Members of staff from Solihull College & University Centre held their first ever Further Education Research event recently, welcoming external guests to join members of the college in discussions, workshops and Q&A sessions to discuss all things FE research.
The event was conceived by tutor Kerry Scattergood and came about after conversations with various members of staff who had carried out action research into issues in the classroom. Keen to expand and build on the events already taking place in the FE community, Kerry decided to run one from the College’s Blossomfield Campus.
FE Research events help normalise research in the sector. They showcase FE in a way that other conferences cannot because they are usually led by practitioners and share practitioner research. The team at the College were thrilled with the number of attendees that packed out the conference suite which included learning support assistants, teachers and even a vice principal. The event, spearheaded by Kerry and colleague Isla Flood, saw key speakers from the College and outside of it take to the stage.
“At Solihull College & University Centre we look forward to a whole-college approach to research, supporting action research for professional development and research for academic endeavour,” Kerry states. “This event was a first at our campus and we were delighted with how it went and hope it was as valuable to others as it was to us.”
After the success of the event the aim will be to run another event next summer, incorporating a poster exhibition and a journal, entitled SFEAR, as a sister-publication to the college’s HE journal.
“We hope to keep the meet very democratic and open not just to staff but to students too” Kerry concludes.
Watch this space for more FE Research information from Solihull College & University Centre over the next academic year.
