‘Nothing will prevent me from doing a good job’. The professionalisation of part‐time teaching staff in further and adult education

Jameson, Jill and Hillier, Yvonne (2008) ‘Nothing will prevent me from doing a good job’. The professionalisation of part‐time teaching staff in further and adult education. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 13 (1). pp. 39-53. ISSN 1359-6748

Abstract

Approximately 85,000 part-time teaching staff working in further education (FE) and adult and community learning (ACL) are often seen as ‘a problem’. The intrinsic ‘part-timeness’ of these staff tends to marginalise them: they remain under-recognised and largely unsupported. Yet this picture is over-simplified. This article examines how part-time staff make creative use of professional autonomy and agency to mitigate problematic ‘casual employment’ conditions, reporting on results from Learning and Skills Development Agency-sponsored research (2002–2006) with 700 part-time staff in the learning and skills sector. The question of agency was reported as a key factor in part-time employment. Change is necessary for the professional
agency of part-timers to be harnessed as the sector responds to ambitious sectoral ‘improvement’ agendas following the Foster Report and FE White Paper. Enhanced
professionalisation for part-time staff needs greater recognition and inclusion in change agendas.

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