Abstract

This article argues that professional identity is central to the quality of educational provision, especially in vocational Further Education (FE). It revisits a relational and sociological approach to the study of teaching and learning, developed over a decade ago in Transforming Learning Cultures in FE, which is still the only large independent research project of its kind. The article illustrates the capacity of the 'learning cultures' approach to foster a deep understanding of professional identity and practice in context. More specifically, the analysis underlines the importance of 'dual professionalism' in vocational provision. Brief attention is given to the current process of Area Based Reviews and the currently influential Sainsbury review of technical education. The article concludes that there continues to be insufficient attention paid to professional identity as a resource in high quality provision.

How to Cite:

James, D., (2017) “Professional Identity, Learning Cultures and Educational Quality: Some Lessons from Further Education”, Wales Journal of Education 19(1), 107-124. doi: https://doi.org/10.16922/wje.19.1.6