A fundamental reason for the advocacy of women's literacy is its contribution to the attainment of citizenship, that is the claiming and use of public space and power. Following a presentation of basic trends and public policies in literacy, this article reviews the diverse theoretical understandings of literacy. It discusses normative arguments…

A review of the status of adult literacy, focusing on the United States, discusses the definition and assessment of literacy, functional and occupational literacy, and literacy instruction. Includes a 27-citation annotated bibliography and a large unannotated bibliography. (CB)

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy…

Between 2004 and 2008, the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) published four lengthy research reports on projects to examine the nature and effectiveness of Adult Education English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs at several community colleges. The research was conducted by field studies, interviews, and the review of a large…

Points out that literacy is often a volatile issue in developing countries, where it is often seen as a key to liberation. Introduces a model for identifying and categorizing the goals and philosophies of literacy projects, programs, and campaigns of the world. (ARH)

This article draws on three Canadian research studies to question conventional understandings that access to adult literacy education is a simple matter of providing programs. In the face of women's experiences of violence, commonly overlooked barriers limit ''access.'' Different forms of violence, their frequency, and the prevalence of…

The ethnographic literature on literacy is marked by a characteristic divide between 'ideological' and 'autonomous' positions, the former being associated with the sociocultural approach adopted within the 'New Literacy Studies' (NLS) and the work of Brian Street, and the latter with the work of Jack Goody. The polarization between the approaches…

Reviews recent literature about literacy and the aged and maintains there is a need for empirical research into the perceptions of reading and writing needs and interests of the elderly themselves. The effects of societal expectations of the elderly on their reading/writing behavior and interests should also be examined. (JAC)

The Education for All (EFA) goal of increasing adult literacy by 50 percent reflects two simple facts: first, primary school attendance has positive effects, including better family health and increased productivity; and second, when parents learn to read, more children go to school. So why haven't more countries and donors supported adult…

Research suggests that technology use among adult literacy students has positive effects on learning outcomes, with the majority of these studies focused on traditional classroom environments where technology is used as a supplement to existing instruction. Adult literacy students are affected in many ways by technology use within less structured…

The 2003 NAAL is a complex assessment with several components and various types of data. The primary purpose of this publication is to describe the assessment's key features and data types. Thus, the publication covers the critical concepts and features carried over from the 1992 assessment, as well as those new to the 2003 assessment--for…

A discussion of the issues, trends, practices, and research on the assessment of literacy covers such subjects as formal classroom instruction, literacy programs, child literacy, and adult literacy. A 22-citation annotated bibliography and a 36-citation unannotated bibliography are included. (CB)

This document summarizes an extensive study of policies and practices in adult literacy and adult basic education in a number of countries undertaken by Rosa McKenna and Lynne Fitzpatrick. The original study contains considerably greater detail and analyses issues on a country-by-country basis. The countries studied--Canada, the Republic of…

The functional literacy movement has emphasized the ability to read job-related materials as a major occupational/functional skill. Various studies, by the Educational Testing Service and others, have supported the contention that the ability to read is a fundamental vocational skill in American society. (CH)

Presents a critical review of the research on the effectiveness of adult literacy programs. Suggests that the methods used in current literacy programs offer students little chance of significant improvement. (ARH)