Teaching practice in the making: Shaping and reshaping the field … · 2013. 8. 2. · Jacquie...

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 52, Number 1, April 2012

Teaching practice in the making: Shaping and reshaping the field of adult language, literacy and

numeracy teaching

Jacquie Widin, Keiko Yasukawa and Andrew ChodkiewiczUniversity of Technology, Sydney

The field of adult language, literacy and numeracy in Australia is a site of struggle as policy changes, new learner groups and new economic imperatives challenge teachers’ expertise and beliefs about good teaching practice. This article examines the ways in which experienced adult language, literacy and numeracy teachers shape and reshape their practices within this tricky and treacherous terrain. Using Bourdieu’s analytical tools of field and habitus as a theoretical framework, and Kumaravadivelu’s notion of post-method pedagogy as a lens for observation and interpretation, the paper analyses the ways in which four experienced teachers shape and reshape their classroom practice to create transformative learning for their learners.

10 Jacquie Widin, Keiko Yasukawa and Andrew Chodkiewicz

Introduction

Thispaperlooksatamuchexamined,historicalpractice—teaching.Specifically,weseektoexplorehowexpertteachersofadultlanguage,literacyandnumeracycontinuetolearntheirpractice.Teachingpracticeisaslipperyterm:ononelevel,itmaybeseenasamechanisticorprescriptiveaction,onanother,itistakinguptheroleasafacilitator,andonyetanotherlevel,itisaneclecticblendofdifferentapproaches.Howdoteachersnavigateacrossthetrickyandtreacherousterrainofanarguablymuchmalignedpractice?Thesettingofourstudyistheadultlanguage,literacyandnumeracy(LLN)classroom.Ourinterestisinthewayteachingpracticeshapesandisshapedby:theparticularitiesofthesocialspaceoftheclassroom,theparticipants(teachersandlearners),theexternalsocialandpoliticalcontext,andtheteachers’andlearners’interactionwiththeexternalworld,andhowthisshapingandreshapingcreatespossibilitiesoftransformativelearningfortheparticipants.

Theteacherswhosepracticeweexaminearehighlyexperiencedandhaveuniversitydegreequalificationsinarelevantdiscipline.TheyarepartofthegenerationofAustralianadultLLNteacherswhowereacomponentoftheprofessionalisationofapreviouslymorelooselyorganisedandstructuredfield(Scheeres1993;Black1992).Theywouldbedescribedas‘expertteachers’usingthethreedimensionsoftheexpertteacheridentifiedbyTsui(2009:424).Firstly,theydemonstratecapabilitiestointegratevariousaspectsofknowledgeinrelationtotheteachingact;secondly,theyrelatetotheircontextsofworkandtheirunderstandingofteachingsoconstituted;andthirdly,theyexercisetheircapabilitiestoengageinreflectionandconsciousdeliberation.

Inanexaminationofhowexpertteacherscontinuetolearntheirpractice,wecannothelpbutlookatthepowerrelationswithintheteachingfieldandthewaysinwhichlegitimacyisbestowedoncertainkindsofknowledge(meetingsystemsrequirementsandvocationally

Teaching practice in the making 11

focusedcourses)andpractices(approachestoteachingandmodesofwork).

Priya,anEnglishforSpeakersofOtherLanguages(ESOL)teacherteam-teachinginaVocationalEducationandTraining(VET)program,ishighlyattunedtothechangesinthefieldofLLN.Whileshespoketousaboutthestrangenessandnewnessofworkinginamoresubordinatedpositionasalanguagesupportteachertothenowmorevaluedvocationallyfocusedprogram,shedemonstratedhercapacitytoembracethischange.PeterandJeanarealsoteam-teaching,butinavastlydifferentprogram,workingwithyoungpeopleexcludedfromschoolandwork.Annisaliteracyandnumeracyteacherinafurthereducationcollegeandheradultlearnersarestrugglingtolearnconceptsandskillstheymissedatschool.Theseteachersdescribedthedynamicsofthefield,therelationsbetweenandacrossthedispositionstheyasteacherscarriedwith(in)them,thevaluedstakes—inthesecases—thecredentialsthattheparticipantswereworkingtowards,andtheemergingpracticesofboththeteachersandthestudents.

Theabovesnapshotsofchanging/learningpracticesappearpainlesswhenobservingtheteachersintheirclassrooms;yettheteachingfieldisahighlycontestedanduncertainarena.Teachersareengagedinastruggleoverthescarceintellectualresourcesinthefield,thatis,legitimacyintermsofvoiceandparticipation,intellectualandacademiccredibility,economicstakesandeducationalresources.Thestrugglestheteachersinthisstudyengageinarebothinternalandexternaltotheclassroom.Ontheonehand,akeyissueisthatofthewaysinwhichprofessionalexpertise,thatis,intellectualorknowledgecapital(orinBourdieu’s(1992)terms,symboliccapital)isaccumulated.Theteachers’expertiseisrecognisedfromwithinthefield;theywerehighlyrecommendedbytheirprofessionalcolleagues.However,thefieldischangingandtherearecredentialsthatarerequiredbypolicythathavelittleperceivedvaluebyexperienced


teachersthemselves(forexample,aCertificateIVinTrainingandAssessmentthatismandatedinVETpolicy).Ontheotherhand,thereisthestruggletomaintainandstrengthentheparticularityoftheteaching,tokeepthelearnersinapivotalposition.

WeexaminethisfieldofpracticewiththehelpofBourdieu’sheuristicdevicesoffield,capitalandhabitus(theseconceptsaredescribedinmoredetailinthenextsection)andKumaravadivelu’snotionofteacher’ssense-making,thatis,thewayteachersreflecttherelationshipbetweentheoryandpracticeinpracticalwaysthroughtheirpedagogy.Centraltoouranalysisarethewaysinwhichteachersshapetheirpracticesbynegotiating,managingandsustainingtheinterrelationshipofstudentagencyandteachercontingency(Baynham2006).WefocusonthefourexperiencedandexpertLLNteachersmentionedabovetounderstandthewaystheirteachingpracticesareenacted.Thisisatimelyinvestigation,becauseinAustraliawherethisstudyislocated,thereisasignificantimpetusforreforminworkforcedevelopmentofthevocationaleducationandtrainingworkforce(ProductivityCommission2011;Wheelahan&Moodie2010),andanewnationalstrategyforadultliteracyandnumeracyisinthemaking(FoundationSkillsWorkingGroupSecretariat2011).Thiscomesaftermorethanadecadeofwaitingforanewpolicy(Castleton,Sanguinetti&Falk2001;Black&Yasukawa2010).However,thereformsneedtobeinformedbystudiessuchasthisthatexaminethewaysteachers’interpretationsofthepoliciesintheirpracticesareshapedandreshapedbyanumberofvariables,includingtheirbeliefsaboutteaching,thetheoriesthatinformtheirteaching,theirinterestsinthefield,andmostofalltherelationshipsbetweenthemselvesandtheirlearners.

Asdemonstratedabove,theinhabitants(oragents)oftheteachingfieldsweexplorehereareadiversegroupofexpertteachersinanequallydiverserangeofsettings:anadultnumeracyclassinafurthereducationcollege,anEnglishlanguagecourseintegrated


intoavocationaleducationprogramwithrecentlyarrivedmigrantsfromarangeofculturalandlinguisticbackgrounds,andaprogramforre-engagingyounglearnerswhohaddroppedoutofschool.Ourinitialworkwiththeseteachersgatheredinterviewandvideodataoneffectiveadultlanguage,literacyandnumeracyteaching(Widin,Yasukawa&Chodkiewicz2008;Chodkiewicz,Widin&Yasukawa2010).Thisdatasetisrichinportrayinganarrayofhighlycontextualisedandcontingentteachingpracticealongwiththeteachers’storiesabouttheirpractices.Whilelearners’voiceswerenecessarilypartofourresearchdata,thisarticlefocusesontheteachersandtheirnegotiationoftheirpractice.

We,thewriters,arealsopositionedwithinthefield;twoofusareteachereducatorsintheESOLandLiteracyandNumeracyfield,andoneisaresearcherwithalonghistoryofresearchingwithincommunity-basedlinguisticandculturallydiverseeducationalsettings.

A framework for analysing teaching practices

Teachingpracticeiscomplex,asmentionedearlier.Itcanbeseenasacollectionofmechanisticskillsoratanotherextremeasahighlycontextualisedandnuancedsocio-culturalactivity(Cross2010),withmanyvariationsbetween.WeventuredintothisterritoryunderstandingsomeofitscomplexityandfeelthatBourdieu’s‘thinkingtools’areuseful,explanatorydevicesforwhatisevidentinthefield.Bourdieuseespracticeasaresultoftheinterplaybetweenthreedimensions:field,capitalandhabitus.Thefieldhereistheteachingspace,althoughtheboundariesarenotset;theyshiftaccordingtotherelationshipwiththefieldofpowerandotherrelatedfields.Capital(thevaluedresourcesinthefield)isbothsymbolicandmaterial.IntheLLNfield,thevaluedresourcesincludefunding,qualifications,languageskills,experienceandprofessionalnetworks.Habitusisawayofdiscussingthedeepembodiedtacit


understandings,thedispositions,oftheagentinaparticularfield.Bourdieudescribeshabitusasmoreanacquiredsenseofwhenandhowtouseculturalknowledgeinaprofitablemanner,ratherthanasasetofpropositions,beliefsoradherencetorules.He(1992:184)writesthat‘practiceistheproductofthehabitus,whichisitselftheproductoftheembodimentoftheimmanentregularitiesandtendenciesoftheworld’.Theteachers’dispositions,whichderiveinpartfromtheirlivedexperiencesandtheirownsocialandculturalhistory,formtheirpersonalnarratives(Cross2010).Allinformandinfluencetheirpractice.

Bourdieu’sworkisofparticularvalueinexaminingateachingcontextandpractice.Hiscentralconcernsrestonthenotionofrelationalpractice,therelationshipbetweenthethree‘thinkingtools’outlinedabove.Teachingexemplifiesthisrelationshipbetweenthesocialstructuresandtheindividualparticipantswhocontinuallyshapeandreshapeeachotheraccordingtotheaccumulationofthevaluedresourcesandrelationsofpower.Bourdieu’sanalyticaltoolshelptomakevisibletheinvisiblerelationsofpowerandtounearththose‘naturally’occurringregularitiesthatbecomeknownas‘thenorm’.ThisstudyofteachersintheadultLLNfieldendeavourstouncovertheinvisiblewebsofdominantandsubordinaterelationshipswhichcausethepracticestobecarriedoutinacertainway.Giventhatthefieldofpublically-funded,adultLLNeducationiswroughtwithstrugglesaroundfunding,qualifications,intellectuallegitimacyandpublicperceptionsofteachersandteachingpractices,inparticulartheon-goingdevaluingandde-professionalisationofteachers’practices(Black2010),Bourdieu’sconceptsallowustounderstandhowthissociallyimportantendeavourchangesandendures.

Inafield,inhabitedbypowerfulartefactsandparticipantsasalludedtoabove,teachersaremostoftenbeholdentothe‘doxa’,thatis,thedominantsetofbeliefsandvaluesofthefield.InBourdieu’s(1998:57)words,thisis‘aparticularpointofview,thepointofview


ofthedominant’.IntheadultLLNfieldthedoxaisrepresentedbythefundingpoliciesandcurriculumanditisunlikelythatclassroomteachers’(localised)knowledgeorpracticescanchangethestructureofdominantpracticesandlegitimateknowledge(Bourdieu&Eagleton1992:119).Anissueofgreatinterestinthisstudyishowtheteachersareabletocomplywiththedominantviewprojectedbytheirinstitutions,whileatthesametimepractiseinwaysthatrecognisetheiruniquesituation.Therangeof‘knowledges’accumulatedbytheteachersinourstudycomefromtheirabilitytoattendtotheparticularitiesoftheirteachingcontextandtobeopentoadaptandchange(learn)theirpracticeswhichareconceivedanddevelopedthroughtheirownsensemaking(Kumaravadivelu2003).Buthowisthislearningrecognisedandvalued?

Bourdieuprovidestherelationalframeworktoexaminethepowerrelationsandfeaturesofthefield,whileKumaravadivelu(2003)offersusawaytoexamineteacherlearningattheleveloftheclassroomandinteractionswiththestudents.Hisframeworkforteacherdevelopmentconteststhetraditionalnotionoflocatingteacher‘training’withinthemaster-apprenticeshipmodelandthetransmissionofknowledgeasakeyteachingapproach.Heputsforwardanapproachwhichequipsteacherswiththeresourcestodeviseapersonaltheoryofpracticebasedonanhermeneuticprincipleof‘situationalunderstanding’,thatis,thatallpedagogyislocalandteachersmustbeawareoflocalexigencieswhichimpactontheirteaching.Heiscentrallyconcernedaboutthe‘once-and-for-allsetofauthorizedpractices’(McMorrow2007:375)thatsometeacherstakeawayfromteachertrainingprograms;formanyteachers,thesesetupaframeworkofthewaytoengageinanyfurtherprofessionaldevelopmentandbuild(ornot)relationshipswiththeirstudents.These‘authorisedpractices’oftentaketheformofaparticularteachingmethodology.


Kumaravadivelu’s(2003)‘postmethodpedagogy’dispenseswiththeideathatthereisateachingmethodthatwillsuitallcontextsatalltimes.Hisbroaderteacherdevelopmentframeworkrestsonthreepedagogicparameters:particularity,practicalityandpossibility.Theparameterofparticularitytakesintoaccounttheparticularneedsandparticularcontextofthelearnerswhenmakingdecisionsabouthowandwhattoteach.Thatofpracticalityrecognisesandacknowledgestheteacher’ssense-making,thatis,theteacher-generatedtheoryofpracticewhichinformsandisinformedbyteaching.Thissense-makingseestheclassroomwallsaspermeable;thelearnersaresituatedwithinthecontextthatexistsoutsideoftheclassroom.Thethirdparameterofpossibilitytakesaccountofthesocio-politicalworldandisthedimensionwhichisconcernedwithidentityandsocialtransformation.Theteachercannotfulfiltheirpedagogicobligationswithoutatthesametimefulfillingtheirsocialobligations.Theymustbeawareofboththesocio-politicalandculturalrealitythatshapestheirlivesandoftheircapacitytotransformtheirownandtheirstudents’realities.

Kumaravadivelu’sparametersareinterwovenandoverlap;theyeachshapeandareshapedbytheother(2003:34–36).Theseparametersassistustoanalyseanddiscussthestrugglesandtensionsintheteachingfieldandhowtheyshape(reshape)teachingpractice.ItisclearthatalltheteachersinthisstudyintuitivelyoperatedfromwithinthethreedimensionsofKumaravadivelu’sframework.OurbriefintroductionofPriyaaboveshowshowsheoperatedfromtheparticularitiesandpracticalitiesofherteachingcontext;furtheron,weexaminethepossibilities.WhatarethevaluedresourcesthatPriyahasaccumulatedinthefield?Howdotheyenablehertoshapeandreshapeherpractice?Whatotherresourcescomeintoplay?Baynham(2006)providesacomplementaryanalyticaltoolinhisexaminationofthewaysteachersbringin,negotiateandmediatethelearners’externalworlds.Heusesthetermsstudentagencyand


teachercontingencytodescribethewayteachersareabletoidentifyandrespondtothestudent‘irruptions’(Baynham2006);theseallowteacherstoopenupthelearningspace,inviting‘irregularartefacts’intotheclassroomandreshapingtheteachingpractices.

Alloftheteachersinthisstudyhaddevelopedconsiderableculturalcapital(qualifications,professionaldevelopment)todrawonfromthedisciplinaryknowledgethattheygainedintheirformalstudy,aswellastheirknowledgeandwaysofnavigatingthroughtheofficialinstitutional,policyandcurriculumrequirements.Butwhatalltheteacherssaidtheyvaluedandrelieduponmostwastheirknowledgeandexperienceofdialogicapproachestolearning,inordertorespondincontingentandpracticalwaystotheneedsoftheirlearnersastheyarose.Thiswasexemplifiedthroughtheirwillingnesstousewhatthelearnersbroughtfromtheirworldsofwork,communityandhomeasteachablemomentsintheirclasses,orinexercisingtimelyandspontaneousdivisionoflabourwiththeteamteacherinresponsetounexpectedsituations.

Thewillingnessandskillsoftheteacherstorespondtotheparticularitiesofthesituationsinpracticalwayswasalsoseentoleadtocreatingnewpossibilitiesforboththelearnersandtheteachersthemselves.InaBourdieuiansense,theteachersareattemptingtocounterthesymbolicviolenceinherentinanyteachingsituation.Symbolicviolenceisdescribedasbeingcarriedoutbyimposingmeaningsas‘legitimatebyconcealingthepowerrelationswhicharethebasisofitsforce’andatthesametimecommunicatingalogicorrhetoricofdisinterest(Bourdieu&Passeron1977:4).Therefore,whenteachersteachEnglishoraretaughttoteachEnglish,theyarefundamentallytryingtoimpose‘culturallyarbitrary’conditionsbyanarbitrarypower(p.18)undertheguiseoflegitimateorder.Laterinthispaper,wegiveanopportunityfortheteacherstospeakabouthowtheirpracticescontinuallyevolveandtransform,andinturntranspose,insomecases,theirteacherdispositions.


Learning in a changing field

Ourinquiryherefocusesonhowteachingpracticeisshapedandinturnshapesthefield.Currentresearchwhichinvestigateshowlanguage,literacyandnumeracyteacherslearntheirpracticeoftenfocusesontheteacher’spriorbeliefs,theteacher’scoursework(teachertraining)andfieldexperience;andwhatteachersdoduringtheirfirstyearsofteaching(Morton,McGuire&Baynham2006).Researchonteacherlearningisalsodividedintotwomajorresearchfields(Richards&Placier2001):thefirsthasafocusontheindividualteacherlearning,andthesecondfocusesontheschoolasacontextforteachingandlearning.Thesetwofieldsofresearcharemostoftenkeptseparate,andsofartheresearchdoesnotshowhowtheyinterrelate(Hoesktraetal.2009),whereasinourcurrentstudythesetwofieldsareseentogether,involvedinadynamicrelationship.Hoesktraetal.(2009:280)drawattentiontowhetherthe‘conditionsforlearning’areavailabletoteachersintheirworkplacesandthatteachers’perceptionsoflearningarecontingentonconditionssuchasteacherstatus,teacherautonomy,teachercollaboration,reflectivedialogue,receivingfeedbackandexperienceofsharednormsandresponsibilityintheteachingsite.

Groundwater-SmithandMockler(2009)identifyfouraspectsofthecurrentorthodoxiesinAustralianeducationincludingtheriseofauditcultures,thestandardisationofpractice,thediminishmentofteacherprofessionaljudgment,andthe‘quality’agendaineducation.Inthefieldofadultliteracyandnumeracy,Tusting(2009)examinesthestrugglesteachersintheUKexperienceinafieldsimilarlycharacterisedbytheseorthodoxies,whileinAustraliaBlack(2010)focusesonthephenomenonoftherising‘auditcultures’andexaminesthedifferentwaysinwhichAustralianteachersarerespondingtoincreasingpressuresforcomplianceinareassuchascurriculumdevelopmentandassessment,aspectsoftheirworkon


whichteachersinthepastwereabletoexercisegreaterprofessionaljudgementandautonomy.

Groundwater-SmithandMockler(2009:136–7)proposedifferentmodelsofpractitioner-basedinquiryaswaysinwhichteacherscanmakesenseoftheorthodoxiesand‘closethegap’betweentheirown‘moralauthorityandmoralagency’andtheexternalpressuresimposeduponthem.However,asHoekstraetal.(2009)pointout,variablessuchasteachers’employmentsecurityandthecultureoftheworkplaceinwhichtheyarelocatedcansignificantlylimittheinfluenceandthepossibilitiesofsuchformsofprofessionallearning.Inlightoftheseobservations,thewaysinwhichtheteachersinourstudymakesenseoftheircomplexterrainsseemevenmoreremarkable.

IntheirresearchonchangeandteachingpracticesintheTeachingEnglishtoSpeakersofOtherLanguages(TESOL)field,BurnsanddeSilvaJoyce(2007)positthecurriculumastheartefactwhichshapesandreshapesLLNteachingpractices.Thisartefactistherealisationofstruggleswithingovernmentpolicy,ideology,legitimationofknowledgeandpositioningofthelearnersandteachers.ThecurriculumhastakenmanyformsoverthelastfourdecadesinAustralia—fromtext-booktoskeletaloutlinestodetailedspecificationsthatfocusparticularlyonexternally-validatedassessment.

TheaboveresearchpointstosignificantfeaturesoftheadultLLNfieldasabroadentity;withintheclassroomsstudiedhere,keyfeaturesinteractandhelptoshapeteachingpractice.Theyincludeteacher’sbeliefs,theirtrainingandexperience,thecontextoftheteachers’work,andthecurriculum.Thesefeaturesareoftenseentooperateassingleelementsinthefield,andnotnecessarilyasdynamicsoras‘shiftingvariables’astheyoftenare.


Theconceptof‘figuredworlds’(Holland&Bartlett2002;Baynham2006)isusefulheretorefertotheclassrooms.Theseworldsexistwithinafieldandtheyareconstructedandpopulatedbyagentsandartefactsthat,throughtheirinteractions,invokepractice.Artefactshavethepossibilityofbeingfleeting(forexample,spokenlanguage)orlong-lasting(forexample,teachingresources).Studentirruptionscanbeviewedasatransientartefact,buttheyareartefactsthattogetherwithteachercontingencycanbecomeapowerfulforceinshapingpractice.WeconceptualisetheLLNfield(boththeclassroomandthebroaderfield)asacomplexentitywithsetsofbothcompetingandcontrastingforcesandinterests.Figure1displaysthevariables,includingtheagentsandartefactsintheteachingspace.

Figure 1: Conceptualising the LLN field

Itisdifficulttocapturethepositionofthevariablesandthewaytheyshiftinatwodimensionaldiagram.However,thismultifaceted,thoughnotexhaustive,mapprovidessomeinsightintothecomplexityofthefieldandtheinfluencesandforceswhichactupontheteacherandwhichtheteacherinturnactsupon.Wehavenotmappedthe


fieldinamannerthatissimilartoBourdieu—thisisbeyondthescopeofthispaper.Rather,thefigureisanattempttoshowthatteachingpracticeisnotanisolatedorneutralact.Infact,itisadimensionofthisparticularfieldandteachersarebeholdentochangesinthefieldandsubsequently‘learnnewpractice’inwaysthataresometimesdifficulttoname.Wedonotclaimtocapturealltheelementsofthefield,ofwhichteaching,fromanotherresearchperspective,mayalsobeanelement.TheelementsinFigure1arenotstatic;theyareimpactedandinfluencedbytheshiftingdynamicsandboundariesofotherfields.Policyisasignificantartefactinthisfield,akey‘socio-culturaltool’(Cross2010:441)thatisinplaywiththesocialactivitieswithinthe‘cultural-historicdomain’(Cross2010:441);policiesinfluencethewayteachersdowhattheydo.Clearly,changeswithininstitutionsresultingfrompolicychanges,suchasashiftfromanaccessandgeneraleducationfocustoamorevocationaleducationandtrainingfocusduetobroaderlabourmarketshifts,meanthatteachershavetolearncontinuallyhowtoworkwithnewlearnerswithpreviouslyunfamiliarcultural,linguisticand/oreducationalsettingsandgoals.Ouranalysisofthisfieldaims,asstatedearlier,tomaketheseforcesofchangevisible.Theteachersinourstudyshowhowtheynavigatetheirever-changingterrainandhowtheirpracticesshiftwiththeboundariesofthefield.

The agents in the field

Figure1showsthattheteacherswhomwearestudyingaresituatedinadynamicfieldandarecreatingandrenewingtheirpracticewithinaparticularpolicycontext,bringingwiththemtheirparticulardispositions,theirhistoriesandbeliefsaboutwhatitmeanstobeateacher,andwhatLLNlearningcanmeanforthelearnerswithwhomtheywork.

Thecurrentpictureofthefield,onethatisdominatedbydiscoursesofcompetenciesandoutcomes,accountabilityaudits,employability


andcredentials,isinsharpcontrasttothewaysofworkingthatmanyoftheseteachersfirstencounteredinthefieldwhenAdultBasicEducation(ABE)andEnglishlanguageeducation‘feltlikeagrassrootsmovement—abandofpeopleworkingtogethertowardsacommongood’(NSWALNC2009:28).Thefieldisnowfarfromwhatcouldbecalledagrassrootsmovement.LLNteachers’professionalautonomyischallengedbyacultureofinternalandexternalauditsthatlegitimiseteachercomplianceoveragency(Black2010).Thecurriculumthatwasinthepastaprocessofnegotiationbetweenthelearnersandtheteacherhasincreasinglybecomea‘product’basedonunitsofexternallydeterminedcompetenciesandoutcomesemphasisingvocationalandemploymentoutcomes.Asmentionedearlierinthispaper,curriculumisoftenseenasthedriverofchangeandteacherlearning;however,aswedemonstrate,thefieldiscomplicatedand,whilecurriculumisapowerfulelement,itismediatedbythedispositionsthatteachersbringtoandtakeoninthefield.Forexample,whena‘nationalsnapshot’oftheadultliteracyandnumeracyfieldwastakenin2001,itwasfoundthatteachersheldstronglytoaviewofliteracyas‘afundamentalhumanrightandameansofempowermentforindividuals’(McGuirk2001:3).Manyteacherscontinuetofindwaystocreatemeaningfullearningfortheirlearnerswiththediminishingdegreeofautonomytheyhave(Yasukawa2008).

Anoverarchingfeatureofthisdynamicfieldishowtheteachers’andlearners’dispositionstransposeinrelationtotheshiftsinthevaluedstakes(capital).Clearly,theteachersandlearnerstakeonthedoxaofthefield:vocationaloutcomes,certification/credentialing,andmovementbetweentypesofprovisionforspecificpurposes.Whatdotheseteachersretainandsustainacrossthesechangesinthevaluedcapital?Ourstudyshowsthattheteachers’corevaluesandbeliefsaroundtheparticularitiesofthelearnersandtheteachingsitesandtheircontinuedsense-making(learning),thepracticalityandtheiropportunitiestoopenuppossibilitieswerethekey


sustainableelements;theyexhibitinthepracticetheparametersofwhatKumaravadivelucalls’post-methodpedagogy’(2003:23).Inthefollowingsections,weexaminetheteachers’practicesthroughthislens.

A practice of continual renewal and reshaping

Astrong,commonthemeemergedinourinterviewsandobservationsoftheexperiencedteachersinthisstudy—anESOLteacheronaVETprogram,twoteachersteamteachingwithyoungpeoplewhohaddroppedoutofschool,andaliteracyandnumeracyteacherinatechnicalcollege.Althoughexpressedinslightlydifferentlanguage,inresponsetothequestionofwhatmakesgoodpracticeinadultLLN/ESOL,alloftheseteachersspokeaboutparticularity,theestablishmentofaproductiveandinclusiverelationshipwiththeirlearnersastheprimaryconcernandaimoftheirpractice.Noneoftheteachersreferredtoanyspecificmethodortheoryasdefiningordeterminingtheirpractice.UsingthewordsofNoddings(2003:249),theseteacherssawteachingasa‘relationalpractice’,thatis:

Teachingisthoroughlyrelational,andmanyofitsgoodsarerelational:thefeelingofsafetyinathoughtfulteacher’sclassroom,agrowingintellectualenthusiasminbothteacherandstudent,thechallengeandsatisfactionsacredbybothinengagingnewmaterial,theawakeningsense(forboth)thatteachingandlifearenever-endingmoralquests.

However,therelationalpracticefortheseteachersisnota-theoreticalorarbitrary.Ourdataprovideevidenceoftheseteachers’practiceasbeingformed,reformedandchallengedbydifferingaccumulationsofcapitalandinteractionswiththehabitusinthefield.

Theaspectofrespondingtotheparticularityofthepolicyandlearnercontextswasexhibitedindifferentwaysinthethreesites.Overall,astrikingcharacteristicoftheteacherswasthewaytheirhabitushadbecomefinelyattunedtothestakes(valuedcapital)ofthefieldto


operatestrategically.Priyafoundherselfworkingintheincreasinglyvocationally-focusedenvironmentwherelanguageandliteracyteachingandlearningwasintegratedintotheteachingofvocationalknowledgeandskills.Priya’shabitushasclearlybeenoneofanESOLteacher;thechangesinthefieldmeantthatshehadtolearnnewwaysofworking.Previouslyshetaughtalone,focusingongeneralEnglishlanguageskillsandknowledge;inthisnewrole,shewaspositionedasalearnersupportteacher,team-teachingwiththevocationalteacherinanaccreditedvocationalcourse.PeterandJeanwerelearningtoworkwithpeoplewhoareoftenspokenaboutas‘atrisk’studentsinacommunityyouthcentre.Herethelearningalsoinvolvedteam-teachingasawaytoprovidegreaterdegreesofresponsivenesstolearnerswithmultiplelearningneeds,andworkingwithvolunteerswhoprovidedfurthersupportandenabledeachlearner’sindividualgoalstobenegotiatedandachieved.Atthethirdsite,Annwasclearinherphilosophyofteaching.Sheshowedthatteachingwasaboutknowingandrespondingtolearners’individualgoalsandneeds.Whatwasspecifiedinthesyllabuswasimportant,butithadtobebalancedagainsttheneedsandabilitiesofthelearners.Inallthreesites,theteachersdemonstratedhowtheywereattunedtothechangingcircumstancesoftheirlearners,andhowtheygainedasenseofthegame,orinotherwords,asenseof(aparticular)reality.

Whatfollowsaresomeselectedobservationsfromthethreesitestoillustratethemanifestationsoftheaspectsofparticularity,practicalityandpossibilitiesintheteachers’pedagogy.Wealsopointtothewaystheteachersactcontingentlybybringinginthelearners’externalworldsandencouragingstudentagency.

Reshaping habitus in a VET classroom

ThefirstsitethatwestudiedwasatacommunitycollegewherePriya,anESOLteacher,wasteam-teachingwithAmy,avocationalteacherinthechildren’sservicescourse.Theirstudentswererecentlyarrivedyoungmigrantwomenwhowerestudyingtowardsavocational


qualificationinchildren’sservices.AlthoughPriyahadmanyyearsofexperienceasanESOLteacher,workinginseveraldifferentcountrieswithstudentsfromdiversecultures,herteam-teachingwithAmyinvolvedaprocessoflearninganewteachingpractice.ThispracticereflectedboththecurrentpolicyfocusonLLNprovidersformingpartnershipswithVETproviders,communityservicesandindustry,andonsupportingtheintegrateddevelopmentofLLNskillswithinVETprograms.Bothteacherssawthevalueofworkingtogetherasawayofsupportingthestudents’learning:

BothofushavebeenabletoworkwellasateamIthinkbecausebothofushaveagreatpassionforhelpingourstudents...andbothofushaveacommongoal...It’stakenalotoftrialanderrorformebecauseitwasoneofthefirstcourseswhereIwasteam-teaching,butIthinkattheendofitIcanseethatit’sbeenreallyvaluable...it’sbeenreallyinteresting,challengingattimes,especiallyatthebeginningbecauseI‘vebeensousedtojustbeingoutthereinthefront...I’vegottoreallysitdownandunderstandtheneedsofthestudents,that’sreallyimportant.Itcanbechallengingattimesbutithasbeenfulfillingbecausewecanseethemworkingtowardsthecommonaimofachievingtwocertificates.[Priya]

Iworkveryhardtomakeeveryonefeelpartofthegroup.WhenIstartIfinditdifficult.Idon’tgetalotoffeedbackfromthem...I’mnotsureifI’mgettingthroughmypointsornot...Idon’thavetimetostandandexplaineverything.Ihavetoexplaincoursecontent,sothat’swherePriya’sbeenexcellent.ShewillpickupandtakenotesifIhavementionedsomethingandthegirlsdon’tunderstand.Shewilltakethatonboardandcomeinhersessionwithdetailedinformation.[Amy]

WhiletheparticularpolicycontextofthefieldmighthavepushedPriyatoworkinthisnewway,herpracticeinthisteam-teachingcontextdrewheavilyonherownpriorexperienceandknowledgeofworkingwithculturallydiverselearners(herhabitus).Theyenabledhertomakesenseofthelearners’situationsandexperiences:


MyawarenessoftheChineseculture,Indiancultureandothercultureshashelpedmegreatly,becausewhenIteachthemthelanguageaspectsI’mabletorelatealwaystotheculturalaspects.[Priya]

Alongwithherculturalawarenessandknowledge,Priyarecognisedthelinguisticcapitalheldbyherbilingualstudents.Priyagaveexplicitvaluetothiscapital.Studentswereencouragedtousetheirfirstlanguagesinclass,asshesawthatthisfacilitatedgreatercommunicationandunderstandingwithingroupsofstudents.ItenabledthosemoreproficientinEnglishtoexplainunfamiliarconceptstoothersandthestudentscouldmoreeasilycompareandcontrastpracticesintheAustralianVETcontextwiththoseintheirhomecountry.Inthisway,shewasencouragingandfacilitatingstudentagency.Shealsorespondedtothepressuresintheexternalworldsonthesestudents’livesthroughouttheprogram:listening,modifyingandnegotiatingwithlearnersasissuesarosethatimpactedontheirabilitytoattendordofollow-upwork.Inmanywayssheactedcontingently,balancingmultiplesetsoffactorsbothwithinandoutsidetheclassroom.Thedistributionofthelinguisticresourcesherealsohelpedreshapethefield,especiallywhenstudentswereusingtheirfirstlanguages.

ThedynamicnatureofthefieldisalsoreflectedbytheVETteacher’spositionalsochanging:Amy’sdispositionsasateacherwerealtered,andPriya,proficientinsomeofthelanguagesofthestudents,tookupanewposition.Theteam-teachingpractice,basedonaverticalhierarchywithAmyasthemainteacherandPriyaasthesupportteacher,shiftedoverthetimeoftheirworkingtogether.WhilePriyawasobviouslyopentothechangingdynamicsofthefieldandsawsomevalueinworkingwiththemorevocationally-orientatedcurriculumandthebenefitsthatrecognised(legitimated)credentialscanbringtothelearners,shewashoweveruncompromisinginherbeliefsaboutteachingandsoughttomaintainthelearners’needsasaprimedriverofherpractice.


InPriya’spositionofprovidinglanguageandliteracysupport,whatwesawwasbothateacherwhoseownhabituswasbeingtransposedfromthatofthesoleEnglishlanguageteachertoateamteacherinaVETcoursethroughtheparticularpolicycontextinwhichshefoundherself,andateacherwhowascontingentandkeentoencouragestudentagency,drawingonherstrongidentificationwithdifferentculturalgroupstocreatenewpossibilitiesforthelearnersfromdiverseculturalbackgroundstolearn,liveandworkinAustraliansociety.

Creating possibilities of a new habitus for the learners

ThesecondsiteofourresearchtookustoacommunityyouthcentrewhereanABEteacher,Jean,workedwithanOutreachcoordinator,Peter.BothJeanandPeterwereexperiencedinteachingliteracyandnumeracytoarangeofyoungandolderadultlearners.Atthissite,JeanandPeterwereworkingwithagroupofyoung,mainlyIndigenouslearnerswhohaddisengagedfromformalschooling.Thelearnersweretakingpartintheprogramwiththeclearaimofcompletingschoolsubjectsandworkingtowardsgainingformalschoolqualifications,includingtheiryear10SchoolCertificate.Asdiscussedmorefullyinanearlierpaperaboutthisparticularsite(Chodkiewicz,Widin&Yasukawa2010),theprogramatthissitewasonethathadwhatNoddings(2003)wouldcall‘moral’orinternalvaluefortheteachersandthelearners,butnotnecessarilyonethatcarriedexternallyrecognisedvalue.

Theprogramwasapartnershipprogrambetweentwosectionsofafurthereducationcollegeandalocalcommunityyouthcentre,andwasfundedinpartbyaphilanthropicorganisation.ThecommunityyouthcentrewasphysicallydesignedandfurnishedwiththecoloursoftheAustralianAboriginalflag,withanindoorbasketballarea,anddifferentkindsoflearningspacestoallowlearnerstoworkindifferentconfigurationsaccordingtotheirneeds.Bothteachersexpressedastrongcommitmenttohelpinglearnersovercomethe


negativeexperiencesthatmostofthemhadencounteredduringtheirschoolyears:

...weactuallyofferanopportunityforstudentstocomehereandmaintainorrenegewithoutthenecessityofmeetingthetraditionalyear7oryear8scheduling...sowewouldthensay,OK,wehaveastudentwhohaswalkedinwhodoesn’twanttobeoutthereonthestreet,whocannotsurviveinthenormalschoolenvironment.Whatwewilldoisjustfacilitatetheirlearningandpromotetheirlearningandbringthemslowlybacktothepathofapropereducation...Ourkeyingredientforsuccessisyoucanwalkineightmonthsintotheyearandwewilltakeyouinandlookatyourliteracy,numeracyandyourvocationpathway,tryandestablishafirmfootingfromwhichtorebuild.[Peter]

...andsomestudentsarealittlebitreticenttospeakoutwhenthere’sotherlouderkids.[We]givethemachanceandencouragethemtoparticipate.[Jean]

Theirpracticewasconsistentwiththeirexpressedbeliefsaboutteaching—thedispositionsthattheybroughtfromotherteachingcontexts.However,theirpracticealsohadtochangeandtheyhadtolearnnewwaysofworkinginthiscontext,respondingtotheparticularitiesandpossibilitiesatthissite.Theirdispositionsweresuchthatthelearnerwascentraltotheirteachingpractice.Inonesense,thiswasfamiliarterritoryforbothteachersandtheycontinuedtofocusonhowtoremaincontingentandaccommodatethelearners’needsinthisnewcontext—onethatwasoftenimpactedondirectlybythelearners’externalworld.Thisoftenmeantdealingwithconfrontinglearnerbehavioursandtryingtofindwaysthatrespondedpositivelyforthelearner,otherlearnersandthemselves.Thisinvolvedlearningnewwaysofworking,inparticular,howtoengagemorefullyinapartnershipwitheachother,thelearnersandthevolunteers,andtoworkwithmaterialsandapproachesthatwereseeminglyantitheticaltoalearner-centredapproach.Anotherimportantfeatureofthissitewasthatlearnerstookonamoredeterminingrole.Initiallytheyhadrequestedthatthecentreoffera


programwheretheycouldworktowardsaschoolcertificatecredentialanditwasoftentheirinterestsandconcernsthatwerethekeytotheshapingofnewteachingpracticesinthisteachingsite.

Theteachersexplainedthatsometimestheyhadtothrowawaythemethodsortheoriestheyhadlearnedintheirteachereducationdiplomas‘andreactinacertainwaytoacertainsituation’[Peter].Thiswasbecausetheirteachingenvironmentwasimpactedbytheregularandon-goinginstabilitiesandpressuresinthelearners’livesoutsidetheclassroom.Thepracticeofteam-teachingthattheyweredevelopingmadeasignificantdifferencetohowtheycopedinthesesituations.

Ithinkweworkwellasateam.Webringdifferentstrengths,weaknesses,alsodifferentexperiences...AndIthinkwecomplementeachother.It’salsoagainamatteroftrustbetweenus.SometimesPeterhasanideaandIthinkIhadn’tthoughtaboutthat…gowiththat...giveitatryandmutuallylikethat.AndIthinkwecanalsodoalittledivisionoflabournowinthegroup.I’dbeworkingwiththestudentsmoreontheliteracyandnumeracy,andPeterwillbeworkingmorewiththestudentsdoingdistanceed.,thenwebringthemalltogether...Ithinkthatworksprettywell.[Jean]

IthinkJeanmightlookatmemoreasthedeliverersometimes,certainlyJeangivesmethematerialtodeliver...AndIthinkbecauseofmyexperienceofworkingwithkidsfromthisagebracketforsuchalongtime,youcanhandmesomethingandIcanjusttakeoffwithit.[Peter]

JeanandPeteralsotalkedabouthowtheylearnedasateamtodealwithsituationswhenlearnersmightarriveexpressingalotofangerandfrustration.Oftentheyweretheresultofextremeeventsthatoccurredintheirlivesoutsidetheteachingspace.

Andsometimesthere’sissuesofangermanagement,too,andthat’sverygoodwhenwe’reateam...Wehavelittlecues;...sometimesPetermightsaythatwe’llleavethator[we]mightsort


ofhaveawordtooneanother...IfeelverysupportedbyPeterinthosesituations.[Jean]

Therearetimes,Iknow,thatwhenastudentisangrywithmeandJeancansenseit,obviouslyatthesametimeandIcanmovethestudenttowardsJeanorJeancanmovethestudenttowardsmyself.[Peter]

Wesawatthissitethepracticalityoftheirteachingpractice.Theteachersbothhadastronglyarticulatedphilosophyofteachingthatwasbasedonsupportingtheirlearnerstoengageproductivelyinlearning.Thisphilosophywastranslatedintotheirpracticethroughtherelationshipthattheyhadbuiltbetweenthetwoofthem,whichinturnstrengthenedtheirrelationshipswiththelearners.Throughouteachsessioninone-on-oneandgroupwork,bothteachersshowedahighdegreeofcontingencyintheirawarenessandresponsetostudent‘irruptions’.Thisinturncreatedpossibilitiesforthelearnerstoexerciseagencyandassumethekindofacademicidentitythattheyhadneverexperiencedpriortoengaginginthisprogram.

Building teaching practice from knowing the learners

ThethirdsitewasanABEclassconsistingofsixlearnersbeingledbyAnninacourseonnumeracy.Theclassconsistedoffivemenandonewoman,whomAnndescribedasbeingveryweakintheirliteracyandnumeracyskills,somewithmildlearningdifficulties,andwhohadexperienceddisruptedschoollearning.Inthissite,wesawhowtheteacherwascontinuallyshapingandreshapingherpracticeinresponsetowhatshewaslearningaboutherlearners:

Themainthingreallyistoknowmystudents,toreallyknowandunderstandwherethey’recomingfrom,whattheirlearningdifficultiesare,wheretheirweaknessesandtheirstrengthsare.

AfewminutesbeforeherMondayclassstarted,wesawAnntalkingtothestudentswhowerewaitingoutsidetheclassroom,greetingeachstudentbynameandaskingthemwhattheyhaddoneontheirweekend.Duringtheclass,sheoftenactedcontingently—looking


forandcreatingfurtheropportunitiesforlearnerstoexerciseagencybyelicitingtheirknowledgeandexperiencefromoutsidetheclassroom,oftheconceptsandskillsshewasteaching,forexample,measurementofdifferentkindsofquantities:time,lengthandtemperature.Intheseinstances,thelearnersrevealednotjustwhattheyknew,butalsowhotheywere.Thisrelationshiplegitimatedthelearnersasvaluedparticipantsinthefield.Adiscussionaboutanalogueversusdigitalclockspromptedonestudent,Ahmed,arecentlyarrivedrefugeefromGuinea-Bissau,whohadfledhishomeland,spentyearsinarefugeecampandonlyrecentlytakenupformalstudy,topulloutawatchandlaunchintoastoryabouttheverypersonalsignificanceofthewatchbecauseitwasaveryspecialwatchtohim.

It’sapresentfrommydad,longtimeago.That’swhyIkeepitgood.Ineverevenwearit...someday,Imightgiveittomyson.[Ahmed]

AnnallowedtimeforAhmedtotellthisstory,givingnon-verbalcuesofherrespectforthesignificanceofthisartefacttothelearner.Shethenwalkedtoeachoftheotherlearnersintheroomtoallowthemtosaysomethingabouttheirwatchtotheothermembersoftheclass.Shethenusedtheuncertaintyshownbythelastlearneraboutthekindofwatchhehadtotakethegroupbacktotheofficialcurriculumof‘measuringtime’.Inalaterstageofthesamelesson,whensheintroducedthetopicofmeasuringlengths,sheturnedtothelearnerJim:

Ann:Jim,you’vedonequitealotofmeasurement,haven’tyou?

Jim:Yeah,whenIdidmyhorticulturecourse,measuringgardenbedsandstuff.

Througheachoftheseexchanges,Annisbuildingandtestingherownknowledgeaboutthelearnersinordertoshapeherpracticetomeetthelearners’needs,becauseasshesaysinherinterview:


IhaveinmyheadexactlywhatIwanttodoandonpaperI’llhaveaverybriefflowchartjusttoremindmeontheareasthatIwanttoaddressforthelessonandIhaveresourcespreparedforthat.ButIknowthat,oncethelessonstarts,thestudents’needswillcometothesurfaceandtheirinterestswillstarttosurfaceandIneedtogowiththat...It’saboutbeingrelevantandresponsivetothestudents...it’saboutbeingverysubtleand,Isuppose,gentlewiththestudents.IthinkoneofthereallyimportantthingsthatunderpinsmyteachingisthefactthatI’mteachingstudentsandI’mnotteachingthesyllabus.IfIcomefromthepointofviewofthestudents,it’llallfallintoplacebecausethat’stheunderpinningtheorythatIworkon.[Ann]

Ann’sexplanationofherteachingpracticereflectswhatKumaravadivelu(2003:35)saysabouttheneedfora‘continualcycleofobservation,reflection,andactionasaprerequisiteforthedevelopmentofcontext-sensitivepedagogictheoryandpractice’.ThecoherencebetweenAnn’sespousedtheoryandherpracticemeansthathertheoryofalearner-centredpedagogyhaspracticalmanifestations.Herpedagogyshiftsthelearners,inBourdieu’sterms,toamuchlesssubordinatedpositioninthefieldandaffordsvaluetotheknowledgeandskillstheybringtotheclass,whileatthesametimecreatingnewpossibilitiesforthelearners.Fromthelearners’perspectives,theclassroomasafieldmayoperateinaverydifferentwaytotheirexternalworldswheretheymayoccupymuchmoresubordinatedpositions.Ininterviews,thelearnerstalkedaboutthebenefitsofboththeself-confidencetheyhadgainedaswellastheskillsandknowledgethattheyhadlearnedfortheirfuture—infurtherstudy,inemploymentandintheireverydaylife.Andbeyondtheconfidence,skillsandknowledgethatthelearnerswerebuildingthroughthiscourse,Annandthestudentswerebuildingasafelearningspaceinwhichthelearnerstalkedabouteachotheras

...verygood.Wehaveaveryfriendlyclass,verynicepeople...I’mverycomfortable.[Marie]


Myclassmatesarereallyfriendlypeople.Theyareverygoodpeople.SosinceIcometothisclass,Imeetallthesepeopleandaresogoodforme...they’remyfriends.WhenIcometoschool,I’mhappy.[Ahmed]

Atthisthirdsite,whatwesawwasateacherwhosepracticewasstronglyanchoredinherbeliefaboutteachingasarelationalactivity.Shebalancedwhatsheknewherstudentsneededtolearn(exchangeofculturalcapital),andthewaystheycouldlearn,withtheneedsofthesyllabus.Ann’sstronggroundinginherparticularpractice,herconfidenceandaccumulatedculturalcapitalallowedhertoworkoutsideofthedoxaofthefield;sheallowedthelearnersacentralpositionanddidnotfeelinhibitedbythemorenarrowly-defined,officialcurriculum.

Inafieldwithsomanyvariablestodealwith,andwhereeventsunfoldinwaysthatareunpredictable,itisnotsurprisingthatinexperiencedteachersmayfeelalackofcontrolovertheirteachingpractice.However,startingfromherknowledgeandworkwiththelearners,Ann’spracticewasclearlyaresultoftherelationshipbetweenthevariouscapitalsandhabitusinthefield.Shewasunwillingtocompromiseandwasclearaboutwhenandwhereshecouldandshouldbeflexibleandresponsivetoherlearners.Thisinturnprovidedpossibilitiesofatransformativelearningenvironment,Kumaravadivelu’sthirdparameter,forherandherstudents.

Conclusion

Itisaxiomatictosaythattheteachingfieldiscomplexandthatteachers’strugglesaremany.Thispaperhasraisedquestionsandillustratedwaysinwhichteachersshapeandreshapepracticeinthefield.Theadultlanguage,literacyandnumeracyclassroomisacomplexfield.Thedoxaofthefieldsuggestthatlearners’goalsarenarrowlydefinedtomeetemployabilitycriteria,butmanyteachersrecognisethevariousotherpressinglearningandsocialneedsthat


learnerspresent.Inrespondingtothelearners’needs,theteacherscanriskbeingde-legitimatedwithintheirinstitutions.

Wehaveshownthatteachersareinvolvedinadynamicprocessofinteractionwitharangeofinter-relatedelements.Teachers’learningiscontingentoncertainconditions—bothmaterialandnotmaterial.Wecontendthatsometeachers’habitusarebetterattunedtotherelationsinthefieldandhencearemoreabletoacculturatetonewcircumstances.Thisleadsustothenotionsofresilienceandrobustness.Whilethesehavenotbeenexploredindepthhere,theyareclearlyattributesthathelpteacherstomaintainandsustaintheirpractice,particularlyinchallengingcontexts.

Whenateacher’shabitusishighlyattunedtothefield,theyareasPriya,Peter,JeanandAnndemonstrate,abletorespondcontingentlytostudentirruptions.Theseirruptionscanshiftorevolveintonewdispositions,repositioningtheagentsinthefield.Thisinevitablyshiftspractices.Wehaveexaminedmomentsofopportunityofferedthroughthestudents’agencyandteachers’contingency.Thepracticesthatemergearecontingentonaparticularresponseataparticularpointintime.

Wealsosawteachersinthisstudyengagedinstrugglestocontinuallydemocratisethefield.InBourdieu’sterms,thisisanattempttoredistributeresourcesandtoaddressthesymbolicviolenceunderlyingallteachingpractice.Theteachersdrewnotonlyontheirownprofessionalresources(capital)tosupportthelearners,butasPriyaexplained,theirsocialandlinguisticcapitalandotherculturalresourcestoconnectwithandgivebenefittothelearners.Annactivelydrewouttheresourcesthatthelearnersbroughtwiththemandfacilitatedtheredistributionoftheseresourcesintheclassroom.

Howisteachers’learningvaluedand/orlegitimated?Thereisnoformallegitimationofcontinuedteacherlearningthroughpracticeintheadultlanguage,literacyandnumeracyfield.Currently,there


arenoformalrequirementsforteachersinthisfieldtoparticipateincontinuingprofessionallearning.Teacherscanonlyvaluethisthroughtheirowninternallegitimationandthroughtheirinteractionswiththeirpeers.Thisstudysuggeststhatmuchofthisiscontainedintheirteachingandlearningrelationshipswithstudents.Thismeansthatthevaluehastoberecreatedorreactivatedeachtimeanewgroupoflearnersarrives.Thereisastruggleandatensionbetweentheofficialnotionsofpracticeandtheirinvocationofpracticethroughrelationshipofparticularity,practicalityandpossibility.Itisalsoimportanttobemindfulthatthisstudyfocusedonexpertteacherswhohadthebenefitofamorevibrantandconnectedfieldinitsearlierdays.Whatofthegenerationofteachersenteringthefieldnow,andinthefuture?

Inthispaper,wewereabletoexaminewhat‘expert’teachersmightbecapableof,intermsofnegotiatingthiscomplexterrain.Beinginvolvedinthefieldasteachereducators,wehavevestedintereststoseethecontinuingemergenceofthese‘expert’teachers.We,too,haveaninterestininfluencingthefield.

Acknowledgements

WeacknowledgethefundingsupportfromtheCommonwealthofAustraliawhofundedtheresearchprojectonwhichthispaperisbasedthroughtheAdultLiteracyNationalProjectscheme.

Weexpressourappreciationanddeepadmirationfortheteachersandlearnerswhoparticipatedinourresearchandtheirteachingandlearningpractices.

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About the authors

Dr Jacquie Widin is a senior lecturer in theory and practice of TESOL at the University of Technology, Sydney. Her research includes language and literacy teacher education with a focus on teaching practice and critical analyses of the internationalisation of education.

Keiko Yasukawa is a lecturer in adult education, and adult literacy and numeracy at the University of Technology, Sydney. Her research includes adult education teacher development and adult teaching practices, and theories and practices of critical mathematics.

Andrew Chodkiewicz is a senior researcher in the Languages Program, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology, Sydney, with an interest in community-based research related to literacy practices, community languages, cultural diversity and human rights education.

Contact details

Language Study Group, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway 2007, NSW AustraliaTel: (02) 9514 3477 Fax: (02) 9514 3933Email: [email protected]

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