ABSTRACT
It is the conventional wisdom that further education is under-researched. It is not straightforward to determine how true this is, but a lot depends on how the terms ‘further education’ and ‘research’ are defined. By some definitions there is plenty going on. This chapter will look at what definitions best fit further education and the link that needs to exist with its developmental needs. The many-faceted nature of further education and the fact that it relates to many other parts of the educational system, society, industry and the labour market, all mean that relevant research is both dispersed and lacking in coherence.
