Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In this thesis I set out to explore the process of learning through building a case study of a small youth and community project working in an area with high indices of need.For young people moving through adolescence to adulthood, learning can be a long, complex and delicate process.Using a participatory and ethnographic approach I set out to explore the processes of learning within the project and to build a case study of a small youth and community project.This has involved working with the project over a four year period, attending and being involved in meetings, events and the day-to-day life at the project.I also undertook semi-structured and unstructured interviews and focus group discussions with young people, staff and members of the local community.Through the process of the research, four key themes emerged; experiences and perspectives on informal and formal learning, concepts of community, intergenerational learning, and developing identities through transitions to work.At the heart of the research is an exploration of the nature of learning itself: for many of the people involved, formal school learning has been problematic.However the more informal approach used at the project considered in this thesis, appears to have been able to engage them far more effectively in the learning process.My findings suggests that an educational approach, where informal learning and reflection are central, may prove more effective in enabling young people to develop the confidence and transferable skills to cope with and contribute to their communities.It also suggests that most people see the most valuable and effective learning environments as being responsive and flexible; enabling opportunities for intergenerational learning and exchanges; and providing a range of positive and challenging opportunities designed to build practical skills, self esteem, and confidence, and to explore attitudes to work and community.
Author: Clare Meade
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W352889494