Community Learning and Development in Scotland and internationally: literature review
This literature review documents research on Community Learning and Development (CLD) delivered within Scotland and internationally. The review forms part of the evidence base collected as part of the Independent Review of CLD, led by Kate Still.
Annex 2: Scottish evidence by priority theme
Awareness and Visibility
Emphasises the importance of active outreach for youth workers. There is a need to maintain a distinct identity from other public services, especially the police.
Increased awareness of roles among local authorities and other organisations is evident. This includes partnerships between public and third sector providers. Silo working has reduced, and partners now work collectively.
There should be more coordinated efforts at a national and local level to increase awareness with policy makers, funders and with the public of the CLD workforce.
This study found low awareness/visibility of universal youth work (youth work which is openly available to all children and young adults, as opposed to targeted intervention). There is a lack of evidence regarding the outcomes of universal youth work in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Prison learning contracts are brokered between the criminal justice and education systems which have divergences in aims, purposes, policy and culture that might have visibility within discourses found with the commercial contracts.
Through 2020-2023 this study found a reduction in funding for community-based adult learning (CBAL), its undervaluing by other professions, the considerable impact of COVID-19 on learning and teaching, and the growing importance of CBAL in promoting wellbeing.
The youth work sector faces challenges due to financial cuts. Strengthening collaboration with universities could present a promising path forward. This collaborative effort may help to address the scarcity of comprehensive academic publications in this domain.
Availability and Accessibility
Phipps, Aldegheri and Fisher (2022)
Greater consistency and quality of ESOL required across all local authorities. More guidance from Scottish Government on the minimum amount of ESOL provision that refugees and asylum seekers should be entitled to. There should not be a distinction between people who have been resettled and those seeking asylum.
Pawluczuk, Webster, Smith and Hall (2019)
New streams of funding have become available for youth work organisations to implement digital technologies in their practice and to facilitate digital literacy and digital inclusion projects.
The importance of a detached youth work service meeting young people where they are was emphasised.
Research with disabled young people and their parents found that they routinely lack appropriate and accessible information, with a quarter of parents and carers identifying a lack of support and information as the most difficult thing about transitioning. This literature review on transitions to adulthood for disabled young people emphasised the importance of information - including clearer explanations of options and supported opportunities - using consistent, common and accessible language to simplify services to young people and their families/carers.
Education Scotland and CLDSC (2018)
The CLD workforce feels that there is an ongoing gap between the resources available and the needs of communities. Estimated 21,000 paid staff working in CLD across Scotland. Third sector organisations were less likely to identify as CLD. Employers in CLD want to see partnerships strengthen.
Concerns about the underfunding of ESOL in Scotland, particularly for non-accredited or informal learning. ESOL classes are rarely tailored for the specific needs of New Scots. Women’s lack of access to ESOL language classes is of particular concern.
Highlights the value of tailoring ESOL provision to the needs and interests of learners, who will have diverse motivations and aspirations. Notes that changes to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funding model for ESOL in 2018 encouraged the prioritisation of formalised and accredited learning, which did not necessarily align with the social practice model traditionally underpinning community ESOL provision.
While the digitalisation of societies has led to empowerment for some young people, it has also accelerated some of the pre-internet forms of youth social exclusion – and has created some new ones. The notion of online agency is not aligned with all ‘youth’ and clearly shows that previous inequality barriers to technologies persist on digital technologies.
Contemporary practice is often marked by an increasing emphasis on delivery and measurement of predetermined outcomes and targeted provision. The authors highlight pressure on practitioners to orient practice towards employability, which can undermine relationship building with young people.
Learning and Support
Phipps, Aldegheri and Fisher (2022)
ESOL provision should be standardised across Scotland. A bespoke ESOL programme for children would be welcomed. Adult Learning Strategy viewed as inadequate by learners in terms of addressing their ESOL needs. ESOL provision should be delivered within a context of holistic integration support.
CLD representatives reported that many staff have been financially adversely affected by the pandemic. CLD representatives reported that there have been positive effects in terms of the provision of online activities, as some learners participate in these who may not have engaged face-to-face. Learners with disabilities as well as those undertaking ESOL courses are among those who have benefitted.
Learners with limited previous formal education demonstrated a heavier reliance on the teacher or staff compared to those with a formal schooling background.
This research found a lack of connection between policy and practice, with CLD professionals feeling disempowered and not adequately supported. The outcomes CLD workers are working towards are often not set by the learners they are supporting, but instead are being set by policy makers.
The importance of flexible training support emerged as a theme in literature not specific to CLD. Flexible training support could be particularly beneficial for people facing childcare barriers or older workers, for example. While the evidence on micro-credentials is still emerging and at this early stage is mixed, it does highlight the importance of ensuring a framework that is consistent and of a high-quality standard.
Informal educational programmes aimed at helping young people develop capabilities and resilience, particularly those focused on a strengths-based perspective or ‘positive youth development’ (PYD) have been shown to have a beneficial effect on outcomes in youth. This research found evidence that participation in clubs in childhood that can be considered to have a PYD focus is associated with self-reported adult general health, with this relationship being partly mediated by adult social position.
This qualitative study found that participants accessed support and learning in one or two settings: through youth work and/or college-based further education. The more individually tailored and informal nature of these institutions were highly valued by the participants.
CLD may link young people into other services and support. Documents value of relationships with young people.
Pathways and Progression
Phipps, Aldegheri and Fisher (2022)
Certificates can be used to show progression in ESOL, though this may pose a barrier to those unused to a formal learning environment. ESOL funding arrangements should be reviewed to make sure learners do not lose access to college fee waivers if they gain employment.
It is argued that the use of prescriptive (rather than participatory) approaches to curriculum design ensures that ESOL in Scotland retains an element of “indoctrination”.
All participants began to make concrete progress towards forming or achieving their aspirations in individually tailored and informal settings, often for the first time.
ESOL Volunteers Framework (2020)
Survey findings suggest that ESOL volunteers are invested in progression for learners, and are knowledgeable about challenges that may impede progression.
Making changes to policy and practice could inform and shape the literacy curriculum and its pedagogy if adult literacy can disentangle itself from instrumental approaches and instead create critical space for contextualised and emancipatory learning.
Policies affecting the literacy curriculum (e.g. emphasising employability) have led to a focus on narrow skills rather than a holistic approach that develops a curriculum based on participants’ own knowledge and interests.
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