Work in Progress

Bottoms Up: An Alternative Self-Directed Readiness Training Program

Don Robishaw
Evaluation and Motivational Specialist

In the fall 1993 issue of Adventures in Assessment, Vol. 5. I discussed the need for pre-goal setting strategies.

. . . goal setting as a strategy can help some learners take control of their own learning and become motivated. But pre-goal setting strategies must be designed and implemented to better help adults develop confidence in their own ability to use goal setting as a strategy for learning.

I also offered one group approach that could possibly increase the chances of goal setting being more effective and meaningful in Adult Literacy/Adult Basic Education (AL/ABE).

Unfortunately there are some adult learners who have had little experience in directing their own learning, thus may have problems with the group investigations I suggested, especially in light of the practitioner’s need to give up control and ask the students to direct or manage their own learning.

Since writing that article I have developed and field-tested a similar, yet more complex approach. The purpose of this article is to share some of the critical dialogue of the students who participated in a pilot study that took place in May and June of 1994. They participated in a 14 hour training program called “Bottoms Up”: An Alternative Self-Directed Readiness Training Program. It’s goal is not only to increase the chances of goal setting being more effective, but also to help prepare students for self-directed learning strategies and participatory education practices inherent in some adult education programs.

Why I developed “Bottoms Up”
I developed the “Bottoms Up” program to help students move closer to self-directed learning as one leg of a much larger framework. I focused my efforts on the process that relates to just the learners and not the practitioners.

That full model — AGE (the Alternative Great Equalizer) — attempts to bring students and practitioners together as equals. For true participatory education (not manipulation) to take place, the following caveats must, at some point, be addressed:
1. Both the students and the practitioners have to have the same leverage and power for true participatory education to be successful. (Demartino, A.M., 1994)
2. Practitioners need to play the role of an observer and identify students who need to participate in an intervention in order to shed their excess baggage.
3. Most adult educators need to participate in their own brand of Readiness Training Program or in other words, an unlearning process.
4. Both students and practitioners need to first take part in a separate reflective processes in order to later come together as “near” equals.
5. This “ideal state” takes a considerable amount of time, in fact it has to be a continuous lifelong - unending process.

In this article I am presenting several student produced critical dialogues from the initial field-test of the first “leg” of the AGE model - “Bottoms Up.” In two previous articles in the All Right News, January, 1994, “Reading and Writing Professionals or Literacy Workers” and May, 1994, “Diversity or Conformity,” I suggest possible topics for practitioners who participate in an alternative unlearning process, the second leg. Personally I would love to see some of my colleagues who responded in the last issue, Responding to the Dream Conference, to work on developing a curriculum for the second leg of the AGE model.

The Alternative Assessment Connection
Another incentive for developing “Bottoms Up” comes by way of all the progressive programs and practitioners who are developing exciting and innovative self-directed learning tools and methods used to assist students in learning how to manage their own learning. Why, we even have a journal devoted to a single aspect of external self-directed learning - Adventures in Assessment. There is a lot of potential for these innovations that help students:
1. Diagnose their own learning needs,
2. Develop and set goals,
3. Identify resources for learning,
4. Choose learning strategies,
5. Assess their own learning, and
6. Assist practitioners and learners in designing and evaluating adult participatory education programs.

“Bottoms Up” first deals with the internal side of self-direction (Robishaw, D.L., 1993), prior to adults learning to manage their own learning. It later guides and connects the learners to these new participatory education practices or alternative tools.

“Bottoms Up” may just be that “missing link” that brings all the other mosaic fragments into focus. It helps learners develop a more positive self-concept through
• unlearning the shame issue of returning to school as an adult;
• unlearning the ‘blaming themselves’ mentality;
• recognizing and giving themselves enough credit for overcoming barriers;
• developing the self-confidence needed to feel capable of doing academic work on their own or in a group, thus being able to manage their own learning and connecting; and
• making clearer the purposes of these alternative tools, strategies and methods, as well as preparing them for participatory education programs.

Specifically, some students need help developing self-motivation for learning and then channeling that motivation into the persistence needed to becoming self-directed. After students begin the critical reflection process inherent in “Bottoms Up”, they will gradually gain the self-motivation and confidence needed to become the more complete form of self-directed learner, which includes lifelong learning.

Students participating in “Bottoms Up” will have the space to deconstruct their internal oppression and past experiences with schooling, to critically reflect upon the educational system and other issues and to participate in a dialogue with their cohorts. This self-directed readiness program offers the students opportunities to pursue the knowledge needed to overcome the above mentioned dispositional (internal) barriers that may interfere with meeting his or her needs, goals and interests in future programs or educational projects. After participating in the program students may then be able to make the appropriate attitudinal and behavioral changes necessary in order to accept learning in programs as a viable option.

The Development Process
The development of the program itself has been a five-year process. I had previously conducted inquiries into resistance, persistence and the situational, institutional and dispositional barriers adults faced when returning to school. I eventually narrowed that focus to specifically look at dispositional barriers. I combined what I learned through a brief review of the literature, directly through research projects conducted with students, and from my own self-reflections and the creation of a staged developmental model based on my own growth experiences, including taking part in all the activities that came with the turf, including dropping out of school (twice). An elaborate evaluation plan was also designed and conducted throughout the entire development process, but is not included in this article.

The Program
There has been one trial run of “Bottoms Up” thus far, with two participants, one male and one female. The participants spent about 14 hours in seven workshops. In each workshop we examined two different, yet related issues in AL/ABE. In each of the seven components, the students were first asked to share with each other and the facilitator their opinions, perspectives and personal experiences on these issues. I served as the facilitator and began the process by presenting the topics for discussion with a brief statement, followed up by several discussion and probing questions. Later different opinions and perspectives were added to the discussion in the form of
• Fictitious case studies and role plays (dyads)
• Brainstorms
• Games
• Other activities

To make each separate workshop a success and more valuable the participants were encouraged to talk about their personal experiences, perspectives, opinions and values, as they related to the topics. Participants were also encouraged to go beyond their initial position by comparing, contrasting and weighing other positions or views carefully against their own.

Dyads/Critical Dialogues
The first goal was to get the participants’ perspectives, then to introduce outside perspectives through the dyads (see Figures 1 and 2) and then to continue the discussion process from there. The dyad and the following critical dialogue, Resistance and persistence in schools, make up one component.

All the critical dialogues in this article were extracted from the 14 hours of taped discussions that took place in May and June of 1994 at an adult education program located in Massachusetts. The names of the participants and their respective program have been changed to protect their anonymity.
Karla is about 30 years old with three children. She had been enrolled in a couple of other adult schools prior to enrolling in her current program. She did not complete formal schooling.

Sam is about 25 years old and single. He had been enrolled in this program for six months prior to joining “Bottoms Up”. Sam did complete high school.

The boxed examples on the next two pages are two fictitious case studies (dyad) used in the third component - Resistance and Persistence in Schools.

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Critical Dialogues

COMPONENT 3 - RESISTANCE AND PERSISTENCE IN SCHOOLS

[Do some students resist schooling? How?]

Karla: Yes, they do. By not showing up. Sometimes when you do show up you get a little panicky, you get a little scared. There are some kids who tend to follow their parents. Like if their parents worked on a farm and that is what the father is looking for in the boys… and the son doesn’t want to, he wants to become a lawyer or a doctor or just wants to be nobody. Sometimes when you try to make your son take over your business or be something you was they end up on the streets and homeless sometimes. I’ve seen it happen.

Sometimes they [teachers] force it, sometimes you have a teacher who won’t say it out loud but that [soft voice] John belongs over here or Jane belongs over here. By color. John should be the machine operator or Joe should be in wood [shop] because some black people should be contractors - because that is all they deserve. He doesn’t belong here because they have structured classes for lawyers, doctors, teachers . . . Sometimes the teacher offers scholarships to the kids. Sometimes they think that this white student, Jane deserves it, [soft voice] “Jane, take this home to mother and father and don’t tell nobody.” They do that. They do, it happens.

[Any other examples?]

Sam: Someone who goes in and is a clown or something probably. Kids do a lot of things to get the class laughing or something.

Not coming in, pretending to be sick, by getting into fights, by being bullies, taking money for lunch. Skipping class and being in the hallways walking around.

They have cliques. My sister use to go to school but she had to be there early to see her clique. Some people don’t go to class they just hang out.

Karla: On my way to school today I saw a young lady coming from one of the schools. She had on a dress tighter than my finger. You could see her figure in it. High heels - like they had been “pulling tricks”. They are presenting themselves as if you can approach me, here I am. No female should be allowed to come to school now a days - 1994 - dressed that way. If you allow them to do that, they are going to get away with anything and they are going to feel like they can. When they start they are going to start to rebel, like they are doing “anyways”.

[What cause some students to resist schooling?]

Karla: I’ve been there. There were two monkeys on my back. I’ll say three. One in school - teachers, coming home and classmates. There was no teacher support, student support and family support. You have got to find that support somewhere.

Sam: Making fun of you. My father used to make fun of me when I was a kid. “Rank” on me and stuff. My brothers would “rank” on me.

[What about the ones who persist?]

Karla: When you find out that your child likes school and they are sticking to it and learning is interesting to them and they keep going you have no problems. It is not hard to steer your child in the right direction either. They are mainly steering themselves. You have already put the work into it. You have done your job.

[What are some examples?]

Sam: Steve _________. He wore glasses and the whole… a “nerd”. An (A) student, triple (A) student, whatever you want to call it. Everything comes easy for him. He just wants to study. He doesn’t have a girl, doesn’t want a girl. But he is really smart. Comes in early, wants more homework, likes everybody, a nice guy, with a neat little tie. Participates more like in chess and different kinds of clubs.

[What causes them to persist?]

Sam: If they like school they have fun. If you don’t like it or have a bad time you are not going to have a very good time. They get picked on. [But when they become adults…] you want to be them; they get the money.

Karla: Parents. They were persistent in making sure that she… helping her to reach her goals. The student also, her classmates, her teachers. It has got to be everybody.

Sam: A happy childhood. Her mother and father treated her. . . . She liked learning, she liked school.

[What are some characteristics of a persister?]

Karla: On time for class.

Sam: Don’t let things bug ‘em.

Karla: Get there homework done, ask for more work, address problems in schools, be more open and persistent.

[Are there any bad characteristics of a persister?]

Karla: Yes there are! Sometimes a student who is a persister or perfect tends to get on your damn nerves. Sometimes they start trouble. Yes they do. Sometimes their head gets real big - chip on the shoulder - and your head is up in the air.

Sam: Arrogant!

Karla: Better than anybody and they realize it. Some kids they are very mean and nasty.

Sam: Some kids take care of them real quick, trip them or put gum on their seats or put something [signs] on their butts - kick me or something like that. No one needs it [their arrogance]

[Can this characteristic relate to adult students?]

Karla: Adult students who are going back to learn again can benefit from when they were a child [experiences]. That support for me as a child wasn’t there.

Sometimes when I come to school now as an adult and think back, that if I had thought about it more clearly and stuck to it more when I was younger.... If there is something wrong in the home then the child will not be able to function right in school. It comes from home. It is never to late to learn, but it is best to get it while you are young. It is never too late.
Like now I go to the adult learning class and everybody is equal - cause everybody understands everybody.

[Solidarity?]

Sam: Yeah, kind of like that.

Karla: It sends an electricity through my system and I feel good. When I don’t attend class I hurt myself more. It is not being done purposely. We all have to study more to learn.

Sam: You know the teachers in there are pretty nice too. They are real different, they are easy going. They are not, you know, … sometimes teachers have that little [chip on their shoulder]. It seems like, yes a chip on the shoulder - arrogance. “I’m better than you because I’m teaching you.” These people [in this adult program] are like one of you.

Additional Dialogues
For the sake of space, only the dialogues between the participants follows from other discussions. Again these critical dialogues are in the participants’ own words. Both participants were involved in the editing process. They were offered the opportunity to “edit out” any comments that they were uncomfortable with.

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COMPONENT 4 -
RESISTANCE & PERSISTENCE
IN ADULT EDUCATION

[Why do some adults come back and others don’t?]

Karla: Some adults need to. It took me a while to find a program. This program is right for me. The _________ program wasn’t. It was self work - you worked on your own. It just wasn’t there for me. I’ve been there twice. Then I went to another program that wasn’t for me. This program _____is excellent. I like it. From this one I achieved a little bit more.

Some of them feel it is too late or they are too old. Some of them just don’t care. “Why should I learn how to read. What am I going to benefit from it.

Sam: Because they have kids - barriers - a wife, a job. [are kids a barrier?] No, but in this day and age you might need two jobs. Something has got to be done with those kids. You do not want a stranger down there. Do you know what I am saying? I don’t think it is a barrier, you have to do what you have to do. Schooling is out there some place. If you can do it, you can do it. [some things are more important than school] Yeah, putting clothes on the kids. They are your kids, you had them. If you didn’t want them you wouldn’t have them. I remember when I was growing up we had a wise mouth and would say, what do you think you own us? When you get older you start to think, maybe they could own you - just a tiny little bit.

Karla: Some people can’t make it because they simply don’t know how to take the bus. There are some that can’t read at all so it looks different, especially if you come from a different country. But I came from __________[USA]. It is just that the words look different to me. I couldn’t articulate it [the problem], but now I can.

[What about inside barriers - psychological and emotional stuff?]

Sam: Attitude, probably.

Karla: Self conscious and self confidence. They have to have enough confidence in themselves. Some have a handicap and they’ re afraid of that too. They are embarrassed.

Sam: [Some] They are bullheaded.

Karla: Some just lay in bed all day and feel comfortable doing that - no job, no life, no nothing. Why interfere and go to school and get an education.

[Developing persistence in Adult Education programs]

Sam: Keep on coming!

Karla: Try not to miss and if you do, study at home - study more at home.
When you study more at home it helps. It goes a long way.

[Critical vocabulary words]

Karla: Criticize - Some people come here and they are not employed. They are on AFDC or Social Security and others work. They [some of those who work] seem to think that they are more better than you. Anyone can feel the tension. It exists. It happens.

Sam: Some of them are just mean.

[What about other programs?]

Karla: I dropped out of the _________ program and went back to the _______. program. I had kids and they told me that I was more important than my children, and that is a lie. Your education is important and not your children? She told me that. That is what she told me.

Sam: You are important too, though.

Karla: I am, but I had those kids. They didn’t ask to come here. If I have to drop out, which I do not want to.... if I feel that I have to drop out I will drop out. They are probably saying, she wants to drop out and lay up.

[If the problem is the program, how do they need to change?]

Karla: Some of the programs really need to stick to the level. “Well we don’t have this here for you, but we have got it for Maria who comes from Puerto Rico.” I was in a program, it really made me mad when I realized that she was in a level that I should be at. They had me doing math and she was reading. I said why are you reading? I’m reading so I can learn how to speak better English. It was the same level I should have been at. The only thing is that she is in it for a different reason. I’m in it because I need to learn [to read]. There are some people who don’t know how to be a teacher. If you are not getting it, it makes a lot of difference. It is not fair to you. Who wants to come into class everyday - adding? Do you know what I’m saying? I want to read. The most important thing to me is reading. They should try to meet everybody’s goals [needs].

Sam: Boy, you are really a very angry women.

Karla: _______ program should be mainly for people who want their GED. They are a little bit unorganized. That is a waste of funding. It is not set up right and _______ program is. It offers a lot for everybody’s level.

Sam: They [_______ program teachers] are laid back too. Their nose “ain’t” up in the air. Teachers should be less uppity.

Karla: The program I was in, they were truly uppity.

[How else should programs change?]

Sam: Programs got to do their own things.

Karla: I don’t think they should promote someone that they know is not ready for it. That is wrong and unfair.

Sam: It is a time bracket too. When the government is funding it there is always a time bracket. Like 48 weeks or 24 weeks or 30 weeks or something like that.

Karla: Even though the government is funding it, it is still unfair to us.
There is a time bracket and that is true, but they should be open enough to let us know that this is not for you. That there are other programs. If they are that concerned, but some of them are not.

I found out about this program through the _____ program - through a student. Then my husband came in and found out about it. He brought me here and got me involved. He was looking for programs for me. He asked around. We were both looking.

The ______ program is strictly self-dependent, you have to do it on your own. The teachers can not help you as much either. They make you take a test. I took a test. I don’t even know what the hell I marked off. I could have been marking off something and [then] they come and pick me up and wrap me up in padding and beat me up. That is unfair. Sometimes the government “sticks it” to you.

It is there to help you. It is just that the helpers that they have need help themselves. They do. When I was going, this women was a college something and she was all into herself.

Sam: Well that is college. They are “profethers” [poking fun at elitism]. As soon as you get to be a “profether” ha, ha, ha.

Karla: So I left. They were really uppity.

Sam and Karla - Barriers: Transportation, knowing how to get there, finding out if there are programs for you and your children, finding the right program, self doubt, respecting authority of teachers, sometimes depression, fear, peer pressure and courage.

[What can students do themselves in order to develop persistence?]

Sam: Study!

Karla: Stick to it - study. Be persistent about asking about programs. Be persistent about getting involved in programs. Be persistent about getting there. Be persistent about finding out what programs your kids can get involved in while you are at the program. Be persistent in knowing everything. Ask the teachers questions. Ask the students.

Sam: Get tokens, get a license and try to get a descent car. If you don’t have the money try to borrow somebody’s car or go for a walk.

Karla: Find out the location and make sure it is not rough. Be persistent about getting there. Be on your toes.

[Let teachers know how they learn best and how they feel about learning.]

Karla: Yes it is important because if you don’t say anything you will be in the same level you are in. It is important so you can reach the level you want to reach.

Sam: Well if the teachers are ok with it. Some teachers don’t like that.

[Make school a priority]

Karla: Especially if you are not working. Those who do not have a job, that can be a priority. It can be second priority if you have children.

[Make sacrifices]

Karla: You got to take that time to sit down and study.

[Wait for the learning to grab you?]

Karla: No, never wait for anything to grab you, you grab it! Cause if you wait for someone to come and give you something... That is like waiting here and Sam will bring a teacher by for me. Never wait and be persistent.

[Feeling proud?]

Karla: Feel proud about what you have achieved. Feel proud about pushing yourself. When you push yourself and once you get it you can feel proud about it. [Is that the same as chip on the shoulder?]

Sam: No I don’t think so. Chip on the shoulder, you think you are something. Proud is you feel good. Chip is outside.

[Open up]

Sam: I don’t know about that. Open up a bit. Maybe a little bit, but not a lot.

Karla: To me it means to be more open about yourself. Why you are in the program. Open up more about your lack of reading.

Sam: That is alright, but I wouldn’t ... I don’t trust people. I know. I got “screwed” too many times.

Karla: I have a problem with trusting people - even trusting my spouse.

Sam: People in particular. Some people, they are all hypocrites.

Karla: I’m not really ready to let my guard down. I’m not ready to let someone come in and help me too much. I am independent. Sometimes it is alright to let someone help and not be so independent. But when I feel that, that person is helping too much and taking away my independence I get scared, panicky, defensive.

[Keep a dream]

Sam: Well whatever you want to be. Keep the spirit.

COMPONENT 5 - PERSISTENCE & MANAGING YOUR OWN WORK

[Besides yourself, who else can help you develop persistence? How?]

Karla: Teachers. By asking you if you took out a book to read or did you study at home. Find out! And if it is not being done, be more persistent about it.

Sam: Your wife, spouse, mother and father.

Karla: My son helps me. He says ma, are you going to read a book today? Sometimes I say no. He says why not? What are you doing? I’m usually watching TV when I should be reading a book or practicing on the computer. I forget words a lot. I forget what I’m writing and I forget how to spell. It is usually the same words. I ask my son to spell for me. He says you are still asking me the same words. He says to think about it. So I have to really get into what I’m doing. I need to do that.

Sam: Give you a good kick in the butt and say get going. [Is that helpful?] Oh I think it is. The kick would hurt a little bit. Why don’t you just unplug the TV and read?

Karla: I don’t have to unplug it. I just assign myself a seat at the table.

[What about self-directed learning?]

Sam: You have to make it to the class. You have to be in the class before you do anything “anyways”. You have to get in the class and learn.

Karla: It means doing your own work. You are going to a class and managing your own work. You are doing that assignment that they are giving you. It can be math, it can be science, it can be about words or compound words, writing a letter. It could be adding & subtracting. But it is a program you enter into and you are doing it on your own.

[Is there a connection between persistence and Self-directed learning?]

Sam: Yeah, persistence going to class. You want to learn. Keep on coming to class. Make the class interesting. Yeah, keep people off [on their toes] their feet. It gets boring just sitting there for a few hours at a time - off balance, give them things to do so they don’t get bored.

Karla: It [persistence] is motivating you to be more independent. You are learning how to be more independent.

There are games they can play, even with adults they can play games. Games to help our minds think more and get that energy up - motivate our brains. Give us ideas.

[Have good teachers?]

Karla: In the adult literacy programs there are good teachers. That about sums it up for me. They know what they are doing. They interview the right people. [Do they ever ask the students opinions when hiring new teachers?] No, some programs do and they should do it at all programs. If they were to do it here… I think I speak for all of us. We can all say that we have good teachers here. They make us feel comfortable. I don’t feel uneasy.

[Is talking important?]

Sam: Communication!

Karla: The teachers talking to the students individually and finding out what are their goals. What do they want to do and what they are there for?
They communicate with the students. You are not there like a number. We are not just there to them. The government funds it and they are doing the right thing.

[A student once told me, “this is our turf”; students can tell if the program cares - how can you tell?]

Sam: Well they just “flip you off”, like [programs that don’t care]. It is like if they say four words to you and walk away from you or they just don’t care about your grade. They give you an (F) no matter what you do. They give you whatever they want to give you even if it is below what you think you should have got.

[How about a pat on the back for coming back to school?]

Karla: Yes, for coming to school.

Sam: You are supposed to come to school “anyways”, Karla?

Karla: Wait a minute, Sam! They should pat on the back, but give you a little something, not an award. But if they have perfect attendance or something like that, a gift certificate or something like that. It will set an example for the ones who don’t.

Sam: Maybe the ones who don’t come in don’t want to be there.

Karla: Not necessarily, Sam. There are thousands of problems in some peoples lives. Sometimes there are things like... health-wise, then there are children and then there are doctors and sickness. Somebody could be taking care of a mother - running errands for that person.

Sam: Did you ever hear of tutors?

[Students need to be treated like everyone else]

Sam: They should. You got like, you come in and maybe he doesn’t know how to do something yet.

Karla: We all help each other sometimes. If the teacher is somewhere else we just ask the others students. Teamwork!

[Show students progress?]

Karla: We have goals we want to… [achieve]. Here they don’t give tests. Here they take you and say like… Give you some pointers. They don’t [give tests]. They would if you asked. I wonder if they need to do that? I would like to [have a test].

Sam: Some people get nervous. My hands use to shake. They tell you, you are going to have a test this Friday. I just couldn’t do it. I’d do the questions and as soon as the test finished I forgot.

Karla: I got frustrated because the words just .... they look so much alike to me as an adult. I was given a lot of tests that I didn’t pass.

[What can others learners do to help there classmates develop persistence?]

Sam: See what the program is all about and all that.

Karla: Tell them. We do! We tell the students about the program - the different areas and the different times. There are options, there is math, there is reading time. Options is when you play games and usually it is a learning game.

Well yes, the students, the students are nice, real nice to each other.

Sam: They don’t rank on anybody. We are grownups, you can’t do that.

[What can family and friends do to help students develop persistence?]

Sam: They can give you less grief. Like if you are married or have kids your spouse will take care of them while you are doing your homework.

Karla: It is going to cause extra work. That means you are going to have to figure out when to cook supper, when to set that table and have supper.
If you are single it is a matter of you making time for yourself.

Sam: Let the kids do it.

Karla: Yeah, teamwork! Then after that you have got time to study.

Sam: You can do it in between soap operas.

Karla: You can do it in-between cooking too.

[Karla, before you talked about managing your own work.]

Karla: 1. Knowing what you need, 2. Developing strategies to get their goals.

Sam: 3. Choose materials to help you. 4. You should know enough about yourself and what kind of learning strategies or the different ways to solve problems that work best for you.

Karla:5. Evaluating your own learning.

[Are persistence and managing your own work connected?]

Sam: Yes they are. I think so. Sure. Yeah. Like um....

Karla: Like getting yourself to the program - involving yourself in the classes, in options and all kinds of things. Finding out other choices. Just being persistent and asking the teachers for more work and help.

Conclusion/Reflections
I need to next conduct an additional field-test(s), based partially on recommended changes from the participants in the initial field-test. The most significant change will be to increase the size of the group, modify some dyad activities, using some of the critical dialogues from the first trial run as readings in the next field-test, and improve the group editing process in developing their own critical dialogues, by putting an emphasis on it being more of a participatory activity, rather than simply a task that needs to be completed.

Three months after completing each trial run I will return to the field-test site in order to determine if there had been any continued movement on the part of the participants towards becoming self-directed and whether or not this “stuff” stuck.

What have I learned since conducting the first field-test
Prior to starting the program I gave both participants a pre-test. I also gave them the same test again at the end of the program. It will also be given again three months after the end of the program — along with an interview — and used to form part of the basis of an interview guide.

After each workshop I listened to the tape and then filled out an observation sheet. It was basically a scaled checklist of indicators (30) that I developed. It was mostly based on the intended learning outcomes of the program and one unintended learning outcome that I became aware of after the second component.

To be brief, Karla initially indicated that she blamed herself because she had to return to school as an adult, was ashamed to be back in school as an adult and was incapable of doing academic work on her own. According to her post-test results, Karla indicated that she has stopped blaming herself, is not ashamed to be back in school as an adult and sometimes feel capable of doing academic work on her own. In all she has developed a more positive self-concept.

My own observations were in agreement with what Karla had indicated on the post test. It was also clear that she recognized and gave herself credit for overcoming many barriers in returning to school. (The pre-post test of this particular ILO was faulty and needs to be redesigned.)

Sam on the other hand had finished high school and did not have as negative a self-concept of himself as Karla before starting the program. There was still some indication of positive movement in the right direction.

My own observational checklist indicated a little more. But for Sam the biggest improvement area may have come about as a result of what he learned by being in the same group with Karla. Developing more of a sense of critical awareness became an unintended learning outcome during the second component of the program. Over the course of the next five workshops Sam appeared to be developing more of a sense of critical awareness. Some of the indicators of this were that the participants were:
1. Verbally critiquing the educational system
2. Breaking through apathy
3. Developing an awareness of the causes of problems
4. Recognizing that change comes from the bottom
5. Planning to or getting more actively involved in activities that propose to bring about change

From reading the critical dialogues, it was apparent that Karla had a keen sense of critical awareness. Sam was more “laid back” and willing to give the system time to work. By the end of the program he was developing more critical awareness.

This is only an evaluation research project. I’m certainly not going to attempt to generalize from two participants. But it did help these learners and I did learn from them.

References
DeMartino, A. M. 1994, Spring). Letter: Affirmation for Pre-goal Setting. Boston: World Education/SABES, Adventures in Assessment, (6).

Knowles, M. (1975). Self-directed learning: A guide for learners and teachers. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.

Robishaw, D. L. (1993, Fall) The case for pre-goal setting. Boston: World Education/SABES, Adventures in Assessment, (5).

——————— (1994). “Reading and writing professionals” or “literacy workers”. Boston: All Write News, Adult Literacy Resource Center. (10), 4.

——————— (1994). Diversity or conformity. Boston: All Write News, Adult Literacy Resource Center. (10), 6.

Whitton, L. (1994, Spring). One step of inquiry: Documenting the voices. Boston: World Education/SABES, Adventures in Assessment, (6).

Note to Program Directors:
Any one interested in the “Bottoms Up” Program please call (508) 458-9782 or write:

Bottoms Up
ATT: Don Robishaw
Center for International Education
285 Hills House South
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003

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This article was published in Adventures in Assessment, Volume 7 (December 1994), SABES/World Education, Boston, MA, Copyright 1994.

Funding support for the publication of this document on the Web provided in part by the Ohio State Literacy Resource Center as part of the LINCS Assessment Special Collection.