Higher and Further Education

Welcome to the Higher and Further Education research group. We are researchers who work in a variety of ways to explore issues such as policy and governance, pedagogy, assessment and learning, and widening participation within the Higher and Further education sectors at local, national and global levels.

Here at Durham, our research in Higher and Further Education encompasses a broad spectrum of issues and approaches, theories and ideas. Conceptually and methodologically, we draw on a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts. We address the political, social and policy contexts in which Higher and Further Education operates, and the students, academics, senior leaders, policy makers, and employers who are involved.

Our research is also concerned with the complex interplay of learning, teaching, and assessment. The exploration of the development and experience of pedagogical practice offers insights into how students and academics work together to create and sustain stimulating and positive learning cultures and environments

Drawing on a range of methodologies, methods and designs including phenomenography, ethnography, discourse analysis, interviews, case studies, concept mapping, surveys and experimental designs, we seek to further our understanding of how the Higher and Further Education sectors work in contemporary societies, and how they might develop in the future.

For further information contact the cluster lead Dr Julie Rattray.