Calls for reframing the subject matter of Religious Education in schools include the tricky question of how to select from a world of potentially interesting and relevant material. Pedagogues have long questioned the educational logic that takes so-called substantive knowledge as its starting point and imagines education to follow a linear path…

Synoptic assessment refers to the assessment of students' understanding of the links between the different elements of a subject. Despite its ability to promote a holistic delivery of the curriculum and deep learning, it is currently an under-researched topic in the field of educational assessment. In fact, an electronic search for the term…

Recent policy on careers guidance in England suggests a somewhat straightforward process. The assumption is that quality careers guidance will enable young people to make informed career-related decisions. However, the 'reality' of provision is far more complex, as highlighted by the findings from a small in-depth study of careers provision in one…

In this paper, which takes the form of a dialogue, we discuss the possible directions that vocational education might take in the contemporary social, economic and technological context of the early 21st century. Taking account of the unresolved debates around vocational education internationally and future global economic demands for expertise we…

What impact did the 1988 Education Reform Act (1988 ERA) have on higher education from the perspectives of professors working in the sector at the time? How did it reshape the sector's structures? How did it contribute to the conditions that have unleashed the so called 'undergraduate monster'? These questions are addressed in this paper. I draw…

Academisation of schooling in England is a significant development with consequences for the disavowal of the role of community and democracy in education at the local level and wider resonance for geo-policy jurisdictions where neoliberal education reforms play out. This study analyses the operation of power and control of Multi Academy Trust…

Despite the shift from an elite to a mass higher education (HE) system in the UK, participation between students with Business Technology Education Council (BTEC) and Advanced-Level (A-level) qualifications remains unequal. The data presented here is taken from a longitudinal narrative inquiry funded by the Economic and Social Research Council…

Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) suggests that autonomy-supportive teachers can promote the satisfaction of students' three basic psychological needs (i.e., the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and this is essential for optimal functioning and personal well-being. The role of need satisfaction as a determinant of well-being…

In a context of considerable interest in apprenticeship in recent years, Cedefop and the OECD decided to explore its future from the perspective of a number of megatrends, including sociodemographic changes, the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies and new forms of work organisation. They also considered how these trends have affected,…

Until recently, school accountability measures in England have focused on assessment results rather than on what students do after they leave school/college. However, destination measures are increasingly being seen as key tools in assessing how schools prepare their students for a successful transition into the next stage of education or…

Level 4 and 5 qualifications--including Foundation Degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (NHDs)--are an excellent route for those not interested (or not yet ready) to embark on a full degree, for mature learners who want to take only a limited amount of time out of the labour market and for employers looking to…

Proposals for a technical baccalaureate have received cross-party support in England. The technical baccalaureate is intended to deliver the necessary training to enable young people to fill the UK's skills gap in intermediate-level occupations in STEM and other sectors. This paper explores how to design and implement a high-quality technical…

This article reports findings from a recent research project, commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which explored the current landscape of professional doctorate (PD) provision in English higher education institutions (HEIs) (Mellors-Bourne et al., 2016). Given the absence of a clear definition by the Quality…

The overall aim of this two-year study is to understand effective practice and lessons learned from approaches to curriculum design and employer engagement by University Technical Colleges (UTCs). Researchers used a case-study methodology supplemented with management information and a survey of UTC students' views. Key findings include: (1)…

This report presents a descriptive analysis of uptake and results in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), between 2007/08 and 2014/15. The EPQ is a level 3 stand-alone qualification taken by sixth form students. It involves undertaking a substantial project in an area of personal interest, where the outcome can range from writing a…