Sue Granville and Diarmid Campbell-Jack
George Street Research
Scottish Executive Social Research
December 2006
ISBN 978 0 7559 6527 4 (Web only publication)
This document is also available in pdf format (809k)
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
SCOTLAND'S LIFELONG LEARNING STRATEGY
THE FUNDING FOR LEARNERS REVIEW
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE
APPROACH TO THE STUDY
QUERIES DEALT WITH EACH MONTH
CHAPTER 3: AWARENESS AND USAGE OF IAG
AWARENESS OF ALL FUNDING OPTIONS
SOURCES OF IAG EVER USED
AWARENESS OF SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
VIEWS OF LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
USAGE OF SEETLLDIAG
REGULARITY OF USING TYPES OF SEETLLDIAG
CHAPTER 4: USAGE OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS
OVERALL USAGE OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING LEAFLETS"
FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF SEETLLD LEAFLETS
BENEFITS OF "YOUR GUIDE TO FUNDING" LEAFLET
RANKING OF LEAFLETS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE
USEFULNESS OF LEAFLETS
THE VIEWS OF LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
CHAPTER 5: STUDENT SUPPORT AND BENEFITS ADVICE SERVICE ( CPAG)
USAGE OF CPAG HANDBOOK, ADVICE LINE AND EMAIL ADVICE LINE
CPAG ADVICE LINE
CPAG EMAIL ADVICE LINE
CPAG TRAINING COURSES
CHAPTER 6: FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
CHAPTER 7: BARRIERS TO USAGE
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE
FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING LEAFLETS
VIEWS OF LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
CHAPTER 8: AWARENESS OF CHANGES TO INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE PRODUCED BY THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
CHAPTER 9: INFORMATION PROVISION
PROVISION OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS
INTEREST IN PROVISION OF IAG
CHAPTER 10: THE FUTURE
ADDITIONAL GROUPS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM PROVISION OF LEAFLETS
IMPROVEMENTS TO INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
ONGOING PROVISION OF IAG
ATTITUDES TO IAG
CHAPTER 11: THE VIEWS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS OF LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
ASYLUM SEEKERS AND MIGRANT WORKERS
DISABLED STUDENTS
MATURE STUDENTS
PARENTS
CHAPTER 12: CONCLUSIONS
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE
APPENDIX B: TOPIC GUIDE
TABLES
TABLE 2.1 SAMPLE PROFILE
TABLE 2.2 PROFILE OF THOSE ATTENDING FOCUS GROUPS AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
TABLE 2.3 AVERAGE NUMBER OF QUERIES DEALT WITH EACH MONTH
TABLE 3.1 EXTENT OF AGREEMENT OF AWARENESS OF ALL THE FUNDING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
TABLE 3.2 SOURCES OF IAG WOULD EVER USE IN RELATION TO FUNDING QUERIES
TABLE 3.3 TYPES OF SEETLLDIAG EVER HEARD OF BY SUB-GROUP
TABLE 3.4 TYPES OF SEETLLDIAG EVER USED BY SUB-GROUP
TABLE 4.1 "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS USED (SPONTANEOUS)
TABLE 4.2 "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS USED (TOTAL: SPONTANEOUS AND PROMPTED)
TABLE 4.3 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS BY SUB-GROUP
TABLE 4.4 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
TABLE 4.5 NUMBER ORDERED OF SPECIFIC PUBLICATIONS
TABLE 8.1 AWARENESS OF CHANGES IN 2005 TO SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE IAG
TABLE 9.1 PREFERRED MEANS OF PROVISION OF IAG
TABLE 10.1 GROUPS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A SPECIFIC LEAFLET (TOTAL: SPONTANEOUS AND PROMPTED)
TABLE 10.2 GROUPS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A SPECIFIC LEAFLET (TOTAL: SPONTANEOUS AND PROMPTED) BY SUB-GROUPS WITHIN THE SAMPLE
TABLE 10.3 PROMPTED IMPROVEMENTS TO "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS (TOTAL: SPONTANEOUS AND PROMPTED)
TABLE 10.4 IMPROVEMENTS TO "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS (TOTAL: SPONTANEOUS AND PROMPTED)
TABLE 10.5 OTHER CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE TO PROVISION OF IAG
TABLE 10.6 EXTENT OF AGREEMENT THAT IAG SHOULD BE RETAINED
TABLE 10.7 EXTENT OF AGREEMENT WITH ATTITUDINAL STATEMENTS BY USERS OF ANY TYPE OF IAG
CHARTS
CHART 3.1 TYPES OF SEETLLDIAG EVER HEARD OF
CHART 3.2 USAGE OF SEETLLDIAG BY TOTAL SAMPLE
CHART 3.3 REGULARITY OF USAGE OF TYPES OF IAG
CHART 4.1 AGREEMENT WITH BENEFITS OF OVERVIEW GUIDE "YOUR GUIDE TO FUNDING"
CHART 4.2 RANKING OF IMPORTANCE OF LEAFLETS
CHART 4.3 USEFULNESS OF LEAFLETS
CHART 4.4 AGREEMENT WITH STATEMENTS ON "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS
CHART 4.5 WHETHER ADDITIONAL COPIES ORDERED FROM BLACKWELLS
CHART 5.1 USAGE OF CPAG INFORMATION
CHART 5.2 WHETHER USED CPAG HANDBOOK
CHART 5.3 HELPFULNESS OF CPAG HANDBOOK
CHART 5.4 WHETHER USED CPAG ADVICE LINE
CHART 5.5 HELPFULNESS OF CPAG ADVICE LINE
CHART 5.6 ATTENDANCE AT CPAG TRAINING COURSES
CHART 6.1 FREQUENCY OF USING "FUNDING FOR LEARNERS" WEBSITE
CHART 6.2 HELPFULNESS OF FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
CHART 6.3 EXTENT OF AGREEMENT WITH STATEMENTS ON FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
CHART 7.1 REASONS FOR NOT USING STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE
CHART 7.2 REASONS FOR NOT USING FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
CHART 7.3 REASONS FOR NOT USING MEETING THE COSTS OF LEARNING LEAFLETS
CHART 8.1 OPINION ON CHANGES MADE TO IAG FUNDING
CHART 8.2 REASONS FOR CHANGES BEING FOR THE BETTER
CHART 9.1 CURRENT AND PREFERRED MEANS OF PROVISION OF "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLET
CHART 9.2 INTEREST IN "HELPING YOU MEET THE COST OF LEARNING" LEAFLETS
CHART 9.3 INTEREST IN STUDENT SUPPORT AND BENEFITS ADVICE SERVICE
CHART 9.4 INTEREST IN FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
CHART 10.1 ATTITUDES TOWARDS IAG
The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and
do not necessarily represent those of the Department or Scottish Ministers.