Traumatismo craneoencefálico

When discussing motivation to learn mathematics, eight interviewees spoke about how the trade union had helped them to develop their wider skills, to become more active and aware of the role of trade unions in wider society.

For example, the 53 year-old woman who went on the course to improve her negotiating skills spoke about how she now uses the maths skills she learnt when negotiating with London Underground management on Health and Safety issues:

“… I want to know if the figures management give to me are accurate. I want to use them for evidence for an issue, such as illnesses, noise levels. You are making the figures work for you …”

Another woman (40) on the same course explained how she uses mathematics

calculations to check management figures when in negotiations about employment and redundancies. Two other members (M, 55; F, 50) continue to learn mathematics and use it to teach other members, while another (F, 35) is considering teacher training for the trade union.

The quotes discussed here and in my data generally indicate the influence that learning mathematics has on developing the individual’s wider skills, giving them a stronger sense of solidarity and positive feelings towards the union and empowering some to use

mathematics (Freire, 1985; TUC, 2014)to the benefit of the trade unions through what Frankenstein (2010) and Skovsmose (2011) would call critical education.

Concluding remarks on the research question, ‘Is there any relationship between learning maths at work and union membership?’

The trade union members in my research have taken up a learning opportunity at work enabled by national trade unions allocating resources to this purpose. Trade Union officers, usually ULRs, negotiate on–site opportunities with employers and the unions also fund the teachers and equipment needed to support that learning, while employers provide the physical space and sometimes time off work to learn. As a consequence, the respondents in my sample report feeling more positive about the trade unions; they feel that the union cares about them as individuals.

Fellow trade union members and ULRs play a key role in encouraging and motivating fellow union members to start learning again and in supporting and motivating adults in the classes. Consequently adults in my sample were aware of the important role that fellow members played in motivating them to learn. I see this encouragement as significant when reflecting on the difficult times many learners had in their previous experiences of engaging with mathematics and it emphasises the trust that learners must have in the person who is encouraging them not to repeat that experience. This exemplifies the role of the face-to- face social group in motivation.

I would also argue that the members who develop their mathematics knowledge to improve their negotiating skills on behalf of the union or became mathematics teachers in the

unions, have become empowered (Freire, 1985) through their learning.

The influence of learning mathematics in these cases goes beyond the ‘mathematics classroom’ and is of interest because, within the trade union movement, collective action is viewed as the way to benefit all members. As discussed in chapter two, learning a subject like mathematics is sometimes viewed as of benefit only to the individual involved.

However these examples show a wider social benefit to developing mathematics skills. While building this category I developed an understanding that learning mathematics can

increase members’ confidence and motivation, empowering them to act on behalf of other trade union members.

Not surprisingly, the role of the trade union in encouraging and supporting their members to engage in learning mathematics illustrates the strong relationship between the individual and the social group. This category is important in my research into motivation to learn mathematics because it links to all of the other categories in my findings. Trade union Representatives (ULRs) encourage members to re-engage with learning, their initial motivation discussed in the first category, in sustaining motivation to learn discussed in category two, by providing a supportive and relaxed atmosphere for that learning as detailed in category three. In addition the experiences can also be linked to the fifth category as described in the next chapter, when I discuss how adults develop confidence through learning mathematics.

Conclusions on the research questions

In this chapter I explained how the grounded theory process of analysis helped me group the data into concepts that I used to develop a framework of categories to address my research questions about motivation. During the analysis I also explored the data at an individual, social face- to-face and wider societal or organisational level when developing complex concepts such as initial motivation. This analysis helped me refine the categories and increase my understanding of motivation of adults in this sample in a more systematic way.

In response to question one: ‘What motivates adults to learn maths at work?’, I developed two different categories of motivation; firstly initial motivation to join the classes and

secondly motivation linked to continuing learning, which included the importance of the learning approach but also related to a more fundamental change in their identity, which was seen as giving people more confidence to act in different ways. These two categories developed because the adults who experienced successful learning through the trade

union, reported a change in how they saw themselves. They reported an increase in confidence and becoming motivated to act differently in a wide range of social contexts, some of which I would call transformational. This increase in confidence I understood as how emotions playing a key role in motivation and so discuss this finding in greater depth in chapter eight.

In response to my second research question: ‘How do adults prefer to learn maths at work?’ I analysed the data to explore the learning and teaching approaches that trade unions members favoured and I identified these as contributing to adults’ motivation. The adults interviewed often stated they had poor previous learning experiences, so the current practices needed to be different but also flexible for ease of accessibility when working long days or on shift patterns.

They talked about the importance of learning mathematical topics relevant to their lives, in small-relaxed groups where individuals could work collaboratively to develop their

mathematics skills. They explained how the support of others in the class was important, as they needed to be able to share their ideas, often misunderstandings, with people they could trust.

In response to my third research question: ‘Is there any relationship between learning maths at work and union membership?’, the response was a very strong, positive one on many levels. All of the respondents were trade union members and they all recognised and valued the learning opportunities offered by their trade unions. Respondents were aware that trade unions not only funded their time and place for study but they also funded ULRs whose job it was to encourage ordinary members to take up the learning opportunities offered The learning support and opportunities offered by the trade unions encouraged members to view the organisation more positively, seeing the trade unions as more interested in them as individuals. The members also spoke about the importance of the support fellow members gave before and during the learning experience, which helped them see themselves differently, becoming more confident or even empowered to act.

This research shows the significant contribution that trade unions make towards helping people improve their mathematical skills, not only through their investment in people and resources but also in the significant development of members and through this the wider contribution they give to supporting others to develop their skills.

In chapter eight I discuss a further category, which I call ‘Emotions and motivation to learn mathematics’ that emerged during my data analysis. I realised interviewees used

emotional language when responding to my research questions and the phrases suggested to me that emotions played a role in motivation,