Audrey’s Light (Cont’d)

Audrey is a pioneer. Throughout her long and brilliant career she has contributed to the transformation of adult literacy in Canada. Not too long ago, literacy was marginalized, there was a dearth of literacy research in Canada, and the field relied on research from the United Kingdom and the United States. Today, adult literacy is recognized as a vitally important social issue and literacy research in Canada is flourishing. Among those who have contributed to the growth and development of the literacy field and the advancement of literacy within Canadian society, Audrey Thomas, educator and researcher, stands tall.

References:

1 Thomas, Audrey (1976). Adult Basic Education and Literacy Activities in Canada, 1975-76. Toronto: World Literacy of Canada.

2 Thomas, Audrey (2000). “How Adult Literacy Became of Age in Canada,” in Maurice C. Taylor (ed.) Adult Literacy NOW! Toronto: Culture Concepts Inc./Irwin Publishing.

3 Thomas, Audrey (1990). The Reluctant Learner: A research report on the reasons for nonparticipation and dropout in literacy programs in British Columbia. Victoria: Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology, and the National Literacy Secretariat.

Audrey looks back, and ahead

In September 2003 I interviewed Audrey Thomas for this newsletter. In the interview Audrey reflects on research in practice, her work as a researcher, and how she sees the literacy field. She also shares with us some information about her life after retirement and her plans for the future. - Sandy Middleton

Why were you such a big supporter of research in practice in your position at the Ministry? I learned from my government experience in Saskatchewan that you could be quite proactive in government — it isn’t just a desk job, you can innovate. The literacy portfolio in the BC government afforded quite a bit of flexibility because it’s grant-based. I was always looking for ways where I could lead the field. My appointment to the Ministry coincided with a series of national policy conversations, one of which was on research. I thought: I’m in a position to support practitioner research. I was a researcher myself. I understand the importance of research.

Why do you think it’s important for practitioners to do research? For me it’s all rolled up with good practice, as well as trying to build capacity in the field. Evaluation, for example, is an essential part of program planning and a form of applied research, in the sense that it can generate more questions which can lead to a more research-based focus. If there’s something evaluation shows is not right with your program or could be improved, you can do a little study around that. Your program will benefit and your learners will have a richer experience. Literacy practitioners know the learners best and they are in an ideal position to reflect and raise issues for discussion and reflection.

One reason people may be more interested in research today is that they’ve figured out to a large extent what works in their programs. There’s depth in the field now. When you have found a workable model then you can start thinking about other aspects that may lead to research.

What do you see as the biggest barriers to practitioners doing research? Lack of time and energy — the overload factor. That’s why I initially encouraged people to think small and do little pieces just by themselves. You have to be ready and willing to do research. And I think the readiness and willingness have come through the training workshops Marina Niks has given as a “research friend.”

Having done research myself, I know it’s quite lonely and you have nobody to talk to if you’re working on your own. That’s why people have wanted to work with their colleagues so we’ve had these collaborative projects. The idea of collaborating with your peers can be quite attractive, particularly for practitioners who’ve not done research before.