The Link Between Research and Education: An FE Example

This paper was delivered at the ESCalate conference in 2008 The Teaching Research Interface: Implications for Practice in HE and FE. The author reports on a case study which looks at the experience of developing a research culture for those teaching on the computer programme in the City of Bath College. One interesting conclusion was that students highly rated opportunities to participate and contribute to staff research work.

One of the major distinctions between HEI’s and HE delivered in FECs is the almost complete absence of an academic research culture. However a limited number of FE Colleges have started research programmes. This paper reviews a case study of the impact of research in a single FEC.