Action Research: A Vehicle for Inspiring Multi-literacies

Case study: 'Destination Uni' project Background information Learning Engagement Online (LEO) is an initiative of the Sunshine Coast Region Behaviour Support Team which aims to engage behaviourally challenging and at-risk students in successful learning through the use of innovative technologies and relationship building. The project began in 2004, one teacher working with primary school students in the Sunshine Coast South District. The program is currently staffed by 8 teachers, and in 2007 will involve 150 students and 30 schools across the region. In 2006, high school students were included in the program for the first time. In general, the Year 8-10 students referred to the program: * were disengaged * had incurred disciplinary interventions (suspensions etc) * were unused to building and maintaining effective relationships * lacked goals and plans for the future, and * exhibited poor literacy due to various combinations of lack of attendance, poor behaviour, lack of direction/confidence. While participating in the LEO project, students are involved in online lessons (up to 5 students from different schools online together with their LEO teacher) working collaboratively; offline lessons (students assisted by a mentor (teacher aide)), working on activities set by their LEO teacher; and onsite visits (by the LEO teacher to the school) focusing on a project dealing with a real life authentic issue affecting the students' lives and community. Student Action Research for University Access (SARUA) is a project developed by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 1992. The project deals with issues of low participation in higher education by certain social groups and involves high school students as researchers investigating barriers to higher education. It encourages the student researchers to examine their own school communities to identify potential barriers to tertiary education and develop strategies to overcome these barriers. It is based on principles of social justice, participatory action research and empowerment (Queensland University of Technology, 2007). Links forged LEO and SARUA were a perfect partnership! Redcliffe State High School LEO students were working on job and career investigations and planning in their online and offline lessons. As an extension of this work, they embarked on a joint project (LEO and SARUA) to investigate University as a post-school option. The 'Destination Uni' Project Six middle school students (referred to in this paper as 'the researchers') from Redcliffe State High School attended a planning day at QUT, Kelvin Grove Campus, with a teacher and a teacher aide. The researchers listened to information and were involved in discussions about university entry, barriers which may prevent university entry and success at university, and methods of action research. The products of their day were background knowledge, a clear focus and an outline of their intended direction. On their return to school, the researchers designed a survey for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. They obtained the permission of the Principal and staff to administer the survey in classrooms. The results of the survey were collated, tabulated and graphed. A report 'Is University Seen as an Option by Redcliffe State High School Students? ' was written to outline their findings and recommendations, and presented to school administrators. The group of 94 students surveyed comprised: * Year 10 37% * Year 11 37% * Year 12 26% When asked the question 'Do you want to go to university? ', 58.5% said 'Yes' they wanted to go to university and 41.5% said 'No'. The obstacles the first group saw which might prevent them going to University and the reasons the others gave for not choosing University are shown in Figure 1. Of the 94 students, 50% said they would like to know more. …