Sheila Foye, a teaching assistant and Dofasco volunteer, works with Less Klodnicki, a Dofasco employee

The intervention plan consisted of a series of team-building sessions for the instructors, including training and workshops provided by a professional team-building consultant (generously provided by Dofasco Inc.), and the development of a more formalized team approach to curriculum development and program delivery. The data collection and analysis were carried out using the techniques and protocols we developed with Dr. Taylor and outlined in the Action Research Handbook. The results were shared with the Group of Nine participants and several other colleagues before the final reflections and conclusions were developed.

From a strictly technical point of view, based on a comparison of the pre- and post-intervention data the answer to the question, Can instructor team building increase the effectiveness of the program?, is yes. This answer also meshes well with the intuitive understanding that two heads, or ten heads as the case may be, are better than one. There were two issues that emerged during the sharing and reflection portion of the project that add more depth to the technical results and can be applied to any workplace essential skills team that has more than one instructor.

Issues of Importance

The first, and foremost issue, is the importance of communication between the Essential Skills Team members, the broker organization (if one exists in other contexts), the community providers, and the instructors themselves. It is imperative that the program, and any other instruction-based initiative, stand successfully on the strength of the curriculum and delivery methods based on the outcomes and skill development inherent in the courses and not on the personality or performance of individual instructors.

The second issue refers to the use of the brokering model with as many community providers as possible. While this model has its obvious benefits in terms of community involvement, accountability, cost savings to the employer, and public relations appeal, it is crucial to recognize its limitations as well. The greater the number and variety of providers, the more essential it becomes to ensure that all the instructors are involved in the team-building process. As the program continues to grow, its future success will be closely tied to how well these two issues are addressed.