A degree of difference

Herin, Maryam and Tight, Malcolm (2018) A degree of difference. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

It has been acknowledged that more research is required in the area of Foundation Degree study and this research both contributes new findings and develops the existing knowledge base. This research is based on a case study of a corporate Foundation Degree and demonstrates how the different enactment of the degree can improve the impact for individual employees, the organisation and have lessons for Higher Education. It discusses features, which could be useful more widely, so as to add more value for stakeholders in the Foundation Degree and beyond. This is in an environment where student fees and the increasing commercialisation of education and the need for graduates to have economically-viable skills are critical for sustainable growth. The methodology is based on a case study supported by a framework for analysis and using thematic analysis to compare with Foundation Degree approaches in two other Education Institutions to enrich the depth of evaluation of the data. A series of semi-structured interviews and surveys were used to obtain data from the key management, graduates and students involved, along with secondary data published from the relevant period. The findings demonstrate that the case study degree is different in the way it enacts several key features of the degree process. These differences are important because they show a different learning experience for the students, which result in significant impact for individual skills, learning, development and significant impact on business results, all of which are sorely needed in today’s competitive environment. There are similarities with approaches from other Foundation Degrees, i.e. the support, skills and oversight required by academic institutions. Learning is observed generally from the experience of the of the Foundation Degree which may contribute to future Higher Education strategies and realisation of benefits in practice along with continued assurance of academic standards and quality in practice.