The findings from this chapter are used to answer the research questions in the final chapter. Conclusions from analysing the data suggest that collaborative practices can be effectively used to recruit members of ethnic minority communities and the long-term unemployed onto further education and training programmes. The evidence is, however, less conclusive regarding the contribution of collaborative approaches to enabling members of these communities to achieve their learning aims. A number of recommendations are made for improving collaborative practices.