Purpose: This study aims to reflect on "good practices" in doctoral research supervision and transfer the author's experience to other academics. The author explains the sources of his approach to doctoral research supervision drawing on traditional practice in adult learning and some reference to phenomenology as a "meeting of…

This case study focuses on researching the connections between policy and teaching practices in the context of English further education. It describes how an ethnographic approach was used to examine how teachers navigate policy directives in their day-to-day work, focusing particularly on quality improvement directives. It shows how two linked…

The purpose of this study was to examine the workplace learning activities professional academic advisors (AAs) utilize to serve their African American male advisees more effectively. Workplace learning was used as a lens to identify learning strategies through: (a) formal learning, (b) nonformal learning, and (c) informal learning. Findings from…

The professional development of doctoral supervisors is a relatively new area of academic development that is still non-existent in many higher education institutions worldwide. This is particularly relevant to explore as several other studies indicate that the quality of doctoral supervision has a direct impact on the doctoral student progression…

In New Zealand, te reo Maori (or just te reo) is currently being learned as a second language by record numbers of non-Maori, many of whom are increasingly able to access it through language courses offered by their employing organisations. Considering recent research and policy advocating the value of te reo for all New Zealanders, workplace…

Purpose: The professional development needs of university professional staff are an under-researched area. More data were needed to understand their needs to ensure that employers invest their resources appropriately. A conceptual framework is developed for the workplace learning of career development activities using concepts of professional…

Work-Based Learning (WBL) in higher education is a field of study established in the UK that has developed since the early 1990s. The possibility for this development came when several universities across the UK were awarded a grant in 1992, from the then Department for Employment, to develop learning from work, in the curriculum. The 1992…

The idea of building learning cities is one of the important strategies for implementing lifelong learning in China. It is well accepted through policymaking, research, and practice. This article provides an overview of building a learning city in Beijing. Three cases offer perspectives that explain the structure, policy, and practice of building…

Finnish vocational education and training is competence-based and learner-oriented. A personal competence development plan is drawn up for each learner. It charts and recognises the skills previously acquired by the learner and outlines any further competences the learner needs and how they can be acquired in different learning environments.…

This paper explores the design, delivery and evaluation of a new bespoke reflection tool for enhancing informal learning in the workplace via reflection in and on action, as part of an undergraduate reflective practice course component. The rationale underlying the tool is presented first, followed by the results of a mixed-methods study…

Our research explores the experience of adults looking for flexible online learning opportunities that intersect with university study. We interviewed 58 people living in 14 African countries who have taken a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed by the University of Cape Town. The interview data reveals diverse uses of MOOCs in workplace…

This article details the findings of a research project that aimed to interpret and understand the experiences of further education lecturers as they undertook initial teacher education. Using rigorous methods grounded in hermeneutic phenomenology, the research situated in colleges in Scotland and Wales structured as two significant case studies…

Aims and rationale: This study aimed to increase understanding of academic procrastination (AP), as well as indicating strategies which might reduce it. Methods: During phase one, semi-structured interviews were carried out with post-16 students (N=20). Template analysis (TA) was then used to analyse the interview transcripts. General themes were…

This article considers the extent to which the legal framework of Higher Education in the UK (2000- 2010) responded to the needs of the professional work-based student, while in both employment and study. Drawing on Case Law, Education Law and the body of literature on Work-Based Learning (WBL) it discusses the context of the professional student…

The development of employees' skills and competences has become a key driver of economic growth in the developed world. It is widely recognised that enhancing people's skills and competences will be a major cause of future competitive advantage. Consequently, companies need to be able to identify precise areas where they have, or can build,…