Voice of Practice : Building Knowledge in Adult Literacy

The author points out that there is no single entry point, body of knowledge, or certification that prepares or qualifies someone to work in the field of adult literacy in the non-formal setting. She notes that practitioners enter the field with a rich variety of education and experience, and cultivate knowledge in their practice; however, this knowledge (and voice) is notably absent from the “official” knowledge. In order to address the identified gap, the author undertook an exploratory qualitative research study to understand the experiences of literacy practitioners who work in the community-based sector in building knowledge for their practice. Further, her aim was to explore how the collective knowledge and voice of literacy practitioners can be reflected in the “official” knowledge base, and in the policy-making process. The author's study is based on narratives from six practitioners associated with Literacy Quebec (formerly Literacy Volunteers of Quebec, a provincial organization and network that connects, supports and represents thirteen community based literacy organizations that provide literacy services to English-speaking adults in the province) who work in the non-formal adult literacy field in Quebec. She found that the themes that emerged from the interviews speak to community, connection and creativity. The author concludes that these are key elements to bridging gaps between theory and practice.

Master's Thesis

Concordia University

Montreal

2017

x-81p.

en