Kit had a reputation among her peers as a good teacher. Her primary interest was the teaching process itself and she arranged the details of the Fundamental class so that this teaching process could happen most effectively. She explained her approach:

It is true, I do care about these people, but what I really care about is teaching and I think if I really cared about those people, then I might go and do something else. Like I might go and do community development work or, I might, I don't know, if I really cared about them then I'd go into politics and try and right the social injustices.

This illustrated that, although Kit was more focussed on the teaching process, she was also keenly aware that ABE students experience social injustices because of their low literacy skills and their social and economic marginality. Val was also interested in teaching but she was more focussed on the students as individuals. Her teaching experience spanned a period of twenty years, although she has not taught continuously during that time.

Data Collection

The primary data collection methods used were: 1) recorded in-class observations; 2) recorded, guided interviews with ten students; 3) recorded, guided interviews with the two class teachers; and, 4) informal observations and conversations, both in and out of the classroom.

The in-class observations occurred from February to the end of May, 1993. In March, April and May, recorded observations occurred two consecutive mornings each week for approximately three hours each morning in one of the two adjoining classrooms used by the Fundamental level Adult Basic Education class at the college. In March and April I observed on Thursday and Friday mornings; in May I observed on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. In total, I observed twenty-three mornings of ABE classes.