Dr Aileen Ackland a.ackland@abdn.ac.uk Fostering the values of community engagement through collaborative professional development Dr Aileen Ackland a.ackland@abdn.ac.uk

Scottish Education Review 2017 - focused on achieving equitable outcomes for all children through ‘empowering teachers, parents and communities’ ‘Evidence from the OECD suggests that when parents are fully involved in their child’s learning we see better outcomes for children, parents and schools. We also know that if schools are to improve attainment they need to collaborate with the local community and with local partner organisations’ ‘Early learning and childcare and schools do not exist in isolation… many of the factors which influence a child’s outcomes are outside the school gates in the family, the community and society. Schools, however, make a major difference. They make that difference by working with families and communities and recognising the reality of the lives of the children and young people.’ http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941/0 Joyful learner

Hierarchical relationships schools families pupils community Engagement … but on whose terms?

family school community Increasing recognition of the wider context of children’s learning - changes relationships ‘School is a crucial part of a young person’s life but it is only one part…’ http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941/0

Family Learning The evidence gathered … highlights that improving and increasing ways in which parents and families can be equal partners in their children’s learning at home, school and in communities is crucial to raising attainment for all and closing the poverty-related attainment gap. For adults, family learning programmes have an impact on their own educational attainment, future training and further learning and employment opportunities. Family learning as an approach is not a new concept but one which helps break cycles of poverty and disadvantage amongst communities whilst at the same time enhancing the intergenerational transfer of skills from the parent to the child and the child to the parent. Education Scotland (2016) Review of family learning: supporting excellence and equity https://education.gov.scot/improvement/documents/family-learning-report-full-document.pdf

‘Family learning is a powerful method of engagement and learning which can foster positive attitudes towards life-long learning, promote socio-economic resilience and challenge educational disadvantage.’ (Scottish Family Learning Network, 2016) There are eight values that underpin the family learning National Occupational Standards. These are: • Family learning recognises the role of the parent as the first educator. • Family learning is inclusive and is to be offered as a universal provision with open access. • Family learning recognises and values diversity of culture, race, relationships and beliefs. • Equal partnership is the basis for all developments in family learning; all learners and educators, regardless of generation, recognise that learners and educators can frequently exchange ideas. • Family learning recognises that it is acceptable to make mistakes, which are part of the process of reflective learning. • Achievements within family learning benefit the wider learning community through promoting change and empowering individuals and communities. • Family learning raises aspirations and all outcomes of the process, including those which may not be overt, are of equal significance and importance. • Family learning operates within a culture of mutual respect for individuals, communities, colleagues and organisations. wealth model

Different models of ‘family learning’ with different aims, principles and values Scoping Study on Models of Family Learning p.13 http://www.lwtt.org.uk/Family%20Learning%20Final%20Report.pdf

Reflecting on professional values http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/self-evaluation/self-evaluation-values.aspx

Curiosity and enquiry - going out, not just inviting in Respecting difference, aware of own assumptions Building relationships and trust Reciprocal forms of association Collaboration and co-responsibility ‘It demands…. that each party at least looks inside the other’s castle.’ Judyth Sachs (2000) The Activist Professional

Teachers are not just teachers … CRITICAL REFLECTION Reflection on their multiple roles develops an appreciation of other perspectives … of parents, community members, citizens COMMUNICATION COLLABORATION Connecting with colleagues constructs new understandings of practice in changing contexts CREATIVITY

An opportunity to learn and develop practice collaboratively

Collaboration in professional development Course development Course design Course delivery Course processes Two universities and a family learning service Structured around three collaborative enquiry tasks Co-facilitation in inter-professional learning community Critical reflection, co-enquiry and co-production ‘The pedagogy of the blended learning module was underpinned by socio-constructivist theories which promote learning as participation over learning as acquisition and understand knowledge as socially negotiated by participants. This form of pedagogy concentrates on facilitating group process and is in direct contrast to pedagogies of online learning, which emphasise individual flexible access to ‘expert’ learning materials. Thus, technologies were exploited not to ‘deliver’ to a distributed group but rather to connect dispersed participants.’ (Ackland & Swinney, 2015)

Course processes Group workshops Online community in google+ Discussion Sharing Reading Online Seminars Opportunities for weekly online peer/tutor contact ‘The online dimension of the programme aimed to foster a practitioners’ social network and for this reason Google was chosen as the platform. Google is accessible to all, unlike institutional platforms (e.g. Blackboard) which reflect traditional hierarchical relationships between tutors and students.’ (Ackland & Swinney, 2015)

google+ tools Circles (small group work) Community (whole group discussion) Hangouts (video conferencing) Google drive (file share) Blogger (journal) The course participants used these facilities to collaborate in subgroups on three key tasks, which involved sharing experience, researching alternative perspectives and presenting syntheses. Participation in group processes was mandated by a link to the assessment; the course therefore required participants to relate to their peers within the online medium.

TQAL

Developing practice and professional values through learning collaboratively Practitioners work together to explore, examine and evaluate various models of family learning learn from one another’s practice experience share creative ways of working As they do so, they visit each ‘other’s castles’ (Sachs, 2000) confront and challenge conflicting values connect, collaborate and evolve co-responsibility developing values of recognising community strengths and resources (a wealth model) respect for diversity reciprocity reflective learning

Dr Aileen Ackland a.ackland@abdn.ac.uk For further information about the Engaging families in learning course contact Dr Aileen Ackland a.ackland@abdn.ac.uk References: Ackland, A. & Swinney, A. (2015). 'Material matters for learning in virtual networks: A case study of a professional learning programme hosted in a Google+ online community'. Research in Learning Technology , vol 23, 26677 Sachs, J. (2000). The Activist Professional. Journal of Educational Change, 1: 77.