A Norfolk County Council reminiscence and learning project

Some people feel inhibited when talking on the phone, while others may find it easier to speak freely. Having only oral contact with participants meant that I was unable to read or respond to any non-verbal signals which might have given clues as to when to ask further questions or back off in my questioning. This means that more in-depth data was potentially lost. At the same time, there was a danger that, being unable to read discomfort in participants’ body language, I may inadvertently have asked questions which were too intrusive. Such issues were borne in mind when analysing the transcripts of the recorded interviews.

Practical difficulty A further practical difficulty throughout the research was for mentors and mentees to find time to meet. Although mentors were being paid for their input, it was not possible to provide remuneration for students, who were expected to benefit in-kind through gaining in confidence and the practical application of skills. However, this meant that mentees needed to find time in their working week, and to be supported in this time out from their normal working role by their employers, in order to meet with mentors. Generally, employers were supportive in giving students time out for mentoring. This was achieved partly through gaining their consent to their employees’ participation in the research before it began. Among all these challenges are recurring

issues of needing to share the vision of the research with others in order to gain their co-operation and support. Such others range from co-workers and senior managers to student participants and their employers. Nonetheless, for a research project to reach a successful conclusion (whether the findings are those expected or not) there does need to be a lead figure who inspires others and enables them to share in the challenges and understand the purposes of such research. This is where the personal motivation of the lead researcher is an asset – but can also become a challenge. Retaining some objectivity about a project in which a great deal of personal time and energy has been invested is difficult. It is also important to maintain some distance in considering the worth of a research project in the planning stages. For instance, the lead researcher, together with colleagues, needs to weigh up the extent to which the project is just of personal interest to them with little value to the organisation for which they work, or to the wider learning and skills sector. Admittedly, reminiscence mentoring is a bit of a niche area, and with a small study involving only nine students, questions are likely to be asked about how the findings might be applied in other areas of teaching and learning. Equally, if the findings are considered of worth to a wider audience, the final challenge facing the researcher is that of dissemination of findings. In this case, detailed searches of the extant research literature on mentoring were used to explore how what we had found fitted in with

what others had discovered through research. It was particularly useful and affirming to find that, just as our research established, there is a growing consensus that mentors need to focus on developing a relationship with mentees before responding flexibly to their unique needs by encouraging goal setting, facilitating problem-solving and building their confidence. Carrying out research in the learning and

skills sector presents many challenges which cannot be overcome without the necessary investment by learning providers and govern- ment in the research skills and careers of teaching practitioners. Research needs to be carried out by practitioners if it is to be effective in answering practical questions which are of real interest and benefit to students and teachers and can therefore make a significant difference in terms of providing learning opportunities which are both value- for-money and are delivered through the most effective teaching methods.

Sarah Housden is a tutor for Norfolk County Council Adult Education Services and is in the third year of a doctorate exploring learning in later life in reminiscence groups. Her research on mentoring reminiscence workers in care homes won the top prize at the Learning and Skills Research Network’s 2010 annual conference and is available from: sarah. housden@homecall.co.uk. Sarah’s first book, Reminiscence and Lifelong Learning, is available from NIACE.

JANUARY 2011 ADULTS LEARNING 29

c Richard Olivier