PROGRESS REPORT Adult Learners’ Lives project: setting the scene Progress report, April 2004 David Barton, Roz Ivanic, Yvon Appleby, Rachel Hodge and Karin Tusting With additional contributions by Ganiyu Agbaje, Dianne Beck, Gill Burgess, Gemma Davies, Kath Gilbert, Russ Hodson, Andrew Hudson, Uta Papen, Lydia Tseng, Anita Wilson and Carol Woods Literacy Research Centre, Lancaster University Published by the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy This report may be downloaded as a PDF document from the NRDC website at www.nrdc.org.uk We welcome feedback on the content and accessibility of this publication. This should be sent to: Publications NRDC Institute of Education 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7612 6476 Fax: +44 (0)20 7612 6671 email: Adult Learners’ Lives project: setting the scene David Barton, Roz Ivanic, Yvon Appleby, Rachel Hodge and Karin Tusting With additional contributions by Ganiyu Agbaje, Dianne Beck, Gill Burgess, Gemma Davies, Kath Gilbert, Russ Hodson, Andrew Hudson, Uta Papen, Lydia Tseng, Anita Wilson and Carol Woods CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 SECTION 1: THE FIRST YEAR OF THE ADULT LEARNERS’ LIVES PROJECT 7 1.1 Introduction 7 1.2 Structure of this report 7 1.3 Summary of activities September 2002 – June 2003 8 SECTION 2: THE CASE STUDY SITES 9 2.1 Blackburn 9 2.2 Lancaster 10 2.3 Liverpool 11 SECTION 3: RESEARCH REPORTS AND EMERGING THEMES FROM THE THREE MAIN SITES 13 3.1 Access 13 3.2 Site reports 14 3.2.1 Blackburn College 15 3.2.2 Lancaster Adult College 17 3.2.3 Liverpool Community College 21 3.3 The overall database 25 3.3.1 Blackburn College 26 3.3.2 Lancaster Adult College 26 3.3.3 Liverpool Community College 26 3.4 Data analysis 27 3.4.1 Blackburn – students’ needs and the E1 class 27 3.4.2 Lancaster – the individual learner 37 3.4.3 Liverpool – the focal classroom 42 SECTION 4: THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER PROGRAMME 45 4.1 The process of setting up the Teacher-Researcher Fellowship Programme 46 4.2 The Teacher-Researchers’ projects 48 4.3 Interim reports from each of the six teacher-researchers 49 SECTION 5: INITIAL REPORTS AND REVIEWS OF RESEARCH 56 5.1 Summary: A review of ethnography and literacy 56 5.2 Summary: A review of theories of informal learning 58 5.3 Summary: A focused review of retention and achievement 59 5.4 Summary: A review of how learning is accomplished in adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL educational settings 60 SECTION 6: THE BROADER CONTEXT 61 6.1 First themes across the research 61 6.2 Methodological developments 62 6.3 The involvement of practitioners 63 6.4 The impact of the project 63 6.5 The workplace strand of the ALL project 64 6.6 Immediate plans 65 APPENDICES 66 Appendix 1: Abstracts of papers on evidence, presented at the NRDC International Conference, Nottingham, March 2002 66 Appendix 2: Demographic report 70 Appendix 3: Data collected from the three case study sites 80 Appendix 4: Literacy & health 84 Appendix 5: ESOL students in the prison system 92 Appendix 6: Accelerated experience in teaching basic skills 94 Appendix 7: Overall emerging themes and future issues 98 Appendix 8: Forms of impact of the Adult Learners’ Lives project 102 Appendix 9: Visit to Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA 106 This report is funded by the Department for Education and Skills as part of Skills for Life: the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department. Adult Learners’ Lives project: setting the scene 5 Acknowledgements Collaborative research would not be possible without the co-operation of many people, and the Adult Learners Lives team would like to thank everyone who has participated in and supported this project so far. This project is essentially about individual adult learners. We would like to thank all those people who have shared their stories and insights with us over the past year. We could not have met these people without time and co-operation from the colleges in which we have been working and we would like to thank: The managers and staff of Community Studies and the Basic Skills Department at Blackburn College and in particular Patrick McKinley, Jane Hassall, Janet Prescott, Wendy Simms, Doug Kelly, Andrew Hudson and Lesley Prosser. Also Nancy Cookson, Lynda Mason and Russell Hodson at Accrington and Rossendale College. The managers and staff of the Skills for Life Department at Lancaster Adult College, particularly Meriel Lobley, Gill Burgess, Carol Woods, Lesley Buckley, Ann Wilson and Martin Wakelin. The managers and staff involved in the delivery of basic skills at Liverpool Community College, especially Jan Walker, Daniel Sellars, Kathleen Gilbert and Dianne Beck. In addition, our work has been enriched by gaining some understanding of basic skills provision in the wider community. Thanks to: in Blackburn, the Lifelong Learning Forum, the Lifelong Learning Team and the Asylum Support Team; and in Liverpool, Local Solutions and Merseyside Accredited Childcare Training and Assessment Centre. We would also like to thank the following people for their interest and support: Jane Ward and all those involved in the North West Skills for Life Research Forum, Helen Deacon from Lancaster and Morecambe College of Further Education; from further afield Elsa Auerbach from Boston University, Steve Reder from Portland State University and the Rutgers University Classroom Research Group. At the Lancaster Literacy Research Centre, we would like to thank all of those who have contributed to and supported the development of the project, including particularly Mary Hamilton, Kathryn James, Sue Burrows, David Thorley, Euline Cutrim, Kathy Pitt, Robin Pettitt and Jessica Abrahams. 6 Initial report Executive summary This report covers activities on the Adult Learners’ Lives project from September 2002 to June 2003. It provides an overview of activities at the three case study sites, Blackburn, Lancaster and Liverpool including negotiating access to the sites and establishing the relationships for the research. Sections of the report cover the data which has been collected in the three sites and the initial data analysis. The Teacher-Researcher programme has been an essential part of the project and the process of setting up and running this is described in detail, along with initial reports of the six projects, covering Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL, which the teacher-researchers have been carrying out. In the first phases of the project we carried out focussed reviews of topics which fed into and informed the research. Summaries of these reports are provided. Firstly, we surveyed the earlier ethnographies of literacy which have been carried out. Secondly, we investigated the term informal learning, which is central to our project. We also reviewed work on retention and achievement, key concepts in Skills for Life. For the teaching and learning part of the project we completed a review of the literature on the relation of teaching and learning. In addition, we focused on a specific social issue, the relation of literacy and health. Finally, we were also able to link up with work in prisons and carry out a small questionnaire study into ESOL provision in prisons. The report also discusses: overall themes which have arisen in the first year of the research; the approach to impact which is being taken; and future plans. Further details on specific aspects of the project are provided in the appendices, including a list of impact activities. This is an interim report covering a wide range of initial activity. These are some of the initial findings from the research: ■ Relationships matter in learning, including teacher/student and student/student relationships, also the networks of support learners are part of. ■ Learning environments often offer structure and stability in learners’ lives. ■ Being in control is a key motivation for learning. ■ Health is often a barrier to learning, both physical and mental health. ■ The need to recognise small gains in LLN and the wider benefits to the learners. ■ There is a complex relationship between teaching and learning: learners don’t learn what teachers teach. ■ There needs to be more interagency response to the social and learning needs of students seeking asylum. ■ In ESOL classes learners often express satisfaction with their classes, but issues remain, including needing more free use of language and "bringing the outside in". ■ Involving teachers in research projects can have great impact, on the teachers’ professional development, on the culture of their work-places and on regional networks. Adult Learners’ Lives project: setting the scene 7 Section 1 The first year of the Adult Learners’ Lives project 1.1 Introduction The NRDC Adult Learners’ Lives project started in September 2002. It is a detailed longitudinal study of learners’ lives. The aim is to understand the connections that adults make between learning and their everyday lives. The research is addressing questions about the significance of language, literacy and numeracy in the lives of adults who have difficulties, including their experience of learning programmes; it is exploring the relation between how people deal with difficulties and their classroom experiences, investigating the ways in which factors related to provision interface with factors related to the learners. In the classroom we are looking at links between teaching and learning, participation, motivation and persistence. We are interested to know what motivates and engages adult learners. Through collaborative research we aim to identify teaching and learning strategies that are more effective at encouraging and supporting adult basic skills. The key achievements of the first phase of this longitudinal study are: ■ Detailed understanding of the three research sites which provides a strong platform for the following years. ■ A broad database forming the foundation for reports on the uptake of learning opportunities due later in the year. ■ A set of reviews which can inform the project and this area of research more generally. ■ The development of a coherent programme of teacher-research. ■ A strong presence locally and regionally which can form the basis for effective impact. 1.2 Structure of this report This report covers activities on the Adult Learners’ Lives project from September 2002 to June 2003. The next subsection, Section 1.3, provides an overview of activities. Section 2 provides background on the three case study sites. An essential first step was negotiating access to the sites and establishing the relationships for the research. This is described in Section 3, which also describes the data which was collected in the three sites and the initial data analysis. The Teacher-Researcher programme has been an essential part of the project and the process of setting up and running this has been an essential part of the study, as described in Section 4. Another starting point was four reviews which we carried out in areas salient to the project. These are summarised in Section 5. The final section discusses themes which have arisen in the first year of the research, the approach to impact which is being taken and future plans. Further details on specific aspects of the project are provided in the appendices. 8 Initial report 1.3 Summary of activities September 2002 – June 2003 After extensive negotiation we established core sites in three contrasting cities: Lancaster, Liverpool and Blackburn. We began initial mapping of learning provision in these cities and commissioned a small demographic comparison. We organised practitioner involvement in the project including meeting with groups of practitioners in the three cities and establishing a programme of teacher-researchers. This included working out principles of teacher research. We are now working closely with two teacher-researchers based in Lancaster Adult College, two based in Liverpool Community College, one in Blackburn College and one in nearby Accrington and Rossendale College. We linked into their professional development by contributing to the research training course they received and by supporting them in their colleges. We also appointed advocates in each of the colleges to ensure good liaison and impact of our research within the colleges. The detailed ethnographic study in the three sites began with initial mapping. In all three sites we began work on the teaching and learning aspects of the project by working with basic skills classes. As part of the initial phase we have written reviews of ethnographic studies, of motivation and persistence, of informal learning, of literacy and health, of the research on the relation of teaching and learning and have carried out a small study of ESOL provision in prisons. The team meets weekly and we have held four half-day retreats to develop our work and a two- day retreat with the six teacher-researchers to develop the analysis. We have been involved in the planning meetings for the North West Skills for Life Research Forum and we contributed five workshops on aspects of involving practitioners in research and developing a regional research agenda to the initial North West Skills for Life Research Conference in February. We also presented five papers on evidence at the NRDC International Conference in March (Appendix 1). We presented a discussion paper at the BERA SIG on lifelong learning, also in March. We contributed a workshop to the RaPAL (Research and practice in adult literacy) Conference in June. Within the university we contributed to the launch of the Lancaster Literacy Research Centre in October, we made a presentation at a meeting of the University Council and our work has been featured in local newspapers and radio, as well as in the annual report of the university. In February we hosted NRDC researchers from all national projects for a day devoted to methodology; through this we established links with researchers on other projects which we are pursuing. We have close links with the NRDC ESOL case study project, we developed small sub- projects on prisons and on health and we participate in the cross-centre NRDC numeracy group. We have developed into an effective research team. David Barton has overall direction of the project. He is also responsible for the everyday life aspect of the project, for the development of the Ethnographic Resource and for links with other NRDC projects. Roz Ivanic is a co-director of the project and is responsible for the teaching and learning aspect of the work, as well as the overall co-ordination of the teacher-researchers. Yvon Appleby is responsible for the Liverpool site; she also provides an overview of all three sites, is developing the work-place aspect of the work and co-ordinates the impact and communication strategy. Rachel Hodge is responsible for the Blackburn site and for the ESOL aspects of the project, including linking with the NRDC ESOL case study. Karin Tusting is responsible for the Lancaster site and is pursuing particular interests in numeracy and in working with people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Systems of data management are being developed by Jessica Abrahams, who also organises the translation and transcription activities. Adult Learners’ Lives project: setting the scene 9 Section 2: The case study sites Three sites in the North West of England were selected as case study sites for the Adult Learners’ Lives research. Blackburn, Lancaster and Liverpool were chosen as different enough to each other to provide populations of different size, composition and background. Each has a distinct economic and social base and each has a individual history and identity. Lancaster was selected as a small geographically independent city with a relatively stable population. It is the smallest and least ‘deprived’ of our three case study sites. Blackburn has a higher than average ethnic minority population of South Asian origin and has felt the impact of recent refugee and asylum seekers’ dispersal policy. It is connected to the large industrial and manufacturing conurbation of the North West region. Liverpool was chosen as a large city that has experienced socio-economic decline and regeneration. The city has many different communities established throughout its history as a major seafaring port. 2.1 Blackburn Blackburn is part of the Blackburn and Darwen Unitary Authority within the county of Lancashire. It has a long history. The original grammar school was founded in 1509 and the cathedral in 1826. The industrial revolution brought momentous changes to Blackburn. In 1750 Blackburn was little more than a village but by 1850 had become a boomtown with a tenfold increase in the population. By the end of the nineteenth century Blackburn had become the cotton weaving capital of the world. The growth of the town required the provision of new services to improve health, welfare and recreation. Many public buildings were established at that time including the Town Hall, Museum, College and the Cotton Exchange. Football was and is still a popular recreation and the morale of the town seems to fluctuate with the changing fortunes of Blackburn Rovers! During the twentieth century the textile industry went into a rapid decline causing mass unemployment, the effect of which is still felt today. During and after the Second World War many Polish and Ukrainian refugees settled. There has been, in response initially to the Government’s recruitment drives in the 1960’s for the textile and service industries, a growing population of residents of Indian and Pakistani origin. The Government’s recent dispersal policy has led to an increasing number of people seeking asylum and refugee status living in the borough, now approximately 800 people from a wide range of countries. There is a rich music and arts heritage and community arts programmes. The annual multicultural ‘Mela’ event is the largest of its kind in the region. There are 12 major parklands and the town is surrounded by beautiful Pennine countryside. The population of the district in the 2001 census was 137,471 people (Office of National Statistics). Within this figure there is a higher than national average number of young people under sixteen making up 25.2 per cent of the local population. Conversely there is a lower than national average number of people over 60. The Adult Learners’ Lives commissioned a demographic report ‘The Demographics of Blackburn, Lancaster and Liverpool’ (Appendix 2). This shows the population of Blackburn with Darwen as having slightly higher than average lone parent households, higher than average health problems and a higher percentage of people who look after their home or family. The population of Blackburn is the most multiracial of the three sites. The white population 10 Initial report makes up 79 per cent of the borough’s residents compared to the national average of 91.3 per cent. The largest minority ethnic groups are the Indian (10.7 per cent) and Pakistani (8.7 per cent) groups. The greatest proportion of the population are Christian, 63 per cent. But with 19.4 per cent, the borough has the third highest ranking of Muslim residents in England and Wales. The borough has a slightly higher than national and regional average unemployment figure. By comparison these unemployment percentages are higher than Lancaster but not as high as Liverpool. The largest employment sector by far is manufacturing and Blackburn has a higher than national and regional proportion of people employed in skilled trades. Blackburn with Darwen has retained its selective grammar school and has three independent schools. There are two FE colleges. Blackburn has a level of school performance in line with the national average. The current number of adults in the borough estimated to have basic skills needs is 15,000. It is estimated that up until 2007 221 school leavers per year will have basic skills needs. Low literacy levels in the borough are estimated at 19 per cent compared with the national average of 15 per cent and low numeracy at 16.5 per cent compared to the national average of 12 per cent. (Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Education & Lifelong Learning Dept.) 2.2 Lancaster Lancaster is a small city in the North West of England, part of Lancaster District within the county of Lancashire. The 2001 census revealed a population of 47,159 within the Lancaster urban area. Lancaster is generally regarded as a fairly pleasant place to live, offering a relatively high quality of life. This is borne out by the statistics on health and crime in the area. The demographic study (Appendix 2) cites Lancaster’s general Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) in 2000 as 103, close to the national average (100), below the regional SMR of 107 and much lower than Blackburn’s SMR of 119 and Liverpool’s of 129. Deaths from heart disease, while again slightly higher than the national average at 105, are significantly lower than Blackburn (132) and Liverpool (130) and deaths from breast cancer and prostate cancer are significantly lower than both the national average and Blackburn and Liverpool’s rates. Crime rates for violent crime, robbery, burglary and vehicle theft in Lancaster are all well below national and regional averages. The demographic report shows that the proportion of full-time employees in Lancaster is below the national average, however, employment figures have improved since then. There is a relatively high proportion of the adult population as economically inactive students, related to its status as a university town. The demographic report shows the dominant employment sector as the service industry and percentages of people working in both health and education were higher than the regional and national averages. The percentage of professional households in Lancaster was higher than the regional or national average but the proportion of unskilled workers was also higher. Lancaster has an ethnic distribution close to the regional average, with the feel of a fairly cosmopolitan city, for a town of its size, largely due to the international student population attracted by the nearby university. A significant proportion of ESOL provision at the Adult College is related to this, catering for partners of people studying or working at the university, people studying for IELTS tests with the aim of entering university, or with people studying or