Literacies for Learning in Further Education

The Literacies for Learning in Further Education project, funded by the ESRC as part of its

Teaching and Learning Research Programme, involves researchers from Lancaster and Stirling Universities and four FE colleges.

‘I have students who write in text language because they are so used to the mobile phone thing, they are so used to abbreviating it and breaking it down in that way, that it’s almost natural for them to do it.’ Recent theory and research in literacy

studies suggests that students who appear to have low levels of literacy in educational settings are highly literate in other domains of life: in their work, domestic, community and leisure activities. Focusing on students ranging in age from 16-65, the project is researching a variety of different curriculum areas and levels of course across four FE colleges. By co-research with students, the project is finding about the range of literacies in their everyday lives, and how these interface with their course demands and with their future work and study. The purpose is to understand how students’ everyday literacy practices can support them on their college courses. The research is in three phases: Phase

One concentrated on mapping the literacy demands of studying at the colleges, from the perspectives of subject staff, support staff and students. Phase Two has explored and analysed in more detail the kinds of literacy practices that 128 students are involved in through their learning, and across their lives outside of college. Teaching staff have been involved in analysing their own practice and the literacy demands of their courses. In Phase Three college staff are experimenting with innovations in the teaching of these units, based on the research in Phase Two.This project takes a social practices approach to literacy: seeing literacy as something which is intrinsic to all of our lives, not as a “basic” skill.

‘Yes, I do get people to read bits out in class which some

like to do and others don’t, but I do like

them to do it.’

‘I don’t know really, I’ve never read it. There’s too much information in it.’

‘Where I would struggle is to get the terminology in.’

“We are actually reducing the amount

of literacy – sorry, the amount of writing –

that is required.”

‘If you present a student with an A4 piece of paper with a nice big heading and a page full of writing, I can almost guarantee it will get left behind, shoved in the bottom of a bag or something like that.