This paper reports a systematic review of
the quasi-experimental literature in the field of adult
literacy and numeracy, published between 1980 and 2002.
We included 27 controlled trials (CTs) that evaluated strategies
and pedagogies designed to increase adult literacy and numeracy:
18 CTs with no effect sizes (incomplete data) and 9 CTs
with full data. These nine trials are examined in detail
for this paper. Of these nine trials, six evaluated interventions
in literacy and three evaluated interventions in literacy
and numeracy. Three of the nine trials showed a positive
effect for the interventions, five trials showed no difference
and one trial showed a positive effect for the control treatment.
The quality of the trials was variable, but many of them
had some methodological problems, There was no evidence
of publication bias in the review. There have been few attempts
to expose common adult literacy and numeracy programmes
to rigorous evaluation and therefore in terms of adult education
that should be supported. In contrast, however, the review
does provide a strong steer for the direction to be taken
by educational researchers: because of the present inadequate
evidence base rigorously designed randomised controlled
trials and quasi-experiments are required as a matter of
urgency.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Blackwell Publishing:
www.blackwell-synergy.com
Download the full report (pdf) from the NRDC website: www.nrdc.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_2850.pdf
This article explores the strengths and weaknesses of
Lave and Wenger's concept of 'legitimate peripheral participation' as
a means of understanding workplace learning. It draws on recent ESRC-funded
research by the authors in contemporary workplace settings in the UK
(manufacturing industry and secondary schools) to establish the extent
to which Lave and Wenger's theories can adequately illuminate the nature
and process of learning at work. The new research presented here, which
was located in complex institutional settings, highlights the diverse
nature of patterns and forms of participation. Case study evidence is
used to identify individual and contextual factors which underpin and
illuminate the ways in which employees learn. The paper argues that
whilst Lave and Wenger's work continues to provide an important source
of theoretical insight and inspiration for research in to learning at
work, it has significant limitations. These limitations relate to the
application of their perspective to contemporary workplaces in advanced
industrial societies and to the institutional environments in which
people work. These complex settings play a crucial role in the configuration
of opportunities and barriers to learning that employees encounter.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor &
Francis Group: www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Adults bring with them a wealth of literate experiences
into adult learning classrooms. And yet, they and the programs they
enter often do not see such experiences as significant to their learning.
This is surprising because it is often in the out-of-school experiences
where the adults demonstrate the greatest sense of agency and ability
with literacy. To date, there are no systematic studies of the relationship
between literate subjectivities and contexts in the adult education
literature. An interview study was conducted with 15 adult literacy
students enrolled in Adult Education an Literacy programs in a Midwestern
city, to answer the question: What is the relationship between literate
identity and contexts for adults enrolled in literacy programs? The
interviews were divided into three domains: past and present school
experiences, home and community literacy practices, and involvement
with children's education. This article analyzes the interviews using
Critical Discourse Analysis and documents the linguistic markers the
adults used in each domain, the shifts across domains, and the relationships
between and among adults. To foreshadow the conclusions, adults' ideas
about learning and literacy shifted across the contexts. Further, their
sense of self shifted with changes in the Discourses of learning and
literacy. Three themes emerged from the interviews, and I describe the
linguistic changes in literate self across the three domains. This research
has implications for developing models of learning in adult education
that take into account the learning and literacy experiences adults
bring with them into their programs.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the International
Reading Association
This exploratory study analyzed longitudinal data from
18 institutions to track the literacy development of 1,054 students
during the first three years of college. Reading comprehension and attitude
toward literacy activities were assessed at the beginning and end of
the study. Students responded annually to questionnaires about college
experiences and provided background data. Linear regression procedures
were used to predict growth on the outcome measures. With potential
confounding influences on literacy growth controlled, students of color
made smaller reading comprehension gains than white students, and women
made smaller improvements in literacy attitude than men. For the overall
sample, growth in comprehension was predicted by credit hours completed,
number of assigned books read, instruction perceived as effective, and
the number of natural sciences and engineering course taken. Number
of assigned and unassigned books read and involvement in course learning
and literacy experiences predicted improved attitude toward literacy
activities. However, the major finding of the study was that the college-experience
factors associated with literacy growth varied depending on students'
race, sex and levels of reading comprehension and attitude toward literacy
activities prior to college.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the International
Reading Association
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