Floating Lidar System (FLS) La Boya

 background  objectives  research methodology  contribution of research  justification of benefit (max 1000 words). Background

Young people’s participation in education, training and employment with training (ETE) in the two years following compulsory school education (i.e. ages 16-18) increased significantly from 45 per cent in 1988 to 70 per cent in 1993, but since then increases have been much slower (Ball, 2008). Increases in participation in education and training have been shown to bring economic benefits (Hunt and McIntosh, 2008) and wider social benefits (Bynner and Parsons, 2002). The previous Government in England therefore proposed the extension of the participation age in ETE to 18 in 2015 on a compulsory basis (DCSF, 2007). However, there are questions as to whether compulsion would bring the anticipated benefits (Wolf, 2002). Research into the characteristics of those who are not participating in ETE has identified two groups – those who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) and those who are in Jobs Without Training (JWT) and identified characteristics of these groups (Coles, Hutton, Bradshaw, Craig, Godfrey and Johnson, 2002). However, there is a lack of research on the perspectives of these young people themselves (Spielhofer, Walker, Gagg, Schagen and O’Donnell, 2007). This has led to the focus for the research as set out in the next section.

175 The research questions to be investigated are:

1. Why some young people aged 16 to 18 do not participate in ETE? 2. What would change their choices?

Methodology

The methodology sets out a phenomenological approach within a constructivist paradigm (Mertens, 2005), recognising multiple realities and drawing on qualitative methods to address the research questions from the perspectives of the young people. Ontologically, the research seeks to determine reality for the participants, of the factors currently holding young people back from participation and what could change these. Epistemiologically, the interactive link between the researcher and the participants is recognised within the determination of the methodology and design of methods. Focus groups are employed as a key method of data collection, given their ability to draw out perspectives from the participants and reduce the impact of the power imbalance between researcher and participants (Morgan and Krueger, 1993). Participants will be drawn from young people who are NEET or in JWT in one selected Local Authority through a combination of purposive sampling and voluntary participation (Morgan, 1998).

Interpretive analysis will be employed to develop findings from the focus groups, through coding the data and identifying links and groups within the codes (Miles and Huberman, 1994). The final thesis will set out the findings and how they have been developed through analysis of the data, with illuminating quotes where these are pertinent to the findings (Robson, 2002).

Contribution of Research

The section on background above highlighted that there is a lack of research on the perspectives of these young people themselves (Spielhofer, Walker, Gagg, Schagen and O’Donnell, 2007). This is further stressed by Quinn, Lawry and Diment (2008) who conclude that there is a, “dearth of current qualitative analysis about young people in Jobs Without Training” (2008, p193) and that, “very little is actually known about their lives, their work and their priorities – particularly from the perspectives of the young people themselves” (2008, p185). This research contributes to addressing the identified need for further research in this area.

176

Justification of Benefit

The research will support the identification of good practice to share with schools, colleges, training providers and employers and the identification of issues to be addressed within the selected Local Authority, which will influence future policy and practice. The research will be published to be available for other local authorities and an international audience to draw on where the reader sees a rationale for application.

References

Ball, S. (2008) The Education Debate The Policy Press, University of Bristol, England Bynner, J, and Parsons, S. (2002) Social exclusion and the transition from school to work: the case of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) Journal of

Vocational Behaviour 60, 1, 289-309

Coles, C, Hutton, S, Bradshaw, J, Craig, G, Godfrey, C, and Johnson, J. (2002) Literature

Review of the Costs of Being "Not in Employment, Education or Training" at Age 16-18

Social Policy Research Unit, University of Hull for UK Department for Children, Schools and Families (Research Report no. 347)

Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (2007) Raising Expectations:

Staying On in Education and Training Post-16 HMSO, London

Hunt, E, and McIntosh, S. (2008) Raising the Participation Age: An Assessment of the

Economic Benefits UK DCSF Research Report 026, DCSF, London

Mertens, D. (2005) Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology Sage, London Miles, M, and Huberman, A. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook Sage, London

Morgan, D, and Krueger, R. (1993) When to Use Focus Groups and Why Sage, London Morgan, D. (1998) Planning Focus Groups Sage, London

Quinn, J, Lawy, R, and Diment, K. (2008) Dead End Kids in Dead End Jobs? Reshaping Debates on Young People in Jobs Without Training Research in Post-Compulsory

Education 13, 2, 185-194

Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research Blackwell, Oxford

Spielhofer, T, Walker, M, Gagg, K, Schagen, S, and O’Donnell, S. (2007) Raising the

Participation Age in Education and Training to 18: Review of Existing Evidence of the Benefits and Challenges National Foundation for Education Research for UK Department

177

Wolf, A. (2002) Does Education Matter? Penguin Group, London

Attach any questionnaires, psychological tests, etc.