An exploration of the value placed on the content, interaction and incentive dimensions of learning by young people in post-compulsory education

Abstract

The paper presents the findings of quantitative research that explores the value young people in post-compulsory education in England attach to three dimensions of learning. The dimensions of learning are the content dimension, the interaction dimension and the incentive dimension. Three hundred and thirty-one young people in four post-compulsory settings completed a purposefully designed questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicated that the learners do value the dimensions of learning but they do not value them equally or consistently. The young people attach most value to the content dimension of learning. The results are considered in relation to the context of the assessment procedures of the English education system, young people’s self- belief and learner identity, and the remit of the post-compulsory sector. It is argued that the post-compulsory sector is an integral part of an ‘epistemic apprenticeship’. This apprenticeship can be shaped to ensure that young people are equipped as learners to surmount the challenges of twenty-first century living.

Keywords:

• Post-compulsory
• dimensions of learning
• epistemic apprenticeship
• assessment
• learner identity
• self-belief