Aboriginal Learners in Selected Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba by Jim Silver with Darlene Klyne and Freeman Simard

Aboriginal Learners in Selected Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba by Jim Silver with Darlene Klyne and Freeman Simard Executive Summary his is a study of Aboriginal adult learners in five Adult Learning Centres (ALCs) in Mani toba. It is based largely on interviews with 74 Aboriginal Adult Learners and 20 staff Tmembers in the five ALCs. The objective was to determine what keeps Aboriginal adult learners attending ALCs, and what contributes to their successes in ALCs. The research project has been designed and conducted in a collaborative and participatory fashion. It is the product of a research partnership. The partnership includes: the Province of Manitoba’s Aboriginal Education Directorate; the Research and Planning Branch of the Depart- ment of Education and Youth; the Adult Learning and Literacy Branch of the Department of Advanced Education and Training; Directors, teachers and staff at the five Adult Learning Cen- tres; and the authors. All interviews with Aboriginal adult learners were conducted by trained Aboriginal interviewers. Individual interviews were preceded by an initial sharing circle, the purpose of which was to introduce adult Aboriginal learners at each site to the research project and the researchers, to solicit their involvement, and to attempt to break down, to some extent, the barriers between researchers and adult learners. Most of the Aboriginal adult learners that we interviewed feel comfortable in the Adult Learn- ing Centre that they are attending, and a significant proportion are experiencing considerable success. In a good many cases, remarkable personal transformations are occurring. The main factors contributing to their success include the holistic and learner-centred approach to instruction adopted by the ALCs that we investigated; the strong social, emotional and practical supports provided to learners; the warm, highly personalized and non-hierarchical atmosphere that prevails in the ALCs; the dedication, even passion, of teaching and other staff; and the friendly, non- judgmental and respectful manner in which adult Aboriginal learners are treated by staff. The importance of these factors was emphasized repeatedly in the interviews. Many adult Aboriginal learners told us that they feel much more comfortable in the ALC that they are attending than they Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba 1 did in their previous school experiences, and many described negative experiences in schools pre- viously attended. We found that where Aboriginal cultural practices are part of the educational strategy at an ALC, they are much appreciated by Aboriginal learners, and where such practices are not present they are desired by many Aboriginal learners. The incorporation into the adult learning experience of Aboriginal cultural practices and the creation of more opportunities for both learners and staff to learn about Aboriginal culture are strong themes arising from our interviews. Our conclusions about the five Adult Learning Centres that we investigated are very positive. These ALCs provide evidence of a powerful and effective new approach to education in Manitoba. This is particularly, but we expect not only, the case for Aboriginal adult learners. Most of the ALCs that we investigated could be made even better than they are by incorporating some findings from our investigation that are confirmed in the literature on adult education generally, and Abo- riginal adult education in particular. We conclude with a summary of our findings, a discussion of the relationship of our findings to the literature, and some recommendations that arise from the interviews. 2 Aboriginal Learners in Selected Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba Aboriginal Learners in Selected Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba by Jim Silver with Darlene Klyne and Freeman Simard n this paper we report on the findings of a Aboriginal education. In Part Five, we advance study of Aboriginal adult learners in five some conclusions and enumerate and discuss the I Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba. The recommendations that arise from the study. purpose of the study was to determine what keeps adult Aboriginal learners attending Adult Part One: Method Learning Centres, and what contributes to their successes in ALCs. To find answers to these ques- This research project has been designed and tions we asked Aboriginal adult learners about conducted in a collaborative and participatory their experiences in Adult Learning fashion. It is the product of a research partner- Centres(ALCs), and ALC staff about their ex- ship. The partnership includes: the Province of perience with Aboriginal adult learners. We Manitoba’s Aboriginal Education Directorate; sought to determine what five ALCs are doing the Research and Planning Branch of the De- to meet the educational needs of adult Aborigi- partment of Education and Youth; the Adult nal learners, and how these learners are respond- Learning and Literacy branch of the Department ing to these educational strategies and initiatives. of Advanced Education and Training; Directors, A distinctive feature of the study is that it is based teachers and other staff of the five Adult Learn- for the most part on interviews with Aboriginal ing Centres that we investigated; and the au- adult learners, conducted by Aboriginal inter- thors. It is also collaborative and participatory viewers. in that it is the product of a research methodol- The paper proceeds as follows. In Part One ogy that is rooted in the belief that the best we describe the methodology employed in the source of information on Aboriginal adult learn- study. In Part Two we briefly describe Adult ers in the ALCs is the Aboriginal adult learners Learning Centres and their origins. In Part Three themselves. Thus the bulk of the information we describe our findings, based largely on inter- in this paper comes from interviews with Abo- views conducted on-site with adult learners and riginal adult learners, conducted by trained Abo- staff at the five ALCs. In Part Four we summa- riginal interviewers. rize and discuss our findings, and relate those The research partnership wanted to iden- findings to the literature on adult education and tify “the magic” (Wynes, November 25, 2002) Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba 3 that keeps adult Aboriginal learners attending oughly discussed, and further revisions were ALCs and that promotes their success in ALCs. made. Most significantly, we agreed to use an Representatives of the Province of Manitoba’s open-ended interview format, and to begin the Aboriginal Education Directorate, Adult Learn- interview process at each ALC with a sharing ing and Literacy Branch , and Research and Plan- circle involving Aboriginal learners. ning Branch met in Following the mid-January meeting the re- early summer and again search proposal and interview format were evalu- This research in the Fall of 2002 with ated and approved by the University of Winni- project has been the Directors of the five peg Department of Politics ethics committee and ALCs to discuss in very Senate Ethics Committee. Simultaneously, two designed and general terms the need Aboriginal interviewers were hired and trained. conducted in a for and the outline of In the first week of February, 2003, the lead the study, after which author made site visits to, and spoke in a pre- collaborative and the lead author was in- liminary fashion with Directors and staff at, each participatory vited to participate in of the five ALCs. planning and to direct In the second week of February, sharing cir- fashion the research study. The cles were held at each of the five ALCs except five Adult Learning the Portage Learning Centre, where winter Centres were selected because they are relatively weather conditions forced its cancellation. The small, have a significant proportion of Aborigi- sharing circles were announced ahead of time nal learners, and represent both urban and rural to Aboriginal learners at each site. At each shar- ALCs. This is not a representative sample of ing circle the lead author and two interviewers Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba; it does, were introduced to assembled Aboriginal adult however, represent several different types of learners by the Director; the lead author de- ALCs. Two more meetings with the Aboriginal scribed the research project— both the purpose Education Directorate, Adult Learning and Lit- of the project and how the interviews would be eracy, Research and Planning, and the lead au- conducted— and advised learners that partici- thor, were held in November and December, pation was voluntary and that should they par- 2002. After the first of these meetings the lead ticipate we would assure them of confidential- author prepared a draft research proposal which ity; the two interviewers introduced themselves was circulated and discussed at the second meet- and told the assembled learners a bit about their ing. After the second meeting a revised research personal background; the assembled learners plan and interview format were circulated to the were then asked to introduce themselves and, if representatives of the three lead organizations they chose, to tell us a bit about themselves; and and to the Directors of the five ALCs. At a third finally the circle was opened to questions and meeting in mid-January,2003, attended by rep- discussion about the research project. The pur- resentatives of the Aboriginal Education Direc- pose of the sharing circles was to introduce adult torate, Adult Learning and Literacy, Research Aboriginal learners at each site to the research and Planning, nine Directors and teachers from project and to the researchers, to solicit their the five ALCs, and the lead author, the draft involvement, and by doing so to begin to break research plan and interview format were thor- down the barriers between researchers and learn- 4 Aboriginal Learners in Selected Adult Learning Centres in Manitoba ers, and to increase adult Aboriginal learners’ by the ALC. Interviewers were instructed to ask comfort level with the project. We believe that all questions in as neutral a fashion as possible.

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