Abstract

Further education (FE) and skills occupy a distinctive and often under-theorised position within education and skills ecosystems. It sits at the intersection of education, employment, social policy and place-based economic development, serving diverse learners and communities while responding to rapidly shifting labour market demands. Despite this centrality, research has too often been conducted on the sector rather than in or with it, limiting its relevance, ownership and impact. This special edition illustrates the essential nature of research in FE and skills to advance pedagogy, professionalism and system-level improvement, demonstrating how it contributes to knowledge creation and improvement at scale and why it should be understood as a core mechanism for self-improving systems within FE and skills.