The purpose of the research is to enhance understanding of those approaches to language, literacy and numeracy skills development inside and outside classroom environments that deliberately draw on and build social capital. The three sectors that will provide the context for the literacy collaborations in this study will be health, finance and justice. These sectors have been identified in the research as in need of development. The term 'approach' in this project encompasses policy, partnerships and pedagogy. Hence this study will describe approaches in terms of these three elements.
Social capital describes the 'networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings which facilitate cooperation within or amongst groups' (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] 2006, p.vi). Social capital production occurs at all levels of social interactivity. Social capital approaches to adult literacy development therefore demonstrate networks at multiple levels e.g., provider-learner, learner-learner, learner-community, provider-community and provider-organisations. By first scanning for literacy collaborations with community groups or organisations within the nominated sectors and then examining in detail one effective collaboration from each, the research outcomes will show how to implement social capital approaches to adult literacy and numeracy development.
The following research questions will be considered during this project:
1. What are the approaches to adult literacy development that deliberately draw on and build social capital?
2. How are partnerships developed and utilised between literacy practitioners and stakeholders from the different social policy sectors?
3. What is the role of policy in supporting approaches that aim for collaborations between literacy providers and agencies within the social policy sectors?
4. What are the pedagogies used in approaches to adult literacy development that deliberately draw on and build social capital?
5. What are guidelines for developing effective approaches to language, literacy and numeracy skills development inside and outside classroom environments that deliberately draw on and build social capital?
6. What are possible new and innovative approaches to adult literacy delivery?
The methodology proposed in this project comprises three phases. The first is a national environmental desktop scan of literacy program collaborations with other programs in the three selected sectors. The purpose of this is to describe and evaluate the current engagement of literacy and numeracy programs within each of the nominated social policy sectors. Potential participants for Phase Two will be identified during this phase.
The second phase is a comparative analysis of three action learning case studies of literacy program collaborations. Action learning teams (also called action research teams), including a member of the research team doing this project will be formed for three programs.
Phase Three involves drawing together the findings of the first and the second to produce guidelines for developing effective programs that draw on and build social capital and to identify new and innovative approaches to adult literacy delivery.
TAFE NSW - Northern Sydney Institute, Meadowbank College is the largest college in the Northern Sydney Institute. Its main focus is VET with large trade sections and large Adult Basic Education (ABE) and ESOL sections. The college is involved in a great many VET projects, including many Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL), LLNP and fee-for-service projects. In the past few years the ABE section at the college has been successful in conducting a major NCVER project (on social capital outcomes) in conjunction with Charles Darwin University and James Cook University, and a DEST Innovative literacy project on Community volunteering.
Charles Darwin University is a dual sector university (TAFE and Higher Education) created with the mandate to build a capacity of first-rate scholars and researchers to support regional development in Northern Australia. CDU delivers more than 90% of VET in the NT. The organisational structure of the new university provides a mechanism to attract and retain high calibre professional personnel, who have skills relevant to the drivers of economic growth within a regional setting. The Learning Research Group conducts highly successful national and NT-based research and consultancy projects that include large-scale survey and evaluation work as well as smaller but significant projects. Clients include NT Department of Employment, Education and Training and NCVER.
James Cook University is Australia's leading tropical research university. JCU is a multi-campus university with the main sites located in the cities of Townsville and Cairns. Smaller sites are located in Mount Isa, Mackay and Thursday Island. JCU courses are also delivered in partnership with education providers in Sydney and Melbourne. Offshore facilities and partnerships continue to grow.
