'I used to belong here'

: experiences of further education lecturers from the EU during Brexit

Abstract

The United Kingdom’s (UK’s) vote to leave the European Union (EU), commonly referred to as ‘Brexit’, can be seen as a critical juncture (Capoccia and Kelemen, 2007) in recent UK history, thus providing a suitable context for exploring notions of identity, belonging, and professionalism within the further education (FE) workforce during uncertain times. Through research conversations, EU-born FE lecturers explore these topics and their experiences, revealing the complex interplay between identity, belonging, and professional practice in a changing political landscape. The findings suggest that while participants faced significant challenges, they also developed resilience and new perspectives that inform their educational practice. The research calls for greater institutional recognition and support for EU staff in the FE sector, as well as a more comprehensive approach to citizenship education that addresses the challenges of political polarisation. In a challenge to the common utilitarian view of further education the study highlights both the challenges and opportunities within the sector and calls for a more politically engaged and supportive approach to promoting social inclusion, in order to fulfil the sector's transformative mission during uncertain times. Its most important contribution is to make voices heard that have previously been excluded from the debate, thus enabling the imbalance between EU migrants’ contributions to UK FE and their agency for their own wellbeing and professionalism to be addressed. Uniquely, this study integrates notions of identity and welfare with sectoral analysis, offering a nuanced, human-centred account of how educators experience and respond to political disruption. Making visible the voices, vulnerabilities, and agency of EU-born FE lecturers, the thesis not only fills a gap in the literature but also redefines how professionalism and wellbeing are understood within contemporary Further Education contexts.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Canterbury Christ Church University