The Scottish Government

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary and Findings

Chapter 1 - Context

Chapter 2 - Methodology

Chapter 3 - Traveller Pupils' Perceptions of Education

Chapter 4 - Traveller Pupils' ICT knowledge and skills

Chapter 5 - ICT supported learning at a distance

Chapter 6 - Traveller Pupils' Perceptions of Issues arising from ICT supported learning

Chapter 7 - Research Conclusions - Implications for Local Authorities, Staff and Families

References

See PDF version for Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researcher is grateful to the children and young people from Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller communities for their time and reflections on the idea of ICT support for their learning. The researcher hopes that their views and aspirations have been properly represented in this research report. The research would not have been possible without the support of their family members, education staff, working in both school and out of school settings, and the site managers (both local authority and private site managers). Thanks to you too. Thanks also to Mary Hendry, Karen MacMaster, Caroline Maloney and Jean Oliver for their different kinds of support for this research.

The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and do not necessarily represent those of the Scottish Executive's Education Department or Scottish Ministers.

Gypsy/Traveller young person's educational aspirations (2005)

Primary boy: They think because we are Gypsies we don't want learn…

Researcher: Why do you want to learn?

Primary boy: Cause I want to know better than I know. And I want to prove to them that I do wanna learn, like I can.

Researcher: And is there anything that you want to do with the learning?

Primary boy: I wanna be better at maths and I wanna be better… you know about the computer and all that, so that's what I want to do.

Researcher: And what kind of work do you want to do?

Primary boy: Maths and I like doing a bit of language.

Researcher: No, in the grown up world, is there something you want to do?

Primary boy: Oh right, I just want to copy (paused for thought) I was going to copy me dad at first, a self employed tarmacer, but there's other things I would like to do better than that like her dad does (another pupil in the group) like upvc [1], and I would like to do that cause I am better at that than I am tarmacer…

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FINDINGS

Introduction

This report presents the findings of research with Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller pupils relating to their experience of interactive communications technology (ICT) and its support for their learning in schools. The research explored its potential, particularly in relation to electronic connectivity, for supporting access to a school curriculum when travelling or attending an out of schoolsetting. The Scottish Executive Education Department's (SEED) Sponsored Research Programme for 2005 supported this research carried out by Pauline Padfield between January and July 2005. It was conducted in anticipation of SEED's support for development of an e-learning community for Gypsy and Traveller pupils.

Gypsies and Travellers

The report clarified the terms 'Gypsies' and 'Travellers' as referring to historically, culturally and socially distinctive communities whose differences require to be treated with sensitivity by policy makers and practitioners [2].

Research Aims

The research has three main aims:

· to help policy, professional and public audiences to better understand the reasons why Gypsy and Traveller pupils' formal education is frequently experienced in places other than at a school

· to ensure that Gypsy and Traveller pupils' views and aspirations regarding formal education and ICT supported learning informs policy and professional decisions in developing ICT supported learning, and

· to ensure its effective delivery of access to a progressive and relevant curriculum for these groups of pupils.

Methodology

Grounded in an awareness of the complexity of Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller families' everyday lives, the logistics involved in gathering reliable evidence from this research were complex.

The semi-structure qualitative taped interviews, for example were conducted in a range of settings including schools, trailers (caravans) and community education settings, chosen by the 21 participant children and young people from these communities, whose ages ranged from eight years to fourteen years of age. The interviews varied in their composition from one-to-one with the researcher, pairs, and small groups of four children.

In addition, 24 adults facilitated and contributed to the research, which included Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller parents, secondary and primary teaching staff, education support staff, and site managers.

Methods

To assist pupils in their exploration of the topic two sets of prompts (of images as presented in Appendix 2 for the younger pupils, and of concepts for the older pupils, as italicised in theme 3 below and as presented in Appendix 1) were developed from the key findings of earlier research into ICT supported learning initiatives (summarised in Appendix 4). A laptop computer was also used, together with an interview guide (See Appendix 3).

The research analysis identified the content of Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller children's and young peoples' responses to the common questions; noted the particular issues of concern each participant raised; and compared these responses and points across their interview transcripts. The analysis also drew upon research fieldnotes drafted during the face-to-face contact with participants, and a range of other kinds of data, for example relevant educational reports and academic literature. The main themes and findings emerging from this research are briefly outlined below and addressed in-depth in Chapters 3 to 7 of the report.

1. Ethical researching uncovers 'barriers to learning' for 'Gypsy' pupils: "Say someone called me Gypsy b… right, I always retaliate and call you an F and all that…"

Many Gypsies and Travellers have good reasons for being wary of official involvements in their everyday lives, particularly in relation to their children, therefore gaining and keeping participants' 'informed consent' required sensitivity and tact. Initial and ongoing contacts with participants quickly revealed the relevance of this approach.

Issues of discrimination associated with stereotypical notions of 'Gypsy' identity emerged as overarching themes for both Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller pupils, which frequently impacted negatively on their access to education while travelling, or attending a school for a short period of time.

Analysis showed that all adult facilitators and most of the pupils spontaneously described instances of non-Travellers' negative discriminatory treatment of Travellers i.e. people from both communities. It emerged that many non-Travellers:

• are unaware of the social and cultural distinctions between Traveller communities
• frequently hold negative stereotype perceptions of 'Gypsies'
• apply their stereotype perceptions to all Travellers.

Showground Traveller and Gypsy/Traveller pupils all described instances of being called 'a dirty Gypo' at school, and some Gypsy/Traveller pupils described persistent racist and discriminatory treatment as contributory factors in their association with 'behavioural difficulties', exclusion from school and irregular or non-attendance at school.

All the pupils generally referred to themselves as 'Travellers', but drew careful attention to the cultural distinctions between Showground Traveller and Gypsy/Traveller people. Showground Traveller pupils identified themselves principally in terms of their families' business occupations as 'Showpeople', and distinguished themselves from 'Gypsies' or Gypsy/Traveller people. Gypsy/Traveller pupils frequently referred to themselves as 'Gypsies' and similarly distinguished themselves from Showground Traveller people.

Significantly, all non-Traveller adult participants referred to the pupils and their families as 'Travellers', and most, but not all, appeared to have only a blurred understanding of their different cultures and lifestyles, which entailed a literal understanding of the idea and role of 'travelling' in their lives. This lack of understanding was thought by some teachers to have a negative impact on some colleagues' approaches to Traveller pupils' educational needs.

Families' patterns of travelling

All participant pupils had experienced travelling; for a combination of occupational, family and cultural reasons. Travelling entailed taking their 'home' with them, that is a sufficient number of trailers to accommodate a family's needs, and involved living on sites; either Gypsy/Traveller local authority sites or fairground sites.

Analysis of pupils' descriptions showed a continuum of predictability in relation to travelling from relatively predictable to hurriedly made decisions to 'move on'. Showground Traveller families' patterns of travelling emerged as more predictable relative to Gypsy/Traveller families' patterns of travelling.

However, evidence emerged of Gypsy/Traveller families modifying their patterns of travelling and of some Showground/Traveller pupils remaining with non-travelling family members while their parents travelled during the Showground season; families' decisions were described as taken to ensure that children did not miss schooling.

As the research progressed, children's and young peoples' enthusiastic imagining about how an e-learning community would work raised an ethical issue about the research itself. It is hoped that it would not raise false hopes among Gypsy and Traveller children and young people about the likelihood of an innovative and deliverable ICT supported response to addressing their learning and additional needs.

2. Schooling for our futures: "If me mam says you've got to have a good job like I'll get a job and I'll get a good job."

Children and young people from both communities drew a distinction between 'learning' and going to school. School was perceived as a place that afforded opportunities for learning important basic skills. However, they also proudly considered that their families provided learning experience, which effectively achieved social and cultural bonding within the communities, and supported their entrance into relevant employment opportunities.

Showground Traveller pupils drew attention to:

• the complexity of the secondary curriculum
• an inevitable lack of progress in their learning, that is, at the same pace as their school-based peers with corresponding academic abilities.

Gypsy/Traveller pupils described their general reluctance to attend or complete secondary schooling for two main reasons:

• to avoid racist and discriminatory treatment
• because they perceived the secondary curriculum as largely irrelevant to Gypsy/Traveller pupils and their lifestyles.

Some Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller pupils were clearly aware of their levels of performance as outlined in their pupil reports, some identified their 'base' schools' reading and mathematics texts by name, and some noted other schools' use of different reading and mathematics schemes. In their opinion such differences had negative effects on their capacity to progress in their learning, when travelling.

Degrees of ' interrupted learning'

Showground Traveller and Gypsy/Traveller pupils who travel, or are educated in out of school settings, are likely to have additional needs. These may comprise some or all of the following features:

· periods of interrupted learning (out of school)

· difficulties in 'fitting in' (by age) and keeping up (by stage) with learning and teaching in schools

· delayed learning (repeated assessment due to slow or non-transfer of pupil records from one school to
another)

· lack of national and local authority testing.

Analysis of pupils' descriptions showed a continuum of its negative impact on mobile Traveller pupils' formal learning from a lesser to a greater degree, with Showground Traveller pupils apparently less likely to experience the negative effects of interrupted learning than Gypsy/Traveller pupils. Gypsy/Traveller pupils also appeared to be more likely to experience poorly supported education in out of school settings. In these situations, when a pupil is, "unable without the provision of additional support to benefit from school education provided" (as stated in the Additional Support for Learning - Code of Practice), professionals' capacity to deliver additional support is highly constrained.

3. Blended learning: "Aye, I can find out things (on the Internet) and that, but I like better face to face."

The children and young people welcomed the idea of ICT supported learning to overcome the negative effects of interrupted learning and to improve access to quality learning resources; particularly by those attending out of school settings. Importantly, pupils valued a regular, positive learning and teaching relationship with their teachers.

Pupils expressed concerns that ICT supported learning should include both face-to-face interaction and email or telephone contact. The latter forms of communication were imagined as a way of accessing learning and teaching support during travelling times.

'blended learning' delivered by a 'base' school

Pupils' concerns about having access to a teacher and more immediate feedback on their work implicitly pointed to a 'base' school or designated support teacher and issues of responsibility for delivering an ICT supported curriculum, based on a pupil's particular learning needs. Analysis of pupils' descriptions showed that none had been through an assessment process that had provided them with an individual learning plan (IEP) or a pupil learning plan (PLP). However, ICT supported learning initiatives show that a progressive curriculum should be based on a pupil's particular learning needs, a point identified by the pupils themselves.

Pupils from both groups commented on the general difficulties of keeping control of paper-based learning materials, particularly in the limited strorage space available in a trailer. The more ICT knowledgeable pupils:

• welcomed the idea of a personal USB memory stick to reduce the amount of paper-based materials carried around each day at school
• described using computers as less tiring than working with pen and paper
• commented on the confidence building benefits of a spell checker when preparing school assignments
• gave many examples of using their existing ICT skills and opportunities in ways that demonstrated their ability to transfer those skills to other areas of their lives.

The children and young people clearly grasped the capacity of ICT to transcend the interrelated challenges of time, place and pace of learning at school and the boundaries between local authorities. Most imagined that connectivity when travelling would help them maintain social contacts with teachers and friends at school. Some pupils described how connectivity had helped them achieve safer sociability with other Travellers; by communicating through email children had avoided travelling on local transport.

While most of the children and young people appeared to be motivated to complete paper-based work, albeit to relieve boredom in some settings, the provision of ICT supported learning opportunities were clearly likely to augment existing flexible, interactive and collaborative working with siblings, cousins and friends. Pupils from both communities welcomed the implications of synchronicity, that is, of being able to prepare school assignments at a time that fitted with their families' life styles.

4. Implications of ICT supported learning for local authorities and their staff:
"This laptop must have been dear eh?"

Pupils themselves raised the key issue of the financial costs of ICT supported learning. During the first few individual interviews, pupils asked the following questions; what would it cost to set up? How much would the hardware and software cost? And, the data cards or line rental to achieve connectivity to the Internet, "wouldn't that be expensive?"

Older Showground Traveller and Gypsy/Traveller pupils considered it the government's responsibility to provide the same level of access to ICT for Traveller children as their peers at school. However, the younger children expressed concerns about the implications of costs for their parents. Gypsy/Traveller pupils commented on the high costs of electricity when travelling, while Showground Traveller pupils considered that the generators used to power the 'shows' and 'rides' would be able to cope with powering a laptop computer.

In the absence of having a personal laptop, Gypsy/Traveller pupils in particular imagined accessing ICT supported learning at an on-site portacabin, in libraries, in community centres and at schools other than their 'base' schools.

Teachers and ICT support staff

Of particular concern for ensuring the sustainability of ICT supported learning is that local authorities should allocate specific time and resources for teaching and ICT support staff to allow them to develop paper-based resources for access by pupils through the Internet. In so doing, Gypsy/Traveller and Showground Traveller pupils who travel or who are educated in out of school settings would be able to access a primary or secondary curriculum, and prepare folios of work for examination purposes, should they choose to do so.

It is important to place these considerations within the context of local authorities' existing ICT infra-structures and their associated contracts with providers, which other research has shown to vary from one to another (Padfield and Jordan 2002). Such variations will clearly impact on how and where access to ICT supported learning can be delivered to pupils when travelling or attending out of school settings.

5. Motivation for justifying the costs of ICT: "Cause I want to know better than I know. And I want to prove to them that I do wanna learn, like I can."

The ICT literature has noted the motivating effects of computer support for learning (Passey et al 2004). Pupils' comments about the financial costs associated with obtaining and using a laptop computer were closely followed by comments about its aesthetic beauty. Both features led some pupils to comment that it would be highly unlikely that they could access such a highly desirable quality artifact.

However, evidence emerged of a number of Showground Traveller parents having recently purchased a laptop for their daughter or son on the understanding that the young person took responsibility for paying any insurance costs associated with travelling with a laptop. Showground Traveller pupils were motivated to make 'flyers' to advertise their families' 'rides' and 'shows'. Some Gypsy/Traveller pupils also provided evidence of parents having purchased laptop and desktop computers, which were mainly used to keep track of a family's business needs. Some Showground Traveller pupils appeared to have a personal disposable income, largely earned from 'working with' their families during the fairground season. Some pupils talked about 'saving up' to buy a laptop.

Importantly, as evidence of their motivation for learning, pupils from both communities recognised their need for educational skills, particularly in relation to literacy's role in accessing information through a computer and the Internet. During a small group interview with primary and secondary aged Gypsy/Traveller boys, a boy expressed his wish to learn to read, and qualified his wish by saying "… but, (a big sigh) it is such hard work". Later, he privately spoke about the laptop used to help facilitate discussion to ask if the researcher knew that maps could be found through the Internet. He explained that using the desktop machine that they had at home, his brother could find "maps of everywhere … even of London!" His motivation for learning to read was not in doubt, however it was the local authority's strict interpretation of 'presumption of mainstreaming' policies that had resulted in his receiving extremely poor additional support.

This boy's comments revealed an understanding about computers and the Internet as source of information about the wider world, of his interest in finding out information of relevance to him, and, of his willingness to share his knowledge with a relative stranger.

Conclusions

The report highlighted the following emergent key points:

• many Gypsy and Traveller pupils experience interrupted learning
• such difficulties inevitably give rise to additional needs, and
• the vital importance of using ICT supported learning to help schools and designated staff support Gypsy and Traveller pupils' access, based on a pupil's particular learning needs, to an appropriate, progressive and relevant curriculum when travelling or if attending out of school settings.

ICT supported learning would allow a pupil to access their particular 'my documents' folder through the Internet via a user name and password protected process. A 'base' school-teacher's role would be to place the pupil's work, based on their assessed need, for completion and feedback purposes in his/her 'my documents' folder through 'remote access' from a 'base' school. Additional support could be accessed through email and telephone contact.

Children and young people and parents from both Traveller communities, clearly valued schools and schooling, however, participants expressed a number of important qualifications.

Showground Traveller parents argued that children ought to attend school and attend the local schools as they travelled:

• to ensure the continuity of their children's education
• to take advantage of opportunities for mixing socially with different communities.

Attendance at school was perceived to be an important learning opportunity to help their children make informed choices about their futures. However, some parents considered that while their children enjoyed the social aspects of attending schools, their formal learning did not progress during these visits.

Gypsy/Traveller mothers also valued primary school-based learning and teaching. However, the issues of safety and fair treatment at school and the potential loss of Gypsy/Traveller cultures continue to be a source of concern for them.

Albeit to different degrees, children and young people from both communities considered that ICT supported learning with access to a relevant curriculum was a way forward for ensuring equality of opportunity for Traveller pupils.

Equality for children and young people and 'value added' life long learning for families

The sustainability of ICT supported learning would depend not only on the relevance and quality of its delivery, but also upon the usage of such a service. The children and young people's views and aspirations for their futures, albeit in their own communities were sufficiently convincing to suggest that such a service would effectively enhance pupils educational opportunities, for them and their families. Thus such a provision would achieve equality and 'valued added' life long learning opportunities.

Key points for consideration

Supported nationally by the Scottish Executive, and delivered by local authority education departments, ICT supported learning would significantly enhance educational and social communications between schools and Gypsy and Traveller families, particularly when travelling across local authority boundaries.

1) Policy makers and professionals: an effective educational service should recognise Gypsy and Traveller families' requirements of formal learning.

2) Evaluations of ICT initiatives have shown the importance of quality relationships between families, learners and teaching staff for achieving effective access to and progress in formal learning outcomes.

3) A number of Scottish local authorities have appointed designated support staff with a remit to promote and support Gypsy and Traveller families' access to education, both in schools and in other settings, many of whom belong to a professional support network called the Traveller Education Network (TENET). The development and sustainability of ICT supported learning for Gypsy and Traveller pupils would be best achieved by building in collaborative working between school-based and designated staff.

4) Professional links between designated staff and school-based staff can ensure that Gypsy and Traveller pupils reluctant to attend school are not excluded from the motivating potential of ICT supported learning by helping them to negotiate flexible access to a relevant and progressive school-based curriculum.

5) Ensuring secure and reliable connectivity is a key issue that has implications for existing ICT provider contracts and security management systems, underpinned by initial and on-going ICT training and organised ICT support for families, and professionals working in school and out of school settings.

6) A 'blended learning' approach, that is, a combination of paper-based and computer-based learning supported by a combination of face-to-face, email and telephone communications, has been shown to be an effective way of ensuring engagement in learning.

7) Educational service providers must ensure that learning and teaching approaches are sensitive to likely mismatches between Gypsy and Traveller pupils' chronological ages and learning stages

8) ICT has helped to remove the stigmatisation associated with many existing supportive schooling arrangements. ICT 'street cred' was evident among these pupils, some of whom had good knowledge of ICT skills and how to use the Internet. ICT supported learning engaged pupils' interest in formal learning as completed assignments 'looked good', which appeared to enhance self-esteem and pupils' self-confidence as learners.

9) In providing ICT supported access to a school-based curriculum from outside school, it is important to think creatively about how to measure performance. For example, traditional concerns regarding attendance should be replaced by measures of engagement in topic work and completion of assignments. However, ICT supported learning when travelling has been shown to enhance subsequent attendance at school.

10) Showground Traveller and Gypsy/Traveller young people described an interest in achieving formal outcomes appropriate to their occupational aspirations, however, delivery of accredited courses by schools and colleges does not easily fit with many families' desire to maintain their diverse family and cultural lifestyles.

11) ICT supported learning opportunities for pupils from Gypsy and Traveller communities could impact more widely in educative terms. Children and young people from both communities reported the active engagement of adult family members, particularly fathers, uncles and grandfathers, in using computers for business activities. Family members' involvement in training and supporting their children's learning could achieve 'value added' benefits by introducing them to wider life long learning opportunities.

[1] The pupils' reference to 'upvc' is to fitting new windows in houses.

[2] The distinctions between Gypsy and Traveller communities are described more fully in the report. See also the Guidance, 'Inclusive Educational Approaches for Gypsies and Travellers within the context of interrupted learning' (2003), prepared for and delivered to all Scottish public schools; and the website <scottishtravellered.net>.

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