ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces ‘Masonfield’, the city in which the case study research was conducted. It outlines the origins and early development of Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) in Masonfield Education Authority, provides a short description of the five high schools which participated in TVEI pilot. The chapter considers the state of play with respect to equal opportunities prior to the introduction of TVEI in the city. It also considers both the appropriateness of Masonfield as the case study site and the strengths of methodological triangulation in carrying out the case study research. The chapter addresses the question ‘why Masonfield?’ Why is Masonfield deemed to be a suitable site for a case study of TVEI and its equal opportunities policy? Relatedly, how generalisable are the findings of the specific case study? Each of the five pilot schools appointed a coordinator who had responsibility for planning, implementing and monitoring TVEI in his or her respective school.
