Negotiated Syllabus for Second Chance Schools (SCSs): Theoretical considerations and the practicalities of its implementation

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Negotiated Syllabus for Second Chance Schools
(SCSs) Theoretical considerations and the
practicalities of its implementation

• Valavani Sofia
• Second Chance School of Alexandroupoli

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Aims of the presentation

• In the context of a flexible curriculum, discuss
  the issue of syllabus selection for SCSs
• Provide a theoretical basis for the choice of a
  negotiated syllabus by drawing on SCS philosophy,
  education theories and some research findings
• Suggest the adoption of a negotiated syllabus to
  English Language Teaching in SCSs
• Propose a framework and offer some suggestions
  for its practical realisation

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Second Chance Schools

• Adult Education General Secretariat established
  SCSs by Law 2525/1997under the responsibility of
  the Institute of Continuing Education for Adults
  (I.D.E.K.E.)
• Flexible and innovative programmes based on
  trainees needs and interests
• Emphasise the centrality of the learner and fight
  social exclusion
• Provide with skills and qualifications necessary
  for trainees to meet the needs in social life and
  labour market
• It is important that the second chance be
  different from the first chance

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Selecting a syllabus for adult trainees A look
at some theories of adult education

• Freires view of adult education personal
  freedom and development through mutuality with
  others, participation and negotiation
• Constructivism learners create their own
  knowledge based on their previous experience and
  social interactions
• Progressivism finds expression in negotiated
  syllabi and is concerned with learners
  engagement in selecting learning activities
• Experiential learning the sort of learning
  undertaken by learners who are given a chance to
  acquire and apply knowledge in an immediate and
  relevant setting

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Theories of Adult Education

• Adults are active social beings who construct
  their teaching world through participation,
  interaction and negotiation

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Why pre-determined syllabi are not appropriate
for SCSs

• All external synthetic syllabi seem flawed and
  negate the SCS philosophy since they leave the
  learner out of the learning process
• One-way flow of information
• Lack of negotiation and consultation
• Trainees are regarded as passive acceptors of
  language and not as flexible negotiators
• Not creatively involved in the design of the
  pedagogical programme

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Pre-determined syllabi

• The idea, therefore, of just one pre-determined
  syllabus being a panacea for language teaching
  and learning in SCSs seems extremely improbable

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Evaluating past course with pre-determined
activities
Very satisfied Satisfied Not satisfied
a. Achievement of your personal objectives 20 80
b. Materials and handouts 10 10 80
c. Tasks and activities 20 80
d. Projects 50 50
e. Group work 80 10 10
f. Teachers involvement 20 80
g. Your involvement 10 90
h. Visits 50 50
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Useful decisions in a SCS class
Very useful Useful Not useful
a. Working in groups/pairs. 80 20
b. Following teachers suggestions about the English course 20 80
c. Bringing your own materials in class. 80 20
d. Discussing your individual needs/interests with your trainer. 100
e. Expressing personal opinions about topics and ways of working 80 20
f. Designing your own activities 70 30
g. Checking your progress. 70 30
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Concluding remarks

• The data retrieved reveal that SCS trainees need
  to have a voice and get involved in the
  teaching procedure, participating in classroom
  decisions.

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The negotiated syllabus

• According to Breen and Littlejohn (200029),
  negotiated syllabus seems to distinguish itself
  from conventional content syllabi by identifying
  classroom decisions as potentials for negotiation
• It identifies
• The negotiation cycle (range of decisions open
  to negotiation and the steps of the procedure)
• The curriculum pyramid (levels in the classroom
  curriculum to which the negotiation cycle can be
  applied)

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The curriculum pyramid levels of focus for the
negotiation cycle (Breen and Littlejohn2000286)
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A negotiated syllabus (Breen and Littlejohn
2000287)
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Tools for a negotiated syllabus

• Negotiating purposes
• Initial questionnaires to trainees
• Learning contracts
• Weekly planning of sessions

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Sample of initial questionnaire to trainees
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Sample of a learning contract
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Negotiating content

• Learning plans jointly developed by a trainer and
  trainees
• Trainee-designed activities

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Sample of imaginative writing Poems
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Evaluation of outcomes

• Daily/Weekly/Monthly retrospective accounts
• Reflection charts
• An assessment (can-do) card
• Work diaries
• Reflective learning journals
• Peer interviews
• Portfolios
• One-to one consultations

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Suggested Daily/Weekly/Monthly retrospective
account
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Suggested Reflection Chart
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Sample of an assessment (can-do) card
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A suggested structure of a work diary
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Implications and challenges for future research

• Negotiated syllabus should not replace trainer
  decision-making. Trainers remain at the heart of
  the process
• Trainers are not committed to trainees sharing in
  determining aspects of the syllabus
• We have not systematically recorded trainee
  reactions to these processes
• It seems a challenging but difficult undertaking
  for trainers and trainees
• A lot more practical experimentation seems
  essential in order to expand our understanding of
  the negotiation process

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Conclusion

• Such a proposal offers significant opportunities
  for developing basic skills and qualifications in
  SCSs
• It triggers processes of self-discovery, shared
  decision-making and responsibility
• The unpredictability of the target group and
  trainers thinking from one year to the next is
  part of the challenge and excitement of a
  negotiated syllabus
• It seems to represent one of the most significant
  practical and theoretical developments in
  language teaching in recent years

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Useful Websites

• http//eclass.gunet.gr/courses/TELEGU181/
  (English Literacy for SCSs a web space for
  English teachers supported by Bessie
  Mitsikopoulou)
• http//www.ideke.edu.gr/SDE/ (Second Chance
  Schools in Greece)
• http//www.eap.gr/lib/ (Library of Hellenic Open
  University)
• http//www.eaea.org (European Association for the
  Education of Adults)