ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study described in this chapter was to determine an effective means of eliciting responses from students with learning difficulties in a further education college about their preferred ways of learning. It also aimed to raise the students’ educational status and encourage practitioners to reflect critically on their assumptions about the students. The overall approach I used was that of collaborative inquiry. My intention
was that this would act as a catalyst, bringing together both students and staff to review current educational provision. The specific research methods I explored included: body collages based upon the theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1993), photo voice, reflective journals, student portfolios and interviews (see Table 8.1 for further details). Students and staff engaged in research training and cycles of reflection, where findings were discussed together with ways of implementing the learning from the inquiry process. The inquiry aimed to minimise the gap that can be created through the
professional-practitioner hierarchy, by providing an open forum where students could become consultants of their own learning. Staff members were also given the opportunity to explore their own practice through engaging with the students in this new way, and implementing what they learnt about each individual student. As I show, this exploratory inquiry was successful, to some extent at least,
in alerting staff to the benefits of listening to the voices of marginalised
learners, such as those defined as having learning difficulties. It also generated some interesting findings about the co-operative experience, student self-reflective skills, their individual learning preferences and staff reflections.
I am a practitioner-researcher, engaged in doctoral research while also teaching part-time at a further education (FE) college for the past four years. I teach on a specialised vocational course, Skills for Independence, for young adults (aged 19-25) described as having severe learning difficulties. The course focuses upon practical activities, accessing the local community and developing communication and work-related skills. The aim of the course is to support students in developing greater autonomy, providing opportunities for them to speak up for themselves and carry out tasks independently, and enabling them to make key decisions about their lives as they approach the pivotal stage of transition into work. In this account I use the term students with learning difficulties, as this is preferred by the UK self-advocacy movement (Walmsley and Johnson, 2003), although it is acknowledged that people with learning disabilities is the official term used in the Disability Discrimination Act (HMSO, 1995). Over recent years it has become increasingly apparent that the government
