LEARNER PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH: page 5

Research which has drawn on the perspectives of all adults has highlighted that a lack of knowledge of educational opportunities is a major barrier to participation in learning (Munn and Macdonald, 1988; Fitzgerald et al, 2002; Walters and Quilter 2003).
- The information needs of learners vary greatly, but generally they need to know:
- what is available;
- where and when;
- the nature of the programme;
- what qualification, if any, it leads to;
- the level of study;
- how they will learn, be assessed and supported;
- what it could lead on to, and progression routes;
- the time and costs involved;
- transport;
- childcare;
- the various financial costs involved;
- any practical help that will be available to them.
Providing IAG services is not enough. People need to know how to access them, what help they can provide (Meagher and Robson, 1998), and the services must be provided in a form which is suited to the needs of the people who are using them (McGivney, 1999a).
Young people contemplating making transitions may not always get the information and advice they need after they leave school; they do not always get the same support at college as they had at school, and this could lead them to drop out; some young people and their parents were not aware of the opportunities available at college (HMIE, 2002).
FE students place an emphasis on the need for general help, learning support and guidance with studies as well as advice and support with financial and personal issues (Scottish Funding Councils, 2003)
Many young people living in areas of deprivation hold the views that college is 'not for the likes of them', and had a lack of information about the potential role of college (Gallacher et al, 2000)
University students want more detailed, better focused and more impartial information on specific courses, institutions and aspects of student life (Connor et al, 1999).
The key information needs in relation to learning opportunities of adults who are thinking of taking the first steps back into learning include the locality of provision, that this is accessible and near in both a physical sense, and cultural sense in that there will be "people like them" involved (McGivney, 2000 a; Gallacher et al, 2000; Scottish Executive 2001).
Many older learners report finding it difficult to find support agencies with staff with the expertise and experience to help them, in terms of being able to empathise and provide the sort of practical help they need (Carlton and Soulsby,1999; DfES, 2003b).
There are particular IAG needs for people who have disabilities, and they express a high level of dissatisfaction with what is currently available (DfES, 2003a; Hall and Tinklin, 1998).
There is limited research undertaken which has attempted to elicit the views on IAG of minority ethnic groups (Ball et al, 2002).

All learners and potential learners use a range of formal and informal sources of IAG in relation to learning opportunities.
Informal networks of family, friends, people in the local area, peers and school teachers are important members of these networks for learners and potential learners (Slowey, 2003; KMPG, 2003; Semple et al, 2002). The particular networks which are important vary depending on the educational and social characteristics of the learners.
The workplace is also a common source of IAG for all learners and potential learners (Fitzgerald et al, 2002: Hawthorn et al 2002; McGivney 1999c).
Other sources of information used by all learners, although to a greater or lesser degree by those who are in participant or non-participant groups include: job centres and job clubs; careers service; educational institutions; learndirect and other telephone helplines; publicity material; the media; libraries; the internet; visits and open days.
Shops, supermarkets, pubs and doctor's surgeries are locations that have been used to some effect to make information on learning available to non traditional learners (Gallacher et al, 2000; McGivney, 1999a; McGivney, 1999c; McKeeking et al, 2002; Sargant, 2000; Scottish Executive, 2001), or have been suggested as good locations for this by learners and other adults (Progressive Partnership, 2003; Scottish Executive, 2001).
Several studies point to the actual or potential use of adults and young people who are currently learners to act as 'ambassadors', to encourage non-participants into learning, or to encourage those engaged in informal learning or other activities to engage in formal learning (Bond and Merrill, 1999; McGivney, 1999a; McGivney, 1999c; McGivney, 2000a; McKeeking et al, 2002; Scottish Executive, 2001).
Involvement in activities or organisations not directly connected to learning can give adults access to information and advice on learning. Amongst the activities that are named are toddlers' groups, family learning schemes, literacy workshops, community groups (Bond and Merrill, 1999; McGivney, 1999c; NICEC, 1998a; Progressive Partnership, 2003; Scottish Executive, 2001).
Professionals other than those working in the careers guidance field, such as social workers, health workers, community education workers, housing officers, those working for religious organisations, can be important ways for people to access information (Anderson and Crossan, in press; Gallacher et al, 2000; McGivney, 1999a; NICEC, 1998a; Scottish Executive, 2001).
Conventional approaches to publicity, such as prospectuses, do not work very well with groups who do not traditionally participate (McGivney, 2000a; Gallacher et al, 2000).
Adverts in local and community newspapers can be effective (Gallacher et al, 2000; Merrill, 1999; McGivney, 1999b; Scottish Executive, 2001).
Careers guidance has not generally been found to be a significant source of guidance on learning for adults (Bond and Merrill, 1999; McGivney, 1999b).
Many potential learners do not have the confidence to walk into a college to ask about courses, but community based learning centres are more attractive than the more anonymous main colleges (Gallacher et al, 2000; Merrill, 1999).
Telephone help-lines are often not the most appropriate or effective method for non-traditional groups. This can be because phoning a helpline requires an understanding of the information, advice or guidance one needs, and a level of confidence, that many in the non-traditional groups do not have (McGivney, 1999a; NICEC, 1998a).
Research highlights the impact that relevant and targeted IAG can have. For example in a recent study of people who had received support from an organisation providing some form of IAG, 80% of respondents felt that they had benefited from the service they had received (mtl, 2003).
Morris et al (2002) carried out research on learner support arrangements for 16-19 year olds in England. They found that young people generally thought positively of the support they received, when the support was planned, integrated and targeted.
Research undertaken by HMIE (2002) illustrates that the lack of good IAG for young people studying at college can contribute to drop out from courses. Similarly other studies have shown that for young people, being placed on inappropriate courses through lack of good transitional guidance, or lack of good guidance at college, can lead to higher rates of drop out (Sadler, 2002; Martinez, 2001).
Overall, in relation to the FE sector the findings from research highlights both the importance of IAG, and its potential for improvement (Martinez 2001; Sadler, 2002).
As with research in the FE sector, IAG is shown to have an impact on drop out in the HE sector (Christie et al, unpublished; Ozga and Sukhnandan, 1998).
It has been suggested that those most likely to need vocational guidance are those least likely to receive it; and where it is available those who need it most are least likely to use it (Clayton and McGill (2000).

Generally, all learners want information on the implications of participation in learning.
Within the HE sector, IAG in relation to finance for both students and their parents is important (Conner et al, 1999; Watts et al, 2001).
Within HE, most applicants are aware of level of fees, but needed clear information about how this related to level of family income (Watts et al, 2001).
Research in the higher education sector has shown that for people in lower social classes, information about the financial implications of HE study is key. A reason for not going to university, but also a concern of current students and likely entrants from lower social classes, was given as lack of knowledge of likely costs and income sources, and the likely financial outcomes of HE study later on (Connor et al, 2001). Part time students in HE generally receive less IAG than full time on aspects of study, including finance.
Disabled students in HE often do not know that they are eligible for extra support (Hall and Tinklin , 1998).
In the FE sector, students have reported that adequate advice and support with financial and personal issues as important. This became more important as age of students increases (Scottish Funding Councils, 2003).
Regarding the financial implications of participation in FE, it is shown that whilst there was some awareness amongst a mixed occupational adult group of student loans, bursaries and company sponsorship, there was little awareness of other funding opportunities, including Fee Waivers. Overall, respondents felt they lacked knowledge on the exact costs of courses (Progressive Partnership, 2003).
In FE, people in lower social classes often lack information on financial aspects of participation in FE, including student support and many want more information on this. Some students erroneously thought that they were ineligible support when they were in effect eligible. FE students reported that many course leaflets did not have all the information they needed, especially related to costs (Callander, 1999).
FE students often do not get IAG about financial aspects of study, before starting their course (Callander, 1999).
For those who do not readily participate in learning, there is evidence of lack of understanding about costs that participation in learning might involve (Watters and Quillan, 2003)
Lack of understanding amongst non-participants of the costs involved and funding that would be available, including the impact on benefits is a factor. Respondents report having significant problems getting hold of this information (Meagher and Robson, 1998).
However, knowing that participation in learning may be financial beneficial, and include travel and childcare costs, can encourage non-participant groups (Gallacher et al, 2000).
For particular groups, such as unemployed men, advice on the effects of participation on benefits is particularly important (McGivney 1999c).
For young people leaving care advice on the effects of participation on benefits is particularly important (Allen, 2003).
Disaffected young people, need to know how participation will affect benefits, and also any financial support for learning (Gallacher et al, 2000).
Older people need to know if there is cost associated with the classes, any fee arrangements. Its is also important that classes are timed in a way that they will be able to use, for example, concessions on public transport (Carlton and Souslby, 1999).

How successful are existing IAG agencies, such as Careers Scotland and Learndirect/SufI, in reaching traditional non participants in education and training; what is the perception of these organisations among learners and potential learners; and what measures could be taken to strengthen their work with non participant groups?
Are there measures which could be taken to strengthen the informal networks which are important sources of IAG for many learners?
How do learners and potential learners, particularly those from traditional non participant groups, obtain information about financial and funding issues, and could this provision be improved?

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LEARNER PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH: page 5

LEARNER PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH

SECTION FIVE: SUMMARY