The purpose of the study is to document and analyse the reported experiences and perspectives of people who have used recognition of non-formal and informal learning for access to a formal VTE qualification, in order to provide insights that can inform policy development and implementation about factors capable of enhancing use of this recognition pathway.
1. How do people not currently in education and training become aware of their options and opportunities regarding recognition of non-formal and informal learning?
2. What factors encourage people to document and use their non-formal and informal learning for access to formal learning?
3. What factors inhibit people from accessing the non-formal and informal learning pathway to formal learning?
4. What support do people report as being necessary or useful if they are successfully to transform their non-formal and informal learning into a formal learning pathway?
5. What do people who have used the non-formal and informal learning pathway consider to have been the major benefits for them of the experience?
6. What suggestions do people have for improving current processes and expanding access?
Semi-structured interviews (Borg&Gall,1989), based on the six research questions, will be conducted with people from a range of social, cultural and employment backgrounds who have successfully accessed formal education through the recognition of their non-formal or informal learning experiences. The interviews will be conducted "face-to-face", with the potential for follow-up questions by telephone to further clarify or seek elaboration on issues raised during the study. The information collected will be analysed using a thematic approach (Burns, 1990; Leedy,1997).
Based on the capacity to illustrate important findings, a number of the people interviewed (notionally six) will be asked to work with the researchers to construct autobiographic case studies (Creswell,1998) that will be included in the final report. Autobiographic case studies are written in the first person, and make a particular contribution to knowledge in that they highlight the feelings and thought processes of the person at critical stages of their story.
Established in 1938, the University of New England was the first Australian university established outside a capital city, and is Australia's longest continuous provider of distance education. The Centre for Business Research at the University of New England has an international reputation for the quality and capacity for application of its research, and has highly qualified and experienced research staff. The focus of the Centre incorporates research in areas such as workplace learning, adult learning and VTE.
The Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education (CURVE) was established at Canberra Institute of Technology in 1999. Members of the CURVE team, in addition to having well-developed research skills, have direct and significant teaching experience in VET and a thorough understanding of the influences and issues impacting upon training providers, teachers, learners and policymakers across the VET sector. With a strong focus on practice and practitioners, CURVE is nationally recognised as a leader in the key areas of teaching, learning and assessment research. CURVE researchers, often in collaboration with others, have successfully obtained funding from NREC, ANTA, DEST and the ACT Government.
