Current and future professional development needs of the language, literacy and numeracy workforce

This study explores the current and future professional development needs of three sectors-vocational trainers, specialist teachers and volunteer tutors-of the Australian adult English language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) workforce. Over 200 workers gave generously of their time.

• Language, literacy and numeracy educators are not a homogenous group. Some differences relate to employment sector or work context, some relate to the language, literacy and numeracy educators as individuals with varying educational and employment histories, and still others relate to the role differentiation that has emerged with national training reform.

• The sector in which the language, literacy and numeracy worker is located is the single most significant variable in determining professional development attitudes and issues. The sector determines entry requirements, reporting requirements, availability of funds for professional development and the distribution of those funds, and these impact on the kind of professional development required by language, literacy and numeracy workers and on how best to deliver it.

• Further development of expertise as a teacher is of great importance to the most experienced language, literacy and numeracy specialist teachers. Vocational trainers are interested in professional development to raise their awareness of language, literacy and numeracy issues, but they see language, literacy and numeracy support teachers as best equipped to provide assistance to students. Volunteer tutors have some concerns about whether they can meet future skill needs because of a lack of access to professional development opportunities and value the opportunity to interact with other tutors and teachers through informal networks.

• A number of innovative, relevant and comprehensive professional development programs are being offered at national, state and local provider levels. Better dissemination of information about good practice professional development initiatives may benefit a wider audience of language, literacy and numeracy workers, particularly casual and regional workers.

• Compliance with the reporting demands of external funding and regulatory bodies has increased the administrative workload of many specialist teachers and vocational trainers, to the point where they believe it is adversely affecting both the quality of their teaching and the time and energy available to engage in professional development activities.

• Employers currently offer significant amounts of professional development aimed at achieving compliance. This creates something of a mismatch between what is offered and what is desired by language, literacy and numeracy workers. All workers want additional professional development in teaching and managing the changing profile of learners and information technology skills.

• Language, literacy and numeracy workers have quite strongly held views on adult learning, and their own preferred means of accessing professional development. Face-to-face interaction with colleagues, a practical 'hands-on' approach, and peer learning are highly valued modes across all sectors of the workforce.

The aim of this study was to determine the variety of current and future professional development needs of the adult English language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) workforce and to explore methods for addressing such needs. To achieve this aim, the study draws information from three states, a range of employing organisations and three distinct sectors of this workforce: specialist providers of accredited language, literacy and numeracy tuition; vocational trainers who are incorporating language, literacy and numeracy into their delivery of training packages and volunteer language, literacy and numeracy tutors in community settings.

Over 200 language, literacy and numeracy workers gave generously of their time, sharing their experiences and their insights to make this study possible. The study reveals a diverse but confident, committed and collegiate language, literacy and numeracy workforce. The individuals that make up this diverse workforce engage in serious reflection on their practice, are able to clearly articulate their professional development needs and remain interested in strengthening their teaching delivery skills.

A largely qualitative methodology underpins this study, guided by specific research questions for the collection of data. Please refer to the methodology and design chapter for details regarding the methodology.

The study has produced findings and drawn conclusions which can be used to assist in professional development planning for the language, literacy and numeracy workforce at local, state and national levels. The research team believe these findings to be useful and productive, but do not claim that these findings will reflect the experience of every Australian language, literacy and numeracy worker. While cautious about overstating the general nature of these findings, significant issues and possible solutions have emerged from this dialogue with language, literacy and numeracy workers.

The sector in which the language, literacy and numeracy worker is located was found to be the single most significant variable in determining professional development attitudes and issues.

Language, literacy and numeracy specialist teachers, no matter how experienced, express a continuing hunger for professional exchange on how to better go about their language, literacy and numeracy teaching practice. Most vocational trainers come to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Adult and Community Education (ACE) sectors with a body of industry knowledge, and can return to that industry to seek professional renewal. Language, literacy and numeracy specialists have no such industry area, and so must turn to each other to deepen their knowledge of teaching practice and to seek such professional renewal.

The majority of the vocational trainers who participated in this research are not being offered professional development related to language, literacy and numeracy. The many other demands on their time are so pressing that attending language, literacy and numeracy professional development is not a high priority despite an interest in learning how to better assist their learners. The preferred approach suggested by these vocational trainers is to improve the lines of communication between vocational trainers and language, literacy and numeracy specialists, so that these specialists may assist vocational learners with respect to their language, literacy and numeracy learning needs.

Volunteer tutors are clear that they do what they do because it is intrinsically rewarding, and are realistic about the extent to which their organisations can fund professional development. Although, in general, less experienced than participants from the other two sectors, volunteer tutors appear satisfied that their initial training has equipped them with the skills they need, and seek to augment this initial training through informal support structures.

Of course, not all findings are sector-specific. All three sectors feel confident that they have the skills and knowledge they need to function effectively in their current roles, with volunteers being somewhat more concerned about meeting future challenges than the other two sectors.

Language, literacy and numeracy specialists and volunteer tutors see improving their teaching practice as the area of most pressing current professional development need. To improve both their current and future practice, all sectors want to learn more about managing the changing profile of learners. Consequently, they expressed a pervading concern about the access to appropriate resources and learning materials to meet the needs of specific learner groups.

The findings of this study strongly support the view that the need to comply with regulatory, auditing and funding bodies associated with the rapid and extensive changes in the education and training landscape has greatly increased the administrative workload of teachers, trainers and managers (Waterhouse, Townsend & Virgona 2001; Chappell & Johnston 2003). Language, literacy and numeracy specialists in particular spoke of 'drowning in paperwork' engendered by Australian Government-funded language, literacy and numeracy programs and of the adverse impact that this administrative load is having on their teaching practice.

Research participants saw information and communication technology skill development as an important future need, especially in relation to the use of multimedia resources and to facilitate more efficient completion of teaching and non-teaching tasks. Program managers also saw this area as a high priority. The great majority of language, literacy and numeracy provision still occurs face to face (McGuirk 2001), and gaining access to the new teaching and learning technologies and developing the computer literacies to use them are issues requiring serious attention (Snyder, Jones & Lo Bianco 2005; Rumsey 2002; Leu 2003; Golding, Davies & Volkoff 2001). Some resistance to the uncritical acceptance of technology-based approaches to teaching was evident.

Strong views were expressed on adult learning best occurring through active participation, and all three sectors overwhelmingly favour professional development that is delivered face to face. There was a resounding preference for short, 'hands-on', practical training delivered by expert facilitators, coupled with opportunities for informal interaction and sharing with peers.

Employment status is resulting in inequitable access to professional development opportunities. Only 31.8% of the paid participants in this research were permanent employees. This study confirms the finding by other researchers (Dickie et al. 2004; Harris et al. 2001; McGuirk 2001) that permanent employees have much greater access to employer-funded professional development than casual, part-time and sessional workers. The finding that approximately 70% of the paid language, literacy and numeracy workforce is facing barriers to gaining professional development due to their employment status is of serious concern.

Geographical location also plays a role in limiting access to face-to-face professional development, with the barrier of distance compounding the frequently identified barriers of time and money in accessing professional development.

A distinction can be made between professional development related to teaching roles and professional development related to business or compliance needs (Rumsey 2002). Dickie et al. (2004) distinguish between professional development with the goal of workforce development and professional development as a means to improve the professional practice of an individual. Participants were aware that there needs to be balance and realism regarding professional development needs which primarily benefit individuals. However, there were complaints that employers and managers were too preoccupied with compliance and technology-related workforce development. In addition, they were undervaluing the importance of teachers developing their teaching skills, which research participants in our study clearly saw as crucial both now and in the future.

Study participants appreciate their access to the professional development available in their own and other organisations, but remain focused on specific demands of their varied and changing teaching contexts.

Good practice professional development models have emerged from this research. Perhaps the most salient feature of good practice models identified was that the professional development delivered met the identified and articulated needs of the participants. The message from the field to its managers and employers seems to be to listen to what professional development specialist language, literacy and numeracy teachers, vocational trainers and volunteer tutors actually want and need at the local level.

In a climate of diminishing resources, professional development programs need, more than ever, to be built around good practice principles, including incorporating learner-centred teaching practice, needs-based assessment, the use of work-based learning and systematic and serious evaluation of the impact of professional development activities.

The findings indicate that professional development ought to be specifically tailored to the quite discrete needs of the three different sectors of this workforce, that the inequitable access by part-time and casual staff and geographically remote workers to employer-funded professional development must be addressed and that a balance needs to be achieved between business or compliance needs and the improved professional practice of individuals.

An extended literature review and detailed descriptions of the design and findings of the data collection instruments used in this research project are available in the supporting document to this report.