PRAXIS AND PHRONESIS IN FURTHER EDUCATION; UNCOVERING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF FURTHER EDUCATION LECTURERS

This session focuses on the phronesis of further education lecturers. Presenting initial findings from an ongoing project, the session will explore the ways in which vocational further education (FE) lecturers use vocational knowledge in their teaching pedagogically and to enrich the curriculum. Eight lesson observations of vocational FE lecturers, teaching learners at levels one to three were conducted over an 18-month period. The observations focused on the vocational knowledge and pedagogies enacted in classrooms. These observations were followed up by an in-depth qualitative interview which aimed to understand the practice observed from the lecturers’ perspective, allowing us to begin to access lecturers’ planning decisions and philosophy of practice. In the session we overlay Boyer’s (1990) model of scholarship onto vocational practice observed. We develop an argument that, although done unconsciously and for reasons related to the utility of knowledge and its enactment in the workplace or preparation of learners to enter this space, vocational lecturers’ practice is more ‘scholarly’ than is often appreciated. The use of Boyer’s model as analysis tool is not an attempt to conflate higher and vocational education. It was chosen as we felt that the model, used by the Association of College’s scholarship project which was running at the time of this project’s inception, was equally relevant to further education. Most notably the phronesis used to align theory and practice and preparation for the workplace. As vocational lecturers engaged in academic work, we felt we were well placed up undertake this ‘bi-cultural’ work (Eraut, 2004: 205); to offer a reflexive perspective of our colleagues’ phronesis. Using Paulo Freire’s definition of praxis "reflection and action directed at the structures to be transformed" (Freire, 1970:126), this study aims to contribute to the knowledge base of teaching practices in further education from the perspective of those who teach within the sector. As an ongoing project, we aim to use the session as an opportunity to present our ideas and develop them through dialogue. We argue that praxis from within the sector itself, may be a valuable tool to transform it. As such this project aims to influence policy and practice in our own institution, and, through dissemination of ideas through grassroots research sharing mechanisms, to begin this process in other institutions and with other FE professionals.