Tech Ed Study

A survey designed to find out about the experiences of T Level and Transition Programme students.

About the study

Tech Ed logo yellow

The Tech Ed Study is a survey designed to find out about the experiences of students on technical education programmes. It is a major piece of research into the ongoing reforms to technical education programmes.

The survey is a chance for students to let the Government know what they think about their course - what works well and what could be better. We want students to take this opportunity to have their voice heard and help shape future student experiences.

Who is carrying out the research?

NatCen Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) are conducting the Tech Ed Study. NatCen is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. NFER is a leading educational research organisation. The study has been commissioned by the Department for Education.

What will taking part involve?

  • A 15-minute survey which you can complete online or over the phone with one of our telephone interviewers
  • You will be asked questions about your course, why you chose it and if you are satisfied with different aspects of it

What will happen to any information I give?

If you complete the survey, the information you provide will be used to give feedback to the Department for Education on what students like yourself think about their course.

Your answers and contact details will be stored securely in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Any information you give will only be used for this study.

Your answers are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We will delete any information which makes you identifiable at the end of the study.

Your name will not be shared with anyone outside the NatCen research team or mentioned in any future reports or publications about the survey.

Take part

Thank you for your interest in the Tech Ed Study. There are no surveys available at the moment. You will receive an email and/or letter when a new survey is available. It is important we have the correct details for you so that we can keep in touch – to update your details you can contact the NatCen Research team by calling 0800 652 9294 or emailing TechEd@natcen.ac.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Who is doing the research, and who is funding it?

NatCen Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) are conducting the Tech Ed Study. NatCen is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. NFER is a leading educational research organisation. The study has been commissioned by the Department for Education.

How did you get my contact details?

We have been provided with your personal contact information from the Individual Learner Record (ILR) and National Pupil Database (NPD) from DfE in line with UK General Data Protection (GDPR) requirements. DfE is the data controller for this data and they are supplied on the legal basis of Public Task. We will only use these details to contact you about this research study and will not pass them on to anyone else.

What will happen to the information I give?

Your answers and contact details will be stored securely in line with the UK GDPR. Any information you give will only be used for this study.

Your answers are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We will delete any information which makes you identifiable at the end of the study.

Read more about our approach to privacy.

How will my answers be used?

We are asking students across England to fill in the survey. We will collect and analyse the answers and write a report every year based on what we found. 

You will be able to read each of the reports on the Department for Education’s website. You will not be named in any of the reports.

Do I have to take part?

Your views are important to us, but it is voluntary to take part in the research. You do not have to complete the survey if you do not want to.

Where can I find out more about the Tech Ed Study?

For more information, email us at TechEd@natcen.ac.uk or call on Freephone on 0800 652 9294.

Results and impact

NatCen is working with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), on a major longitudinal study designed to find out about the experiences of students on technical education courses. Surveys will be conducted annually between 2020 and 2024.This study represents the first major piece of research into the UK’s new technical education study programmes.

The first in a series of publications, reporting on the data collected from over 700 T Level learners and over 400 Transition Programme learners who began their course in September 2020 is now available. Future surveys will include a T Level comparator group and Level 4 technical education learners.

Study Year 1 | Technical Education Learner Survey 2020/21

Findings from the first year of the study (Technical Education Learner Survey 2020/21) have been published in June 2022 by the Department for Education and are available here.

The 2020/21 survey explored learners’ reasons for choosing their course, their aspirations, course delivery, learners’ satisfaction and their future plans.

Key findings

  • Across T Levels and Transition Programmes, learners’ satisfaction with their courses was high.
  • Most T Level and Transition Programme learners found the workload, including the amount of teaching and work outside of lessons, manageable. Across both groups of learners, those with lower prior academic attainment and with special educational needs (SEND) found the workload less manageable.
  • T Levels and Transition Programmes had been at least ‘quite’ challenging for most learners. Those taught mainly online were more likely to find their programme ‘very challenging’ and lack of in-person teaching was reported as the main barrier to learning.
  • T Levels and Transition Programmes helped most learners to develop relevant knowledge of their occupational area, practical skills, workplace understanding, communication skills, IT skills and their confidence.
  • The three main destinations T Level learners were planning to take after completing their course were a university degree, a paid job and an apprenticeship. The majority were planning to study or work in the same field as their T Level course.
  • Despite the aim of the Transition Programme being to prepare learners for the T Level, just over a third of learners reported at the end of the course that they wished to progress onto a T Level.

Privacy

In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.

Read more.

Contact us

For more information, you can contact the NatCen Research team by calling 0800 652 9294 or emailing TechEd@natcen.ac.uk.