An Institutional Ethnographic Inquiry into the Everyday Work of Course Leaders for College-Based Higher Education

Abstract

This research focuses on understanding the everyday work of course leaders for college-based higher education within a further education college. The position of course leader for college-based higher education is seen as someone who is responsible for the daily operational running of the course including teaching and administrative duties. Taking an institutional ethnographic approach, the overall aim is to understand and make visible how their work is socially organised in The College Group. Adopting the standpoint of the course leaders for college-based higher education and drawing on the problematic that they find their everyday work challenging, interviews were conducted with course leaders. Following this, interviews were conducted with other informants in The College Group with a strategic role in college-based higher education. In addition, texts which organised the work of the course leaders were analysed, observations of course leaders carrying out their everyday work were conducted and finally, observations of senior management meetings which discussed college-based higher education were also carried out.  

 

The findings of this research illuminate the complexities course leaders for college-based higher education face in going about their everyday work. My findings show that texts do not offer sufficient information to allow course leaders for college-based higher education to know about their everyday work. It also became evident that the employment structures in The College Group are not sufficient to offer support to the course leaders for college-based higher education, leading to course leaders needing to seek support from outside sources. The findings also show that course leaders for college-based higher education struggle with time to complete their everyday work. It was found that course leaders for college-based higher education are subjected to a range of surveillance techniques, which are often aligned to the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted), but not always relevant measures for higher education. Yet overall, the findings show that the everyday work of course leaders for college-based higher education is socially organised by The College Group through its implementation of New Public Management and the drive for efficiency, economy and effectiveness.

 

Based on the findings of this research it is recommended that line managers develop a more detailed understanding of the everyday work of course leaders for college-based higher education to allow for effective support mechanisms to be available to the course leaders for college-based higher education. I argue that this deeper understanding will lead to a reduction in the feelings of isolation and the sense of not belonging. A further recommendation is for line managers and college leaders to have a greater understanding of the workload of course leaders for college-based higher education. This will allow for the development of an effective timetable that can be managed within the limits of a typical working week.