Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is a survival guide to teaching adults in FE. Amanda Hayes places students at the heart of teaching and learning and provides readers with practical strategies to help them create a stimulating and effective learning environment in college, workplace and community venues.

A wide range of issues are covered including: catering for different learning styles, managing learner's expectations, promoting diversity and social inclusion, learning in the workplace and dealing with punctuality and retention.

A variety of approaches are presented from which the reader can develop effective teaching and support strategies for their own situation and ensure that their adult students successfully gain academic and vocational skills, as well as self confidence.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Series Foreword (p. ix)
• Series Introduction (p. xiii)
• Acknowledgements (p. xv)
• Introduction (p. xvi)
• 1 Why adult students are different (p. 1)
• What do we mean by an adult learner? (p. 1)
• Why adults return to education (p. 2)
• Can you teach an old dog new tricks? (p. 3)
• Preferred learning styles (p. 3)
• Education in the æschool of lifeÆ (p. 4)
• Adult students' expectations of the course (p. 8)
• 2 A curriculum for work and life (p. 13)
• So what is the purpose of education for adults? (p. 13)
• Post-war education provision for adults (p. 14)
• The learning and skills sector (p. 16)
• A curriculum for the learning and skills sector (p. 18)
• Flexible programming and the National Credit Framework (p. 18)
• Curriculum innovation (p. 19)
• Vocational education (p. 20)
• Recent government initiatives to promote vocational learning (p. 21)
• Why learning work skills is important for adults (p. 22)
• How to make vocational learning attractive to adult students (p. 23)
• Workplace cultures as danger zones (p. 25)
• I've changed my mind! (p. 26)
• Delivering the curriculum dream (p. 27)
• 3 Promoting equality and diversity (p. 29)
• The widening Participation and social justice agendas (p. 29)
• Institutionalized prejudice including racism and sexism (p. 31)
• Reflecting on our own practice (p. 32)
• Dealing with differences and commonalties between students and social groups (p. 35)
• Race (p. 37)
• Gender (p. 37)
• Teaching students with disabilities or learning difficulties (p. 38)
• Dealing with the subject of disability with our students (p. 43)
• Age (p. 44)
• Managing the ignorance or intolerance of others and improving practice (p. 47)
• 4 Effective strategies to widen participation (p. 50)
• Market research and publicity (p. 50)
• Widening participation and learning pathways projects (p. 53)
• Pre-course information, advice and guidance (p. 57)
• Student choices and equal opportunities (p. 59)
• Selection (p. 60)
• Pre-entry screening, placement and diagnostic tests (p. 61)
• 5 Getting down to teaching and learning (p. 64)
• Learning in FE (p. 64)
• Getting started (p. 65)
• Style is as important as content (p. 67)
• Content and materials (p. 69)
• Teaching and learning (p. 70)
• A sense of belonging to the class and the college (p. 73)
• Health and safety (p. 73)
• Final thoughts (p. 74)
• 6 Improving punctuality and attendance (p. 75)
• Student punctuality and retention as major policy and performance issues (p. 76)
• Why don't adult students attend regularly and on time? (p. 76)
• Physical and mental ill health (p. 78)
• Poverty and keeping one step ahead of the Department for Work and Pensions (p. 79)
• Accommodation (p. 80)
• External pressures of work and family (p. 81)
• The college experience as a contributory factor in non-completion (p. 82)
• Lack of confidence and stress (p. 83)
• Fear of success (p. 86)
• The control of knowledge and communicating respect for cultural identity (p. 86)
• Time pressures linked to drop-out are not as simple as they appear (p. 88)
• Why poor punctuality needs to be challenged and managed (p. 89)
• Discussing lateness with students (p. 92)
• Managing student absence (p. 92)
• Strategies to improve retention (p. 94)
• Is this a battle we can win? (p. 97)
• 7 Supporting adult learners (p. 100)
• A holistic approach to supporting learners (p. 100)
• Identifying support needs and promoting available services (p. 102)
• Induction (p. 103)
• Tutorials and supporting academic work (p. 105)
• The ækey tutorÆ-role model, mentor and advocate (p. 106)
• Study skills and time management (p. 108)
• Support from peers, family and friends (p. 109)
• 8 Recognizing achievement and recording progression (p. 110)
• Qualification-bearing courses (p. 111)
• Non-qualification-bearing courses (p. 111)
• The lecturer and RARPA/REX (p. 113)
• Identifying students' starting points (p. 114)
• Feedback about learning (p. 116)
• Discussing achievement with students (p. 118)
• Summative assessment (p. 120)
• Progression (p. 120)
• Appendices
• I Abbreviations and acronyms (p. 123)
• II Useful organizations and websites (p. 126)
• III Bibliography (p. 131)
• Index (p. 137)