The Learning Journey: adults' experiences of further education We have argued that what is learnt and how learning takes place is, in part, a product of the social interactions of learners and teachers. Learning is shaped, facilitated and constrained by, on the one hand, what learners and teachers bring to this interaction and on the other, the nature of the interaction. Thus, prior knowledge and prior experiences of learning (and teaching) together with wider life-experiences 'collide' in the classroom and other sites of learning in ways which, at the time, are unique and individual, but also characteristic of learning in further education settings. Our research strongly points to the ways in which learners and teachers resolve the challenges caused by this collision and, in turn, to a wider definition of learning outcomes. In relation to the above, this paper draws on a variety of data collected as part of an ESRC/TLRP 'Learning and Working in Further Education in Wales' research project. In this project we have tracked the learning journeys of students and teachers over a two-year period utilising in-depth individual student and teacher interviews, focus group student interviews, regular structured learning journals and extensive in-depth ethnographic fieldwork. The metaphor of a learning journey is employed as the basis of an early conceptual framework but, as we go on to discuss, it is problematic and restrictive. Ongoing analysis of our qualitative data confirms that the learning journeys upon which students embark, have their own antecedents rooted in for example, disparate experiences of schooling, employment and parenthood and that many learners lead and manage complex private lives. This points to the almost self-evident fact that 'learning journeys' do not start or end at common points and, crucially, the nature of the 'journeys' are not only different but also impact on the 'destination'.Coming to college is seen by both young and older learners as an important part of their lives. It is of course, only a part of their lives, so that managing lives includes managing learning and often, as an individual's situation becomes complex and demanding, it is 'learning' that is often the casualty. Students adopt a range of coping strategies; many try to contain their studies within the timeframe of the college day, others study when their children are asleep or partners out of sight. Thus at other times they can attend to matters arising in their wider lives. In turn, teachers are acutely aware of, on the one-hand, the need to strive for academic results and, on the other, the need to cater for and accommodate the wider realities of their students' lives. Our conclusion does not offer a neat set of solutions. We recognise that the complex and individual nature of 'learning journeys' and the 'collision' of experiences that underpin learning calls for a more nuanced response. Although we have found the metaphor of a 'learning journey' helpful it is also problematic in the ways in which it oversimplifies and suggests a neat, somewhat linear passage which fails to capture the full complexity of students' learning encounters inside and without the college classroom.The research project uses qualitative research methods and documentary analysis and includes depth interviews, learning journals, ethnographic observations in a range of learning settings and student focus groups. Three Further Education colleges in Wales, each in a contrasting locality, have agreed to host the 2 year research project. Twenty seven teachers and forty five students are core participants who have agreed to share their "learning journeys" with the research team. Fieldwork at seven campuses, across different subjects and with a range of students and teachers will enable a rich account of the day to day realities of learning and working in Further Education to be created.The study will identify important knowledge about students' and teachers' dispositions and orientations towards learning and teaching. Empirical material and robust analysis of cases will enable the identification of implications for practitioners and policy makers.Jephcote , M and Salisbury, J.(2007) "The Long Shadow of incorporation:The Further Education sector in devolved Wales."Welsh Journal Of Education. Issue 13 [in press] Salisbury, J., Roberts, J., Salisbury, J., Jephcote, M. & Rees, G. (2006) "Secondary schools and 'last chance saloons': critical voices from Further Education on the deficits of secondary schooling." Paper presented at British Educational Research Association annual conference, University of Warwick, 6 - 9 September.Salisbury, J., Jephcote, M., Roberts, J. (2008) "FE teachers talking about learning: outcomes, contexts and methodologies." Research Papers in Education, [forthcoming]eg. Journal of Post Compusory Education [national]