Functional Skills
Functional Skills (Literacy and Numeracy) in 14-19 (Vocational) Education
(Written 2012)
Teenagers can be ill equipped for challenges in life because they lack skills in English and maths. Young students’ well being and their future prospects are made from them achieving required skills to help them to push forward in their chosen career. As of October 2011 the Functional Skills component, including literacy and numeracy, of vocational courses started to include these vital skills in the new model to take over from the old Key Skills qualification. Equipping students with these vital skills highlighted the Government’s measure for success of five GCSEs for any student which means GCSEs at least at grade A*-C – including Maths and English. Therefore, the provision of functional skills in young students’ vocational subjects is the route to achieving literacy and numeracy; being essential for the Government’s reforms of 14-19 education. Thus, what follows is this written report that will discuss literacy and numeracy which in vocational courses were, as mentioned, called Key Skills and their modern equivalent Functional Skills. The development, difficulties and the future of these skills for students will be discussed showing it to be a pressing problem under debate by past and present governments (and the opposition) with their policies and initiatives. Focus will be put on vocational/technical courses. Mentioned also is a time frame from 2001 to present day. Moreover, I will show that for the future of any student with skills in English and Maths including technical knowledge gained from their vocational course will develop each student to a better future; not only in education but also their career path. Additionally, a key underlying theme throughout this report acknowledges students ‘achieving economic well-being, making a positive contribution and enjoying and achieving’ that encapsulates Every Citizen Matters initiative to show the value of achieving functional skills. I will also take into account my own role in teaching functional skills that stresses the implementation of English language.
To begin with, looking over a period from 2001, the British Government has tried to instil literacy and numeracy into students. In 2001, for the Labour Government’s ‘Skills For Life’ strategy, there was an impetus at improving literacy and numeracy. In 2007 and having had an expenditure of £5 billion results still showed a large demographic with an inability to read or write simple sentences or a basic knowledge of mathematics (House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2008, pg. 3). For example, in 2006–07, 51,000 school leavers left without Level 1 Maths and 39,000 without level 1 English (House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2008, pg. 5). Targets have now been set for the Government’s World skills in literacy and numeracy for 2020 which were agreed in July, 2007 to make the UK a world leader. The value of acquiring these skills cannot be underestimated. The advancement beyond the basic measure of success in literacy and numeracy skills can be shown to be strategic for students. For example, Alison Wolf reported that advanced level 3 is a valuable qualification and helps in the progression of work while she described the level 2 (minimum measure of 4-5 CSE grade A* to C) as “the staple offer for between a quarter and a third of the post-16 cohort is a diet of low-level vocational qualifications, most of which have little to no labour market value” (Wolf, 2011, pg. 7). From the Wolf Report these are contradictory goals for future students. The major goal of any student is that he or she wants a job after their two years when completing an equivalence of at least 5 GCSE A* – C (Level 2) in their vocational course of choosing. The Wolf Report states that level 1 and 2 vocational awards offers poor or even negative returns (Alison Wolf, 2011, pg. 31). Furthermore, the Wolf Report worryingly recognised that less than 50% of school leaving sixteen year old students failed to achieve English and Maths GCSEs grade A* to C (Alison Wolf, 2011, pg. 8). This is where the need for functional skills is that it is for those who do not possess those GCSEs at grade A* – C. There has to be hope that students have the initiative to get these required (literacy and numeracy) skills and pass their vocational course and subsequently go further in education.
Although having better qualifications, level 3, is imperative and those cohorts do bode supposedly better, it should not be forgotten there is also a need for experience. For example, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers stated that it is much easier to find apprenticeships for those over 18 than under (Wolf, 2011. pg. 78). Moreover, in 2009 6% of employers recruited sixteen-year-olds and 11% of 17 or 18 years old compared to 1958 where a quarter acquired apprenticeships (Wolf, 2011. pg. 78). There is now a lack of work history and experience that students need. As mentioned, qualifications such as level 3 are seen to be more valuable and better in progression terms which mean functional skills have to be administered to bring those skills up that may be lacking through loss of impetus from employers and of full apprenticeships. So, from the Wolf report, there is a recognition that the integration of functional skills embedded into the students’ apprenticeships/vocational education gives them chance to develop and further use (all) their acquired skills in ways that represent meaningful context in the workplace. This, in turn, should help to improve the students in the long run with their chances in their chosen career and show prospective employers that students have more employability. Functional skills in vocational education give learners the opportunity to develop those skills that are lacking or have been ignored before. This predominantly helps build a skilled workforce that fits the needs of business and is better qualified.
Those skills needed for performing in the work arena, which are not there or have not been used, are predominant in my occupation as a teacher trainer. So, to highlight literacy, I noticed the stresses and strains from those on the course I administered; be they recent graduates or mature students, as I delivered English language teacher training to these people. I taught them for 20 hours per week which was broken down into modules. These modules focused on all aspects of second language teaching with lesson planning, teaching techniques, grammar, foreign language and classroom management. The students were from various background and ages. There could be young university graduates to people semi-retiring who wanted to teach English abroad. There was a consensus that was always mentioned in my classes that they never really learnt English at school: such as going into detail with parts of speech, context, inferring, implying, intonation etc. Moreover, during their course, they had to develop their writing and note taking skills so they could reach their goal of completing the work/tasks by the end of the course. However, the biggest challenge was the use of grammar and the realisation that they, as English teachers, actually have to explain this not only for themselves but also to their forthcoming students. On the whole, the problem is that students come on to the course expecting to just meet the course requirements, but they had to show that their performance on the course meets, or on the whole goes beyond, the standards in both assessment components: teaching practice and written assignments. Using these skills hit them hard and frustration was shown. In my position, as the trainer, I came up against a barrier of ignorance to English grammar, language and learning styles that it seemed like I was starting anew with some students. I ended up teaching them from scratch when I should have been teaching them to be teachers. This was exacerbated by me then having to embed these factors into my teaching methods such as communicative language teaching or task-based language teaching that I used. These method-based pedagogies brought critical discourse and discussion to the fore. Students did only see the end product of performing in the classroom before unearthing or learning and realising the fundamentals of English language before the start of the course. This hindered my actual work. Initially, having only been in this job for a short time I had to make inroads into the problem. My employer and I discussed having a grammar/language module before the students started on the course. Unfortunately, they completed this after the twenty hours of classroom study with their eight other written essay modules. I advised him that when I did my TESOL certificate, the school sent me a learner’s pack and within that I had grammar and language assignments; not far reaching exercises, but just as a refresher pack to get me ready for the course which definitely highlighted the skills I would need. My employer gave me good feedback, and it was hoped this could be introduced. Hopefully, our company could prepare them for better for the course and make them aware of an English teacher’s basic knowledge.
The question that now arises is: what is being done to cease this lack of literacy together with numeracy? In respect to this, as a way to not only avoid a (functional) skills shortage but also youth unemployment, back in 2007 the Labour government laid down plans for raising the school leaving age to 18. These plans were that by 2013 students would stay in education or training until they are 17 and come 2015 it will be 18 (Education and Skills Act 2008). The Wolf Report made this recommendation that ‘students who are under 19 and do not have GCSE A*-C in English and/or Maths should be required, as part of their programme, to pursue a course which either leads directly to these qualifications, or which provide significant progress towards future GCSE entry and success’ (Wolf, 2011, pg. 15). For example, this recommendation mirrors one fact that only 15 percent of students carry on with maths beyond compulsory education (Clark, 2012). All these factors work to solidifying the curriculum to achieve Maths and English for 14-19 year olds.
Above all students still need to be better qualified, skillful, employable young adults. For example, the Department of Education data showed ‘58.6 per cent achieved 5 or more GCSEs at grade A* to C or equivalent including English and Mathematics GCSEs or iGCSEs’ in 2011/12 (Department of Education, Oct 2012, pg.1). Additionally, Labour Leader Ed Miliband at the Labour Party Conference talked about his idea of the TechBac for the “forgotten 50%” that do not go to university (Milliband, 2 October 2012). Students would be able to start at 14 with academic and practical courses. On this note, Lord Baker of Dorking moved in front of Labour by introducing his own Technical Baccalaureate. Lord Baker’s Technical Baccalaureate would create not only technical subjects but also practical and vocational which would include functional skills in English and Maths which is an extended project and thinking and employability skills with English and maths at levels 2 and 3. This innovative proposal for a Technical Baccalaureate it was noted still needs working on, but there will be a pilot project and could be offered as early as 2014. This hopes again a new program will change the fortunes of young teens/adults who are technically/vocationally minded where they can be furthered in all their educational and employability skills to progress forward and achieve the desired qualifications and more.
To conclude this view of functional skills (literacy and numeracy) within the 14-19 education sector, this essay has shown that there is a need for young students to achieve not only the basic skills but also progressively higher skills. It was shown how vital education is for young students to have the right training and skills given to them, so they can confidently go through college and pursue a valuable career where functional skills and also every child matters aims can be truly achieved. Then, the government will be able to say that young students are properly equipped for the challenges of life and their career path.
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References
Clark, L (2012) Michael Gove: New ‘real life’ maths curriculum for sixth formers, Mail Online. accessed 1 December 2012, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225584/Michael-Gove-New-real-life-maths-curriculum-sixth-formers.html>
Department of education, (2012) GCSE AND EQUIVALENT RESULTS IN ENGLAND 2011/12 (PROVISIONAL) http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001094/sfr25-2012.pdf
Education and Skills Act 2008. (2008). Education and Skills Act 2008. Norwich, TSO.
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. (2008). Skills for life: progress in improving adult literacy and numeracy. London, Stationery Office.
Lee, J (2012) Lord Baker leapfrogs government with plans for his own TechBac, TES, accessed 10 November 2012, < http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6309518>.
Miliband, A (2013) BBC News – Labour conference: Ed Miliband speech in full. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19803646. [Accessed 11November 2013].
Wolf, A (2011) Review of Vocational Education: The Wolf Report, Stationery Office.
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Inclusive Learning with Multiple Intelligences: we are all unique in our own way
(1567 Words)
‘Every child matter’ was the bold statement that put out a strong message for all teachers: a fact that subsequently continue to reverberate through inclusive learning and differentiation in the classroom in the modern day classroom. The child-focused initiative launched by the then British Labour Government in a green paper to be followed by the Children’s Act 2004 highlights that the classroom is full of individuals all with their learning abilities, methods, and idiosyncrasies. Improving and progressing, the all-inclusive learning experience for students developed further with the ‘Developing and Embedding Inclusive Policy and Practice of Higher Education’ which was launched in 2007. One example of this 2007 policy’s holistic outlook focuses on the courses that are being studied, and that the approach by teachers could be obstructing the learning of the students that do not include all individuals. Thus, teachers adapting the classes to all complements each student. This would demonstrate that inclusive learning and differentiation are paramount and are a dominant force for change that tries to give empowering success in every student. This brings forth, and the focus of this piece of writing, the ideas of the American psychologist Howard Gardner and his theory of Multiple Intelligences, from his book Frames of Mind (1983): looking after the needs of all students and their unique learning and performing methods in the classroom. Basically stated one student could work better by using their practical knowledge while another by their theoretical knowledge; recognising the fact that these two students are learning the same subject matter. I will further discuss the attributes of Multiple Intelligences highlighting first that individuals have cognitive nuances and hidden abilities, moving onto an example of a kinesthetic model that has the students actively working on the subject matter. I will then talk about creating interest for the students through their understanding of the lesson and also onto the actual students’ intelligence and the teacher underestimating them. I will finally discuss going beyond the norm for teachers and them not taking classes or the individual students for granted.
Having studied beforehand about functional skills and the embedding process in the class, at that time I was drawn to Howard Gardener‘s ideas which subsequently to this writing led me to a closer inquiry into Gardner’s theory and how different formats for the students would help with inclusive learning and differentiation. In this respect, I have increasingly become encouraged by cognitive-contextual theories. This theory deals with the way that cognitive processes operate in various environmental contexts. Thus, to explain Gardner’s theories in further detail, if we presume that each student has different learning abilities and each can acquire a subject constituent but in different ways, we can say that intelligence comprises multiple abilities. Each individual has his or her way of studying. We can break down these abilities/intelligences into categories that as a teacher can be manipulated into lesson plans as helping to achieve more from the individual students, recognising their differences. Gardener’s ideas are far reaching but from the perspective of the classroom for my classes, I feel that teachers should nurture the talents that each student holds; thus helping to produce better knowledge and understanding of the subject matter in question. This key point was highlighted also by Carol A. Tomlinson when she mentioned ‘teachers in healthy classrooms work continually to ‘tame’ their students: to see who they really are, what makes them unique in this world’ (p31. 1999). Overall, it is a focus to exploit these (in a certain way, ‘hidden’) talents that will hopefully use the concepts of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, incorporated onto inclusive learning, to come to the surface. This, of course, means using differing structures in the teacher’s class that will in time show the teacher how their students are developing as a group and individuals.
Moreover, a ‘multiple intelligence (MI)’ example is bodily / kinesthetic. This is the theory that can be used to encourage students to prepare role-plays, dramatic plays, or practical tasks. It gets them off their seats interpersonally and emotionally mixing with other students. Some students will excel with this format. These kinesthetic types of people are strong in acting, using tools, and athletics. They like to move around, touch and talk. This, when used in class, gives the students social interaction. This is especially good for students who love getting up and doing. It gives them a chance to present material to their peers while appreciating the use of this language. The students can take the key subject matter and use the essence of it to translate the ideas into movement.
It is with this theory that teachers can use the knowledge gained about intelligences to spark all students into getting an understanding of the key concepts they are making in that specific lesson which the student might not get from other mundane methods. This is notwithstanding that each student will start to feel they are contributing and playing a vital role in the class’ progression that encapsulates inclusive learning and differentiation; hopefully removing competition. This will in turn help develop students’ proficiency in learning and progressing through the curriculum. It is a truth that some students can go through a lesson not realising that they are leading somewhere. If the key point is reminded to them in certain processes that encourage their talents to come to the surface, during the class they will hopefully come to realise and figure the lesson out. Hopefully, the additional stages of the lesson will be clearer to the student. It is up to the teacher to be capable of making these methods available for the students and recognising when they comprehend what is put in front of them by the teacher. The teacher is trying to get the students to process all the information they have given for the students to formulate it and understand in his or her own way. The goal is to get the students to acquire that day’s learning objectives inclusively delivered with the theory of multiple intelligences as a powerful support. It is a classic model by which to understand many aspects of human intelligence as the students begin to show their knowledge.
Furthermore, to give an example of a student’s intelligence in use, a student does poorly on the type of correlation question in a test. You could find that a possible conclusion is that the student does not reason well. Some teachers might think that the student is not capable. An equally plausible interpretation, however, is that the student does not understand the words or is unable to read them in the first place. A student seeing the analogy (valiant, faint-hearted, mollify) might be unable to solve it because of a lack of reasoning ability, but a more likely possibility is that the student does not know the meanings of the words. A cognitive analysis enables the interpreter of the test score to determine both the degree to which the poor score is due to low reasoning ability and the degree to which it is a result of not understanding the words. It is important to distinguish between the two interpretations of the low score because they have different implications for understanding the intelligence of the student. A student might be excellent at reasoning but have only a modest vocabulary or vice versa. This example is for all teachers to start research in which they find how the students react to certain classroom techniques incorporated through inclusive learning. Teachers need to see how they can raise understanding through certain tasks. Then, they can see that every student does have a talent and is capable of learning in their own way.
It could be said that the school/college systems for these students often focus on a narrow range of intelligence that involves primarily verbal/linguistic and logical/mathematical skills. Most academic knowledge is presented for learning by means of an extremely limited (or limiting) methodology and the acquisition of that knowledge is evaluated by means of rote tests, whereby the best grades are assigned to students who demonstrate the greatest ability for memorization. It is the idea that there is a single intelligence. It is this narrow-mindedness that teacher should come to realise. Multiple Intelligence theory should expand lessons to new places with experimenting. This experimenting with students’ inner intelligences can be multiple. This can include at a minimum of linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences. The teacher will come to realise that each individual has their own talents that can shine in the classroom and other students will come to respect.
To conclude, it has been shown that recognising that each student has a unique method of comprehending what the teacher has demonstrated/shown the students. Inclusive learning means caring for everyone’s needs and no one is left behind. It has been discussed that this can be helped by a teacher using different methods to create learning environments that can change perceptions of learning not only in the students but also in the teacher. The teacher can hopefully see that potential is there where beforehand using other more methodical methods they and their classes would have failed to create that spark in students. It is also hoped the theory of multiple intelligences emphasises the creation of different methods which highlights inclusive learning and differentiation that encompasses varied skills, attitudes, abilities and potential.
References
Gardner. H, 1983. Frames of Mind – the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Underlining and Notation Edition. Basic Books.
Higher Education Academy. 2010. Developing and embedding inclusive policy. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/inclusion/DevelopingEmbeddingInclusivePolicyPractice_ReportFinal.pdf. [Accessed 28 November 12].
Tomlinson C. A, 1999. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. 1 Edition. Pearson.
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