3.2 The programmes and context

The teaching observed for this study was drawn from a range of different literacy, numeracy and language programmes. In brief, these programmes were:

• 1:1 in a community setting, where the content was selected in keeping with the expressed needs of the learners (three teachers)
• 1:1 learning support in a tertiary institution, catering for enrolled students as well as some community referrals
• 1:1 literacy tuition based in workplaces (three teachers, three different sites)
• a literacy module taught within a general vocational programme in a PTE
• a Training Opportunities course catering for a range of literacy needs linked to a school
• a Training Opportunities bridging course based at a marae
• a Training Opportunities computing/business course with integrated literacy based at a PTE
• a Youth Training literacy course based on a marae
• a Youth Training ‘feeder’ course with an outdoor education orientation (providing integrated literacy) based at a PTE.

Eight of the teachers taught the observed sessions on a 1:1 basis (six of these teachers were observed only with 1:1), three taught in small groups of 2-6 learners and six taught in classes of 7+ learners (one teacher taught 1:1 and in small groups, while a second teacher taught both 1:1 and in a class).¹³

Of the 26 teaching sessions observed, the biggest number (11) had reading as their main focus, four were focused on numeracy, three on ESOL, one on oracy, one on computer usage and the remainder were integrated sessions where the prime focus was on a vocational topic (e.g. health and safety) and literacy was a secondary focus. In terms of LNL components of the observation sessions, six of the sessions had what we considered a secondary LNL focus; four of these were on reading, one on numeracy and one on ESOL.

Most of the programmes were funded through the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and two received part or all of their funding through Work and Income. The three workplace programmes were funded jointly by the employers, the TEC and their respective Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). Four of the 1:1 programmes had open-ended enrolment where completion was negotiated between the teachers and the learners. Of the other 11 programmes (including three 1:1 programmes), the average length of programme was 34 weeks (the shortest was 17 weeks and the longest was 48 weeks).

The hours of tuition that learners have available per week on average is shown in the figure below. It is important to note that all of the learners receiving four hours or less were being taught 1:1 and all of those in excess of 20 hours were in small groups or classes; nonetheless, most of the latter were in integrated programmes, so it is difficult to calculate how much literacy, numeracy and language teaching they had available to them versus teaching related to the vocational content of the programme (e.g. office skills).

¹³ The international literature reviewed related primarily to classroom teaching, with 1:1 tuition occurring only as part of that provision. Our study is different, with specific observations of 1:1 tutoring in the workplace, in community programmes, as learning support in tertiary institutions and also as additional teaching within integrated programmes.