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Since their incorporation in 1993, further education (FE) colleges in England have been responsible for their own staffing and, faced with funding constraints as well as recruitment and retention targets, some have introduced a new category of staff referred to here as "learning support workers" (LSWs). Though their employment conditions and specific duties vary considerably, LSWs' work often includes providing individual care for students. In this small-scale study, using semi-structured interviews, the perceptions of some teachers and LSWs about the nature of their relationships with each other and with students are investigated. The study is set broadly in the context of debates about the impact of public sector reform on FE colleges and teachers. A discourse analysis approach is adopted in discussion of the data. The authors conclude that although they are differently positioned in relation to traditional discourses of professionalism, both teachers and LSWs are perceived to be carrying out what Hochschild termed "emotional labour". The contradictory nature of emotional labour is also highlighted. Some of the implications of employing a new group of workers in FE are discussed.

This article investigates the experience of individual learners who have been allocated learning support in the further education system in England. The particular focus is on interviewees' constructions of their emotional and psychic experiences. Through the adoption of a psycho-social perspective, learners' tendency to "idealise" their learning support workers is understood as a strategy for coping with the anxiety generated by a range of previous experiences. The implications for policy-makers are discussed.

This paper reports on findings relating to a project on gender and essay assessment in HE. It focuses on one aspect of the study: the assessment of and feedback given to two sample essays by 50 historians based at universities in England and Wales. We found considerable variation both as to the classification awarded to the essays and to positive and negative comments made about their quality, supporting the argument that the "quality" of a piece of writing for assessment is ultimately constructed by the reader of the essay and cannot be objectively ascertained. Gender issues emerging from the data are explored in the paper, relating to lecturers' perceptions of the essays' qualities; views concerning the way feedback should be presented; and the content and style of feedback given by lecturers on the sample essays. We found that gender constructions were manifested more in presentation than practice. These findings on the situated practice of assessment have implications for the conception of the "reliability" of essay assessment in HE.

This article is set in the broad context of debates about the nature of professionalism, in particular the professionalism of teachers in the post-compulsory sector. The focus is on teachers of vocational subjects in further education (FE) in England and on their perceptions of their role and work in preparing their learners for employment. In the context of recent changes to the vocational education curriculum, we sought to ascertain how well they believed they were able to do this work and what constraints and opportunities they experienced in the college. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 22 respondents, drawn from a range of five colleges. All were teachers of either engineering, health and social care, or hospitality and catering. Data analysis involved the identification of key narratives that were used by the respondents to support a discourse (Parker, 1990) of professionalism in vocational teaching. Four frequently occurring narratives are identified, including the need to 'add value' or go beyond the syllabus in particular ways (e.g. to enhance theoretical understanding or to achieve job satisfaction as teachers). The ways in which these narratives position both vocational teachers and employers are discussed (for example, the positioning of vocational teachers as more concerned than employers with the development and well-being of the 'whole person'). Some of the implications of the teachers' discourse for policy and practice in vocational education are briefly considered.

This study examines the perceptions of 100 university lecturers in history and psychology regarding the impact of gender on their students' achievement. Qualitative data were gathered from semi-structured interviews and analysed according to discipline and gender of respondent. Key findings were that most respondents (with the exception of most female history lecturers) did not believe gender had an impact on essay writing style but that it did have an impact on other aspects of undergraduate achievement. Twice as many psychology lecturers as history lecturers believed that women had superior language abilities, and over twice as many women as men believed that confidence affected student performance. Gender differences in communicative style and approach to study were also noted by many respondents. Educational practices (teaching and assessment methods, as well as the gender imbalance of many university departments) were highlighted as impacting particularly on the performance of women. The authors suggest that subject and gender perspectives are interacting here in ways that may affect student experience and performance across the university curriculum.

Academic assessment of their coursework is of great importance to undergraduate students. Yet little attention has been paid to the perceptions of undergraduate writing that academics draw on in their assessment practices and the ways in which these perceptions may be gendered. This article reports findings from a study that asked lecturers about their opinions concerning the characteristics of "good" and "bad" essays, and analysed the results according to gender. It is argued that, although there were many points on which male and female academics were in agreement, there were some gender differences in the prioritisation of certain (gendered) characteristics of undergraduate writing. Female academics were slightly more concerned with presentational aspects and effort, and male academics more concerned with argument. We discuss the implications of these findings for undergraduate students, arguing that work to improve parity in assessment must involve a challenge to (masculinised) academic culture and values. (Contains 4 notes and 2 tables.)

Reviews policy changes in the field of teacher training and qualifications in England since 1983 for elementary/secondary teachers, higher education faculty, and further education teachers. Concludes that the government's piecemeal approach to teacher training and development has created some serious anomalies, particularly in the situation of further education teachers. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)

Twelve experienced vocational teachers expressed their belief that much professional knowledge was tacit and that practical, realistic, student-centered strategies characterized good teaching. They believed there were significant differences in the perceptions of teaching expertise by academic and vocational teachers. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)

Examines the experiences of vocational teachers in postsecondary education, highlighting commonalities among teachers in the United Kingdom and New Zealand; discussing the process by which they move from one occupational context to another, develop new identities as teachers, and become full members of the new professional group; and examining whether social learning theory can help explain their experiences. (SM)

Interviews and observations of three student teachers in a British further education college were intended to discover how they coped with the transition to a new professional role. Key constraints were inadequate resources, isolation, powerlessness, and problems with students. Their coping strategies were derived from personal resources and personality traits rather than their previous professional roles. (SK)

A teacher trainer in a British further education college reflected on her study of student teachers, concluding that the data were directly affected by personal, political, and procedural issues. Researchers must consider how to negotiate access to research subjects and reflect on their role and relationship with subjects and the institution. (SK)

The further education (FE) teaching profession in Britain is unable to form a clear professional identity. Causes include the co-existence of multiple workplace cultures in FE and the lack of formal teaching requirements for FE faculty. (SK)

The attempt to bring all postsecondary qualifications into a single qualifications framework has not been without a struggle between the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the universities. The resolution of these issues has implications for policy developments in Britain. (SK)