Implementing Values through Community Action Research

1. Dr Josephine Bleach 01-06-2011 Implementing Values through Community Action Research

2. Early Learning Initiative • Provides learning support programmes, which enables positive educational change in the local community • Works collaboratively with local educators to improve teaching and learning • Uses community action research

3. Vision Each child in the Docklands will achieve their full intellectual, emotional and physical potential; progress smoothly and happily through their early years and schooling, supported by responsive, sensitive and secure relationships with the significant adults in their lives; and go on to further and higher education and become active, responsible citizens.

4. Values • Community development - Bottom up rather than top down • Acknowledge, respect and utilise the expertise and experience of others • Support learning journeys • Work in partnership with others • Inclusive • Based on good practice, both nationally and internationally

5. Early Years • Parent Education: Toddler Groups, Parenting Courses, Information Sessions (149 people) • Continuous Professional Development: Improve the quality of teaching and learning; implement Síolta and Aistear (513 people) • Parent Child Home Programme: Develop children’s language, literacy and numeracy skills and prepare them to enter school ready to succeed (60 families)

6. Stretch to Learn • Primary: Literacy, numeracy and educational guidance programmes, Awards, NCI Challenges (1,239 people) • Secondary: Tuition Support, Awards, Discover University (216 people) • Third Level: Support for Third level Students, Campus Connect (14 people)

7. Community Action Research Create a learning community that works together to ‘nurture and sustain a knowledge-creating system’, based on valuing equally each other and the following three interacting domains of activity: • Research: a discipline approach to discovery and understanding, with a commitment to share what is learned. • Capacity-building: enhancing people’s awareness and capabilities, individually and collectively, to produce results they truly care about. • Practice: people working together to achieve practical outcomes. (Senge and Scharmer 2001, 240)

8. Doing - Implementation of Plans Evaluation Action Plans Review Priorities & Long-term/Strategic Plans Action Research Process

9. Evaluation • Participant Observation - observation forms, end-of-month reports • Feedback –visits, meetings, training days, events • Evaluation Forms – end of every programme/training session • End of Year Reviews - June

10. Evaluation Action Research aims to change three things: • Practices or ‘doings’ • Understanding of practice or ‘sayings’ • Conditions of practice or ‘relatings’ (Kemmis 2009)

11. Findings • Over 2,000 people take part in various programmes and events each year • 95% (N=567) who filled out evaluation forms found the programmes useful to their practice • Learning (N= 333) • Social benefit (N= 240) • ‘Brings the family and all the education sections together, bonding links in the community’ • ‘Fosters a learning environment where school and home learning comes together’

12. Findings Practice (Doings) • Assessment and planning for learning • Educational interactions with children • Learning environment • National policy (Síolta and Aistear) • People working together and learning from each other Understanding of Practice (Sayings) • Core values – literacy and numeracy • Excitement about learning and books • Skills and knowledge required for educational success • Educational aspirations Conditions of Practice (Relatings) • Partnership approach – listen, learn and act • Relationships improved • Problem-solving skills

13. Community Action Research • Shared statement of purpose and a set of guiding principles • Collaborative projects that focus on key change issues • Infrastructures that support community building (Senge and Scharmer 2001, 242)

14. Discussion • Common Purpose • First task – defined project • Reflection, discussion and best practice elsewhere • Change thinking and practice • Develop skills of enquiry • Collaborative Projects • Linked to common purpose • Excitement about education and learning • Build practical know-how • Infrastructure • Annual Plan • On-going reflection, discussion, sharing and acting • Leadership • Role boundaries

15. Conclusion Evaluation • ‘Independent scientific’ (Bamber et al 2010) • Action research Continuous Programme Development • Meeting learning needs & system complexities • Implemented • Evaluation and monitoring structures Community Building • Sharing and creating knowledge • Working together Collective Vision • Benchmark • Direction and meaning • Sense of commonality

16. Conclusion • Changed thinking • Enhanced capabilities and skills • Improved practice • Increased educational capital • Developed a sense of ownership and responsibility

17. Last Word!! • Watching my child reading and exploring colours, shapes, looking so happy, wants us to read more to him. I never had that as a child. I have actually learnt myself from the books. I enjoy it too. Hope to get involved with the college when he goes to primary school (Dad) • We are listened to by the ELI. They follow up on suggestions and see them through. Our needs are addressed and ELI keeps in contact with us. (Primary School Principal) • You tell them (ELI) about a project you want to do and they row in behind you (Stakeholder) • Clearer understanding of the process. The importance of staff reflection and more aware of when to give the child support and how to facilitate the child’s needs (ECCE Manager)