Learning, Identity and Agency in the Life Course - Teaching and ...

FurtherinformationThe best source for further information isthe project website which provides accessto many project publications, includingconference presentations, a short film, anda series of occasional project workingpapers. The website can be accessed atwww.learninglives.org or via the TLRPwebsite: www.tlrp.org.We have documented our main findings infour summative working papers, which canbe downloaded from the project website:Hodkinson, P., with H. Hodkinson, R.Hawthorn & G. Ford (2008). Learning throughlife. Learning Lives Summative WorkingPaper 1.Biesta. G.J.J., Goodson, I.F., Tedder, M.T. &Adair, N.A. (2008). Learning from life: Therole of narrative. Learning Lives SummativeWorking Paper 2.Field, J., Lynch, H. & Malcolm, I. (2008).Generations, the life course and lifelonglearning. Learning Lives Summative WorkingPaper 3.Macleod, F.J. & Lambe, P. (2008).Understanding the place of part timeeducation and training in the lives of adultsin Britain 1991-2005. Learning LivesSummative Working Paper 4.A Gateway book on the project, entitledImproving Learning Lives, and a book onNarrative Learning, will be published byRoutledge in 2009. A special issue of theOxford Review of Education devoted tothe Learning Lives project is scheduled forpublication in 2010.The warrantThis project combined retrospectivelife-history research, longitudinal interpretativelife-course research and quantitative surveyresearch. We conducted 528 interviewswith 117 people (59 male; 58 female) agedbetween 25 and 84 over a three-year period.We further analysed data from the BritishHousehold Panel Survey, an annual panelsurvey of each adult member of a nationallyrepresentative sample of 5,500 Britishhouseholds (ca. 10,000 individuals per wave).A total of 15 waves were available and wereused for analysis.Thematic analysis of interview data focusedon larger numbers of cases around particularthemes, using both theoretically drivenanalysis and data-driven analysis. Biographicalanalysis focused on the in-depth analysis ofindividuals and resulted in the construction ofdetailed individual case studies.Five analyses of BHPS data were conducted.They looked at patterns and trends in part -time formal education in the UK in relation tonation, class, place, gender, age and disability(1998-2003); predicting the occurrence andtiming of transition into adult educationamongst 1997 school leavers; the dynamicsof participation between 1992 and 2005;mapping trajectories of participation ineducation and training in relation to other lifecourse events (1992-2005); and outcomesof education and training in terms ofqualifications across all 15 waves.Whereas biographical and life-history methodshave been utilised in previous research onadult and lifelong learning, the Learning Livesproject has been exceptional because of itsscale, length and its longitudinal real timedesign, and because it has combinedinterview data with quantitative longitudinaldata.Teachingand LearningResearch ProgrammeTLRP involves some 90 research teamswith contributions from England, NorthernIreland, Scotland and Wales. Work beganin 2000 and the Technology EnhancedLearning phase will continue to 2012.Learning: TLRP’s overarching aim isto improve outcomes for learners of allages in teaching and learning contextsacross the UK.Outcomes: TLRP studies a broadrange of learning outcomes, includingthe acquisition of skill, understanding,knowledge and qualifications and thedevelopment of attitudes, values andidentities relevant to a learning society.Lifecourse: TLRP supports projectsand related activities at many ages andstages in education, training and lifelonglearning.Enrichment: TLRP commits to userengagement at all stages of research.It promotes research across disciplines,methodologies and sectors, andsupports national and internationalco-operation.Expertise: TLRP works to enhancecapacity for all forms of research onteaching and learning, and for researchinformed policy and practice.Improvement: TLRP develops theknowledge base on teaching andlearning and policy and practice inthe UK.Project website:www.learninglives.orgProject contact:Professor Gert BiestaThe Stirling Institute of EducationUniversity of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland UKe-mail: gert.biesta@stir.ac.ukphone: (+44) 1786-466136Project team:ISBN-978-0-85473-9 7 8 0 8 5 4 7 3 8 1 8 2Project Directors: Professor Gert Biesta (Principal Award Holder), University of Stirling,Dr Flora Macleod, University of Exeter, Professor Ivor Goodson, University of Brighton, Professor PhilHodkinson, University of Leeds, Professor John Field, University of StirlingResearch Fellows: Dr Michael Tedder, University of Exeter, Dr Paul Lambe, University of Exeter, DrNorma Adair, University of Brighton, Irene Malcolm, University of Stirling, Dr Heather Lynch, Universityof Stirling, Geoff Ford, Senior Consultant TAEN (The Age and Employment Network), and Fellow of theNational Institute of Careers Education and Counselling, Ruth Hawthorn, Fellow of the National Instituteof Careers Education and Counselling July 2008TLRP Directors’ TeamProfessor Andrew Pollard | LondonProfessor Richard Noss | LondonProfessor Miriam David | LondonProfessor Alan Brown | WarwickProfessor Mary James | LondonTLRP Programme OfficeSarah Douglas | sarah.douglas@ioe.ac.ukJames O’Toole | j.o’toole@ioe.ac.uktlrp@ioe.ac.ukTLRPInstitute of EducationUniversity of London20 Bedford WayLondon WC1H 0ALUKTel +44 (0)20 7911 5577www.tlrp.org