SABEA Conference March 2004 – La Ronge, SK

1. SABEA Conference March 2004 – La Ronge, SK SK Basic Education Action Research Group 2004 Report

2. Workshop facilitators • Jennifer Bain, SIAST Wascana Campus • Bebe Ivanochko, Northlands College • Jeri Marchinko, Sk. Learning Supported by Donna Woloshyn, Sk Learning

3. Workshop Panel • Various members of the 4 Action Research Groups.

4. Overview of First Steps • Dr. Allan Quiqley, a professor at St. Francis Xavier University and Chair of the Dept. of Adult Education agreed to deliver a two-part workshop with adult education staff in Saskatchewan • Part One: SCN Overview October 9, 2003 1 – 4:30 pm • Part Two: Research in Practice Workshop October 14—15, 2003

5. Geographical regions were formed • Group 1: South Central • Group 2: North East Central • Group 3: North West Central • Group 4: Northern

9. Group 1- South Central Group Would using the current provincial election in Maple Creek, Swift Current and Moose Jaw lead to individual growth/change. Ed Bath, Cypress Hills Regional College bath47@sasktel.net Dianne Knippshild, Cypress Hills Regional College diannek@cypresshillscollege.sk.ca Bula Ghosh, Cypress Hills Regional College bulag@cypresshillscollege.sk.ca Renee Hunt , South East Regional College rhunt@southeastcollege.org Anna Fish, South East Regional College afish@southeastcollege.org Paul Stack , SIAST Palliser stack@siast.sk.ca Lynn McCaig, SIAST Palliser mccaig@siast.sk.ca Nestor Sapach, SIAST Palliser sapach@siast.sk.ca

10. Group 2 - North East-Central Group Will providing solution focused strategies improve student retention? Don Harris, Carlton Trail harrisd@ctrc.sk.ca Lisa Erickson, Saskatchewan Literacy Network lisa.erickson@sasktel.net Jennifer Bain, SIAST Wascana, bainj@siast.sk.ca Allan Ast, SIAST Wascana, asta@siast.sk.ca Maynard Quewezance, Saskatchewan Learning maynard.quewezance@sasked.gov.sk.ca Kami DePape, Parkland Regional College k.depape@parklandcollege.sk.ca Bernadette Holland, Parkland Regional College b.holland@parklandcollege.sk.ca Rod Goertzen, SIAST Kelsey goertzen@siast.sk.ca

11. Group 3 - North West-Central Group How can we identify potential dropout students and make interventions to keep them in their program? Marc Caron – DTI mcaron@dtipa.net Bernie Tenning – tenning@sasktel,net Sharon Chicoose , SIIT chicooses@siit.sk.ca Doreen Dubreuil, Prairie West Regional College dubreuil@pwrc.sk.ca Colleen Robinson, PWRC crobinson@pwrc.sk.ca Sandra Elviss, PWRC abe.kindersley@prwrc.sk.ca Jack Mitchell, SIAST Wascana mitchellja@siast.sk.ca Tavia Inkster, DTI tavia.inkster_dti@sasktel.net Donna Gruening, SIAST Kelsey gruening@siast.sk.ca

12. Group 4 - Northern Group Would including food preparation and/or food within the class keep students in class? Bebe Ivanochko, Northlands ivanochko.bebe@northlandscollege.sk.ca Anita Stewart, SIAST Woodlands stewarta@siast.sk.ca Lorene Bonnett, Northlands bonnet.lorene@northlandscollege.sk.ca Joyce Henderson, NWRC Denise Nordin, NWRC nwrc@bigriver.sk.ca Fay Harrison, SIAST Woodland harrisonfa@siast.sk.ca Bonnie Tait, Northlands tait.bonnie@northlandscollege.sk.ca Cathy Langdon, Northlands College c.langdon@sasktel.net

13. La Ronge, Saskatchewan Action Research in Basic Education Planner Allan Quiqley, 2003

14. Summary of Allan Quiqley’s notes Action Research Overhead Transparencies Used in Regina at SIAST

15. Action Research •What is it? •Why do it? •Action Research and Basic Education Redesign •A Saskatchewan Action Research Project •Research in Practice and the Provincial Literacy Strategy

16. What is Action Research? Historical context – First referenced to Kurt Lewin (1940’s) What it is: – “Research carried out by practitioners with a view to improving their professional practice and understanding it better” (Cameron and Jones, 1983). – Action research provides a way of working which links theory and practice into the one whole: “ideas-in-action” (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1982).

17. Action Research Participatory Research Participatory Research • tool for individuals working in groups to address problems of social inequity • key assumption of PR is that it will lead to change (Merriam & Simpson, 1995) Distinguishing features: • shared ownership of research projects; • community based analysis of social problems; and • an orientation to community action. (Kemmis & Mc Taggart in Denzin & Lincoln, 2nd ed., 2000, p. 568) Action Research • research carried out by practitioners with a view to improving their professional practice and understanding it better (Cameron, Jones, 1983). • located in a social or organizational context; normally arises out of a dissatisfaction/ sense that system/ organization/context can be “improved”. Role of Researcher: • plans/implements the change, • observes and reflects on the results of the experience, • draws conclusions and hypotheses, • plans further changes on what had been learnt, and implements these new and perhaps better informed changes; and the process continues. Newman, M. (1995). Program Development in Adult Education and Training.

18. Action Research & BE Redesign Why do Action Research? • Development of a more effective practice - the essence of “professional development” is found in learning for effectiveness. • Pedagogical - the ability to identify and address one’s own problems is part of self-reliance and critical thinking literacy that teachers stress with learners. • Manageability - Provides for small scale, low or no cost manageable projects and allows for change in environment. • Geographic delivery - remote and sparsely located teachers/tutors cannot be reached effectively with only “come and get ‘em workshops”. Note: These reasons are not unique to action research and are compatible with approaches to research in practice.

19. What do I need to conduct an Action Research Project? • Some ‘RESEARCH FRIENDS’ • A clearly considered and well defined problem: – Task force? – Literature? • A BASELINE for comparison • A TIMELINE for cycle completion • Some CRITERIA for success • A belief that you can make a difference!

20. Next Steps Other ideas discussed: Could profile action research of the 4 groups at SABEA Conference March 25/04 Partner with SLN to plan for Summer Institute on Action Research/Research in Practice for community based Literacy practitioners in 2004 or 2005 Could post on Saskatchewan Learning or Saskatchewan Literacy Network website Newsletters - SABEA Satellite and SLN

21. Research- in-Practice and the Provincial Literacy Strategy Objective 4.2 Increase research capacity in Literacy and link with federal and international research initiatives. Actions: • Participate in the 2002 International Adult Literacy Skills Survey (IALSS) and circulate findings to stakeholders. • Purchase an additional 2002 International Adult Literacy Skills Survey sample for Saskatchewan that will focus provide better data on literacy and Aboriginal people. • Promote research-based innovation in literacy programs and services.

22. Resources ALBERTA • Publications from the RiPAL-Alberta Network (RiPAL-AB) - All titles are published in Edmonton by Learning at the Centre Press. – Begg, F. (2002). Adapting Writing to Read for adults. It worked for Bill. Will it work for Carol? – Pheasey, A. (2003). What do adult literacy students think being literate is? – Still, R. (2002). Exploring tutors' and students' beliefs about reading and reading strategies. – Young, P. (2002). "Rapid writing…is my cup of tea". Adult upgrading students' use of writing strategies. • RiPAL - Research in Practice in Adult Literacy http://www.nald.ca/ripal/online.htm BRITISH COLUMBIA • Publications from British Columbia – The Adult Literacy Research and Practice Pre-Conference summary – Battell, Evelyn. (2001). Naming the Magic: Non-Academic Outcomes in Basic Literacy – Allen, D., Davies, P., McRae, D., Niks, M. & Nonesuch, K. (2003) Dancing in the Dark. How do Adults with Little Formal Education Learn? How do Practitioners do Collaborative Research? • British Columbia's C2T2 ( Centre for Curriculum, Transfer & Technology) http://www.c2t2.ca/page.asp?item_id=427&path=

23. More Resources • Cokely, S. (1993). The adult educators guide to practitioner research. Dayton, VA: Virginia Adult Education Research Network. http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/resguide/resguide1.html • Enhancing Literacy Research in Canada. (1998). Ottawa: National Literacy Secretariat. http://www.nald.ca/nls/inpub/enhance/ enhcover.htm • Focus on Basics. National Centre for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. (Quarterly publication dedicated to connecting research to practice) http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall/fob/index.htm • Horsman, J. & Norton, M. (1999). A framework to encourage and support practitioner involvement in adult literacy research in practice in Canada. Edmonton, AB: The RiPAL Network. • Quigley, B. Allan. (1997) Rethinking literacy education: The critical need for practice-based change. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. • Quigley, A., & Kuhne, G. (1997). Creating practical knowledge. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. • Quigley, A. & Norton, M. (2002). It simply makes us better. Learning from literacy research in practice networks. A resource for literacy research in practice in Canada. Edmonton, AB: The RiPAL Network. • Norton, M.& Malicky, G. (2002). Learning about participatory approaches in adult literacy education. Six research in practice studies. Edmonton, AB: Learning at the Centre Press. http://www.nald.ca/province/alt/ripal/resourcs/learning/cover.htm