Abstract
This chapter reports on two studies that explored the adaptations made by community learning and development workers supporting family learning and literacy projects during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. Both studies were small-scale and largely qualitative, with data generated with parents (Study 1) and practitioners (Studies 1 and 2). Findings suggest that despite all the challenges, including dealing with digital inequality, there was a strong sense of continuation in terms of purpose, principles, and partnership. Both studies identified a desire for a blended approach to continue post pandemic, recognizing that while online made access easier for some groups, in-person provision allows for a sharing of experiences and learning together that can be a challenge to replicate online.
TopIntroduction
It has been quite a long while (since the “almost” lockdown) for our family to meet and talk to other families (or anyone). It was great to meet and to listen to other people. When others read the book on the Teams meeting, it made us feel that we were all connected. They say no man is an island and we felt so when getting inputs from others.
-Parent talking about his experience of an online group
In Scotland, community learning and development (CLD) practitioners are based in the community and address the learning needs of adults, particularly disadvantaged individuals. They have a key role in supporting parents in their communities and through their children’s schools (Tett, 2019). CLD is charged with providing learning opportunities that ‘empower participants to address relevant issues in their lives, and that of their community’ (Communities Scotland, 2003: 9). This means it has a different focus from mainstream education in its underpinning ideology, its methods, and its curriculum. Its ideology aims to deepen democracy and improve the quality of life for those that are the most disadvantaged in society (Kane, 2013). Its methods are to encourage and engage people in learning that is relevant to them, so it is responsive to community priorities identified with people rather than for them. Rather than having a pre-set curriculum it uses people’s experience and interests to build the learning program because the acknowledgement of learners’ lived experiences provides rich resources for their emotional and social development (Baquedano-López, Alexander & Hernandez, 2013). This CLD approach is similar to empowerment-focused adult education in Europe, (Van Steensel et al. 2011) the US (Perkins et al., 2017) and China (Zhang & Perkins 2022).
An important area of practice in CLD work (alongside youth work, adult learning, and community development) is family learning, which includes family literacy. The work is underpinned by a ‘funds of knowledge’ approach (González et al., 2005) that focuses on the assets that learners bring rather than their deficits. This framework helps practitioners to identify and build on the creative ways families make their way through life by uncovering and documenting families’ knowledge and resources and then using these to stimulate learning and inform the curriculum (Lynch & Prins, 2021 p.65). During the COVID-19 pandemic the demand for these practitioners to provide a bridge between home and schools was greatly increased.
In this chapter we draw on two previously un-reported studies which explore the experiences of family learning and family literacy practices in Scotland during the pandemic. Both studies examined the challenges and opportunities afforded by the pandemic for professionals in this sector and assess the extent to which the lessons learned during the period of school closures might continue to influence practice post-COVID. After introducing the Scottish context, and the methodologies of the two studies we report findings first from Study One: an evaluation of a family learning project which started in person in February 2020 but very quickly pivoted online in March 2020. Next, we report findings from Study Two which focused on the adjustments CLD practitioners made to their learning and teaching approaches in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explored the changes that these practitioners anticipated would persist once the pandemic is over. By pulling together the experiences from parents and CLD workers in the Discussion we provide a holistic picture of how the pandemic affected and continues to shape home-school relationships in Scotland.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Family Learning Practice: An area of work within Community Learning and Development which includes family literacy and focuses on intergenerational learning. Family learning practitioners often work closely with schools to negotiate the design and delivery of programs.
Digital Divide: inequality in terms of motivation, access, skills, and usage of digital technology, associated with poverty and other inequalities.
Social Capital: Is a social science concept focused on the value of social networks that bond similar people and bridge between diverse people. This network of relationships establishes norms of reciprocity in a particular society that have the potential to secure benefits and invent solutions to problems.
Family Literacy: Literacy that occurs in the home and community, inclusive of non-school based literacy practices such as spoken and oral literacies, religious literacies, and community practices using language, communication, reading, writing, understanding, and expression.
Community Learning and Development: A field of professional practice which covers community-based adult learning, youth work, community development and family learning.