Biography

Yvonne Hillier is Professor of Education in the Education Research Centre. She was Chair of the Society for Research in Higher Education (SRHE) (elected 2010 - June 2013). She is co-ordinator of the London and South East Region Learning and Skills Network, and was a founder member of the national network.

Her teaching background covers working with children with learning difficulties, working with adult basic skills learners and tutors, training trainers. She has researched issues of teaching and learning in post-compulsory education including basic skills practice, national vocational qualifications, initial teacher training, and work based learning.

Her latest book Reflective Teaching and Adult and Further Education 3rd edition was published in January 2012. She is author of books on FE policy (All you ever wanted to know about FE Policy, Continuum, 2006), and Adult Basic Skills - Changing Faces of Adult Literacy, Language and Numeracy: A Critical History with Mary Hamilton, (Trentham, 2006) and Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Language:  policy, practice and research (edited with Mary Hamilton and Lyn Tett) (Open University Press - McGraw Hill, 2006).

She undertook an ESRC funded project with Professor Mary Hamilton, Lancaster University on the history of basic skills policy since 1970. 

Teaching

• PGCE Post-compulsory Education
• Professional Doctorate in Education
• PhD supervision and research methods

Research interests

• Policy and practice of adult learning
• Further and higher education
• Work based learning
• Widening participation
• Educational regeneration

Current recent research projects

• Parents Use of Children's Centres in Hastings January - December 2011 funded by CUPP, Ore Valley Forum and Hastings Borough Council
• Young people and learning in Hastings September 2010 - March 2011 funded by CUPP, University of Brighton
• Evaluation of Sheffield Lifelong Learning Network, Higher Futures June – November 2009 £12k
• HEFCE funded project – Widening Participation and its Communities with Professor Andrew Church – January - November 2009 £50k
• Ore Valley Forum project on raising attainment July2008 – July 2009 £12k
• Aimhigher project £12k
• National Council for Vocational Education Research, Australia – international examination of innovation in VET pedagogy March – October 2008 £7k
• Evaluation of TQAL (Scottish Literacies Qualification Pilot) 4k
• Hangleton and Knoll outreach project £2.5k

Selected Publications

Books

• Hillier, Y (2012) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education (3rd edn) London: Continuum
• Hillier, Y (2006) Everything you need to know about FE policy London: Continuum 
• Hamilton, M and Hillier, Y (2006) Changing Faces of Adult Literacy, Language and Numeracy: A Critical History Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books
• Tett, L, Hamilton, M. and Hillier, Y (2006) Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Language:  policy, practice and research Maidenhead:Open University Press – McGraw Hill
• Hillier, Y., (2005) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education (2nd edn) London: Continuum
• Y.Hillier with Thompson, A., (eds) (2005) Readings in post-compulsory research  Continuum
• Hillier, Y., and Jameson, J., Empowering Researchers in Further Education  (2003) Stoke on Trent: Trentham
• Y. Hillier with Jameson, J (2003) Researching Post Compulsory Education London: Continuum
• Hillier, Y., (2002) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education London: Continuum
• Hillier, Y., with Pratt, J., (1992) New Funding Mechanisms in Higher Education. Bidding for Funds in the PCFC Sector  London: Institute of Education, University of London

Chapters in books

• Hillier, Y (2010)  Counting me in and Getting On in Sue Jackson (ed)  Innovations in Lifelong Learning Critical Perspectives on Diversity, Participation and Vocational Learning London: Routledge
• Hillier, Y., (2008) Passionate pioneers in B Liz Burge (2007) (ed) Flexible higher education : Reflections from Expert Experience Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill
• Hillier, Y., (2007) ‘Real World’ interactions for adult basic numeracy tutors in Chris Haines, Peter Galbraith, Werner Blum and Sanowar Khan (eds) Mathematical Modelling (ICTMA (12) Education, Engineering and Economics  Chichester: Horwood  ISNB 978-1-904275-20-6 pp 203- 210
• Hillier, Y., Sterling, I and Butt, N., (2004) Foundation Degree in Public Service Management in Making Foundation Degrees Work, edited by David Gosling and Lyn Brennan, London: South East England Consortium (SEEC)
• Hillier, Y., (2000) Lifelong Learning in the Workplace: A comparison of France and the UK in Ian McNay (ed)  Higher Education and its Communities Buckingham: SRHE/Open University Press pp148-163
• Hillier, Y., (1999) Exploring Informal Practitioner Theory in Adult Basic Education in
• Swann, J; and Pratt, J., (eds) (1999) Improving Education: Realist Approaches to Method and Research London: Cassell pp146-155

Articles

• Appleby, Y and Hillier, Y (2012) Exploring practice-research networks for critical professional learning Studies in Continuing Education 34 (1) 31 - 43
• Hillier, Y and Figgis, J (2011) Innovation in VET: networks and niggles Studies in Continuing Education  33 (3) 1 - 21
• Hillier, Y and Morris, A (2010) Critical practitioners, Developing researchers: the story of practitioner research in the Learning and Skills Sector Journal of Vocational Education and Training  Volume 61 (1) March 2010 pp 85-97
• Hillier, Y (2009) The changing faces of adult literacy, language and numeracy: literacy policy and implementation in the UK Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education Volume 39, Issue 4 July 2009 , pages 531 – 546
• Hillier, Y and Rawnsley, T (2008) Engaging employers Higher Education Review 40 (2) 47-62
• Jameson, J and Hillier, Y (2008) ‘Nothing will prevent me from doing a good job'. The professionalisation of part-time teaching staff in further and adult education Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 13 (1,) 39 – 53

Research reports

• Church, A, Hillier,Y, Hyde S, Robinson, C and Watson, J Communities and Widening Participation Research Report to HEFCE January 2010, University of Brighton http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/strategy/comm.htm. (August 2010)
• Hillier,Y, Hyde S, Robinson, C and Watson, J Aim Higher Sussex Research 2008 - 2009, December 2009, University of Brighton
• Figgis, J and Hillier, Y Taking innovation on the road http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2182.html accessed December 2009
• Hillier, Y (2009) Innovation in teaching and learning in vocational education and training: International perspectives Adelaide: NCVER
• Hillier, Y (2008) What the neighbours say: Report for Hangleton and Knoll Project Brighton: University of Brighton
• Hillier Y. (2008) Evaluation of TQAL pilot March 2006 – October 2008 Learning Connections, Scotland

Conferences

Seminars, keynotes and presentations

• Learning and Skills Research Network, Pearson, London November 2012 Challenges and Change for Professionals in the Lifelong Learning System
• Keynote, Victoria Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Development Centre Annual Conference, Ballarat, Victoria, September 2012 Flying the Flag for VET: Challenges and Change
• Seminar UCLAN March 2011 2020 vision with 2009 hindsight: policymaking for skills and the global economy
• Institute of Education April 2011 Policymaking in a frenzied world
• Birkbeck June 2011 Innovations in Informal Learning
• Invited presentation, University of Theatre Arts, Beijing ‘Who attends higher education?’ 28th September 2010
• Invited presentation, University of Kent Shaping Academic Practice: the next ten years 27th November 2009
• Appleby, A and Hillier, Y It’s not just what you do it’s who you do it with: using practice – research networks for critical professional learning Critical Perspectives on Professional Learning, University of Leeds, 10 January 2010
• University of Portsmouth  Furthering Higher Education: FE and HE institutions involvement in higher level learning 27th October 2009
• London Southbank University – 2020 vision with 2009 hindsight 14th Sept 2009
• ‘Changing identities – widening participation in higher education’ University of Vienna, School of political science and economics May 2009
• Keynote Big Skills Conference, Sydney March 2009
• Keynote, AVETRA, Sydney April 2009

External activity

• Chair, SRHE, elected January 2010
• SRHE Council member, Research Degrees Committee and completion of time as Network Convenor co-ordinator
• LSRN national planning group
• LSRN South East group
• Liaising with Sussex Downs and Plumpton College to develop research strategy for staff (ongoing)
• Reviewer for ESRC proposals (2)
• Reviewer for journal articles (2)

Recent conference paper presentations

Society for Research in Higher Education Annual Conference Celtic Manor, December 2012
Shared and disputed ambitions in the FE/HE interface: The development of VET practitioners