SABEA Conference March 2004

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SABEA ConferenceMarch 2004 La Ronge, SK
SK Basic Education Action Research Group 2004
Report
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Workshop facilitators

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

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Workshop Panel

• Various members of the 4 Action Research Groups.

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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
• 1 430 pm
• Part Two Research in Practice Workshop
• October 1415, 2003

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Geographical regions were formed

• Group 1 South Central
• Group 2 North East Central
• Group 3 North West Central
• Group 4 Northern

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Group 1- South Central GroupWould 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_at_sasktel.netDianne Knippshild,
Cypress Hills Regional College diannek_at_cypresshill
scollege.sk.caBula Ghosh, Cypress Hills Regional
College bulag_at_cypresshillscollege.sk.caRenee
Hunt , South East Regional College
rhunt_at_southeastcollege.orgAnna Fish, South East
Regional College afish_at_southeastcollege.orgPaul
Stack , SIAST Palliser stack_at_siast.sk.caLynn
McCaig, SIAST Palliser mccaig_at_siast.sk.caNestor
Sapach, SIAST Palliser sapach_at_siast.sk.ca
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Group 2 - North East-Central GroupWill providing
solution focused strategies improve student
retention? Don Harris, Carlton Trail
harrisd_at_ctrc.sk.caLisa Erickson, Saskatchewan
Literacy Network lisa.erickson_at_sasktel.netJennif
er Bain, SIAST Wascana, bainj_at_siast.sk.caAllan
Ast, SIAST Wascana, asta_at_siast.sk.caMaynard
Quewezance, Saskatchewan Learning
maynard.quewezance_at_sasked.gov.sk.caKami DePape,
Parkland Regional College k.depape_at_parklandcollege
.sk.caBernadette Holland, Parkland Regional
College b.holland_at_parklandcollege.sk.caRod
Goertzen, SIAST Kelsey goertzen_at_siast.sk.ca  
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Group 3 - North West-Central GroupHow can we
identify potential dropout students and make
interventions to keep them in their
program? Marc Caron DTI mcaron_at_dtipa.netBerni
e Tenning tenning_at_sasktel,netSharon Chicoose ,
SIIT chicooses_at_siit.sk.caDoreen Dubreuil,
Prairie West Regional College dubreuil_at_pwrc.sk.ca
Colleen Robinson, PWRC crobinson_at_pwrc.sk.caSand
ra Elviss, PWRC abe.kindersley_at_prwrc.sk.caJack
Mitchell, SIAST Wascana mitchellja_at_siast.sk.caTa
via Inkster, DTI tavia.inkster_dti_at_sasktel.netD
onna Gruening, SIAST Kelsey gruening_at_siast.sk.ca
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Group 4 - Northern GroupWould including food
preparation and/or food within the class keep
students in class? Bebe Ivanochko, Northlands
ivanochko.bebe_at_northlandscollege.sk.caAnita
Stewart, SIAST Woodlands stewarta_at_siast.sk.caLor
ene Bonnett, Northlands bonnet.lorene_at_northlandsc
ollege.sk.caJoyce Henderson, NWRCDenise Nordin,
NWRC nwrc_at_bigriver.sk.caFay Harrison, SIAST
Woodland harrisonfa_at_siast.sk.caBonnie Tait,
Northlands tait.bonnie_at_northlandscollege.sk.caCa
thy Langdon, Northlands College
c.langdon_at_sasktel.net
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La Ronge, Saskatchewan Action Research in Basic
Education Planner Allan Quiqley, 2003
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Summary of Allan Quiqleys notes

• Action Research Overhead Transparencies Used in
  Regina at SIAST

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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

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What is Action Research?

• Historical context
• First referenced to Kurt Lewin (1940s)
• 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).

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Action Research Participatory Research

• 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.

• 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)

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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
  ones 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.

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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!

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Next StepsOther ideas discussedCould 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 2005Could post on
Saskatchewan Learning or Saskatchewan Literacy
Network website Newsletters - SABEA Satellite
and SLN
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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.

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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 writingis 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_id427path

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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/in
  dex.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/lea
  rning/cover.htm