Real lives, imagined futures: stories of participation and progression through the Open University professional qualification in youth work

Golding, Tyrrell; Harrison, Roger and Harrison, Stephen (2012). Real lives, imagined futures: stories of participation and progression through the Open University professional qualification in youth work. In: Developing Internships and Work Based Learning Opportunities for Mature Students: Creating Opportunities and Raising Aspirations, 31 Oct 2012, Milton Keynes, UK.

URL: http://www.open.ac.uk/about/inclusion-and-curricul...

Abstract

This presentation draws on data from a small qualitative study eliciting stories of progression towards professional status from students on a youth work programme. The students were selected from each of the three levels of the Open University’s professional qualification in Youth Work. In seeking to elicit biographical narratives the study is able to make connections between the personal, social and occupational factors which shape the hopes, fears and performance of these students. In examining these narratives of progression towards professional status we hope to gain some insights into the challenges faced by those designing and delivering work based programmes of study for mature students in higher education.

The presentation will:
•Establish the nature of the professional field in which this programme is located, acknowledging that journeys to professional status differ between occupational groupings.
•Identify the nature of the programme these students are pursuing – work based learning within a distance teaching format and conforming to a specific regulatory framework.
•Examine the narratives of progression which have emerged from the research and the kind of questions these raise for educators.

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