Further Education Development Agency, Publications

A study focused on facilitating progression for adults from nonvocational adult education to qualification-bearing courses in further education (FE) and studied theix patterns of progression and which factors helped or hindered such progress. Information was collected from adult learners in 10 adult and FE organizations in Britain through a questionnaire and interviews of selected students who had progressed from informal courses. Two groups of students were chosen: learners on courses that primarily led to national qualifications and learners on "informal courses" that did not. Both groups showed a general pattern of movement from preparatory, general, or basic education courses to mainstream, qualification-bearing academic or vocational courses. Much adult provision was of a stop-start nature. Four features aided progression: good teaching, building of personal and study confidence, access to built-in advice and choice, and progressio