Gaining access to the research field

Gaining access to the research field was made easier through partnership work with the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Cymru¹³. WEA Cymru is Wales’ largest voluntary sector provider of adult education and is funded by the Welsh Government. A senior management team, supported by a democratically elected group of council members manages the organisation, which offers ACL courses in community and workplace venues across four geographical regions of the East, Valleys, South and West regions of Wales.

As WEA Cymru was involved in the ESRC studentship bid, the organisation agreed to provide in-kind support. Also, as I would be working directly with WEA Cymru learners and their families, WEA Cymru requested I apply for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check¹⁴. This I did, via WEA Cymru, prior to entering the research field in May 2014.

4.5.1 Recruitment

Project information and flyers were distributed to WEA Cymru staff, and others in the field, along with a letter of invitation to take part in the study. At this point I was hoping individuals would contact me however no-one came forward. Undeterred, I set up meetings with a few ACL providers and Communities First teams. In addition, I visited a careers advice centre, asked colleagues and friends, as well as making speculative

13WEA South Wales and Cole Harlech WEA (North Wales) amalgamated in January 2014 to form WEA Cymru.

14Formerly the Criminal Records Bureau check (CRB).

enquiries, for example, through schools, community initiatives, and on one occasion, attending a summer fete.

On entering the research field in late May 2014, I did experience difficulty finding WEA Cymru learners to take part in the study since most WEA Cymru classes by this point had ended. Therefore, at this point I decided to resume recruitment once classes started back in September 2014. Through working with other agencies and with the help of friends in the field, I did manage to interview five parents over the summer. Later, in October 2014, I was invited to visit several WEA Cymru classes across the south Wales region. Here I spoke to people directly, and from these visits managed to interview a few WEA Cymru learners. During this time, I was also aware that I had not managed to recruit parents who had engaged in few episodes of ACL. At this point, I considered ways in which to recruit these individuals and later, through ‘snowballing’, I asked participants I had interviewed to recommend people who might want to take part. Also, I approached advice and guidance officers as part of their job entails signposting adults back into education and training. However, this line of enquiry was not particularly effective.

Despite my best efforts, I received no referrals from this source.

It is important to point out that the rationale for interviewing parents not associated with WEA Cymru was mainly because whilst WEA Cymru is core, it is not the sole provider;

there are 13 other ACL providers in Wales (Colleges Wales 2017). Indeed, after liaising with several organisations in the south Wales area, asking former work colleagues, and through speculative enquiries, I managed to recruit eight learners and further eight participants who were not engaged in learning at time of interview, see Table 4.1 – Participant grid, page 73.

Name of Respondent

Age Employment Status Marital Status

School Qualifications¹⁵ Episodes of ACL¹⁶

Includes CPD

Highest level qualification studied to date

Number of children

Amy 33 P/T librarian Single No qualifications Medium Level 3 2

Bernard 48 Unemployed Single City & Guilds in

Construction

Medium Level 4 1

Caroline 26 P/T cleaner Single 4 GCSEs (D-G) Multiple Level 2 1

Debbie 34 Teaching assistant Single 9 GCSEs (A-C) Multiple Level 6 2

Eleanor 37 P/T cleaner Single No qualifications Few Level 1 3

Frances 31 Teaching assistant Married 8 GCSEs (A-C) Few Level 2 2

Gail 24 Full time student Single 4 GCSEs (D-G) Multiple Level 6 1

Hope 24 Full time student Single No qualifications Multiple Level 6 2

Isobel 45 Self-employed Married 2 GCSEs (A-C)

RSA Wordprocessing

Multiple Level 3 2

John 36 Council worker Cohabiting No qualifications Few Level 2 2

Karen 32 P/T accounts officer Single 8 GCSEs (grades not

known)

Medium Level 2 2

Liam 43 Car manufacturing worker

Married No qualifications Few Level 2 2

Mary 42 Unemployed Single 1 GCSE (A-C)

RSA Wordprocessing

Multiple Level 3 2

Nanette 23 P/T cleaner Married 3 GCSEs (A-C)

5 GCSEs (D-G)

Multiple Level 3 2

Owen 36 Council worker Married No qualifications Few Level 2 3

Polly 42 Disability officer Married No qualifications Multiple Level 4 2

David 45 Family support

officer/trainer Married 6 CSEs Multiple Level 4 1

Robyn 45 Self-employed Married 6 GCSEs (A-C) Multiple Level 6 4

Sharon 35 Work-based trainer Married 7 GCSEs (A-C) Medium Level 3 3

Tom 35 Unemployed Married 1 GCSE (D-G) Medium Level 2 4

Veronica 51 Foster carer Married 2 ‘O’ levels, 2 CSEs Multiple Level 6 2

Whitney 26 Full-time mother Co-habiting 7 GCSEs (D-G) Multiple Level 2 3

Yvonne 33 Full-time student Married 1 GCSE (A-C) Multiple Level 6 3

Zoe 24 Full-time mother Single 8 GCSEs (A-C) Multiple Level 2 3

Table 4.1 – Participant Grid

4.5.2 Interview sites

All participants were recruited from the south Wales area apart from one participant who lived outside this area. Adult and child interviews were conducted in a variety of places ranging from community centres or halls, colleges, training centres, and libraries to workplace premises. Finding a quiet place to conduct interviews was challenging at times, although not insurmountable. In the event, I managed to conduct the majority of interviews in a private room on these sites apart, that is, from one interview which took place at the back of a busy library and another, in a quiet corner of a leisure centre.

Although these interview situations were not ideal and could very well have impacted on the interview session, these places were the only option available to me at the time.

As interview space was at a premium I did consider interviewing participants in the home but as I identified as ‘a lone worker’, I decided that I would only do so as a ‘last resort’.

Entering people’s homes, especially where individuals are unknown to me, involves a certain level of risk. As Bahn and Weatherill (2013) point out, “it is the unknown that causes the greatest risk” (p.23). Even though the researcher may have established a relationship of mutual trust and rapport with a potential participant, once the researcher enters the participant’s home she/he has little control or influence in this space, and even less if there are other occupants in the home (Bloor et al. 2010). However, due to time constraints, three parents could not accompany their children to a designated venue.

Although this was not ideal, there was a need to interview more children and young people, and so rather than lose out, I decided to interview six children and young people in their own home (three interviews in total). To minimise the risks, I put in place extra precautions by giving details and time of the visit to a colleague. In the event, the interviews went ahead with no hitches.