Josephine V Saliba EdD Assignment 6

Doctor of Education EdD Programme
ER6 Research Design and Management
Literacy and Language: A Critical Analysis of Policy Ideology underlying the Wording of the Competences and Learning Outcomes adopted for Foundation Level Literacy Programmes at MCAST Vocational College, Malta
Perhaps it would be simpler if you just did what you're told and didn't try to understand things." Terry Pratchett, Sourcery (1988, online) 1. Researching a Lived Experience At the conclusion of the first part of the EdD experience, despite the anxiety of the looming actual research, it is reassuring that my 'philosophical endeavour' thus far indicates an established reflective 'partly personalized social practice' approach which attempts to challenge traditional approaches to practice and research (Wellington et al, 2005:112-113). Admittedly, the proposed research title retains a nodding acknowledgment to established wording valued by certain professional traditionalists but the choice was considered. The title attempts to focus on crisscrossing issues of whether literacy should be 'taught' or 'supported', a recurrent professional dilemma weighted by traditional versus social practice ideological ramifications. The research will attempt to critically unpack those words and associated meanings that dominate my work. Hence, the terms 'literacy', 'policy', 'ideology', 'competences' and 'learning outcomes' will be analysed within the context of my lived experience teaching/supporting English language literacy skills to/of bilingual/multilingual students attending the sole non-compulsory national vocational college of an ex-colonial small nation state with European aspirations of standardisation aiming towards further economic development through increased employability and competitiveness. Or, in other words,
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 1
this research proposes 'to make sense of the human condition' (Wellington et al 2005:112) within my professional context. Understanding the local context provides the background scenario within which these concepts operate, embodied by abstract words that are variously interpreted at the different local educational and organisational strata. People 'respond to, and talk about, apparently similar things in different ways' (Wellington et al:ibid) leading to diverse interpretations of the same policy existing within situated Discourses/discourses (Gee, 1990). Previous EdD papers as well as my MSc dissertation (2009, unpublished) have discussed how Discourses of Power, Truth and Identity (Foucault, 1995; Fairclough, 1992, 1995, 2001) emerge throughout and further interact within these situated meanings, with people assigning significance and value to these abstract concepts, translating personal ideologies into the concrete words of educational policies. As previously discussed, MCAST is seemingly adopting 'policy technologies' where a 'one-size-fits-all' model aims at the 'transformation' and 'modernisation' of vocational education, mainly through traditional models of educational management intended to organise human skills and resources into 'functioning systems' (Ball, 2010:41-43). It emphasises the provision of 'educational training programmes' preparing students for the world of employment, entrepreneurship, market forces, management and performativity (Ball, 2010:45-53). In so doing, it follows a 'policy epidemic' of adopted, possibly adapted, EU policies leading to an 'unstoppable flood of closely interrelated reform ideas' that are 'permeating and reorientating' our education system despite our 'diverse social and political' location (ibid:39). In a globalised world Malta is inevitably influenced by dominant countries creating a 'social imaginary' (Ball, 2010:194) that suggests how things ought to be. Consequently local policies 'direct or steer practice towards a The particular normative state of affairs' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:8).
proposed research is thus concerned with the 'policy ensemble' of

Josephine V. Saliba Page 2
intertextual education policy discourses that are created by and result in policy texts and documents (Ball, 2010) concerning vocational education, specifically at MCAST Foundation Levels. The proposed research does not aim at analysing traditional 'high theory' conventional policy sciences use to address 'the needs of the state, helping it develop its priorities and programmes and determine ways of ensuring their efficiency and effectiveness' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:1). Rather, influenced by my life experience, the research intends to investigate the interconnectivity of discourses at various policy stages, especially towards the bottom of the policy chain. Maltese small nation state ambitions of modernity are creating frantic political changes that have glocalised general society (Robertson, 1995) and formed new cultural identities and self-expression (Giddens, 1996). People are adapting to globalisation in their everyday life, how they talk about themselves and engage with others and how they experience changes in their consciousness and attitudes (Giddens, 1991; Ball, 2010). projected by national institutions. People are faced with several dilemmas that modernity imposes on identity; unification authority versus versus fragmentation, uncertainty, powerlessness personalised versus versus appropriation, commodified and Thus, rapid changes in ideas, identities and literacies are not always parallel to conservative facades
experience (Giddens, 1991:189-201).
My own perceptions as a female
citizen have formed an inclination towards social minority groupings and an interest in Freire's work (1996) and challenging critical theory, feminism, post-structuralism and post-colonialism theories (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:2). Such theory has reshaped policies and how they are 'forged, implemented and evaluated' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:2). (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:2-5). Since policy is about change processes, new approaches to education policy analysis are necessary
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 3
This
research
thus
proposes
to
inductively
analyse
specific
College
programmes based on particular education policies representing values and ideologies 'whose authority is allocated at the intersection of global, national and local processes' (ibid:3). It proposes to explore the local in what is institutionally a non-traditional way and consequently challenge 'overly abstract, experience-distant approaches () and the notion of a world () that is separated from personal experience (Wellington et al 2005:116). Often, higher national and international authorities set policies 'in a range of complicated, complex, commensurate and contradictory ways' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:3). Ambitiously, the study aspires to identify possible policy interactions and interpretations influencing MCAST staff and students. This paper hence describes my intended personally based approach, analysing the local vocational educational context in which the individual is exalted within a system that also seeks to standardise learning and teaching experiences according to international policies for the benefit of the nation. "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Terry Pratchett, Diggers (1990, online) 2. The Context for Research Previous assignments have explored how socio-economic changes are influencing the Maltese education system, creating a 'discourse of endings () signaling the end of one epoch and the beginning of another' (Ball, 2010:193). One of the highest benchmarks of modernity is achieving a much desired 'knowledge economy' where lifelong learning opportunities together with international and technological education create 'evolved' concepts of citizenship and employment (Ball, 2010). Consequently, particular MCAST vocational policies are geared towards creating this 'learning society' although it is 'sometimes difficult to know which voices count most, or where or how key decisions are arrived at' (ibid:201). National and international
Page 4
Josephine V. Saliba
education policies are increasingly business-based, emphasising networking, partnerships, entrepreneurialism and manoeuvring educational workers and organisations towards entrepreneurial-managerialism (Ball, 2010; Rizvi and Lingard, 2010). Hence although learners may be regarded differently than before, policymaking essentially remains a political process with major tradeoffs between traditional politico-economic values 2010:72). The Malta Qualification Council (MQC) co-ordinates Maltas National (Rizvi and Lingard,
Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (NQF) since 2005. Paralleling the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF), and backed by the Lisbon strategy, 'eight levels of qualifications () compatible with the Framework of Qualifications of the Higher Education Area (EHEA) or the Dublin descriptors' (MQC, 2007a:5) aim to: 'oversee the development of the National Qualifications Framework in the context of lifelong learning and to work in partnership with learners, employers and training and education providers to achieve and maintain excellence as a contribution towards the national effort for competitiveness.' (MQC Information Leaflet, 2011) Malta's NQF aims to transform Maltese education policy by putting the learner at the centre of the educational process, basing itself on the principle that 'levels of education and qualifications can be measured by what a person is capable of doing rather than what an individual has been taught' (MQC, 2007a:5). The NQF is 'a reference tool using the learning outcomes approach' that 'adheres to the Bologna and Copenhagen processes' (ibid). It aims to attract more students to higher and further education institutions, including MCAST vocational college, to expand their learning experiences and employability opportunities. The use of learning outcomes based on delineated competences and skills intends to be flexible and inclusive of as
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 5
wide
catchment
as
possible
whilst
embodying
transparency
and
accountability mechanisms that 'builds trust among all stakeholders' (MQC, 2007a:5). The NQF hence is rooted in 'the political, economic, cultural and social priorities of a Nation which since 2004, has been part of the European Union' (MQC, 2009:8) and puts 'the learner, not the Frameworks () at the centre of Maltas referencing process' (ibid). The NQF, as any Westernised education system, has the potential to aid 'knowledgeable individuals who are able to think rationally, the formation of sustainable community, and the realization of economic goals benefiting both individuals and their communities' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:71). However, such laudable goals are ideologically weighted primarily by whether education should transmit values for the moral, social, political and economic good of the one or the many (Giddens, 1991). Policies are the vehicles through which these intrinsic values may be identified and the links between international, national and local processes delineated (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010). Not all policies have questionable, subjugating hidden Critical policy analysis does not berate specific agendas nor are specific Maltese education policies wholly detrimental or beneficial to individuals. policies for their particular value positions but explores the interactivity and intertextual negotiations between values and their effects (Ball, 2010; Rizvi and Lingard, 2010). NQF policies propose a Europeanised Vocational Educational Training (VET) framework that 'on being culturally absorbed at a national level, is bound to lead to an increase in lifelong learning opportunities' local (MQC, 2007b:1). It also creates 'parity of esteem between
General Education Levels 1-3 qualifications and the corresponding Full VET Levels 1-3 qualifications' (MQC, 2007b:1) to address the 'void' that compulsory school-leaving students face if leaving without the 'basic grade' (ibid). Yet queries arise, namely, how will the 'Europeanised' framework be nationally absorbed and whether proposed VET programmes are another
facet
of
General
Education
reforming
'deviant'
students
through
standardisation. If so, authorities would be transmitting the knowledge, skills and competence valued by the dominant value system they represent (Street, 1984). The NQF and MCAST programmes may thus be reinforcing autonomous models of literacy seeking to rectify 'at risk', 'illiterate', 'deficient' or 'failed' students because of their problems in traditional and dominant literacy acquisition (Barton, 2007; Street and Lefstein, 2007; Larson and Marsh, 2009). Students with few or no General Education qualifications enter MCAST Level 1 or 2 strands and must successfully progress through to be eligible for a Level 3 programme, unless they otherwise obtain the necessary formal General Education qualifications. The NQF Learning Outcomes aim to facilitate this progression by providing 'partial training and certification at any of the three levels' thus ensuring learners may use their 'entrepreneurial skills and shop around to fill the missing bits to complete a full certification at a particular VET level' (MQC, 2007b:1). However, it is unclear whether students with traditional literacy and education difficulties will be able to handle the proposed system, this 'vision of the future that beckons in the molding of a learning society in our Island home' (MQC, 2007b:1). Notwithstanding these interrogatives, VET Levels 1 to 3 do not intend to 'restrict any form of training that is in place, when its aim is actually that vocational training and education should proliferate and flourish' (MQC, 2007b:1). Thus, although MQC accreditation is necessary, MCAST may still devise its national programmes such as Foundation Levels 1 and 2. These lead to autonomous national certification whereas Level 3 programmes entail British BTEC curricula, syllabi and assessment modes. Hence, Levels 1 and 2 programmes should offer influenced intends to
Josephine V. Saliba
instances of policies being processes, or at least be
by
glocalisation
addressing students' contextualised needs. Consequently, eventual research critically analyse MCAST Levels 1
Page 7
and 2 Foundation Programme policies, addressing the queries discussed in this proposal.
"Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices."
Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men (2003, online) 3. The Research Focus and Questions Adopting the NQF, the policies and learning outcomes of MCAST Foundation Programmes are meant to be accessible even by school-leavers with minimal or no qualifications. The NQF/MCAST Level Descriptors and Learning Outcomes for Key Knowledge, Competences and Skills for Level 1 and 2 programmes consist of ' strands at the appropriate level of difficulty' leading to 'the mastery of underpinning knowledge and practical skills in the particular vocational field being certified, together with the acquisition of the eight key competences' (MQC, 2007b:1): Mathematics, Learning To Science Learn; and Technology; Communication in Mother Digital Civic competence; Tongue; Communication in another Language; Basic competences in Interpersonal and Competences;
Entrepreneurship;
Cultural expression (ibid:3). The
MQC defines the first five key competences as content based and the remaining competences as transversal competences The Level Descriptors for Key Competences were based on the document 'Towards a European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning' of 2005 (MQC, 2007b:3) where the key competences 'are defined as a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the context and which every individual needs for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment' (ibid). This ensures 'a skilled and competent workforce as well as more active citizens in Malta' able to 'work
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 8
and have an acceptable standard of quality of life within a European knowledge society. ' (ibid:8, 9). need to be unpacked. Undoubtedly, these value-rich assertions Since citizenship and identity issues in Malta are
inextricably linked to literacy and language standardisation (Mayo, 1994), the research proposes focusing on the linguistic Key Competences of Maltese as Mother Tongue and English as a secondary Communication language (Maltese Constitution, 1964, 2007). Cross referencing Digital Competency; Learning To Learn; Interpersonal and Civic Competences; Entrepreneurship; and, Cultural expression might be necessary in view of research in New Literacy Studies and in multiliteracies by Barton et al (2000), Barton (2007), Gee (1990, 2000), Kress (2003) and Kress and Van Leeuwen (2001), Street (1984, 1995, 1997, 2003), Street and Lefstein (2007), and more recently Lankshear and Knobel (2011). The research will focus on issues emerging from the hierarchical national and organisational education scenario illustrated in Figure 1.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 9
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 10
In consequence, the core research questions will focus on:
The values embodied within the EQF and adopted by the NQF what is important that the education system should transmit and achieve?
General Education compared with VET and Life-long learning objectives what are the literacy and language issues faced; how are they placed within the language/identity/power Discourses?
The Learning Outcomes for linguistic Key Skills at Levels 1 and 2 what are students expected to know; what are they expected to learn; what are they assessed on; what will they achieve?
The Knowledge, Skills and Competences outlined by the NQF and adopted by MCAST linguistic Key Skills in Foundation Programmes do they differ or share the same values; what policy language is used to transmit any ideologies and which ones?
The MCAST literacy and language policies do they favour particular dominant literacies or do they respect different literacies; are they a result of globalisation, glocalisation or any other factors?
The language of MCAST literacy and language policies which words are used to transmit MCAST's official position to different stakeholders and sectors of the population (e.g. media and the general public; staff; students)?
The implementation of MCAST literacy and language policies - how are policies transmitted throughout the organisation; how are they actually implemented?
The adoption of MCAST literacy and language policies how do staff actually work with these policies and how do they translate the words into practice?; what is their understanding of these policies and how do
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 11
they communicate this to their students, especially those students attending MCAST literacy support groups?
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 12
The research proposes to investigate whether the EQF/NQF parameters adopted by MCAST polices may enable students at Foundation Levels 1 and 2 to 'navigate between complex educational systems and locate the levels of their learning outcomes' (MQC, 2007b:4). The study is limited by the traditionally hierarchical organisational structure (MSc dissertation, 2009, unpublished). It stops its policy investigation at staff levels without asking for student opinions. This is a considered decision since MCAST adheres to the NQF parameters providing 'support to authorities and institutions and other training providers to identify and position the learning outcomes of their training' which according to the EQF 'simplifies the process of recognition of qualifications between sectors, within a country as well as across the EU and beyond' (MQC, 2007b:4). Also, at the time of presenting this proposal students have no way of influencing policy as not even the Student Council is currently operative. Therefore, although subsequent studies could analyse the outcome of this proposed research, it is not intended that at this point any investigation should extend beyond critical policy analysis. Notwithstanding, it is hoped that this research will contribute towards a better understanding of the MCAST Levels 1 and 2 Foundation Programmes, not only from administrative and pedagogical perspectives that can lead to further programme development but ultimately also to benefit students, particularly students with perceived weak skills in traditional areas of literacy. It aims to do this by critically analysing policies that have been It is hoped that this may be the first step perceived as having the potential to 'enhance the quality of life of every individual' (MQC, 2007b:4). towards exemplifying how decisions are being made and whose voices count the most and although, as Ball (2010) observes, this is difficult, it is hoped that this research is a starting point for making student voices count.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 13
"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours. (...) Coming back to where you started is not never leaving." Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky (2004, online) 4. Fields of Enquiry and Contribution to Knowledge and the same as
Understanding Nationally, policy research has mostly been conducted according to managerial traditions, with most policy makers being in politics or finance or else having bestowed authority from public institutions. These 'selfgoverning individuals' create a process of 'governmentality' (Foucault, 1991) that is rarely contested within the national psyche reflected within the MCAST organisational set up (Figure 1). Therefore, the main fields of enquiry of the research examine the three key aspects of policy; texts, discourses and effects (Ball, 1994). Without problematising the nature of authority (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010), it will investigate how policies 'are designed to ensure consistency in the application of authorized norms and values across groups' (ibid:8). Hence, the work of Foucault, Freire and Fairclough will help explore the link between the primary Discourses of identity, language and power and the need to be critical of this relationship.
These theories will be complemented by reference to how texts and discourses are part of wider secondary Discourses embedded within the MCAST Levels 1 and 2 vocational/ further education programmes. The intention is to analyse whether specific policies for empowerment 'name the space' of the programmes 'or whether they 'fill that space' (Lankshear and Knobel, 2011:104). Functional vocational literacy and empowerment programmes may risk becoming associated with self-evident benefits or positive values that have little substantive meaning (ibid). Learning to read
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 14
or write, learning a secondary language, using information technology or attaining standardised outcomes of learning necessary to gain employment may be just another aspect of secondary Discourses and just as saturated with symbolic power (Street, 1984; Gee, 1990).
The study will thus look at how NQF/EQF policies propose to tackle issues of empowerment and lifelong learning, critically analysing whether their interpretation by dominant authorities may 'empower certain groups (and depotentiate others), by making what they already have (or have privileged access to) into currency for acquiring social goods and benefits' (Lankshear and Knobel, 2011:111). Knobel and Lankshear (2011:105) advise analysing the embedded political, social and economic ideals behind the concepts and be clear about the subject of empowerment, the power structures hindering empowerment, the processes through which empowerment is to occur, and the outcomes that are envisaged to follow empowerment. As other papers have argued, knowledge economies often equate
empowerment with education towards economic development with policy effectiveness measured by the 'system's capacity to make an adequate return on investment, assessed in terms of its contribution to producing workers with knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to increasing productivity' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:78). The NQF/EQF standards seem
favourable to citizens being able to maximise their potential within the economic needs of the country, strongly linking vocational education to economic policies. The research will thus investigate aspects of the three distinct but competing values of democratic equality, social mobility and social efficiency (Labaree, 2003, in Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:77) to critically analyse how this in effect envisages 'freedom for students to gain in their own way the knowledge and skills they will require for finding a place within the labour market' (Rizvi and Lingard, 2010:78). Significantly, the digital divide is becoming central to such issues as 'social and economic
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 15
development have become highly dependent on a country's capacity to participate in the new informational economy' (ibid:153). The consequences of rapidly changing technologies are discussed in studies on multimodalities and multiliteracies in globalised contexts (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001), revealing further links with issues of power and social hierarchy (Street and Lefstein, 2007). Researching language and literacy necessitates exploring multiliteracy since it 'supplements traditional literacy pedagogy by addressing these two related aspects of textual multiplicity' (Cope and Kalantzis, 2000:5). It is also pertinent in view of the national language policies which impose Maltese as the national language and English as a second language while the traditional legacy of bilingualism as 'double monolingualism' (Heller, 2006:83) persists within cultures of older generations of policy makers and authorities. If 'we no longer need to worry about nationality, nationalism or national identity' (Blackledge and Creese, 2009:181), as identities change with the rise of multilingualism due to the 'multiplicity and integration of significant modes of meaning-making' (Cope and Kalantzis, 2000:5), then a critical analysis of the policy wording and entailed values of the NQF/EQF documents becomes more relevant. Issues of 'translanguaging in the bilingual classroom' (Blackledge and Creese, 2009:201) evolve into multilingual translanguaging due to increased multitextual communication and also increasing multiculturalism as globalisation also attracts new migratory nationals from non-English speaking countries towards Malta. The research thus proposes to investigate whether the NQF/EQF and MCAST standards and learning outcomes act as 'normalizing factors' (Foucault, 1977) or whether there is space for a 'pedagogy of Multiliteracies' (Lo Bianco, 2000, in Cope and Kalantzis, 2000:105) where languages other than first or second ones, be they Maltese, English or other foreign ones, as well as individual and social bilingualism within a broader global multilingual
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 16
context may be expressed (ibid). Their interpretation and implementation may affect cultural and collective symbols, values and resources transmitted between individuals through contextualised and meaningful social practice (Holland et al, 2001:271-2). Hence, the 'figured worlds' of staff and students, their social resources and voices (ibid), may be affected by the implications of power, status and rank on individual identities especially as these policies promote a 'combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the context' that are envisaged to satisfy every individual's 'needs for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment' (MQC, 2007b: 8).
Analysing the outlined fields of enquiry may be of possible further personal and organisational benefit, contributing towards fresh perspectives. Often, incomprehension or misunderstanding leads to staff frustration and helplessness rendering them acquiescent accomplices to traditional and hierarchical pedagogies. Authorities may hence use apathy or passive resistance to lend more power to normative and authority-centred polices. Student voice may benefit more if a researcher-practitioner can present solid arguments backing multiliteracy pedagogies. further elucidate these policies, the A critical analysis of how discourses favoured NQF/EQF standards are influencing the organisational context may hopefully nationally/organisationally and the consequences on language and literacy acquisition especially by students with challenges to traditional literacy skills or of non-dominant socio-cultural backgrounds. At an organisational level, it is hoped that analysing literacy and language policies will contribute to College Foundation Programme development, possibly leading to reinterpreting learning outcomes to include wider multiliteracy skills alongside more dominant literacies within programme curricula. This could further recognise individual student identities within a rapidly changing glocalised scenario by valuing what they bring with them
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 17
into the classroom instead of simply transmitting traditional pedagogies. Often the economic needs perceived by older generations are different to those of the lived experiences of younger generations who are possibly more in touch with multitextual globalised/glocalised contexts. Analysing policies could initiate increased awareness. Exploring differences or transformations between official written documentation and the way policies are transmitted to staff and students could improve understanding about the intertextual nature of policy making and implementation. Challenging various staff perceptions about policy implementation at all organisational levels may increase valued acknowledgement of students deemed non-compliant with levels of dominant literacy skills. This is also a personal challenge it is very easy to fall into a vicious circle of resistance, frustration and self-righteous indignation through an inflated perception of being in the right when defending more vulnerable students. The proposed research will hopefully be a further enlightening instance of reflective practice.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 18
"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. do the bad things. Terry Pratchett, Jingo (1997, online) 5. Methodology and Methods of Data Analysis My EdD experience has thus far considered the nature of truth, sharing my lived experience and exploring other truths. Such personal narrative lends itself to life history and auto/biographical research (Wellington et al, 2005). In my first assignment, I explored the scientific nature of positivist versus more qualitative research methodologies, discussing how the two strands are merely seperated by the difference in their aims of knowledge (Gadamer, 1983) and that qualitative approaches to the social sciences are not less but different as social sciences are products of human agency (Hopf, 2004:31), where meanings stand mostly in relation to each other, rather than in relationship to an objective reality (ibid). Nevertheless, the tightrope dilemma remains between presenting my 'moral, competency, personal and social values (Greenbank, 2002:791) whilst engaging in my organisation's traditional and dominant discourses that widely favour positivist approaches to research which continue to influence both policy and practice in education (ibid:793). Thus, I find myself searching for 'a new notion of science and method' (Gadamer, 1981:6). A preference for Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) emerges from my current work. Deemed more scientific than is generally acknowledged by positivist practitioners (Hopf, 2004), it is based onmethodological self-consciousness that considers the replicability and competitive validity of (...) findings
Page 19
No one ever thinks of themselves as one of It's Them that
Them. We're always one of Us.
Josephine V. Saliba
(Hopf, 2004:32).
Yet, CDA
challenges structures of power that regulate Text or
society and individual identities, behaviours, values and norms (Foucault, 1977) countering 'ideology as common sense' (Fairclough, 2001). discourse analysis and studying social forces that produce them lead to reflection about truths, values, practices and beliefs and how they are understood, reinforced, contested or changed through linguistic and nonlinguistic metaphors and symbols (Fairclough, 1992, 2001; Janks, 2009). Processes of critical discourse such as text analysis, processing analysis and social analysis help describe, analyse and explain these dominant ideological truths. Idealistically, this allows individuals to assert their identity as agents who can transform their social situation (Foucault, 1995; Fairclough, 1995; Freire, 1996); more practically, it illustrates how language and literacy discourse processes 'produce truth, how they are produced by power and how they produce effects of power' (Janks, 2009:37). My lived experience embodies instances where it is necessary to
denormalise dominant ideologies and social relations that problematise rather than liberate individual identities. As radical as it may appear, it is part of my 'personal text as critical intervention in social, political and cultural life' (Holman Jones, 2008, in Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:205). My voice will be embedded in the research, my critical reflections revealing my positionality and 'perspectives, interests, assumptions, orientations and biases' (Wellington et al, 2005:19). Consequently, elements of autoethnography and storytelling will possibly couple with CDA as these methodologies embody the potential to disrupt and produce space for dialogue about what is and what should be, instigating and shaping change (Holman Jones, ibid:206). Consequently, the proposed insider research will be based on wide observational and analytical work. It is possible that the 'intersubjectivity of the researcher and the researched' will come through the researcher's voice while trying to 'understand the other's voice, life and culture' (Chase, 2008,
in
Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:69).
Such involvement might intertwine the
mainly CDA and inductive methodologies with certain of the researcher's secondary deductive hypotheses. Since I envisage that it will sometimes be difficult to extricate the personal lived experience from the observed, a valid starting point would be balancing methods pertaining to Narrative Inquiry (Chase, ibid:57-94) with those involved in CDA and variations of Talk and Text Analysis (Perakyla, 2008, in Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:351-374) since the two basic types of materials used will the two 'much used but distinctively different types of empirical materials in qualitative research: interviews and naturally occurring materials' (Perakyla, ibid:351). Nonetheless, the methods of analysing and synthesising data will revolve around CDA methods of analysing policy and related documentation. 2007b) and MCAST Levels 1 benchmarks. These will The primary written texts to be analysed will be the NQF Descriptors (MQC, and 2 Programme syllabi which mention be cross referenced with relevant EQF Learning Outcomes and the entailed Knowledge, Skills and Competences documentation (Reinaldi and Kuleswa, 2006). Secondary reference will be
made to the MQC and related websites of the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) Malta Lifelong Learning Programme. MCAST documentation such as syllabi, assessment procedures, official communications and minutes of meetings, possibly also imminent European Social Fund employment and education initiatives at Levels 1 and 2, are also pertinent. topic of the proposed research. National or organisational statistical data may be referenced quantitatively due to the More relevantly, textual analysis will be compared with ecological observations on policy implementation processes. To this end, supplementary interviews are planned to be held with policymakers and administrators at the MQC and MCAST as well as other college staff involved in policy writing and implementation at different organisational levels.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 21
Hence, reference will be made to models provided by Fairclough (1995, 2001) and evolved by Janks (2009) as well as research guidlenes on how to carry out CDA such as published by Hyatt (2008). Armed with these tools, the research will possibly lead to further understanding of the local context of how language and associated definitions of literacy impact on social practice. Moreover, by positioning this social practice within specific historical contexts as well as by referring to my personal lived experience as researcher-practitioner, I hope to be able to navigate the intertwined discourses and narratives in order to contribute to greater awareness of how existing relations are reproduced or contested and different interest groups served without falling into futile 'us and them' storylines.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 22
"I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the throat. Terry Pratchett, The Truth (2000, online) 6. Proposed Timeframe for Research
October/ Decemb er 2011 Initiation of Research Research into EQF/NQF and relevant contemporary policy and gathering documentation Identifying and contacting key people to be interviewed about policy decisions (MQC and MCAST CEO, MCAST QA manager, Subject Co-ordinators, possibly a representative number of language teaching staff) Design of semi-structured interviews Reading for the Literature Review Reading about Qualitative Methodologies Investigate need for appropriate quantitative analysis of some data Start carrying out interviews; coding and analysis Review of documentation vis a vis implementation of MCAST policy within the year (perhaps need for concurrent analysis with previous year 2010/2011) Start of CDA analysis of policy documentation Further reading for Literature Review Review 1 Review of data gathered so far; devising plan for further work Review of and further reading for Literature Review; Writing of Literature Review Refining Findings and Analysis Further reading about methodology/data collection methods and deeper analysis of data (identify need for analysis of any new policy documentation) Data analysis leading to first draft of write-up of analysis section (possibly leading to extrapolation of ideas about future local policy development) Further theoretical work emerging from data analysis First draft of presentation of data/findings Review 2 Review of data analysis and theory and work on final presentation
January/ March 2012 April/Jun e 2012
July/ Septem ber 2012 October / Decemb er 2012
January/ March 2013 April/Jun e 2013
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 23
July/ Septem ber 2013
Completion of Research Final review (consideration of last minute developments/publications) Conclusions/recommendations
"The truth isn't easily pinned to a page. In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap and much more difficult to find." Terry Pratchett, Sourcery (1988, online) 7. Ethical Issues and Feasibility of Study My scheduled plan of study appears confident but this paper, with the exception of the proposed timeframe, seems more theoretically rather than practically inclined. This impression may be because the actual research still seems daunting, a legacy of positivistic expectations advocating formulaic methods that have previously seemed more acceptable when researching policy. emerges Therefore a formal schedule seems a stable and safe point of Still, a sense of excited anticipation a qualitative framework suits my because working within reference within the uncertainty. philosophy better.
Even though 'as a site of discussion, or discourse,
qualitative research is difficult to define clearly' (Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:8) especially in positivist terms, it is this sense of the liberatory unknown that drives this committment. Since there is 'no theory or paradigm that is distinctly its own' (ibid) nor 'a distinct set of methods or practices that are entirely its own' (ibid:9), I hope to be more inspired to follow my personal theories and avenues of research, avoiding the major pitfalls of fatigue or disenchantment (Wellington et al, 2005). Nevertheless a disciplined approach is imperative and issues of feasability and ethics remain. I forsee that gathering documentation will not be very difficult since most sources are already identified and freely available. Formally requesting interviews might prove more challenging, as indeed has proved during my MSc research. In the restricted local context and in such a
Page 24
Josephine V. Saliba
qualitative study, anonymity is difficult to promise and maintain and some interviewees might be reluctant to become vulnerable to administration's reactions or perceived researcher's criticism. To this end, I intend to formally communicate in writing my research proposal to the College Administration as soon as I get approval. I also intend to request interviews using appropriate ethical request forms at the earliest possible to allow for appointment delays and possible refusals. Forwarding the semi-structured interviews with set questions, mostly about definitions and policy aims, will hopefully set respondents at ease. I will not accept questionnaire-type of replies but insist on face to face interviews so that, while the set questions will allow for greater comparability of some data, more open-ended questions about perceptions and implementation issues may be asked and the researcher-respondent discourse reveal more about the policy and organisational narrative. transcripts to respondents but would I would be willing to show eventual analysis and The keep
interpretation unrevealed until the final study is officially presented. ongoing annotations subject to periodic revision are required.
possibility of publishing a peer-reviewed paper is also being considered so
The Assistant Principal for Academics and the Head of Department will be informed of the study since it is not covert research and findings will hopefully be used for programme development and student benefit. Apart from being required by qualitative research methodology, inductive research and constructive writing including suggestions will be employed to lessen the 'us and them' divide. Periodic reports on research progression, if not specific findings, will be made available not only to promote the research organisation-wide but also to keep open channels of communication and good relationships. Such a need for diplomacy will necessitate the support of a critical friend and mentor with whom to share discussions and arising issues since outsiders' views are important to question the obvious, to pose
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 25
objective observations and restrain researcher's over-involvement since this will be an insider's study. The benefits of inside observations are that the researcher will not simply work with written policy texts but will have contextual, historical and sociocultural knowledge of the situation. Most collegial relationships are already established and access to published documentation is facilitated. Any suggestions diplomatically presented may be used to benefit professional practice as well as organisational aims. On the negative side, some staff, especially gate-keepers of information, may not be open to such research due to negative attitudes or misconceptions about non-traditional research. Methodological issues faced by CDA and ecological/ethnographical studies, such as traditional criticisms regarding validity, reliability and generalisability, might arise. constraints, Personally, time-management and work
distractions and a familiar setting may hinder
ethical observations or questioning the obvious. Working in a hierarchical structure may prove stressful due to over-involvement or research not being given due consideration due to the proximity of tackled issues. The researcher's positionality might not be valued or negatively criticised leading to frustration or conflict. Power discourses have to be skillfully navigated not only for feasability's sake but also to avoid becoming disheartened and cynical. Retaining a reflective and ethical approach to the study and keeping in mind it is to be a valid contribution to programme development and not negative criticism serving as self-righteous retribution is imperative, especially if some observations and suggestions prove unfavourable with college administrators. Ethical considerations are thus vital especially within this qualitative study. An ethical approach is not important for the conventional reason of being covered and protecting your interests but for the benefit of the research relationships that arise out of the complexity of human nature and agency especially due to issues of power (Sikes, 2004) which afterall are thematic to
this study. Sikes (2004:24-32) and Wellington et al (2005:104-106) discuss various ethical issues that the researcher should keep in mind. They may be summarised very Catholicly as 'do unto others what you would be done unto you' and that is a very practical bottom-line approach, although ironically possibly viewed quite sceptically within local hierarchical contexts. Neverthless, this maxim as well as honesty about researcher positionality and 'assumptions regarding ontology, epistemology and human nature and agency' (Wellington et al, 2005:104) is integral to my intended approach. They are the practicalities balancing my philosophical tendencies yet afterall, 'research is a philosophical endevour' (Sikes, 2004:23). I have no positivist yardstick with which to assess whether this research proposal is what it ought to be, but I believe that at present I can only present myself as a 'methodological bricoleur' (Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:8). This paper tries to describe my overlapping interpretive, critical and political narrative whilst considering other truths. Conceivably, it will make sense, if not be wholly acceptable, to my audience and the powers-that-be. "If Not You, Who Else?" Terry Pratchett, Only You Can Save Mankind (1992, online)
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 27
References

Ball, S. (1994) Education Reform: A Critical and Poststructuralist Approach. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. Ball, S. (2010) The Education Debate: Policy and Politics in the TwentyFirst Century. Policy and Politics in the Twenty First Century. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Barton, D. (Ed.) (1994) Sustaining Local Literacies. Education for Development. Reading, UK:
Barton, D. (2007) Literacy: An Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Barton, D., Hamilton, M. and Ivanic, R. (2000) Situated Literacies: Reading and Writing in Context. London, UK: Routledge. Blackledge, A. and Creese, A. (2009) Multilingualism: A Critical Perspective (Advances in Sociolinguistics). London, UK: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. Burchell, G., Gordon, C. and Miller, P. (Eds.) (1991) The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago Press. Chase, S.E. (2008) Narrative Inquiry: Multiple Lenses, Approaches, Voices. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y S. (Eds.) (2008) Collecting and . Interpreting Qualitative Materials. Los Angeles, USA: SAGE Publications Inc. Chapter 2, pp57-94. Constitution of the Republic of Malta (1964, amended 2007) Online. Available at http://www.legislationline.org/.../Malta_Constitution_1964_amended_20 07_en.pdf. [Accessed 27 December 2010]. Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (Eds.) (2000). Multiliteracies: Literacy, Learning and the Design of Social Futures. London, UK: Routledge. Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y S. (Eds.) (2008) . Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. Los Angeles, USA: SAGE Publications Inc. European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) Malta Lifelong Learning Programme. Online. Available at http://llp.eupa.org.mt. [Accessed June 2011]. Fairclough, N. (1992) Discourse and social change. London, UK: Polity. Fairclough, N. (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language(Language in Social Life). Harlow, GB: Pearson Education Ltd. Fairclough, N. (2001) Language and Power (Language in Social Life).
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 28
Harlow, GB: Pearson Education Ltd.

Foucault, M. (1977) Discipline and Punish, New York, USA: Pantheon. Foucault, M. (1995) Two Lectures. In Gordon,C. (Ed., Trans.) (1995) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977. Harlow, GB: Longman, Pearson Education Limited.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 29
Foucault, M. (1991) Governmentality. In Burchell, G., Gordon, C. and Miller, P. (Eds.) (1991) The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago Press. Freire, P. (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans.) (1996) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London, UK: Penguin Books. Gadamer, H-G. (F. G. Lawrence, Trans.) (1983) Reason in the Age of Science. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press. Gee, J. P. (1990) Social linguistics and literacies: discourses. London,UK: Falmer. ideology in
Gee, J. P. (2000) The New Literacy Studies: From socially situated to the work of the social. In Barton, D., Hamilton, M. and Ivanic, R. (2000) Situated Literacies: Reading and Writing in Context. London, UK: Routledge. Chapter 11, pp.180-196. Giddens, A. (1991) Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Palo Alto, USA: Stanford University Press. Greenbank, P. (2003) The Role of Values in Educational Research: the case for reflexivity. British Educational Research Journal, 29 (6), 791801. Heller, M. (2006) Linguistic Minorities and Modernity, 2nd edn. London, UK: Continuum. Holland, D., Lachicotte, W. S., Skinner, D. and Cain, C. (2001) Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard University Press. Holman Jones, S. (2008) Autoethnography: Making the Personal Political. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y S. (Eds.) (2008) Collecting and . Interpreting Qualitative Materials. Los Angeles, USA: SAGE Publications Inc. Chapter 7, pp205-245. Hopf, T. (2004) Discourse and Content Analysis: Some Fundamental Incompatibilities in Symposium: Discourse and Content Analysis. Qualitative Methods: Newsletter of the American Political Science Association Organized Section on Qualitative Methods, Spring, Vol. 2 (1), pp. 31-33. Hyatt, D. (2008) Critical Discourse Analysis: An analytic framework for educational research. British Educational Research Association, Applied Educational Research Scheme 2008. Online. Available at http://www.bera.ac.uk/critical-discourse-analysis/ [Accessed June 2011]. Janks, H. (2009) Literacy and Power (Language, Culture, and Teaching Series). New York, London, UK: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Ltd.
Page 30
Josephine V. Saliba
Kress, G. (2003) Literacy in the New Media Age. Routledge.
London, UK:
Kress, G. and Leeuwen, T. van (2001) Multimodal Discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication. London, UK: Arnold.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 31
Labaree, D.F. (2003) The peculiar problems of preparing educational researchers. Educational Researcher, 32(4): 13-22. In Rizvi, F. and Lingard, B. (2010) Globalizing Education Policy. London, UK: Routledge. Larson, J. and Marsh, J. (2009) Sage Publications Ltd. Making Literacy Real. London, UK:
Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M. (2011) Literacies: Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives. New York, USA: Peter Lang Publishing Inc. Lo Bianco, J (2000) Multiliteracies and Multilingualism. In Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (Eds.) (2000). Multiliteracies: Literacy, Learning and the Design of Social Futures. London, UK: Routledge. Chapter 4, pp.92105. Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (2010) MCAST Regulations (a) Foundation Programme Level 1. Internal documentation accessed in November 2010. Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (2010) MCAST Regulations (b) Foundation Programme Level 2. Internal documentation accessed in November 2010. Malta Qualifications Council (2007a) A National Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning: A Second Guide June 2007. Online. Available at http://www.mqc.gov.mt/documents-publications?l=1. [Accessed June 2011]. Malta Qualifications Council (2007b) Descriptors of Key Competences in the National Qualifications Framework Levels 1 to 3. Online. Available at http://www.mqc.gov.mt/documents-publications?l=1. [Accessed June 2011]. Malta Qualifications Council (2009) Referencing of the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF/EHEA): A REPORT FOR FURTHER CONSULTATION AUGUST 2009 Malta Qualifications Council. Online. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learningpolicy/doc/eqf/maltareport_en.pdf. [Accessed 29 December 2010]. Malta Qualifications Council (2011) Information Leaflet. Online. Available at http://www.mqc.gov.mt/documents-publications?l=1. [Accessed June 2011]. Malta Qualifications Council (2011) Online. Available at http://www.mqc.gov.mt/mission-statement?l=1. [Accessed June 2011]. Mayo, P. (1994) State Sponsored Adult Literacy Programmes in Malta: A Critical Review. In Barton, D. (Ed.) (1994) Sustaining Local Literacies. Reading, UK: Education for Development. pp31-39.
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 32
Opie, C. (Ed.) (2004) Doing educational research: a guide for first time researchers. London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd. Perakyla, A. (2008) Analyzing Talk and Text. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y S. (Eds.) (2008) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative . Materials. Los Angeles, USA: SAGE Publications Inc. Chapter 11, pp351-374. Pratchett, T. (1988, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004) Quotes. Online. Available at http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1654.Terry_Pratchett. [Accessed June 2011]. Reinaldi, B. and Kuleswa, E. (2006) The Bologna Process: Harmonizing Europe's Higher Education Including the Essential Original Texts. Leverkusen, Germany: Verlag Barbara Budrich. Rizvi, F. and Lingard, B. (2010) Globalizing Education Policy. London, UK: Routledge. Robertson, R. (1995) 'Glocalization: time-space and homogeneityheterogeneity', in Featherstone, M. Lash, S. and Robertson, R. (Eds.) Global Modernities. London, UK: Sage Publications. In Ball, S. (2010) The Education Debate: Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century. Policy and Politics in the Twenty First Century. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Saliba, J.V. (2009) The Role of the Library and Learning Resource Centre in the Change Processes of MCAST: A Study. Unpublished MSc dissertation. University of Leicester, UK. Sikes, P. (2004) Methodology, Procedures and Ethical Concerns. In Opie, C. (Ed.) (2004) Doing educational research: a guide for first time researchers. London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd. Chapter 2, pp15-33. Street, B. V. (1984) Literacy in theory and practice. Cambridge, UK: CUP. Street, B. (1995) Social Literacies: Critical Approaches to Literacy in Development, ethnography and Education. London, UK: Longman. Street, B. (1997) The Implications of the New Literacy Studies for Literacy Education. English in Education, 31 (3), 45-59. Street, B. (2003) Whats new in New Literacy Studies? Critical approaches to literacy in theory and practice. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 5(2), 77-91. Street, B. V. and Lefstein A. (2007) Literacy: an advanced resource book. London, UK: Routledge. Wellington, J., Bathmaker, A-M., Hunt, C., McCulloch, G. and Sikes, P. (2005) Succeeding with your Doctorate. London, UK: Sage.
Page 33
Josephine V. Saliba
Josephine V. Saliba
Page 34

Josephine V Saliba EdD Assignment 6

Cargado por

Información del documento

Descripción original:

Título original

Derechos de autor

Formatos disponibles

Compartir este documento

Compartir o incrustar documentos

Opciones para compartir

¿Le pareció útil este documento?

¿Este contenido es inapropiado?

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

Josephine V Saliba EdD Assignment 6

Cargado por

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

proposed research is thus concerned with the 'policy ensemble' of

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

experience (Giddens, 1991:189-201).

My own perceptions as a female

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

instances of policies being processes, or at least be

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Cultural expression (ibid:3). The

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

In consequence, the core research questions will focus on:

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

No one ever thinks of themselves as one of It's Them that

Them. We're always one of Us.

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

challenges structures of power that regulate Text or

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Denzin and Lincoln, 2008:69).

Such involvement might intertwine the

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management

January/ March 2012 April/Jun e 2012

July/ Septem ber 2012 October / Decemb er 2012

January/ March 2013 April/Jun e 2013

Doctor of Education EdD Programme

ER6 Research Design and Management