as I had been asked to develop and deliver some modules of training to support the Green Belt methodology training offered to employees at Bristol Aerospace Ltd. The training modules were to cover the use of various statistical tools that could be used in carrying out a Six-Sigma quality control project. Learners were already receiving Green Belt training in four two-day workshops held: April 1819; May 23-24; June 27-28; and September 12-13. Over the course of this training, learners were expected to conduct a Six Sigma project. Learners in past programs had found that lack of proficiency with the statistical tools proved to be an obstacle in trying to complete the quality project. As a result the Manager of Staff Development wanted to support the Green Belt learners by providing them with optional modules of training in the use of statistical tools. There seemed to be some commonality between these modules of training and the Mathematics Essential Skills program. It was hoped that I might engage learners in this Green Belt Statistics Support Training using action strategies developed through reflection on what I had learned from past cycles of the Mathematics Essential Skills program
Understanding the Situation Data Collection Methods In an attempt to understand the problem more clearly so that I might develop an effective action strategy, I turned to several sources of data. Firstly, I compiled any existing evidence from past cycles of instruction I thought might be pertinent to the situation. This took the form of learner log entries, learner-written program evaluations, my own journal entries, field notes and anecdotal records, attendance records and my own program evaluation summaries. Secondly, I conducted a semi-structured interview with a learner who had completed a cycle of instruction in the Mathematics Essential Skills program. Another data collection method was the field notes from meetings with colleagues, the Manager of Staff Development, the instructor of the SixSigma training workshops, and employees who had previously taken Green Belt training. I also attended the May 23-24 Green Belt Training workshop and made notes of my observations of that session. Finally, I turned to the literature on self-directed learning and in particular the writings of Merriam & Caffarella (1999).