TY - JOUR
T1 - 'The heart of what we do': Policies on teaching, learning and assessment in the learning and skills sector
AU - Finlay, Ian J.
AU - Spours, Ken
AU - Steer, Richard
AU - Coffield, Frank
AU - Gregson, Maggie
AU - Hodgson, Ann
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - One of the stated aims of government policy in England is to put teaching, training and learning at the heart of the learning and skills system. This paper provides a critical review of policies on teaching, learning and assessment in the learning and skills sector over the past five years. It draws upon data collected and analysed in the early stages of an ESRC-funded Teaching and Learning Research Programme project.1 Using evidence from policy sources, we argue that despite policy rhetoric about devolution of responsibility to the 'front line', the dominant 'images' that government has of putting teaching, learning and assessment at the heart of the learning and skills sector involves a narrow concept of learning and skills; an idealization of learner agency lacking an appreciation of the pivotal role of the learner-tutor relationship and a top-down view of change in which central government agencies are relied on to secure education standards.
AB - One of the stated aims of government policy in England is to put teaching, training and learning at the heart of the learning and skills system. This paper provides a critical review of policies on teaching, learning and assessment in the learning and skills sector over the past five years. It draws upon data collected and analysed in the early stages of an ESRC-funded Teaching and Learning Research Programme project.1 Using evidence from policy sources, we argue that despite policy rhetoric about devolution of responsibility to the 'front line', the dominant 'images' that government has of putting teaching, learning and assessment at the heart of the learning and skills sector involves a narrow concept of learning and skills; an idealization of learner agency lacking an appreciation of the pivotal role of the learner-tutor relationship and a top-down view of change in which central government agencies are relied on to secure education standards.
KW - teaching
KW - learning and assessment policies
KW - assessment
KW - scottish education
KW - vocational education
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13636820701342442
U2 - 10.1080/13636820701342442
DO - 10.1080/13636820701342442
M3 - Article
SN - 1363-6820
VL - 59
SP - 137
EP - 153
JO - Journal of Vocational Education and Training
JF - Journal of Vocational Education and Training
IS - 2
ER -