Jonathan Tummons – författare

The idea is to move away from thinking about difficult or 'bad' students towards thinking about difficult relationships or environments. This process of change already allows the practitioner to reflect in a far more constructive and objective manner. This process of reflection and evaluation also allows the practitioner to acknowledge their own feelings in this process. Whilst there are strategies that can help in a reactive sense to situations and behaviours as they occurs such as body language and proxemics there are no 'quick fixes' to deal with what are extremely complicated and complex relationships and situations.

This is where a solution-focused approach can be helpful as it is brief and effective. It can be brief because it is future-focused and because it works with the strengths of those who come by making the best use of their resources, and it can bring about lasting change because it aims to build solutions rather than solve problems i.e. identifying small baby steps towards a bigger end goal. Thus this approach, whilst initially daunting, allows the practitioner to be freed of the shackles of 'labels' that are neither helpful nor constructive and instead becomes a powerful tool for transforming negative learning environments.

There are practical strategies and reflective tasks that encourage readers to become critical, questioning practitioners. Other helpful features include:

Using a step-by-step approach the book tackles common thorny issues such as:

This book is essential reading for students who are training to work in the lifelong learning sector or practitioners who are undertaking CPD to maintain their license to practice.

“Many teachers training in the lifelong learning sector, as well as those going on to do foundation, honours and masters degrees in education, find the prospect of carrying out educational research for the first time daunting. Thus far, they have been reliant on generic educational research textbooks. Jonathan Tummons’ and Vicky Duckworth’s excellent work now guides them clearly and supportively through the research journey in a way which is underpinned by the authors’ deep understanding of both the sector and nature of the challenge of the research task to the student, using an informal and accessible written style.”Andy Armitage, Head of the Department of Post-Compulsory Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK

“This book combines sound practical advice with an exploration of the philosophical and methodological concepts underpinning educational research. Often drawing on the authors’ own experiences, it makes a convincing case for the practitioner as researcher and draws clear and appropriate attention to the purposes, uses and dissemination of small scale research.”Susan Wallace, Professor of Continuing Education, Nottingham Trent University, UK

This book will equip the practitioner with the skills required to implement change within problematic relationships and environments, and to explore a range of possible reasons as to ‘why students behave in the way they do’.

Understanding Behaviour 14+ challenges existing paradigms in order to break down barriers; substituting and encouraging professional responsibility for promoting positive relationships rather than the passive acceptance of unwanted behaviors, or a reliance on a culture of ‘blame’.

Key features of the book include:

“The effective management of the behaviour of 14+ learners has become a key issue across the school and lifelong learning sectors. The new Ofsted Schools, Common Inspection Framework and Initial Teacher Education Framework have behaviour management as a central focus. The raising of the participation age (RPA) will require teachers to manage the learning of a wider range of students in an increasingly broader spectrum of institutional contexts. Understanding Behaviour 14+ will be a welcome resource for these teachers, whether more or less experienced. The authors recognize that there are no quick fixes to deal with what are extremely complicated relations and situations and avoid a ‘tips for teachers’ approach to behaviour management. They emphasise the importance of understanding why students behave the way they do and, with an excellent blend of theory and practice, encourage teachers to use reflection and to take solution- rather than problem-based approaches to managing behaviour. The text is highly accessible and issues are practically grounded in real life case studies.”Andy Armitage is Head of The Department of Post-Compulsory Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He recently completed a year’s secondment to Ofsted as an inspector of Initial Teacher Education

Each entry provides a succinct and helpful overview for busy students and practitioners, and includes:

"This book is an excellent entry point for anyone who wants to know more about lifelong learning and the lifelong learning sector. Jonathan Tummons and Ewan Ingleby combine scholarship and experience of the sector with the outcomes of their own research to create a valuable addition to the literature on lifelong learning. If you are unfamiliar with the territory of lifelong learning, this book gives you the map."

Pete Scales, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Derby, UK

"In their introduction, Tummons and Ingleby describe the breadth and complexity of the lifelong learning sector with its wide range of educational institutions, programmes of study, contexts and settings and diverse student and teacher populations. That it manages so comprehensively to encompass this sector, from ''Accreditation of Prior Learning'' to ''Zone of Proximal Development'', is one of the key achievements of this text. This text will be invaluable to all those teaching or studying in the sector and will be particularly useful for those outside the sector baffled by the myriad topics, theories, policies, processes which are current within it - indeed, there is even an entry on ''Jargon''!"Andrew Armitage, Head of the Department of Post-Compulsory Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK

"This is a welcome and timely text. This simple A-Z of the sector provides a much needed overview of that complexity. For the novice unfamiliar with the pedagogies, philosophies and policies that define working with adults, this A-Z of Lifelong Learning is an accessible introduction. The seasoned professional familiar with a particular institutional setting will appreciate gaining depth and insight into the workings of an entirely different educational context. The reader is left curious and inspired, wanting to follow up and find out more. Yet, each entry provides just enough detail to stimulate thought and discussion."Carol Azumah Dennis, PCET Programme Director, University of Hull, UK

What does ‘professionalism’ mean for teachers and trainers in further education colleges or adult education centres? Over the last twenty years, ideas about professionalism and professional identity within the post-compulsory sector have been shaped and reshaped by successive policies, standards, and professional bodies. Yet, these ideas themselves remain controversial and continue to be the focus of debate as well as research.

This book gathers together a series of articles published over the last ten years, providing critical and research-based perspectives on professionalism within post-compulsory education and training. The twelve chapters that are presented here explore issues such as professional standards and continuing professional development and their impact on current definitions and frameworks of professionalism, as well as the policies that have shaped these processes. These are issues that are of relevance and importance not only to practitioners and researchers in the post-compulsory sector, but to anyone who is concerned with contemporary debates about what it means to be ‘a professional’ in education and training. The chapters in this book were originally published as articles in Research in Post-Compulsory Education.

What does ‘professionalism’ mean for teachers and trainers in further education colleges or adult education centres? Over the last twenty years, ideas about professionalism and professional identity within the post-compulsory sector have been shaped and reshaped by successive policies, standards, and professional bodies. Yet, these ideas themselves remain controversial and continue to be the focus of debate as well as research.

This book gathers together a series of articles published over the last ten years, providing critical and research-based perspectives on professionalism within post-compulsory education and training. The twelve chapters that are presented here explore issues such as professional standards and continuing professional development and their impact on current definitions and frameworks of professionalism, as well as the policies that have shaped these processes. These are issues that are of relevance and importance not only to practitioners and researchers in the post-compulsory sector, but to anyone who is concerned with contemporary debates about what it means to be ‘a professional’ in education and training. The chapters in this book were originally published as articles in Research in Post-Compulsory Education.

This book provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of the key issues surrounding the curriculum. Written for all those working towards QTLS, it provides examples and case studies from working FE colleges, adult education centres and work-based learning contexts as well as offering succinct summaries of key theories and debates relating to the curriculum. This fully revised Second Edition reflects the latest policies and thinking, has a new chapter on the implications of e-learning on curricula, and includes a full glossary of key terms and concepts.

Jonathan Tummons has worked in higher education since 1995. After six years as a lecturer in teacher education in the further education sector, in 2009 he took up his current post as senior lecturer in education at Teesside University where he is also research co-ordinator for education and a member of the management board for the Social Futures Institute, Teesside's research centre for the social sciences.

This book provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of the key issues surrounding the curriculum. Written for all those working towards QTLS, it provides examples and case studies from working FE colleges, adult education centres and work-based learning contexts as well as offering succinct summaries of key theories and debates relating to the curriculum. This fully revised Second Edition reflects the latest policies and thinking, has a new chapter on the implications of e-learning on curricula, and includes a full glossary of key terms and concepts.

Jonathan Tummons has worked in higher education since 1995. After six years as a lecturer in teacher education in the further education sector, in 2009 he took up his current post as senior lecturer in education at Teesside University where he is also research co-ordinator for education and a member of the management board for the Social Futures Institute, Teesside′s research centre for the social sciences.

Drawing on international research and professional practice, this book provides a rich, detailed, and accessible guide to Communities of Practice (CoP) theory, with information on how the theory is constructed, the research that it rests on, and the ways that it has been used in thinking about learning and teaching in the further and adult education sectors.

Exploring Communities of Practice in Further and Adult Education introduces CoP theory and the theory of learning that goes with it. It provides empirical examples of CoP research from a range of settings, including further and adult education, to illustrate how CoPs form and work within educational settings, including thinking about assessment and evaluation. It also explores how different CoPs work together and can learn from each other. With these key elements described, this book demonstrates how CoPs can be used in further and adult education settings to help understand more about how students and staff learn.

With engaging material including examples from research, prompts for professional learning, and case studies, this comprehensive and accessible title will appeal to student teachers and beginning teachers as well as more experienced teachers in the sector looking to refresh their practice.

Drawing on international research and professional practice, this book provides a rich, detailed, and accessible guide to Communities of Practice (CoP) theory, with information on how the theory is constructed, the research that it rests on, and the ways that it has been used in thinking about learning and teaching in the further and adult education sectors.

Exploring Communities of Practice in Further and Adult Education introduces CoP theory and the theory of learning that goes with it. It provides empirical examples of CoP research from a range of settings, including further and adult education, to illustrate how CoPs form and work within educational settings, including thinking about assessment and evaluation. It also explores how different CoPs work together and can learn from each other. With these key elements described, this book demonstrates how CoPs can be used in further and adult education settings to help understand more about how students and staff learn.

With engaging material including examples from research, prompts for professional learning, and case studies, this comprehensive and accessible title will appeal to student teachers and beginning teachers as well as more experienced teachers in the sector looking to refresh their practice.

Drawing on research and practice, this key text provides a rich, detailed, and accessible guide to Communities of Practice (CoPs) theory and how to implement it within higher education. It takes a detailed look at how the theory is constructed, the research that it rests on, and the ways that it has been used and can be used in the future.

Beginning by introducing CoP theory and the theory of learning that accompanies it, this book provides empirical examples of CoP research to illustrate how CoPs form and work within higher education. It also explores how different CoPs work together and can learn from each other. The key topics explored in the book allow the reader to critically understand how CoP theory can be used in higher education to enhance an understanding of how students, staff, and organisations learn.

Ideal reading for those researching higher education practices or undertaking higher education teaching qualifications as well as those currently teaching, this book provides a research-led and critical discussion of the current state of CoP-informed research into learning, teaching, and assessment practices alongside and interleaved with an exploration of how this same approach can be utilised for informing research.

Drawing on research and practice, this key text provides a rich, detailed, and accessible guide to Communities of Practice (CoPs) theory and how to implement it within higher education. It takes a detailed look at how the theory is constructed, the research that it rests on, and the ways that it has been used and can be used in the future.

Beginning by introducing CoP theory and the theory of learning that accompanies it, this book provides empirical examples of CoP research to illustrate how CoPs form and work within higher education. It also explores how different CoPs work together and can learn from each other. The key topics explored in the book allow the reader to critically understand how CoP theory can be used in higher education to enhance an understanding of how students, staff, and organisations learn.

Ideal reading for those researching higher education practices or undertaking higher education teaching qualifications as well as those currently teaching, this book provides a research-led and critical discussion of the current state of CoP-informed research into learning, teaching, and assessment practices alongside and interleaved with an exploration of how this same approach can be utilised for informing research.