Inputs, outputs, outcomes - osu: what students put into and got out of a karate TOP course

Abstract

This study investigated the experiences of a group of people who took part in a Training Opportunities Programme offered by a karate training provider. It assessed what could be learned about the needs of trainees on this course and evaluated how far they were met by the programme. Research methods were premised on the principles of qualitative research, in particular a 'fourth generation' type evaluation was conducted. This was set against evaluation outcomes required by Education and Training Support Agency (ETSA) as managers of TOP courses. Key issues were identified in the literature, including growth of training courses in West-European type economies and links between unemployment and social and emotional problems. The reading highlighted limitations in the effectiveness of schools and training courses in a climate of significant unemployment. The research found that many course participants had definite needs congruent with those often cited as placing young people 'at risk' to themselves and/or to society. While labelling was not preferred, 'at risk' status was considered to highlight deficits in social policy at compulsory and post-school level in preparing young people for adulthood. The study concluded that ETSA's evaluation outcomes of employment or further training did not sufficiently recognise vital work that the provider carried out in addressing trainees' wider needs or the value that trainees attributed to this aspect of the course experience. Recommendations included: better co-ordination between government agencies in assisting the unemployed; a greater emphasis in secondary education on providing success for students; more status for less academic subjects and a full recognition of the importance of the transition from school to the outside world, reflecting Clarence Beeby's vision of an education system which caters for all at this critical point in the life history.