What will T levels change? The portrayal of technical and vocational education in England: Tensions in policy and a conundrum for lecturers.

The United Kingdom (UK) government is implementing its latest reforms for technical and vocational education, which include a new suite of qualifications called T levels, being introduced from September 2020 to 2023. One governmental goal of this qualification reform was to address a perceived status issue. There is a portrayal, particularly in relation to Anglo Western countries, of technical and vocational education as lower status than other forms of education. Evidence from literature identifies an interpretation depicted as a common narrative which perceives technical vocational education and training (TVET) as less challenging, or for the less academically able. This study uses a practitioner-based enquiry approach to explore how TVET is perceived by a small group of lecturers working within the TVET system in England and the study is contextualised by a review of policy documentation related to TVET. The study involved interviewing lecturers using a semi-structured interview approach to better understand their perspectives. United Kingdom government documentation related to TVET was chronicled, with a focus of the last thirty-five years. This work gave an overview of the extent of policy development, government recommendations and changes impacting TVET over this period. Following the chronology, an in-depth review of the previous ten years of related government documents was undertaken. Both sets of data were analysed using thematic analysis. The research has uncovered tensions in policy documentation which are as a result of the significant policy churn in relation to TVET, and present a conundrum for those lecturers interviewed in terms of their professional identity and relationship with local employers. Lecturers interviewed may be described as at least dual qualified professionals, they are trained in teaching and learning as well as having professional qualifications and experience from their profession of origin. It can also be argued that these professionals are likely to have multiple identities linked to both personal and professional life. In terms of TVET we can argue that these all contribute to their identity formation as does the ability to maintain networks within their profession of origin. This connection to networks I argue endorses legitimacy for the lecturer in TVET and is central to the delivery of technical and vocational expertise. Those lecturers who taught in general further education colleges felt disconnected and disempowered by the management hierarchy and performative processes often in place due to policy tension and turmoil at a national level. The analysis identifies that TVET in England has been subjected to frequent political change, causing TVET to become unsettled. This constant change has bought issues of performativity and managerialism into the sector as it deals or copes with the twists and turns of government. I argue that this climate has caused lecturers interviewed to feel a disconnection from their profession of origin resulting in a pervading sense of devaluing the technical or vocational aspects of their sense of self. This detachment from the profession of origin together with the increased pressure to develop generic teaching skills, rather than acknowledgement or investment in the specialist vocational pedagogy, it is argued, will only perpetuate the portrayal of TVET as lower status despite the new government reform. The analysis and review of the policy documentation highlights that the goal of TVET is designed for and in service of the needs of industry; this emphasis on TVET's purpose is repeatedly found in many documents. In framing TVET in this way, the government recognises the importance of employers as critical stakeholders in TVET. Nevertheless, analysis uncovers a tension in approach in so far as successive government reform has done little to bring employers to the centre of any development of TVET. The government defined purposes of TVET have resulted in this conundrum for lecturers. While the government recognises the need to keep employers close to support TVET, and this is a particular focus for the new reformed T levels; lecturers in this study felt disconnected from employers linked to their profession of origin. This in turn impacted on their perceived ability to support the T level rollout. These aspects of the findings are bought together to argue that the constant policy churn has resulted in a lack of trust and legitimacy for this form of education, and I argue that this offers one possible explanation for the portrayal and the status issue that new T level qualifications are designed to address. The study offers helpful insight into a problem related to my practice, and the findings provide a valuable perspective that has enabled reflection on my approach to supporting TVET in my community. Finally, recommendations are presented for my leadership practice, including allowing the lecturers to maintain contact with their profession of origin, particularly enabling back to practice events and involving employers as co-constructors in TVET curriculum and pedagogy