MA Leadership and Management Further Education Godfrey Pryce

MA Leadership and Management (Further Education) Godfrey Pryce Hurley, Mike Jones, Gavin Thomas IPDA International Conference 30 November – 1 December 2007 Belfast

Workshop Objectives • • Context of MA Programme Why? How? What? Aspects of Delivery Nature and Scope of Provision Research Themes Future Developments

Why? • Training needs analysis: – FE institutions in Wales = 25 – Total Number of learners = 300, 000 (75% part-time, 25% full-time) – Funding allocation 2007/08 = £ 238 mn – Employees = 3, 000 Full-time teachers 7, 000 Part-time teachers 7, 000 other staff - An estimated 800 Managers - Information from institutions – clear lack of bespoke Management Training and Qualifications for FE staff in Wales

Why? • Succession planning in FE institutions - Ageing profile of the FE Workforce (50% of the workforce could retire in the next 10 years) • External factors: – Welsh Assembly Government commitment to improving public sector management – Estyn (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales) concerns about the quality of middle management training – FENTO/LL UK leadership and management initiatives – Professionally qualified workforce

How? • Partnership arrangement: University of Wales, Newport and fforwm (Association of 25 further institutions in Wales) • Higher Education Funding Council for Wales – main support of funding support • Education and Learning Wales (ELWa) financial support: one-off grants for management training • Support from individual FE institutions for participants

What? • Programme Structure : (i) • 3 Core Modules Current and Continuing Issues in Education and Training • Leadership and Management Theory and Concepts 30 • Management in Practice 30 Credit Rating 30 (ii) Independent Study/Research Methodology (iii) Dissertation Total 30 60 180

Award Structure and Credit Rating Postgraduate Certificate Postgraduate Diploma MA 180 Credits - 60 Credits 120 Credits

Action Research – Institutionally or Sector Based • Programme incorporates much of the FENTO National Occupational Standards for Leadership and Management published in 2002 and more recently the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership • Action research : definition of the problem; data collection and research methodology, analysis, conclusions and recommendations

Aspects of Delivery • 2 x 2 days per semester • Videoconferencing • Personal tutors • Mentoring • Moderation and Quality Assurance • External Examiner • Assessment (note : Welsh medium) • Written assignments of : – 5, 000 words : Modules 1, 2 and 3 – 6, 500 words : Independent Study – 20, 000 words : Dissertation

Nature and Scope of Provision • Total Enrolment : 124 • Participation: - 21 out of 25 FE institutions in Wales (including WEA; YMCA) - Higher Education Voluntary Sector Local Authorities Learning and Skills Sector (England) • Males 50 (40%); Females 74 (60%) • Average on entry : Males 42. 5 years; Females 41. 5 years • Designation of Participants : Curriculum Areas 75 (60%); Functional Areas 49 (40%) • Successful completion : Summer 2007 – MA (Full Award) – Diploma – Certificate • Promotion – 15 participants - 25 2 3

Research Themes Examples include : • An investigation into the effectiveness of the link between financial and strategic planning at a college of further education. • An investigation into the management of the student services function, in colleges within England Wales, with critical evaluation of models based on service level agreements. • Striving for excellence: an investigation into factors influencing the development of a strategy to improve the quality of teaching and learning within a college of further education in Wales. • How can senior managers in FE colleges, working towards Total Quality Management, successfully bring about a change of culture? • An investigation into the factors influencing the effective management of a tutorial system at a FE college.

Research Themes Examples include : • The impact of self-assessment on teaching staff performance. • Mentoring for success : An investigation into the feasibility of establishing and effective mentoring system for teaching staff within a further education college in Wales. • An analysis of the quality and effectiveness of the leadership and management of further education colleges in Wales offering automotive engineering education and training to the retail automotive industry. • An investigation into the feasibility of introducing the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification into a FE college.

Characteristics • • High retention and completion rates Bilingual – in line with ‘Iaith Pawb’ Accreditation of Prior Achievement Contextualisation of action research assignments Networking Mix of academic/functional managers Use of expert practitioners to present case studies to provide tutorial support • Enhancing the ‘promotability’ of managers and succession planning • Impact of the research on individuals, institutions and the FE sector • Partnership between the FE Sector and HE in Wales

Future • Certificate in Management in Practice for front line managers • Links : – – Centre for Excellence in Leadership Lifelong Learning UK Wales Management Council Higher Education • Research Observatory • Publications • Concerns : – Funding – Coherent direction of Leadership and Management in Wales – Tutors: Recruitment of experienced practitioners