Executive Summary
This report examines the need for a learning tool that would improve and develop the learner’s literacy skills. Methods of analysis includes examining the needs from relevant stakeholders and the outcomes from a community of inquiry.
Results of the research and feedback demonstrated that although students may possess English GCSE qualifications the business community and bodies such as OFSTED highlight that the level of literacy amongst today’s school leavers was not adequate in terms of the functional skill.
The report highlights the importance of increasing student’s level of literacy and functional skills. There are areas specifically in terms of cross-curricular activities that could be further explored.
The report recommends the creation of a learning tool in the form of a booklet to enable students to develop and improve their literacy skills within the business curriculum and thus the functional skill.
Once the initial proposal was agreed in order to maintain focus throughout the project, SMART objectives were established and addressed, a time plan was created and the personal tutor was involved during the project (Refer to Appendix 1).

Introduction
‘Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation of lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world.’ (UNESCO)
Literacy skills has never been more important. Advancements in technology has resulted in the sharing of knowledge, ideas and information on a global platform via verbal, text messaging and of course the internet encouraging greater social and political participation.
The UK is the fifth richest economy in the world, and yet in a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranked the UK as 22nd out of 24 countries surveyed in terms of literacy skills. The relationship between literacy and social inequality in England is one of the strongest amongst all the countries surveyed by the OECD.
This is particularly prevalent amongst the 18-24 age group, where approximately a fifth of this age group are not in full-time education or employment and have low literacy levels. (KPMG and The National Literacy Trust 2013)
School leavers that are entering the workplace lack adequate skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar and the ability to produce business correspondence, and communication in general. In 2013 15% of employers surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) had to provide remedial literacy training to school leavers.
However, there has been a steady increase in the proportion of 15 and 16 year olds who achieve English GCSE grades A* to C which has increased steadily since 2005 where just under 61% achieved this benchmark to 69% in 2012.
This suggests that there is a degree of polarity between the literacy skills taught in schools and the literacy skills required for the workplace.

The focus of this report is the improvement and development of literacy skills in the context of the business studies curriculum so that learners develop the functional skill of literacy.
As a result of my own commercial experience I recognise and appreciate the importance of literacy skills in terms of both personal progression and economic growth both at a company level and also nationally.
This personal experience has formed the basis of my own professional core values and commitment as a reflective practitioner and therefore this project proved to be a credible fit with the LLUK Professional Standards (2007) in terms of: My Values | LLUK Professional Standards (2007) | High expectations of learners’ ability to succeed. | AS1 Learners, their progress and development, their learning goals and aspirations and the experience they bring to their learning. | The positive impact of education in terms of social mobility and the fulfilment of aspirations. | AS2 Learning, its potential to benefit people emotionally, intellectually, socially and economically, and its contribution to community sustainability. | Develop as a practitioner | AS7 Improving the quality of their practice. |

During my WBE I taught three cohorts in an academy in the Bolton area. The inspiration for the research for this project was as a result of a critical incident that developed from a Year 13 BTEC Level 3 Business Studies cohort. My expectations of what the students’ ‘should’ be able to do was in sharp contrast to what the students’ ‘could’ actually do in terms of their skill and ability. This resulted in the initial question of, ‘What if I could improve and develop literacy skills within the business studies curriculum?’

Identifying the Project – Critical Incident
After completing the required learning content I explained the assignment assessment criteria and then instructed the students to write a report analysing the marketing techniques used in two different organisations.
I was met with 13 blank faces and the response from one student, “Where is the writing frame miss?”
This particular cohort were in the final year of a level 3 programme. All had been targeted with achieving a distinction. I had therefore assumed that they ‘knew’ how to analyse and write a report.
I discussed this with the subject tutor who advised that I needed to provide detailed writing frames with sentence starters to enable them to complete the assignments. She also advised that there were 3 students in the group that had yet to gain a grade C, at GCSE English.
The following entry in my reflective journal highlights my concerns relating to this incident:
“I am shocked that students are unable to write a report or analyse at this stage of the course. I expected them to have the ability to do this on their own by now, without the need to be spoon fed. How will they cope when they are in the workplace if they are unable to complete tasks like this without support? They need to have this skill if they are going to succeed. I need to find a way that I can help them develop this skill.
Robert Dilts ‘Circle of Creativity’ (1995), based on the successful strategies of Walt Disney, provided a tool to transfer an idea into a plan. The model consists of three stages – ‘Dreamer’, ‘Realist’ and ‘Critic’.
The ‘Dreamer’ stage facilitated the exploration of ideas without the constraint of considering barriers or risks.
I concluded that my goal was to provide an appropriate level of support in terms of scaffolding the students to help them develop and improve their literacy skills. Therefore take them from a position of ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ without the use of writing frames for every assignment.
Initial ideas that emerged at this stage in the project was a resource in the form of literacy maps and the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) model to help them structure their written work. A working document of the initial idea can be found in Appendix 2.
Needs Analysis
However, the initial idea needed to be evaluated in terms of its value and benefits to the learners while at the same time investigating the possible impact of ideas on stakeholders. Witkin et al., (1995) describe a need as “A gap between “what is” and “what should be”.
It is therefore important to involve stakeholders as early as possible in research projects in order to ‘inspire them to invest their time and energy.’ (Stringer, 2007, p.42). In terms of this specific project I identified the following as stakeholders: 1. Students 2. Business Studies subject specialist 3. BTEC exam board (Curriculum) 4. Business Community 5. OFSTEAD
The needs analysis aimed to identify the gap between the following questions: I. What is the current situation? II. What should be the situation?

I. What is the current situation?
In terms of the learners needs the academy that they attended was last inspected by OFSTED 29-20th May 2012 (Appendix 3). A key finding of the inspection was that English and maths attainment was ‘well below average’. Consequently a key recommendation was that the academy needed to ‘maximise opportunities for teaching literacy and numeracy across the curriculum in secondary and sixth form year groups’ (OFSTED 2012).
The quality of work that this cohort had produced substantiates this finding (Refer to Appendix 4 for sample of learners work).
During the one to one tutorials with the students I asked a number of questions (Appendix 5) in relation to their own thoughts in terms of their literacy skills and the initial idea of the resource (Refer to Appendix 2 for feedback comments). In summary the learners did not feel confident in their own literacy skills. The surprising outcome was that the learners expressed a desire to complete assignments without the use of writing frames and sentence starters. They recognised the importance of the functional skills in relation to literacy in terms of both gaining the BTEC qualification and career progression. They thought that the idea of literacy maps and guidance of how to structure their written work would have helped them at the beginning of the course in terms of developing the required skills and therefore would have allowed them to progress in this area.
The subject specialist confirmed the learners’ view of their current abilities. The initial idea behind writing frames was to introduce the learners to the formats required and therefore with a structure with the aim that they would eventually be able to master this skill for themselves. However, it was evident that the learners had come to rely on this resource rather than develop the skill. It therefore had become a time consuming exercise in terms of preparation. The tutor commentated that literacy maps and a structure in terms of the PEE model could have a positive impact on the learners progression in terms of developing the functional skill required of the course and also in terms of future progression and would therefore have value and benefit. (Refer to Appendix 2 and 5).
In terms of the business community there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that employers are concerned about the literacy level and skill of school leavers: * Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) surveyed 512 employers in 2012 of which 34% indicated that they were dissatisfied with the literacy skills of school leavers. Employers place literacy as the second highest priority for those teaching 14-19 year olds. The CBI summarised that ‘Educational standards – including the core skills of literacy and numeracy on which the acquisition of so many other skills depend – and enabling young people to make effective transition into working life have long been concerns for employers.’ * The UK Commission’s Employer Perspectives Survey in 2012 found that a high percentage of the 15,004 employers interviewed expressed concern with the level of proficiency with spelling, punctuation and grammar possessed by school leavers. * The Leitch Review of Skills (2006), The Richard Review of Apprenticeships (2012) and the Wolf Review of Vocational Education (2011) share the opinion of many employers that what young people learn in the classroom is not often relevant to the skills required by the workplace. The Wolf Report (2011) highlighted the importance of English and Maths skills in terms of entry to employment, career progression and pay. Individuals that have low literacy and numeracy levels are often disadvantaged in terms of the labour market. * In response to a survey conducted by OFSTED which resulted in the publication of the ‘Moving English Forward’ report (2012), Michael Cladingbowl, Ofsted’s Director of Schools Policy said:
'Improving standards of literacy must be a priority for all our schools, as it is instrumental in helping children in every subject. Many pupils are still emerging from school without the confidence and secure literacy skills they need to thrive as adults, the case to improve standards of literacy across the whole curriculum is urgent.’

II. What should the situation be?
The Rose Review (2009) and OFSTED (2011) defined literacy as the ability to read, write, speak and listen, all of which are necessary skills.
The business community on the other hand has its own definition which relates to the functional use of literacy. The CBI in their report, ‘Working on the Three R’s: Employers’ Priorities for Functional Skills in Maths and English defines literacy as an individual being able to: * Read and understand basic texts – drawing out relevant information. * Construct properly spelt, grammatically correct writing that is suitable for the audience * Write with legible handwriting * Understand oral communications and react appropriately * Be sufficient articulate to communicate orally.
The Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Business Studies specification acknowledges this requirement although not in terms of the assessment criteria but in terms of indicative characteristics that a candidate must demonstrate in assignments (Highlighted to Appendix 6).
Evidence submitted for assignments could be in a variety of formats including reports, letters or power point presentations.
While there may be differences in opinion regarding the definition of literacy skills the evidence suggests that there is a need to improve literacy skills within education, particularly in terms of the functional skill of literacy.
Indeed a key finding of a recent OFTED survey (2012) found that successful schools involved specialists from the English department to promote and support effective strategies across the curriculum. A key recommendation of OFSTED’s report is that schools need to:
‘strengthen whole-school literacy work across all departments to ensure that students extend and consolidate their literacy skills in all appropriate contexts.’
This highlights the importance of cross-curricular activities to make cohesive links between subjects and therefore provide opportunities for students to improve literacy skills in terms of implementing strategies where students can practise and therefore apply newly learnt skills in a variety of subjects.
The evidence that resulted from a needs analysis suggested a resource aimed at improving learners’ literacy skills within the business studies curriculum was ‘Realistic’ in terms of Dilts Circle of Creativity, and would therefore the benefits to learners would be of value to the relevant stakeholders.
Development of the Curriculum Project
At this stage of the project the critical question was how could the resource be implemented?
As a result of the needs analysis it became apparent that in order to progress the project the involvement of additional stakeholders was required: * Specialists from the English department * Subject Specialists * Personal tutors * Peers * Colleagues
Consequently a community of inquiry started to emerge which is ‘in one sense a learning together, and it is therefore an example of the value of shared experience. But in another sense it represents a magnification of the efficiency of the learning process, since students who thought that all learning had to be learning by oneself come to discover that they can also use and profit from the learning experiences of others.’ (Lipman 2003, p.93).
In the context of this research I had taken the role of the ‘learner’. However, a COI also provided a platform in which to examine potential obstacles and difficulties, and therefore explored the ‘The Critic’ stage of Dilts Circle of Creativity as the aim of a COI is to promote critical thinking.
The following diagram illustrates the mechanics of a community of inquiry (COI):

At the heart of the COI is the ‘Education Experience’ which in terms of this project is the aim of developing and improving literacy within the business studies curriculum.
The ‘Social Presence’ came in the form of the needs analysis which established the climate in terms of relevant stakeholder’s needs and the potential impact that the resource would have if it achieved the aim of improving and developing literacy skills. It therefore became evident that the literacy maps as an initial idea was a good starting point, however this needed further development in terms of bridging the gap between the skills that the learners needed to in order to meet the needs of employers. This research influenced the design of the resource and therefore created a ‘Teaching Presence’. (Refer to Appendix 2 for feedback comments)
The outcome of discussions with the English subject tutor and personal tutor defined the content of the resource. While the TES website provided inspiration for the actual design as practitioners share and review each other’s resources.
Subsequently, the final resource in terms of the scope of this report took the form of a booklet (See Appendix 7) that includes not only literacy maps and the PEE model but also developed into a set of guides.
In terms of the ‘Cognitive Presence’ the purpose of the resource booklet was to enable learners to acquire a set of skills that would benefit them in terms of the course and also to progress in their careers. This would therefore suggest that the resource had value to all relevant stakeholders.
Further Development 1. As a result of the presentation to peers (Refer to Appendix 8 for the presentation and feedback), areas for further development emerged, mainly focused on the wider applicability of the resource at both different levels in terms of the National Qualifications Framework (OFQUAL) and in different curriculums. This then would suggest that cross-curricular activities could be supported by lesson plans applicable to individual curriculums in order to support the delivery of the resource. Additionally there is potential development opportunities for research into cross-curricular activities to support literacy within the business curriculum in order to apply knowledge from other subject areas into business studies.
A detailed action plan following the research and feedback can be found in Appendix 9.
Reflection
The critical incident highlighted the fact that I had made the assumption and therefore expected the students would have the skill set and therefore the ability in terms of literacy skills required to study the course and complete the required assignments. However, the evidence would suggest that although many students do have the required qualifications, they may not necessarily have the required functional skills in literacy at the start of the course. It is therefore important as a practitioner to ‘know’ rather than ‘assume’ learners’ skills and competencies in order to determine how as practitioners we can support learners based on their needs and the needs in the wider community.
It also evident from the research highlighted in this report that it is critical to have an awareness of relevant stakeholder requirements in terms of teaching and learning strategies implemented in the classroom.
In terms of meeting my own professional core values researching this project has provided the following: My Values | Reflection as a result of project research | High expectations of learners’ ability to succeed. | My expectations remain high. However, researching this project has made me realise that students may only progress if they are provided with appropriate support. | The positive impact of education in terms of social mobility and the fulfilment of aspirations. | Improving and developing students’ literacy skills by providing them opportunities to practise what they have learnt will facilitate social mobility as they will be able to progress into the workplace with skills that employers require. | Develop as a practitioner | Undertaking this project has increased my knowledge and understanding in terms of student needs and opportunities to provide support to students in meeting those needs. |

Conclusion
Based on personal experiences I had expected learners to have the ability and the necessary skills required of a level 3 programme. However, the critical incident which formed the catalyst for this project suggested that this is not necessarily the case.
Evidence resulting from the needs analysis suggests that literacy taught in the classroom, although necessary skills in themselves needs to be extended in terms of the functional skills which employers require.
The Literacy Booklet attempts to bridge not only this gap and therefore may have a wider applicability in terms of its use in a variety of subjects and levels as a tool to develop and improve literacy in terms of functional skills, but also to meet the needs of learners in terms of equipping them with the confidence to ‘do it by themselves’.
In terms of the benefits of the resource, this can be measured short term in terms of the course. However, a longitudinal study would be required to measure the benefits and value in terms of meeting the needs of employers.

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