Culture of HE in FE – exclave or enclave?

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of culture within Further Education Colleges (FECs) from the perceptions of twenty-six lecturers delivering Business Higher Education Programmes (BHEPs). It offers a brief overview of the history of both FE and HE in England, and how they have evolved. This then will provide an understanding of the perceived/real differences between FE and HE culture, and whether these two cultures can merge together, or will become 'hybrids', as suggested by Parry and Thompson (2002). The study will in fact show that the culture of HE in FE [in England] is similar to that of an 'Exclave', but is developing within this, a culture which might be viewed as an 'Enclave'.

Do lecturers delivering higher education in further education desire to conduct research?

“…(Archer 2008, 389) Again ass already identified, FECs have been viewed by Fisher (2009) as the 'lab rats' for testing these new processes, that eventually became government policy in the UK. In turn, this is supported by Feather's (2009Feather's ( , 2011a research. He identified that some lecturers in FECs referred to their institution as the 'Yosser Hughes' of education (this is a fictional character from a UK comedy programme, where he would relentlessly ask for a job from anyone he saw, with a view to being paid; or in this instance, to receiving funding).…”

“…(Bourdieu 1988, 66). What could be interpreted from this, is that, Bourdieu (1998) is saying there has been a shift of power away from knowledge and the research needed to acquire that knowledge, to one where governments and businesses appear to be now enforcing their demands upon education (Quiggin 2001;Giroux 2010;Feather 2011a). That is, for a more practical and vocational delivery approach (Giroux 2010;Wolf March 2011); possibly with a view to removing academic theory altogether from education (Giroux 2010), and/or the removal of academic autonomy, which is replaced with corporate ideologies (Woodhouse 2009).…”

Never mind the quality, take a seat!

“…For example, Haslam et al (2011) argue that some people may be seen as 'in group', and others as 'out group', which in itself may be divisive, more so, if one group is deemed to be more favoured by the manager/leader than the other, or inequity is apparent. Feather's (2009Feather's ( , 2011 work highlighted that some managers in some institutions were actively encouraging this practice; this may have additional implications for the motivation and morale of the staff employed at those institutions. Jones (2011) however, suggests that teachers should be professional and put the needs of students' before those of their own.…”

“…This snobbery may be heightened further in the competitive free market economy in education that the UK government is trying to bring about in 2012 (Browne 2010). Feather (2009Feather ( , 2011 identified that a degree of professional snobbery was already manifesting within certain FECs, for example, between those lecturers that delivered HE in FE, and those who only taught on FE programmes, where the lecturers saw the culture as one of 'them and us'. This could have implications, that is, in the breakdown of agency, collegiality, and/or communities of practice (CoPs).…”

Professionalism: doing a good job!

“…Furthermore, some webs that people spin may be based on different attitudes, values and beliefs of what constitutes professionalism and subsequently, being a profession. This primarily may be due to the different cultures in which they are raised as children, and the communities of practice they are immersed in when at work (Silver 2003;Simmons 2003;Hofstede and Hofstede 2005;Goodhall 2009;Feather 2011a).…”