Supporting participation in English classes of refugees in Scotland
Hunter, Ilona (2022)
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022053113758
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022053113758
Tiivistelmä
The research undertaken for this thesis sought to investigate the possible reasons for non-attendance in English learning opportunities by twenty-three refugees resettled in central Scotland. The study was commissioned by Forth Valley Welcome and the Stirling School of English, charitable organisations assisting refugees in the Forth Valley region in Scotland. The researcher’s role was to collect information about the refugees’ experience of attending and not-attending English classes in order to identify factors that encourage and inhibit participation in English classes as a tool to developing English language support and the integration of refugees in the region.
This study was carried out as part of an English Language Support Project led by Forth Valley Welcome in collaboration with refugee representatives, local councils and the Stirling School of English. The theoretical section explores the current state of teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and various models of adult participatory behaviour in further education, and barriers to adult learning. The experiences of twenty-three refugees participating in the study were collected through guided interviews. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis and subsequently quantitative ‘data conversion’ strategy was used to analyse the frequency of responses.
The research confirmed the possible interconnectedness of various barriers to learning and participatory models. The findings revealed that situational, informational and institutional factors were most frequent regarding not attending English support classes. The majority of participants also stated that there was a need for reading and writing lessons, and for more information about available classes.
Thus, there should be more collaborative work between educational providers in the area resulting in mapping out and sharing of all available classes. Special attention should be paid to refugees’ previous language learning experience and personal circumstances. Further research is required to examine the cultural aspects of factors behind non-participation and how barriers change in different stages of life.
This study was carried out as part of an English Language Support Project led by Forth Valley Welcome in collaboration with refugee representatives, local councils and the Stirling School of English. The theoretical section explores the current state of teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and various models of adult participatory behaviour in further education, and barriers to adult learning. The experiences of twenty-three refugees participating in the study were collected through guided interviews. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis and subsequently quantitative ‘data conversion’ strategy was used to analyse the frequency of responses.
The research confirmed the possible interconnectedness of various barriers to learning and participatory models. The findings revealed that situational, informational and institutional factors were most frequent regarding not attending English support classes. The majority of participants also stated that there was a need for reading and writing lessons, and for more information about available classes.
Thus, there should be more collaborative work between educational providers in the area resulting in mapping out and sharing of all available classes. Special attention should be paid to refugees’ previous language learning experience and personal circumstances. Further research is required to examine the cultural aspects of factors behind non-participation and how barriers change in different stages of life.