Disaffected teens benefit from college links
Underachieving school pupils in their early teens are benefiting from learning at college. Research with 14-16 year olds who are spending part of their education in further-education colleges shows they like more adult working relationships with teachers as well as the opportunity to take practical subjects and the “second chance” that colleges offer.
The aim of this first phase of the research was to find out what 14-16 year olds think about learning at college in order to help further-education teachers to meet the needs of younger learners. The research was carried out by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) through Oxford Brookes University and FE colleges in London and the south east. Although researchers found that many young people were uncertain about themselves and unsure why they were attending college, some clear messages did emerge.
Schools make the decisions about which young people should attend college. Most schools select pupils who are under-performing at school and are unlikely to do well academically. But pupils generally accept this or are apathetic about it.
Most young people enjoy being in FE colleges and their classes because they offer a vocational curriculum, with a practical, hands-on approach to learning in a relaxed environment.
Young people value a more adult working relationship with teachers –both in school and college. Young people react strongly against authority figures who appear to be threatening their burgeoning sense of independence. But they also need support and some degree of teacher control – even though they may not articulate this clearly. They like teachers who are patient and understanding, can share a joke and engage them in dialogue.
Students think they are learning more at college, but there is no hard evidence for that in the study. Some relish not having to spend time on reading,writing and spelling – despite admitting that they need help with those skills. This suggests that students may wish for things that they realise are not in their own long term interests.
Achievement is closely related to self-esteem. Some students believed they were achieving more because the more vocational college curriculum made it possible to be more successful. But others felt they had been sent to college because teachers knew they would “fail” at school.
Joe Harkin, Project Leader at Oxford Brookes University, said: “Most young people found it very difficult to express any strong opinions as they were not used to talking about their education, which raises the issue of how to give them a role in decision making about their futures. Young people at this stage are caught between a drive towards independence and a need for guidance. They value the more adult teacher-student relationship that colleges offer, but many lack the maturity to make that kind of relationship work – possibly a result of previous negative learning experiences. Schools and colleges may need to explore ways of improving advice and guidance to parents and young people to ensure that their interests are taken into account when planning their education”.
Issues addressed in the first phase of the research were: whether a positive experience of attending college has any “backwash” effect when young people are back at school; whether the experience has a positive impact on their performance at school; and whether it is better to focus on stages rather than ages, and on individual learning when planning a curriculum. The second phase of the project will listen to the views of college lecturers and school teachers on the same topics.
“Meeting the Needs of Younger Learners in Further Education” is obtainable from: Information Services, LSDA, Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS. Tel: +44 (0)20 7297 9123; E-mail: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk.
