The role of academic staff governors at three outstanding general further education colleges in England

This thesis aims to explore Academic Staff Governor (ASG) roles at three Outstanding Further Education colleges in England. Uniquely, the research focuses on types of ASG activities; ASGs’ professional and power status and the understanding of the role. The study draws upon relevant literature to identify concepts related to governors’ roles and activities. An interpretivist stance is used to collect predominantly qualitative data through a combined methods approach, and to engage with ASGs and external governors. During fieldwork, qualitative and quantitative evidence from six semi-structured interviews; 35 questionnaire responses, observations of 8 governance meetings and governance documents, was analysed. Findings suggest that ASGs’ insiderness; their affiliation with other groups and decision-making circumstances may influence their governing activities. Activities rooted in operational settings such as professional-information giving were highly-valued by other governors, while there were uncertainties about the benefit of having managerial staff as ASGs. The research also identified ASGs’ relatively low power status which in turn may affect their professional status. There was evidence indicating uncertainty amongst the college staff regarding the role of an ASG in the colleges’ boards. As a result of the study, to aid understanding and to conceptualise an ASG’s role in FE colleges, ‘The 3 RaPs Framework’ and ‘The Restricted Professional Model’ of an ASG have been developed. For relevant practitioners, organisations and policymakers, the research recommends clear and specific role descriptions for ASG posts; action to develop ASGs’ professionality as teachers and to allow more opportunities for ASGs to act as governors. Finally, further research opportunities are identified in order to research ASGs’ professional profiles in the FE sector; ASGs’ personality characteristics; clarity of ASG role in educational governance; the role in high performing and underperforming colleges; and the role in the wider global educational governance.