The idea that individuals,enterprises and economies gain financially from increased participation in education or training is often assumed, but is not always easy to demonstrate or quantify. This report explores the benefits of further training for people with low levels of numeracy by analysing Australian and United States longitudinal data which allow links to be made between numeracy level, likelihood of training participation and the wages outcomes of training for less numerate workers. Analysis of the Australian data indicates that individuals with low numeracy skills are less likely to undertake further education, but gain positive and significant economic returns when they do. Continuing with formal schooling is positive and significant for individuals with very low numeracy skills.
It has long been accepted that adult literacy and numeracy is best taught and learned in real-life situations that relate to everyday needs. This means that opportunities for learning are everywhere, not just in formal learning situations. This report seeks to identify examples and principles of the successful integration of learning about adult literacy into Australian community and workplace settings. This fresh and critical approach leads the authors to draw a number of new and important findings about valuing and embedding a range of literacies into community and workplace activities rather than teaching literacy in isolation. It acknowledges that literacy and numeracy are fundamental to the growth of skills and networks, especially for communities who feel left behind and socially excluded.
Ensuring that people have the appropriate level of numeracy skills is particularly important in jobs which involve a risk to public safety and the environment. This research investigates the job-related numeracy requirements in the chemical spraying and handling operations of the horticulture, local government, outdoor recreation and warehousing industries. Findings from this study indicate that the worksite influences both the type of numeracy skills needed as well as how they are deployed. Numeracy in the workplace differs from formal, rule-based abstract mathematics taught in school and requires training that is relevant to the specific applications of the skill. Implications for the future practice of teaching numeracy on the job are offered and highlight the need to consciously develop critical thinking, learning-to-learn, planning and problem-solving skills in workers.
New information and communication technologies are changing literacy practices at an unprecedented rate. As literacies are being transformed by technological change, electronic communication and the globalisation of knowledge, this poses new questions and challenges for literacy educators. Using a case study approach, this report examines the interaction between new and emerging digital technologies, adult learning and literacies for both educators and learners. The findings demonstrate that changes to teaching practices associated with the use of information and communication technologies are possible. Some important findings also provide a base for developing systematic and informed approaches to further adult literacy education in an age where literacy practices are increasingly mediated by the use of information and communication technologies.
It is well documented that individuals with poor verbal, reading and writing skills face disadvantages. However, many individuals with such difficulties lead successful lives. This project investigated the ways in which ten individuals have achieved success despite difficulties with literacy and learning.
New ways of thinking about how language, literacy and numeracy skills are taught has coincided with a fundamental policy change in the vocational education and training sector. A major development has been the integration of literacy, language and numeracy skills into vocational training. The complexity of the issues makes it important to gain a better understanding of what actually happens in Australia, especially in the workplace. This study explores how training practitioners are using the reforms in the national training system, and their knowledge of new approaches to teaching and learning to integrate language, literacy and numeracy into workplace training programs in the community services sector. Although the study is small scale, it provides an informative snapshot of how a number of providers are integrating language, literacy and numeracy into vocational programs.
The formal court system in Australia has long been criticised for its adversarial nature. As a result, there has been an increase in the use of alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation. These are promoted as a means of increasing access to justice by disadvantaged groups and as an inexpensive way of solving legal or quasi-legal disputes. In practice, however, alternative dispute resolution requires the ability to comprehend complex written texts involving both literacy and numeracy. This report investigates the difficulties experienced by users of alternative dispute resolution in Australia, as a result of their levels of literacy and numeracy skills. The study highlights that limited literacy and numeracy can be a barrier to fair participation in mediation processes, despite these processes being promoted as a fair and equitable process for all. The report identifies alternative dispute resolution processes that lead to difficulties, includes suggestions for professional development for mediators, and offers specific strategies for mediators to assist those who have limited literacy and numeracy.
This publication explores adult literacy and numeracy. It draws on major insights from a wide body of recent research commissioned by NCVER and funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training. It shows that literacy and numeracy practices change over time, and that the literacy challenge is not confined to those people traditionally considered to be poorly educated or unsuccessful. It also affects people looking to understand new forms of communication and technology, for example. In addition, it considers Australia's place in the international arena, looks at strategies for integrating literacy into unconventional learning environments, and at ways to ensure the continuing strength of the teaching workforce.
The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia's vocational education and training and adult and community education sectors, and in labour market programs. Since its introduction, however, the NRS has been used as more than a reporting tool. It has also been used for setting standards and for curricular and assessment purposes. This publication, based on a literature review and interviews, examines the strengths and weaknesses of the NRS and identifies options for more in-depth exploration and development in a full review of the NRS. This scoping study finds there is considerable support for the NRS, but that it needs to be updated.
This suite of overviews provides a comprehensive summary of each of NCVER's managed adult literacy and numeracy research projects funded in 2003.
This report summarises an extensive study of adult literacy policies and practices in vocational education in six countries - Canada, New Zealand, United States, Ireland, United Kingdom and Australia. The policies and programs of the six countries were compared across policy contexts and concepts, program development and delivery, and regulatory frameworks, product development and quality assurance.
There are differences between, and among, people in ethnic communities. This study seeks to provide a more nuanced snapshot of vocational education and training (VET) participation and completion rates among Arabic, Bosnian, Cantonese, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese communities. It investigates the effectiveness of English as a second language programs as a pathway to training. Overall, the participants of this study favour programs which provide clear pathways to employment, offer language support, acknowledge existing vocational skills, and include work experience in their training. The critical role of teachers was also emphasised by participants, particularly teachers sensitive to cultural issues such as language and values, and who constructively use cultural diversity in training programs.
A key challenge of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system is to serve the broad needs of individuals, communities, and industries. This includes the provision of literacy and generic skills which meet the needs of all groups. This study investigates and documents workplace literacy in aged care facilities and call centres, within the context of the changing nature of work which requires a highly literate, responsive workforce. The report acknowledges the effectiveness of training approaches and procedural practices in these industries; however, it points to the VET sector's role to resist narrowing of literacy and generic skills which meet company requirements.
Remote Indigenous communities are under increasing pressure to share responsibility for community well-being and capacity building. Their challenge is to achieve social and economic sustainability without losing core values of Indigenous law, culture and language. Education, training and employment are essential elements to this future scenario. This report is based on a study of a remote Indigenous community in its quest to implement a culturally appropriate health service, and integrate training and employment of local Indigenous people as a means of strengthening community capacity. The authors find education and training, including literacy, must be linked to community goals and aspirations. Literacy, in particular, is more likely to be adopted if linked to cultural and religious activities, and community responsibilities.
Communication and other literacy skills are vital to public safety organisations. This report investigates the impact literacy levels may have on the ability of volunteers to meet demands for more formal training and assessment. The role of these organisations to develop the skills of people in rural and remote communities is also considered. The research finds public safety organisations are important sites of adult learning, particularly for men. While the introduction of more formalised training presents opportunities, such as building community capacity, challenges also exist. Strategies to overcome potential barriers include developing training and assessment that relates to local situations, adapting training and assessment materials to suit learners, and including hands-on, practical training where possible.
The conception of literacy is changing to reflect the profound economic, social, political and cultural changes of the past half century. In this report, the authors examine three broad literacy ideologies - cognitive, individual-based model, economics-driven model, and sociocultural model. While current research situates literacy in social practice, government policy aligns more with the cognitive and economics-driven models of literacy. The authors find the need for a new national literacy policy which is flexible and accommodates current and future literacies, and supports community capacity-building. They also find at practitioner level that all are teachers of literacy and need to be able to recognise and teach all of the different literacies needed by learners. The report also highlights implications for literacy testing. The report includes an overview (part 1) and discussion paper (part 2).
This report provides a description of the full range of adult and community education (ACE) services and clients; an analysis of ACE outcomes and contributions to lifelong learning for its range of clients; and a discussion of issues that might be considered relating to valid and reliable national data collection and reporting for ACE. Representatives of 40 ACE providers across Australia were interviewed for the project.
This review of research summarises the recent Australian VET research that relates to literacy and numeracy issues since 1990. The review concentrates on literacy and numeracy policy initiatives, impact of literacy/numeracy levels on participation in VET, approaches to delivery of literacy and numeracy support, professional development and teacher education.
This study provides detailed information on students who enrolled in enabling courses and examines the post-course outcomes for these individuals. It also assesses the effectiveness of enabling courses to assist students to progress to a higher level of education or training or to gain employment following the completion of an enabling course.
The report outlines the major research into literacy and numeracy as related to VET carried out during the 1990s. To do this, it brings together work relevant to the development of notions of literacy and numeracy generally, but focussing on the adult context. It deals with the complexities of the relationships between VET and workplaces and schools as well as the language, literacy, numeracy relationship. The report includes relevant policy developments and practice in the field. All this is seen within a framing of human and social capital and lifelong learning.