Prior to joining the School of Education at Southampton, Alison Fuller held research and academic posts at the Universities of Lancaster and Leicester. She completed her doctoral research on changing patterns of adult take up of qualifications at the Institute of Education, University of London. Alison is now Professor of Education and Work, and Head of the Post Compulsory Education and Training Research Centre at the University of Southampton. She has been conducting funded research in the fields of education – work transitions; vocational education, training and apprenticeship; patterns of adult participation in education, and workplace learning – since the mid 1980s and has published widely. Her most recent book, Improving Working as Learning, co-authored with Alan Felstead, Lorna Unwin and Nick Jewson, was published by Routledge in 2009.

Show/hide all publications

• Significant Publications
• Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Jewson, N. and Unwin, L. (2009) Improving Working as Learning, London: Routledge
• Fuller, A., Kakavelakis, K., Felstead, A., Jewson, N. Unwin, L. (2009) Learning, Knowing, and Controlling the Stock: The changing nature of employee discretion in a supermarket chain, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 22 (2) pp. 105-120
• Fuller, A. (2007) Mid-life Transitions to HE: developing a multi-level explanation of increasing participation, Studies in the Education of Adults, 39 (2): 217-235
• Fuller, A. (2007) Learning in Communities of Practice, in Hughes, J., Jewson, N. and Unwin, L. (eds) Communities of Practice, London: Routledge
• Fuller, A. (2006) ‘Participative Learning Through The Work-Based Route: from Apprenticeship to Part-Time Higher Education’, European Journal of Vocational Training, 37: 68-81
• Fuller, A., Hodkinson, H., Hodkinson, P. and Unwin, L. (2005) ‘Learning as Peripheral Participation in Communities of Practice: A reassessment of key concepts in workplace learning’, British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 31, no. 1: 49-68

• Fuller, A., Beck, V. and Unwin, L. (2005) The gendered nature of apprenticeship: employers’ and young people’s perspectives, Education and Training, Vol. 47, No. 4/5: 298-311
• Fuller, Alison, Hodkinson, Heather, Hodkinson, Phil and Unwin, Lorna (2005) Learning as Peripheral Participation in Communities of Practice: a reassessment of key concepts in workplace learning. British Educational Research Journal, 31, (1), 49-68.
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2004) Young people as teachers and learners: challenging the novice-expert dichotomy. International Journal of Training and Development, 8, (1), 32-42.
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2003) Learning as apprentices in the contemporary UK workplace: creating and managing expansive participation. Journal of Education and Work, 16, (4), 407-426.
• Fuller, A. (2001) ‘Credentialism, Adults and Part-time Higher Education in the United Kingdom: an account of rising take up and some implications for policy, Journal of Education Policy, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp.233-348
• Book Chapters
• Fuller, A., Foskett, R., Johnston, B. and Paton, K. (2008) 'Getting by' or 'getting ahead'? Gendered educational and career decision-making in networks of intimacy. In, Gendered Choices and Transitions in Lifelong Learning: Part-Time Pathways, Full-Time Lives., National Institute of adult Continuing Education (NIACE). (In Press)
• Unwin, Lorna, Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Lee, Tracey, Butler, Peter and Ashton, David (2008) Worlds within worlds: the relationship between context and pedagogy in the workplace. In, The Learning Potential of the Workplace. Rotterdam, Sense Publishers.
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Expansive and restrictive learning environments. In, Evans, Karen, Hodkinson, Phil, Rainbird, Helen and Unwin, Lorna (eds.) Improving Workplace Learning. London, Routledge. (Improving Learning
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Older workers' learning in changing workplace contexts: perceptions of barriers and opportunities. In, Tikkanen, Tarja and Nyhan, Barry (eds.) Promoting lifelong learning for older workers: an international review., Centro Europeo para el Desarrollo de la Formación Profesional, CEDEFOP, 257-270
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2004) Does apprenticeship still have meaning in the UK? The consequences of voluntarism and sectoral change. In, Hayward, G. and James, S. (eds.) Balancing the Skills Equation: Key Issues and Challenges for Policy and Practice. Bristol, The Policy Press, 101-115
• Journal Articles
• Fuller, A., Paton, K., Foskett, R. and Maringe, F. (2008) 'Barriers' to participation in higher education? Depends on who you ask and how. Journal of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, forthcoming (In Press)
• Fuller, A. and Paton, K. (2008) Widening participation in higher education: mapping and investigating the stakeholder landscape. Journal of Access, Policy and Practice, 6, (1) (In Press)
• Fuller, Alison, Kakavelakis, Kostas, Felstead, Alan, Jewson, Nick and Unwin, Lorna (2009) Learning, knowing and controlling the stock: the nature of employee discretion in a supermarket chain. Journal of Education and Work, 22, (2), 105-120. (doi:10.1080/13639080902854037)
• Heath, Sue, Fuller, Alison and Paton, Karen (2008) Network-based ambivalence and educational decision-making: a case study of 'non-participation' in higher education. (In special issue: Challenges of Diversity for Widening Participation in UK Higher Education). ResearchPapers in Education, 23, (2), 219-229.
• Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Jewson, N., Unwin, L. and Kakavelakis, K. (2008) Personal and collective identities at work. Studies in the Education of Adults (In Press)
• Fuller, A., Paton, K., Foskett, R., and Maringe, F. (2008) 'Barriers’ to participation in higher education? Depends who you ask and ‘how’. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 10, (2), 6 -17.
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2008) Towards expansive apprenticeships: a commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme, London, UK, Teaching and Learning Research Programme, 23pp.
• Fuller, A., Unwin, L., Felstead, A., Jewson, N. and Kakavelakis, K. (2007) Creating and using knowledge: an analysis of the differentiated nature of workplace learning environments. British Educational Research Journal, 33, (5), 743-759. (doi:10.1080/01411920701582397)
• Fuller, A. (2007) Mid-life 'transitions' to higher education: developing a multi-level explanation of increasing participation. Studies in the Education of Adults, 39, (2), 217-235.
• Unwin, Lorna, Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Bishop, Dan, Lee, Tracey, Jewson, Nick and Butler, Peter (2007) Looking inside the Russian doll: the interconnections between context, leaning and pedagogy in the workplace. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 15, (3), 333-348
• Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Jewson, Nick, Kakavelakis, Konstantinos and Unwin, Lorna (2007) Grooving to the same tunes? Learning, training and productive systems in the aerobics studio. Work, Employment & Society, 21, (2), 189-208
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2007) What counts as good practice in contemporary apprenticeships? Evidence from two contrasting sectors in England. Education and Training, 49, (6), 447-458.
• Beck, Vanessa, Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Increasing risk in the 'scary' world of work? Male and female resistance to crossing gender lines in apprenticeships in England and Wales. Journal of Education and Work, 19, (3), 271-289
• Fuller, Alison (2006) Participative learning through the work-based route: from apprenticeship to part-time higher education. European Journal of Vocational Education, (37), 68-81
• Beck, V., Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. "Safety in stereotypes?: (2006) The impact of gender and ‘race’ on young people’s perceptions of their post-compulsory education and labour market opportunities", British Educational Research Journal Vol. 32:5 667-686
• Fuller, A., Beck, V. and Unwin, L. (2005) The Gendered Nature of Apprenticeship: Employers’ and young people’s perspectives, Education and Training, Vol. 47, No. 4/5: 298-311
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2005) ‘Older and Wiser?: workplace learning from the perspective of experienced employees’, International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol. 24, no. 1: 1-19
• Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Unwin, L., Ashton, D.,Butler, P., Lee, T., and Walters, S. (2005) , Surveying the scene: Learning Metaphors, Survey Design and the Workplace Context, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 18, No. 4
• Fuller , A. and Unwin, L. (2004) ‘Young People as teachers and Learners in the Workplace: challenging the novice-expert dichotomy’, International Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 8, no. 1: 31-41
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2004) "Young people as teachers and learners: challenging the novice-expert dichotomy." International Journal of Training and Development, 8, (1), 32-42. (doi:10.1111/j.1360-3736.2004.00194.x)
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2003a ) ‘Learning as Apprentices in the Contemporary UK workplace: creating and managing expansive and restrictive participation,’ Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 16, no. 4: 407-426
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2003b) ‘Creating a Modern Apprenticeship’: A Critique of the UK’s multi-sector, social inclusion approach’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 16, no. 1: 5-25
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2003c) ‘Fostering Workplace Learning: looking through the lens of apprenticeship’, European Educational Research Journal, Vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 41-55
• Fuller, Alison, Pritchard, Rosalind and Trowler, Paul (2003) Review: Higher Education and social class: issues of exclusion and inclusion by L. Archer, M. Hutchings and A. Ross, with C. Leathwood, R. Gilchrist and D. Phillips. Higher Education Quarterly, 57, (2), 204-210
• Fuller, A. (2001) Credentialism, adults and part-time higher education in the United Kingdom: an account of rising take up and some implications for policy. Journal of Education Policy, 16, (3), 233-248. (doi:10.1080/02680930110041042)
• Fuller, Alison, Hodkinson, Heather, Hodkinson, Phil and Unwin, Lorna (2005), Learning as Peripheral Participation in Communities of Practice: a reassessment of key concepts in workplace learning. British Educational Research Journal, 31, (1), 49-68
• Selection of International Conference Papers
• Fuller, Alison (2007) Opening the 'black box' of workplace learning. In, Europe's Cultures of Workplace Learning, Krems, Austria, 03 Sep 2007.
• Jewson, Nick, Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Kakavelakis, Konstantinos and Unwin, Lorna (2007) Repositioning knowledge and skills in a local authority: rationalizing service encounters, enchanting service users. In, 25th International Labour Process Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2-4 Apr 2007. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 34pp.
• Lee, Tracey, Fuller, Alison, Bishop, Dan, Felstead, Alan, Jewson, Nick, Kakavelakis, Konstantinos and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Reconfiguring contract research? Career, work and learning in a changing employment landscape. In, SRHE Annual Conference, Beyond Boundaries: New Horizons for Research into Higher Education, Brighton, UK, 12-14 Dec 2006. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 17pp.
• Fuller, Alison, Unwin, Lorna, Bishop, Dan, Felstead, Alan, Jewson, Nick, Kakavelakis, Konstantinos and Lee, Tracey (2006) Situated learning in context: an exploration of the factors influencing workplace learning and 'knowing' in contrasting organisations. In, American Educational Research Association Annual Conference (AERA), San Francisco, U.S.A., 7-11 Apr 2006. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 9pp, 1-9.
• Unwin, Lorna and Fuller, Alison (2005) Apprenticeship in the contemporary workplace: the challenge for employers, educators and the State. In, 3rd Annual Conference, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland, 6-8 May 2005. Ireland, Cork Institute of Technology, 207pp.
• Fuller, A., Ashton, D., Bishop, D., Butler, P., Felstead, A., Jewson, N., Lee, T. and Unwin, L. (2005) Who learns what at work? In, 4th International Conference on Researching Work and Learning (RWL4), Sydney, Australia, 11-14 Dec 2005. , 10pp.
• Chapters in Edited Books
• Fuller, A. (2006) Employment and part-time higher education: socio-economic and pedagogical perspectives on increasing participation. In, Tynjala, Paivi, Valimaa, Jussi and Boulton-Lewis, Gillian (eds.) Higher Education and Working Life: Collaborations, Confrontations and Challenges. Oxford, Elsevier, 115-128. (Advances in Learning and Instruction).
• Monographs
• Lee, T., Jewson, N., Bishop, D., Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Kakavelakis, K. and Unwin, L. (2007) There's a lot more to it than just cutting hair, you know: managerial controls, work practices and identity narratives among hair stylists. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 42pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 8)
• Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Unwin, Lorna and Jewson, Nick (2007) Learning, communities and performance: evidence from the 2007 communities of practice survey. Leicester, UK, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, 51pp.
• Fuller, Alison, Unwin, Lorna, Bishop, Dan, Felstead, Alan, Jewson, Nick, Kakavelakis, Konstantinos and Lee, Tracey (2006) Continuity, change and conflict: the role of learning and knowing in different productive systems. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 28pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 7)
• Felstead, Alan, Bishop, Dan, Fuller, Alison, Jewson, Nick, Lee, Tracey and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Moving to the music: learning processes, training and productive systems - the case of exercise to music instruction. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 43pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 6)
• Bishop, Daniel, Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Jewson, Nick, Lee, Tracey and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Connecting culture and learning in organisations: a review of current themes. Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, 38pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 5)
• Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Unwin, Lorna, Ashton, David, Butler, Peter, Lee, Tracey and Walters, Sally (2004) Applying the survey method to learning at work: a recent UK experience. Leicester, UK, Centre for Labour Market Studies, 35pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 3)
• Lee, Tracey, Fuller, Alison, Ashton, David, Butler, Peter, Felstead, Alan, Unwin, Lorna and Walters, Sally (2004) Workplace learning: main themes and perspectives. Leicester, UK, Centre for Labour Market Studies, 39pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 2)
• Butler, Peter, Felstead, Alan, Ashton, David, Fuller, Alison, Lee, Tracey, Unwin, Lorna and Walters, Sally (2004) High performance management: a literature review. Leicester, UK, Centre for Labour Market Studies, 36pp. (Learning as Work Research Paper, 1)
• Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Unwin, Lorna, Ashton, David, Butler, Peter and Lee, Tracey (2004) Better learning, better performance: evidence from the 2004 Learning at Work survey. Leicester, UK, National Institute of Continuing Adult Education, Leicester
• Working Papers
• Heath, S., Fuller, A. and Paton, K. (2007) Life course, generation and educational decision-making within networks of intimacy, Working Paper for the ESRC-funded project ‘Non-participation in Higher Education: Decision-making as an embedded social practice’, School of Education, University of Southampton.
• Fuller, A. and Paton, K. (2006) Widening Participation in Higher Education: Mapping and investigating the stakeholder landscape, Working Paper for the ESRC-funded project ‘Non-participation in Higher Education: Decision-making as an embedded social practice’, School of Education, University of Southampton.
• Book Section
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Applying the expansive restrictive framework. In, Evans, Karen, Hodkinson, Phil, Rainbird, Helen and Unwin, Lorna (eds.) Improving Workplace Learning. London, UK, Routledge. (Improving Learning).
• Fuller, Alison and Unwin, Lorna (2006) Applying the expansive restrictive framework. In, Evans, Karen, Hodkinson, Phil, Rainbird, Helen and Unwin, Lorna (eds.) Improving Workplace Learning. London, UK, Routledge. (Improving Learning).
• Other
• Rainbird, H., Fuller, A., and Munro, A. (eds) (2004), Workplace Learning in Context, London: Routledge
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2004), Expansive Learning Environments: integrating personal and organisational development, in H. Rainbird, A. Fuller, A. Munro, Workplace Learning in Context, London: Routledge
• Fuller, A., Munro, A. and Rainbird, H., (2004), Introduction and Overview, in H. Rainbird, A. Fuller, A. Munro, Workplace Learning in Context, London: Routledge
• Fuller, A. Munro, A. and Rainbird, H., (2004), Conclusion, in H. Rainbird, A. Fuller, A. Munro, Workplace Learning in Context, London: Routledge
• Unwin, L., Fuller, A. Turbin, T. and Young, M. (2004) What Determines the Impact of Vocational Qualifications: A literature review, RR 522, Nottingham: Department for Education and Skills.
• Fuller, A. (2004) Review of Boreham, N., Samurcay, R. and Fischer, M. (eds) Work Process Knowledge, in British Educational Research Journal, vol 30, no 3
• Unwin, L. and Fuller, A. (2003) Expanding Learning in the Workplace: Making more of individual and organisational potential, Leicester: NIACE
• Fuller, A., Ashton, D., Felstead, A., Unwin, L. and Walters, S. (2003) The Impact of Informal Learning on Business Productivity, London: Department of Trade and Industry
• Fuller. A. and Unwin, L. (2002) ‘Developing Pedagogies for the Contemporary Workplace’, in Evans, K. Hodkinson, P. and Unwin, L. eds. Working to Learn: transforming the nature of workplace learning, London: Kogan Page.
• Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2001) From Cordswainers to Customer Service: the changing nature of apprenticeship in England, monograph, SKOPE: universities of Warwick and Oxford
• Fuller, A. and Unwin L. (1999) ‘Credentialism, National Targets and the Learning Society: perspectives on educational attainment in the steel industry,’ Journal of Education Policy, Vol 14, No. 6, pp. 605-617

A member of the British Educational Research Association’s National Advisory Panel, Alison is an Associate of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods (hosted at Southampton). She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Education and Work and Education and Training, and is regularly asked to advise policy makers on vocational education and apprenticeship. For example, she was appointed Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee for its inquiry into the Apprenticeships Bill and has advised the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs Inquiry Employment and Training Opportunities for Low-Skilled Young People.

Alison has undertaken consultancies with a range of bodies including the Construction Industry Training Board, the Bus and Coach sector training organisation, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Open University, and the YWCA, as well as a wide range of projects funded by government departments, companies such as United Distillers plc and B & Q plc, and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Alison is a member of the British Educational Research Association, American Educational Research Association and Society for Research in Higher Education. She is an initial member of the BERA Advisory Panel.