Jaswinder Dhillon

The role of social capital in sustaining partnership

Partnership is a dominant theme in education policy and practice in England and in other western countries but remains relatively under-researched, especially with respect to what sustains a partnership. This article draws on a study of partnership working in the field of post-16 learning that revealed the role of dimensions of social capital in supporting and sustaining the case study partnership. The research adopted a grounded approach and used multiple methods of data gathering including observations of partnership meetings, semi-structured interviews and documentary research. The findings reported here focus on aspects of partnership working and facets of social capital that support and sustain partnership, including multiple layers of collaboration, networks and networking, high levels of trust and shared norms and values amongst key participants. The analysis suggests that the contested concept of social capital provides a useful theoretical frame for understanding the basis of sustainability in education partnerships.

The rhetoric and reality of partnership working

This article presents an analysis of the policy rhetoric of partnership and the reality of the process of partnership working using data from a qualitative case study of a sub‐regional partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to widen participation in post‐16 learning in the Black Country, a part of the Midlands in England. Data collected through observation of partnership meetings, in‐depth interviews with members of the Partnership Board and documentary analysis provide a rich insight into the work of the partnership and the processes that have shaped its lifecycle. The findings reveal that at one level of analysis, partnership can be interpreted as a pragmatic response to New Labours policy initiatives in the post‐16 sector of education and training but this reading of the data does not explain the ability of the case study partnership to sustain itself over a period of over five years. A deeper analysis of the stages in the lifecycle of the partnership indicates that shared goals underpinned by mutual values and trust amongst key people in the partnership constitute the ‘social glue’ that hold organizations and individuals together to provide the basis of effective and sustained partnership working.

Trust, shared goals and participation in partnerships: reflections of post‐16 education and training providers in England

This paper discusses the role of trust and shared goals in relation to participation in inter‐organisational and multi‐agency partnerships. It draws on a study of partnership working in England and focuses in particular on the perspectives of senior managers of post‐16 education and training providers with substantial experience of working in local and regional partnerships. The research explored the concept and practice of partnership through a qualitative case study of a sub‐regional partnership and the main methods used for data collection were observations of partnership meetings, documentary evidence of partnership working and semi‐structured interviews with members of the partnership. The findings presented in this paper emanate principally from the interview data and reveal the importance and differentiated nature of trust in partnership working and the place of both trust and shared goals in effective and sustained partnerships.

Challenges and strategies for improving the quality of information in a university setting: a case study

Knowledge, information and communication are crucial for organizational effectiveness and key to the ability of the organization to respond to change. This article reports on the findings of a research and developmental project in a modular multi-campus university focusing on improving the quality of information to students and other users. The research uncovered challenges for developing an information strategy in a large multi-site organization. These challenges included aspects of the organizational culture and blocks to effective exchange of knowledge and information for strategic organizational advantage. The findings offer insights which may help other organizations in evaluating their own processes and procedures for effective communication of knowledge and information. The methodology used for the research offers organizations a process for learning about the organizational culture and an approach for facilitating cultural change in moving towards a knowledge-based organization.

How Effective Are Institutional and Departmental Systems of Student Support? Insights from an Investigation into the Support Available to Students at One English University.

This article explores the provision and effectiveness of student support in higher education through a review of literature and a case study of the support available to students in one English post‐1992 university. Our investigation focuses on students’ awareness and experience of both university‐wide student support and guidance services and the more localised departmental support provided by tutors and study skills advisors. Data were collected through focus groups and a follow‐up questionnaire to students and semi‐structured interviews with academic staff. The findings indicate low awareness and little take‐up of institutional support services and high take‐up and generally positive experiences of departmental support. However, within this generally positive trend, there is some variation in individual experiences of accessing and using departmental support. Suggestions for improving support stress that consistent and equitable support for all students should be equally available and accessible across all the campuses of a university.

Senior Managers’ Perspectives of Leading and Managing Effective, Sustainable and Successful Partnerships

Formal and informal partnerships have become key features of education policy and practice in many countries and managing such collaborative arrangements is an important dimension of the role(s) of leaders of educational organizations. Recent research has shown both the tensions and conflict that can develop in partnerships as well as the opportunities and benefits of partnership working for organizations and individuals. This article focuses on the characteristics of partnerships that contribute to their effectiveness, sustainability and success, filling a gap in the literature on educational partnerships. The research data emanate from a qualitative study of partnership working in England. The study used a grounded approach and inductively linked characteristics of partnerships found in the partnership literature with empirical data from a case study of a sub-regional partnership of education and training organizations. This combined evidence is used to conceptualize partnership as a continuum of weak to strong forms of partnership and to develop a table of characteristics which underpin such partnerships. The findings reveal the extent to which trust, networks, norms and values support effective, sustained and successful partnerships. These characteristics are differentiated and may fluctuate during the lifecourse of a partnership but remain fundamental features of partnership working and significantly contribute to the strength and effectiveness of partnerships.

An exploration of adult learners' perspectives of using learndirect centres as sites for learning

Abstract This article explores the experience of adult learners and their perceptions of learning using computer-based learning materials, mainly Learndirect packages. The findings are based on focus group interviews with learners in a range of settings, including centres in community-based organisations, further education colleges and private training providers based in the Midlands region of England. The research forms part of a larger study of partnership working and its role in widening participation in lifelong learning in the Black Country sub-region of England, but this article will focus specifically on the data from focus group interviews with learners. The findings reported here provide an insight into the ability of learners to articulate the benefits and the weakness of learning in this way, and to be clear about their learning goals. The data reveal aspects of the physical, social and psychological learning environment, which help learners participate in learning. This is, of course, useful for practitioners, but the individual stories also reveal deeper and more hurtful previous experiences, which cannot be tackled by tinkering with the learning environment or the learning materials.

Quality improvement in the TESOL curriculum: a generic benchmarking approach

Whilst there are different types of benchmarking, this article, as a result of our research into TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages), argues for a type of benchmarking that we call generic benchmarking to help develop quality education. The term generic is used to indicate that this type of benchmark is drawn from a detailed analysis and synthesis of extant literature, leading to the development and codification of quality characteristics and standards for an area. As the approach was used in research in TESOL, the context of the research is provided, as is a worked example drawn from the extensive literature review on planning for TESOL. Possible implications for staff development and curriculum improvement are identified.

Participants’ Experience of a Competence‐based Professional Development Programme: a case study

ABSTRACT This paper explores aspects of the experience of lecturers on an in‐service teacher training programme at the University of Wolverhampton. The progress of a group of 12 students was tracked from September 1993 to June 1995. Their experience was investigated to gain some insight into how learners approach and progress through a competence‐based programme. A number of factors considered significant in promoting achievement in a competence‐based programme were identified. These are considered in the light of relevant literature

Governor and Course Leaders' Reflections on HE in FE: Strategic Ambition and Curriculum Practice in Two Large Colleges in England.

In the turbulent ‘dog eat dog’ environment of the learning and skills sector in England the provision and expansion of higher education taught in further education colleges (HE in FE) offers potential opportunities for greater diversification of higher education. However, it also presents significant challenges, which include developing an HE culture, managing shifting partnerships, and ensuring the curriculum meets benchmarks for quality and standards of provision. This article uses principles of appreciative enquiry to explore the experience, potential and challenge of growing HE in FE in two large colleges, one located in an urban area and the other in a rural region of central England. Both colleges reflect similarities and differences in their strategy and delivery of HE in FE and neither uses the term ‘further’ to describe its provision. This shift in branding reflects the strategic ambitions of governors and senior leaders as the curriculum offer is no longer general ‘further education’ but much more diverse, and includes HE courses delivered in partnership with four universities. Using data from governing bodies, cross-college committees and course leaders we reflect on the spaces and places for growing HE in FE and the challenges it poses for governors, leaders, tutors and students.