Practitioner Research

The fact that this was research designed and carried out by literacy practitioners influenced the research questions and consequently the process and findings of the project.

Life as a Practitioner-Researcher

When Paula, Kate, Dee and Darcy decided to collaborate on the research project, they already had jobs, and in most cases, full time jobs as literacy instructors. Kate works at Malaspina University-College, Paula works at the College of New Caledonia, Dee works at Northwest Community College and is associated with Houston Link to Learning. When we started the project Darcy was working at the Native Friendship Centre in Prince George. During the project she changed jobs and began working for the school board.

All four continued to teach while working on this project. This was not an easy task. Being a literacy instructor has its own idiosyncrasies. Some instructors work full time at colleges while others “cut and paste” three or four part-time positions together. This may be a mix of college (with full benefits) and community (with no benefits, no seniority, lower wages) employment. Whatever their working conditions, literacy practitioners, are accustomed to working many unpaid hours per week on top of their paid hours. Only Paula had a full time job where, for one term, she could assign a portion of her time to the research project.

Working in a small Centre, Kate had a hard time delineating her “research time.” In her journal, Kate reflected on her job situation.

I also try not to take on a double workload. It is hard to get release from class in any meaningful way. I don’t like to miss class, students don’t always like the disruption (depending on how good the sub is), it is hard to get a good sub, and preparing for the sub takes time. (Kate’s Journal, April 2001)

Kate would work on the research over weekends and in her free time. Later in the project, she was able to get some time off and dedicate two days a week to project work.

At the start of this project, Dee referred to herself as a triploid. She had three separate parttime jobs, instructing at the college, regional literacy coordination, and this research project. Part way through the project she was offered another quarter-time college position. She was now quadraploid. She found balancing increased work hours, her passion for skiing and the research obligations challenging. At one point she “warned” the team that she was going to disappear for a while due to her work obligations.

I am going to be on email withdrawal—no FC [First Class, the Hub email system] access from April 11 to 17 or 18. I think I am starting a new job then to—9 more hours per week. I think I can fit it in since by then the snow will have melted. (Dee’s email , April 9, 2001)

At the beginning of the project, Darcy had flexibility to dedicate her time to the project, but once the funding for her job ended at the Friendship Centre, she worked as a supply teacher and needed to be available when called. When Darcy later started full-time work with the school board, she had very little time to focus on the research project. Darcy shared with the team the various jobs she was doing and how little time she had to dedicate to the project.