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Ideas in Ac+on in Youth Work
Seminar
Dr John Bamber, Centre for Effec+ve Services
Inter City Youth Interac2on for Ac2on Conference
Gothenburg 2-‐4 November 2015
© Centre for Effec2ve Services 2015
Content of the input
The line of argument:
• Irreducible need to enhance decision-‐making • How theory can help within an evidence-‐informed approach to improving prac2ce
• How con2nuous improvement cycles can add to the evidence base
• Within and from an Irish/UK tradi2on • Developed in collabora2on
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The place (and the problem) of theory
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The ‘Theory Gap’
Espoused theory Theory in use
Reflec+ve Prac+ce
Donald Schon 1992
I think that you should be more explicit here.
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Closing the ‘Theory Gap’
Ok. So reflective practice has its limitations. I think we need some kind of theory-practice resource!
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Uni+ng theory and prac+ce
hSp://www.effec2veservices.org/media/ces-‐news/new-‐resource-‐ideas-‐in-‐ac2on-‐in-‐youth-‐work
• Prac++oners: seeking to improve their prac2ce • Line managers: suppor2ng front line workers to develop prac2ce
• Trainers: assis2ng workers to develop skills and knowledge
• Academics: teaching students about the links between theory and prac2ce
• Students: developing their understanding of theory.
Speaking to a certain audience
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Addressing key ques2ons
• What is theory? • What does it mean to prac2ce? • How can theory help prac2ce? • How can theorising become a way of thinking and prac2sing?
• What are (or could be) underpinning theories in youth work?
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What do you understand by the term
‘Theory’?
Ques2on 1
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• Philosophical, ideological and poli+cal ideas, which provide a fundamental basis for prac2ce (such as equality, jus2ce and democracy).
• Underlying principles as a jus2fica2on for doing something in a certain way (such as experien2al learning, a boSom-‐up approach, a nego2ated agenda, or empowerment).
• Explana+ons or (more tenta2vely) possible explana2ons with respect to what is known about something.
• Predic+ons about why something will happen in a par2cular way, even if this is complex and not at all straigh`orward, as a result of certain ac2ons.
• Research and literature that examines and discusses all of the above in rela2on to the field of prac2ce.
The many meanings of theory
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Theory as ideology Period Purpose Worker Young person
1870 -‐ 1919 Character building Leader Follower
Cri2cal break The Social Educa2on Repertoire
1920 – 1950 Cultural adjustment Teacher Role fieng
1950 -‐ 1975 Personal development Facilitator Self-‐realisa2on
1975 -‐ 1990 Empowerment Social cri2c Change agent
Cri2cal break
1990 -‐ Emancipa2on Provocateur Ac2vist
After Butters and Newell (1975) 11
Monitoring and evalua+on
Strategies
Inputs
Outputs
Outcomes
Situa+on Analysis
Evidence informs all aspects of the theory Taking ideas from social scien2fic research, literature, prac2ce wisdom, policy and consulta2on processes, to inform understandings of problems, situa2ons and issues, as well as ideas about work that can enable desired outcomes and ways of monitoring and evalua2ng the work
Theory of change
Is there anything dis$nc$ve about the ways that youth workers think and prac2ce?
Ques+on 2
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• Works through building rela2onships with young people
• Purposeful conversa2ons and engaging ac2vi2es
• Personal and social development
• Empowerment through encouraging cri2cal thinking and ac2on
• Towards a beSer, fairer society
The nature and purpose of youth work
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Ques2on 3
• What are (or could be) underpinning theories in youth work?
• Who are (or could be) key theorists? • What is it that needs to be theorised?
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• Works through building rela2onships with young people
• Purposeful conversa2ons and engaging ac2vi2es
• Personal and social development
• Empowerment through encouraging cri2cal thinking and ac2on
• Towards a beSer, fairer society
Star2ng from the nature and purpose of youth work
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If we can define empowerment in terms of personal and social development...
Then we can iden2fy relevant theore2cal areas…
Then we can iden2fy key theorists and related concepts…
The underlying ra2onale
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Personal development (includes) • Cri2cal thinking • Planning and goal seeng • Learning to learn • Prac2cal skills • Interpersonal skills • Self-‐awareness • Developing values and beliefs
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Group development (includes)
• Communica2on skills • Awareness of and respect for others • Capacity for leadership • Capacity for par2cipatory decision-‐
making • Ability to work in a team • Ability to determine and work to
group goals • Capacity to follow through and review
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Social development (includes) • Iden2fy and research issues/
areas of interest • Understand social structures and
power rela2ons • Develop defensible posi2ons • Address situa2ons and
condi2ons • Challenge discrimina2on and
disadvantage
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Key points • Not linear • Progressive • Itera2ve • Mul2-‐layered • Simultaneous • Start anywhere • No end point • Not a hierarchy
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In the literature…
• Youth Studies Journal (Ireland) • A Journal of Youth Work (Scotland) • Youth and Policy (England) • The Journal of Youth Development (USA) • Infed.org (George Williams YMCA College) • European Union – Council of Europe Youth Partnership • European Youth Forum
A developing discourse
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But mainly at policy and practice levels
On what basis, or in what way do you make decisions in prac2ce situa2ons?
Ques2on 4
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1. I like to iden2fy the problem, get to the heart of the maSer, and come up with a solu2on.
2. For me it is good to take 2me to observe a situa2on and work out what it means before jumping in.
3. I prefer to relate any course of ac2on to fundamental ques2ons of purpose.
4. I am mo2vated when I can see a clear connec2on between ideas and my actual work.
Affinity statements -‐ which one is closest to you?
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1. Ac2vists: who prefer to complete a task or to resolve a problem.
2. Reflectors: who prefer to observe, and take 2me to think before responding.
3. Theorists: who prefer to understand and probe ideas.
4. Pragma2sts: who prefer to see a clear connec2on between ideas and their work.
Honey and Mumford learning styles Different learning styles
30 It is all about learning…
After Kolb’s learning cycle h\p://learningfromexperience.com/
Concrete Experience
Reflec+ve Observa+on
Abstract
Conceptualisa+on
Ac+ve Experimenta+on
Thought
Emo2on Ac2on
Micro cycle: instantaneous Intui2ve implicit Cumula2ve
Macro cycle: Over 2me Systema2c Explicit Cumula2ve
Teams and agencies
Individual worker
The learning cycle
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2
It is important to overcome self-‐referen2al, habitual thinking!
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An approach that helps people and organisa2ons make well-‐informed decisions by pueng the best available evidence at the heart of prac2ce development and service delivery.
Being evidence informed
Sandra Nutley, 2010
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Drawing from different sources + the learning cycle = an evidence-‐informed approach
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Two examples…
The growing research base…
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Growth in Irish commissioned research, evalua2ons, single studies, doctoral theses…
2012 2013 2014
Acknowledgement This graphic is based on an original idea developed by the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Educa2on (CUREE) to make research accessible and useable for teacher and other educa2onal prac22oners.
© Centre for Effec2ve Services, 2011
Young person centred Rights, voluntary par2cipa2on
Click on the hyperlinked sta2ons to access informa2on.
Addressing Homophobia
Equality and inclusiveness
Access All Areas
Experien+al learning
Safety and well being
Protec+ng Our Children and Young people
Keepin’ it Real
Youth Work Toolbox
Children First Guidelines
Educa2onal and developmental
Maintaining Quality
Performance Introducing Informal
Educa+on
Youth Needs
Why Don’t We? Community Needs European Youth Forum
Youth Rights
Quality in Intercultural
Work
Na+onal Quality Standards Framework
for Youth Work
Policies and Procedures
Let’s Beat Bullying Equality Policy Traveller
Inclusion
Youth work prac2ce and provision
Our Duty of Care
Monitoring and
Evalua+on
Theory of Change Logic
Modelling Recruitment
of Employees
Free Management
Library
Integrated Planning Star+ng Out
Organisa2onal
management and development
Evidence from prac+ce wisdom Resources in Support of the Irish Na+onal Quality Standards Framework for Youth Work
Experience based Learning Systems
Quality and con2nuous improvement
Improving Services
PQASSO in Prac+ce
Group Facilita+on
hSp://www.effec2veservices.org/ces-‐projects/Na2onal-‐Quality-‐Standards-‐Framework
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Safety and Welfare of Children and Young people
Work with young women
Learning Theory
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2
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Exercise: applying the evidence informed approach to the Solomon case…
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Part 2: In Prac+ce
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• Young person-‐centred recognizing the rights of young people and holding as central their ac2ve and voluntary par2cipa2on
• CommiSed to ensuring and promo2ng the safety and well-‐being of young people
• Educa2onal and developmental • CommiSed to ensuring and promo2ng equality and inclusiveness in all its dealings with young people and adults
• Dedicated to the provision of quality youth work and commiSed to con2nuous improvement.
NQSF core principles
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Suppor+ng rights and par+cipa+on Young Voices: provides guidelines on involving young people in youth work. University of Minnesota: Video presenta2ons on Youth Engagement and Civic Par2cipa2on in an American context. Youth-‐Adult Partnership Guide from the Freechild Project for young people and adults to the tools, training, and technical assistance they need to create new roles for young people throughout society. Democracy, ‘Ci2zens Now’: Guide to building more democra2c communi2es with young people.
Civic par2cipa2on and engagement: Ar2cle that contributes to a much-‐needed theore2cal development within the literature on poli2cal par2cipa2on and ci2zen engagement. Fundamentals of Youth Work: Na2onal Youth Council of Ireland overview of the defini2ve features of Youth Work. Empowerment: Ar2cle describing the role of the youth development professional in incorpora2ng an empowerment process into programme planning. Youth Rights: City of Dublin Youth Service informa2on on the rights and en2tlements of young people.
Marx -‐ Class conflict Gramsci – Hegemony Freire – Conscien2sa2on
Young Person Centred
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Suppor+ng rights and par+cipa+on
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How to use the Par+cipa+on Model Relevance to Prac+ce / NQSF
Most people are familiar with Hart’s and Arnstein’s Ladders. The idea of ‘levels’ implies that 'lower levels' are not as good as 'higher levels', yet par2cipa2on at ‘lower’ levels can be more appropriate depending on the context. This spiral model from the FreeChild Project features different types of young people’s par2cipa2on. According to the project’s website: ‘The spiral represents the non-‐linear mo2on of social change. You don't simply start in one place and end in another; instead, it is a process that con2nually evolves while hopefully growing larger. It has been going on a lot longer than the present, and this model is meant to acknowledge the past. The spiral also shows the mo2on of opportuni2es becoming narrower as fewer people are engaged.’ © 2008. Adam Fletcher owns the copyright for this material on behalf of The Freechild Project. hSp://www.freechild.org/measure.htm
Explanatory Allows you to show young people and others the different levels of par2cipa2on that can be achieved and what role they can have in the process
Planning Helps you to iden2fy the most appropriate type of involvement, methodology, and planned for outcomes.
Ac+on Indicates what is involved in sharing power with young people.
Evalua+on Helps you to assess the extent to which par2cipa2on is taking place.
Generate thinking Asks why is the organisa2on here? Why can young people not make all the decisions? Why can young people not do everything they want to do?
Using the resource
1. Grazing through the materials 2. Connec2ng the three aspects of
empowerment to relevant theore2cal sources
3. Connec2ng theories and theorists to the five core principles of the NQSF
4. S2mula2ng dialogue in teams and small groups
5. Commieng to a con2nuous improvement cycle in task groups
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Exercise: applying the TPR… In your work situation: • What issues are you currently addressing? • What aspects of the work need to develop? • What problem needs to be resolved? Categorise the situa2on in terms of one or more of the NQSF core principles, or some other category… Use the TPR table to access a relevant source View and discuss what you find there… 48
Example of rela2ng theory to work
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• Connects personal problems to social issues • Analyses individual and local situa2ons within a wider
socioeconomic context • Develops theore2cal understanding in the resolu2on of
prac2ce issues and problems • Draws from research and literature to inform prac2ce • Seeks to redress the socially divisive imbalance of power in
society • Seeks to embody the fundamental values of democracy, jus2ce
and equality • Ac2on springs from the dialogue between values and actuality.
Socially Useful Theory (Jean Anyon, 1994: 129-‐130)
Theory in ac+on...a way of thinking and prac+sing
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• Bridging the theory-‐prac2ce gap is essen2al • Theorising can help to improve and develop prac2ce • The movement is from implicit to explicit knowledge • Making theory explicit provides evidence for the work • Using theory enriches our powers of analysis • Connec2ng theory and prac2ce enhances the ability to explain the work to others
• Theorising helps us to make sense of our world and provides a con2nuing basis for ac2on
• This ability will be increasingly important from 2015 onwards.
Concluding thoughts
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One thing that you will take away for yourself from this workshop is…
One thing that you will take away to share with others from this workshop is…
Take aways
One thing that you will do differently as a result of this workshop is…
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