Developing the discussion guide

The initial planning of the study circle season, which needed to be done due to academic protocol, was predominantly guided by the insights and knowledge presented in Chapter three on study circles. One important initial task therefore was the preparation of a discussion guide.

In Chapter three, it was established that prior to commencing a study circle season careful planning needed to be carried out, which included the development of a discussion guide. A search for many months, almost worldwide was fruitless in trying to uncover a suitable and applicable resource for the purpose of focusing on the issue of unemployment from a study circle perspective.43 Some were partially applicable however most were from overseas. “The Problem of Full Employment - An Outline For Study Circles” (Robinson 1943), was useful but extremely dated. “Welfare Reform. What Should We Do For Our Nations Poor?” (SCRC 1992), had useful content that could be incorporated, but did not focus specifically on the issue of unemployment and was not Australian. “Shaping The Future. The Future Of Work Discussion Kit” (Pine, Jackson and MacNeill 1996), seemed

42

Praxis; “… the continuous interplay between doing something and revising our thought about what ought to be done” (Noffke and Stevenson 1995:1).

43

Similar to the ‘Pioneer Work’ example discussed in Chapter three, most educational and training resources for the unemployed focus on VET or job search skills (Ward and Forrester 1989).

applicable initially and was local, but under scrutiny it was lacking for the following reason. The resource was originally adapted from a kit entitled “Women Shaping the Future” by the Victorian Women’s Trust (Pine, Jackson and MacNeill 1996). Although the discussion guide was sympathetic to gender inequalities in relation to the labour market, this specific issue was seen as only one of many issues in relation to unemployment. The focus of the above text dealt mainly on gender issues and the meaning of work. Both were legitimate concerns but it was felt that the study circle discussion guide for this research needed to be broader in order to encompass a range of issues in relation to unemployment, yet be brief and precise. Also, the author Macdonald from the Brotherhood of St Laurence was contacted and visited in relation to this resource. Her view having used the discussion guide herself was that sessions she conducted using this resource tended to “fade out” at the end. She found no distinct action occurred nor was there a clear end or finality to the program.

However a resource entitled “A Working Society?” (Coventry 1997) produced by the Salvation Army did contain much relevant content. Although not written in a study circle discussion guide format, the document provided ten different brief and concise views on the issue of unemployment, including causes and possible solutions. This resource was also written in a similar format and style to the discussion guides produced by AAACE and SCRC. It eventually provided some relevant content for the discussion guide developed for this study.

The final discussion guide was based on topic content that derived from the above texts as well as Brophy (1996), Borland (1995), Jones (1995), Windschuttle (1979), and many articles from metropolitan newspapers.

The format and structure of the discussion guide was also complemented by utilising instructive references including: “Guidelines For Organizing and Leading a Study Circle” (SCRC 1991a), “Guidelines for Creating Effective Study Circle Material”

(SCRC 1994), “Guidelines For Effective Study Circles” (AAACE 1995), and “Guidelines For Developing Study Circle Course Material” (SCRC 1989).

Examples of other discussion guides and kits were also utilised to develop the discussion guide (see appendix 3). An attempt was made to reflect the flow, structure and format of existing published study circle discussion guides including: “American Society and Economic Policy. What Should Our Goals Be?” (SCRC 1991b), “The Busy Citizen Discussion Guide” series including: “Civil Right for Gays and Lesbians” (SCRC 1993a), “Sexual Harassment” (SCRC 1993b), “Youth Issues, Youth Voices” (SCRC 1996), “Violence In Our Communities” (SCRC 1994), “Education in Our Communities” (SCRC 1995), “Racism and Race Relations” (SCRC 1994), and the local “Australians For Reconciliation Study Circle Kit” (1993).

While compiling the discussion guide and prior to the study circle season two important concerns highlighted by the literature review needed addressing. Firstly, the researcher although becoming more knowledgeable in relation to the pedagogical theory of study circles had up until that stage of the research never been a member or leader of a study circle. Secondly, it could be presumed that there would be little chance that the potential members would have direct experience with the study circle learning format as well.

To address the first concern and gain some practical experience in a study circle the researcher contacted the AAACE and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation to establish where and when a study circle would be conducted on Aboriginal Reconciliation. Fortunately the Uniting Church in Williamstown, Melbourne was about to commence a study circle where a group of about seven members met once a week at a domestic residence in Williamstown, Melbourne. Being a member for nearly two months in July and August of 1997 was useful. The primary purpose was to “experience” a study circle, and to furnish any theoretical understanding with a practical experience of being a member.

This exercise constituted a preliminary, informal research reconnaissance exercise and professional development in light of information derived from the literature review regarding study circles. The experience was valuable and strategies were adopted and implemented for this study, including the idea of forwarding a letter to members between sessions (see appendix 4). The study circle progressed well, the group bonded, guests were invited, documentaries viewed and discussion and activities were planned and carried out. The process did result in some action initiatives. In February 1998 a page length column was placed in the local paper, funded by members and donations consisting of a formal apology to the indigenous people of the area for atrocities carried out by previous white generations. There was also a display, which was organised for the Williamstown Heritage Festival in April 1998, outlining reconciliation issues. However, there was a perception, later informally confirmed by the co-ordinator that there were some problems with the process. Firstly, the discussion guide was quite large, cumbersome, and contained an overabundance of information with sixty-five pages (A4 size). Comparatively SCRC kits are approximately twenty-five to thirty pages (B3 size) (see appendix 3). Neither was there the ranges of “views” that are normally associated with a traditional study circle discussion guides from overseas.

Aside from this, the kit was arguably sparse in regard to thoroughly covering the study circle process itself, including the leader and member roles and principles for discussion, further highlighting the need for members to be aware and knowledgeable of study circle principles.

As with previous research findings discussed in Chapter three, and from my own experiences of study circles, the members looked to the co-ordinator for direction (MacDonald also mentioned this in regard to the Future of Work Discussion Kit). This perhaps relates back to the difference between Australian and USA cultures and Scandinavian cultures. In our Australian culture, teaching, training, lectures and meetings tend to have one person who acts as the expert, who is in charge and leads the group, and is considered the authoritative figure. We perhaps are conditioned at an early age in our

society to accept this “way” of learning. That is the “expert” or authority, although perhaps eclectic and utilising a variety of novel learning approaches, s/he is still the person everyone turns to when there is a pause, gap or ending after a summation. The coordinator of the Aboriginal Reconciliation Study Circle discussed with me how the group members always looked to her for direction. She was aware that the leader role needed to be shared but had difficulty trying to pass on the responsibility to other members in a tactful manner. I observed this occurring during the season and was also passive like other members, not being active in taking up the role as leader. The old habit of the “teacher-learner” power relationship seemed to be a strong, socially conditioned factor. As discussed in Chapter three, the literature had highlighted this potential issue and although a common problem in countries outside of Sweden, it can sometimes even be a problem there as well.

Gibson refers to this potential problem:

‘We know that facilitation is particularly important and that for some groups this can be a problem. We also know that learning circles do not always work easily with people who expect an authoritarian, didactic style of learning and are unable to cope with a different process. The skill of the facilitator is particularly important in these cases’ (1998:9).

Moraitis suggests an alternative reason for members being reserved: “… there are difficulties with this [study circle] approach. It presupposes that individuals … feel they have the confidence and competence to criticise, to entertain alternative views and to advocate a position” (1996:16). In planning the study circle season the challenge therefore was how to address these extremely important issues; firstly how study circles are very different to traditionally accepted ways of learning: secondly how to encourage members to take up, feel confident and accept the role of leader; and thirdly, how to ensure the leadership was effective and not revert back to a traditional authoritarian or didactic style.

In an attempt to address these problems content from “A Guide To Training Study Circle Leaders” (AAACE 1995) was referred to and integrated into the early sections of the discussion guide. Although a difficult, cumbersome and perhaps dangerous tactic due to the extra content being included in the guide, previous literature, as discussed in Chapter three, showed that this issue was critical enough to require it to be addressed (Shires and Crawford 1999a; Costigan and Letcher 1987; Oliver 1987). This, it was perceived, would enhance the quality of the study circle season, as each member would progress through the early sessions learning what a study circle was, and how to be a member and leader whilst also addressing the topic (thematic concern) of unemployment. Law (1997) in her action research adopted the notion of “intentional nudging” to encourage participants to take control and decide on the groups direction.

To evaluate the guide’s applicability and relevance, Gibson highlights key features that successful study circle material needs to be: “… it should be written in clear and simple language, and be both succinct and authoritative … Issues [should also be] … divided into manageable portions” (1998:4-5). Furthermore, Gibson claims that materials should provide the following elements:

• ‘Basic information about the learning circle process.

• Guidelines for a productive discussion, which includes ground rules.

• Structure and continuity for several sessions.

• A means to personalise the issue. Open ended discussion questions for each session that requires members to consider and value people’s varying attitudes and experiences. This localises the information and makes it more relevant. It also starts where the learner is.

• A fair and balanced presentation of a range of commonly held views on the issue. This helps take the material beyond being information transfer and into the area of information appraisal.

The final draft of the discussion guide consisted of eight sessions and was originally intended to reflect the number of times the group was to meet (appendix 2). It was expected that the researcher would need to lead the group initially, but would devolve and “intentionally nudge” this responsibility as quickly as possible to other members.