2009 South West LSRN Annual Conference

South West Learning & Skills Research Network
Annual Conference 2009

"Whose Class is it Anyway?"
regulation and autonomy in further education and lifelong learning

Friday 10 July 2009
(10.00 am - 4.00 pm)
 at
 Dillington House, Nr Ilminster, TA19 9DT

held in partnership with the SWitch & Peninsula
 Centres for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETTs)

Keynote Speakers:

We are pleased to announce that Ursula Howard, Visiting Professorial Fellow for the National Research & Development Centre for Adult Literacy & Numeracy (NRDC), will be our Keynote Speaker for this year's conference.  Ursula will be discussing her recent paper for NIACE's Independent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning - "greater autonomy for colleges, including greater trust in the professionalism of teachers and a remit for research and innovation."

We will also be joined by Andrew Morris of the National Learning & Skills Research Network who will be sharing his views with delegates on the way forward for LSRN and regional research networks.


Overview:

Since the 2006 White Paper, Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances (DfES, 2006), responsibility for improvement and success in further education and in the wider lifelong learning sector has been placed squarely on the shoulders of providers.  Central to this policy is the promotion of workforce professionalism.

Taken at face value, the government incitement towards professional innovation, autonomy and excellence should be encouraging.  The workforce reforms, the emergence of the Centres for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETTs) and the Institute for Learning (IfL) as a professional body have the potential for opening new spaces for professional learning.  Perhaps, with increased input from practitioners and others working in the sector, a sea change is there for the making?

This conference focuses on the professional role of teachers in FE colleges and the lifelong learning sector.  We aim to bring together new and experienced teachers together with organisation managers, academics and researchers in order to explore the current state of initial and continuing teacher learning.


Aims of the Conference:

Some pertinent questions which we would like to address during the day include:

•   How far do teachers have opportunities to be creative and imaginative in their work?  How far are they able to trial new ideas and approaches within classrooms and workshops?

•   What is the impact of current policies on teacher education?  What is happening in colleges and lifelong learning to support initial and continuing teacher education?  How far are new teachers encouraged to be autonomous, innovative professionals?

•   What insights can research give us about the current situation?  The relationship between research and its use in practice is always problematic and we know that there are many different approaches to research.  What kinds of evidence speak loudest to different stakeholders?

•   Who is designing and planning Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers in the lifelong learning sector?  Who is overseeing the quality?  How has the inception of the Institute for Learning (IfL) impacted on the nature of CPD?

Seminars & Workshops:

A series of research based seminars and workshops focussing on the conference theme will be led by colleagues from across the South West Region throughout the day.

Click here for further details


Who should attend?

Managers, teachers and policy makers interested in research and inquiry into further education and lifelong learning from FE colleges, adult and community learning, work-based learning and voluntary organisations.


Delegate Fees:

•   £40.00 per person (for student teachers)
•   £80.00 per person (for all other attendees)


click here for a copy of the conference flyer


As with last year, we will be delivering the day as a "green" event so will not be providing copies of the speakers presentations in the delegate packs.  Colleagues will be able to download these, post-conference, from this website.


Register Online Now

or contact Elizabeth Yard on (01823) 365440
e-mail:  events@learning-southwest.org.uk    


Exhibition Opportunities:

If you are interested in having a stand at this event please contact Elizabeth Yard (see above) for more details.




The South West Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) aims to support research by and for practitioners in the learning and skills sector.  It provides an opportunity for researchers and those interested in research to share ideas, develop contacts, and set up collaborations.  It is open to people regardless of their context, and membership includes independent consultants, researchers from private training providers, colleges, universities and government agencies.  The Network covers the whole of the South West Region of England and includes the West Country Learning and Skills Research Network.