Abstract

Library adult literacy programs have been a staple of providing supplementary instruction for adults with low literacy in the United States for years. Scholars have long explored the benefits and implications of having university partnerships with community programs and while some believe that these connections are inherently good, others are critical of the quality of said partnerships. My focus will draw on my experience as an academic working with Fresno Public Library’s Literacy Center and how I collaborated with staff to build a professional development curriculum for their volunteer tutors. Knowing the potential pitfalls of not ethically working and communicating with community partnerships, I seek to create a sustainable impact that responds to community needs. In thesis, I address the need for ongoing professional development for volunteer tutors in adult library literacy programs and establish the ways adult learners are considered as second-class learners. Through my qualitative research, I show how both Literacy staff and volunteer tutors benefitted from the curriculum created by me and Literacy staff. In this thesis, I draw upon Krista Ratcliffe’s concept of “rhetorical listening” and Victor Turner’s “liminality” to have a deeper understanding of my coded interviews and how they demonstrate growth and a shared understanding between Literacy staff and their volunteer tutors.

Details

Title
“We're Learning Together” Supporting Volunteer Tutors through Ongoing Training: A Qualitative Study of Fresno County Public Library’s Adult Literacy Center
Author
Sosa, Mary
Publication year
2022
Publisher
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
ISBN
9798780627067
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2626931428
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.