Peter Goff

I got into research while teaching in FE during the 1980's when our traditional students were being replaced by huge numbers of unemployed adults. I obtained funding for a 2 year project to focus on the experience of this group and learned research methodology in the process. I was lucky in that this covered statistical methods using SPSS, qualitative ethnographic techniques and was supervised by hard bitten professional field researchers in Local Government. I moved on to work with an LEA and somehow ended up in BTEC as monitoring adviser. Here I had the tremendous good fortune to work with Professors Desmond Nuttall, Harvey Goldstein and Carol Fitzgibbon on some groundbreaking projects to monitor grading standards. Probably still the best work I have done. I also learned much from Professor Gordon Stobart who I worked with at NCVQ.

I am currently a senior educational researcher for QCDA and my work is primarily focussed on 14-19 reforms, Functional Skills and the new qualification frameworks across the UK. In the 5 years Prior to joining QCDA I was an independent researcher undertaking work for EDGE on vocational pedagogy, the NAA on bureaucracy in assessment and City and Guilds on the role of government agencies. I led the team working with Awarding Bodies on Strand 4 of the VQRP and was an Associate of the Research Centre for the Learning Society at Exeter University on performance based assessment & grading.

While all this might sound interesting to the research community, it sounds really boring when asked "what do you do?" at parties. So I tell them instead I climb mountains, play the ukulele and fly micro light aircraft instead. I recently qualified as a pilot and I can tell you this is a much more interesting opening line.

Contact Details

Peter Goff
e-mail Peter.Goff@qcda.org.uk
Tel no 07515 192059