Chapter Five – Discussion and Contributions

The final chapter of the study will directly address the research questions, discuss the implications of the findings, and delve into its contributions. First, the four sub–questions of the study (also the focus of the previous chapter) will be further analysed. This will not only serve as a review of the previous chapter, but it also raises issues and questions that will become the focus of the discussion and contributions sections. The issues raised are findings that were either repeated throughout the previous chapter or that stood apart and demanded attention. Issues from the findings are discussed in relation to the applied literature of adult literacy education, and address the study's overarching question: How do situated views of literacy and learning contribute to an understanding of the employment preparation program and its three settings? Following the discussion, are the study's contributions as they relate to program, policy, and research in adult literacy education.

ADDRESSING THE FOUR SUB–QUESTIONS

The previous chapter presented situated views of literacy and learning in each of the three distinct settings of the employment preparation program. Literacy and learning were described based on the content, context, community of practice, and participation that was evident in the classroom, the coffee shop, and the job placements. These descriptions directly addressed the study's four sub questions: a) What is the material and knowledge content in each of the settings? b) What are the physical and non–physical aspects of the settings that shape the context for learning? c) Who are the people and what are the activities that comprise the community of practice in each setting? d) And, how do people participate with each other and the activities in each setting? For review and further analysis, the findings have been reshaped so that it is possible to compare and contrast the three settings together. The section will be guided by each of the study's sub–questions.

Sub–Question 1: What is the material and knowledge content in each of the settings?

The content in each of the three settings was diverse, which in itself is not necessarily negative. What is more important to determine is whether or not the content in each of the program's settings was congruent, and did each setting support the overall learning goal of the program or were there conflicting messages?