Consumer education research

In this section you can download research that the OFT has commissioned or undertaken on behalf of the consumer education Alliance:

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Skilled to go research (Nov 2010 and Mar 2011) and evaluation (Jan 2009)

Skilled to go helps to develop transferable consumer skills, knowledge and confidence. It has been developed for adult learners and uses everyday consumer situations, such as choosing a mobile phone, as contexts for learning numeracy and literacy. 

Skilled to go research: How Skilled to go is used in practice

Report published November 2010: Stage 1 - Quantitative research

Report published March 2011: Stage 2 - Qualitative research

The aim of this research was to better understand teachers' use of Skilled to go in practice in order to make future improvements and maximise overall usage.

Visit the Skilled to go research reports page to download research documents and reports.

Skilled to go evaluation

January 2009 - Researching the effectiveness of the Skilled to go further education toolkit

The aim of this research was firstly, to test the appropriacy and effectiveness of two modules of the OFT 'Skilled to go' toolkit, and secondly to suggest adaptations to the toolkit before it went live.

Visit the Skilled to go research reports page to download research documents and reports.

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Research into Further Education (FE) tutors' format and teaching preferences (June 2007)

The OFT, on behalf of the consumer education Alliance, commissioned COI Strategic Consultancy to investigate the key requirements of an educational resource to FE (further education) teaching professionals.

In particular, to gain an understanding of:

• How FE tutors source teaching resources?
• What features give tutors the confidence and motivation to use a resource?
• What would help ensure that a resource would be used repeatedly now and in the future.

Download Consumer education: FE toolkit project research (pdf 154 kb).

The aim of the research was to support the OFT's development of a consumer education resource toolkit – a toolkit aimed to deliver consumer education through Key Skills and literacy and numeracy delivery, within the FE sector.

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Consumer education resource development: identifying target areas (November 2006)

Following the publication of Consumer education: establishing an evidence base, the OFT's consumer education team undertook desk research to:

• identify potential areas where the Alliance should focus its consumer education resource development work to make a positive difference
• identify areas which are currently well served by existing provision or where there is clear evidence of an established strategic approach.

The research was also to signpost consumer education providers and others to this established work not only to increase awareness of these initiatives and maximise their impact, but also to avoid duplicating existing provision and resources and the consequent waste of effort.

The results of the research were produced diagrammatically with five separate charts:

• consumer education audiences
• consumer education delivery channels
• a composite chart of consumer education audiences reached by delivery channels
• existing consumer education delivery by subject
• potentially vulnerable groups.

The charts can be downloaded along with the methodology which underpins this work and also explains the meaning of each chart

Download a copy of the methodology (pdf 74 kb)
Download the charts (pdf 123 kb).

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Mapping consumer education activity in the UK (April 2006)

The OFT, on behalf of the consumer education Alliance, commissioned COI Strategic Consultancy to carry out research to map existing consumer education provision in the UK. The aim of the research was to establish an evidence base which can be used to underpin our work in delivering coordinated, targeted and effective consumer education.

Download Consumer education: establishing an evidence base (pdf 162 kb).

The evidence base will play a vital role in informing the consumer education Planning Group's selection of priority areas and in enabling the Alliance to coordinate activities across the UK.

In the research COI identified over 60 consumer education initiatives. You can download details of the initiatives that were investigated.

For the purpose of analysis the initiatives were categorised as either:

• stand alone - consumer education initiatives that provide resources and a means of delivering materials to the consumer, or
• provision of resources - consumer education initiatives that provide resources but delivery to the consumer is left to others.

Download the table of stand alone consumer education initiatives (pdf 31 kb).
Download the table of provision of resources consumer education initiatives (pdf 30 kb).

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