Given that it is a delicate task to meet the educational needs of adult emergent readers in a second language setting, this study serves to explore the teaching practice of teachers working with learners of initial literacy and second language. Based on a situated learning perspective, data from 16 lesson observations of nine teachers is analysed.…

In order to improve on the curriculum and participation rate of adult learners in the current Adult Basic Education (ABE) program in Nigeria, this explorative study investigated the entrepreneurial (or vocational) training needs of illiterate women in Cross River State (CRS). Three research questions were posed to elicit from the participants…

This article presents the results of a study into the provision of Internet training for adult public library clients. The study, which was completed in 2008, forms part of a larger investigation into the characteristics, preferences and needs of adult public library clients in New South Wales. The aim of this section of the investigation is to…

Successful adult literacy and basic education programs are notoriously difficult to achieve. One reason for this has to do with how the question, "literacy for what?" is answered for a given program. All too frequently, the answer to that question is shaped more by the goals of the literacy provider than it is by learners' own goals and…

The role of functional literacy, linked to employment, leads to a narrow view of rural learners' need both economically and socially. The drive for individuals to take responsibility for their own learning and development is, indeed, a good thing. However, the burden of guilt felt by those who are unable, or unwilling, to achieve the standards set…

The focus of this article is on adult literacy in adult basic education (ABE) programs with special emphasis on English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The article intends to highlight several relevant points in ABE ESL literacy instruction. It focuses on (a) the nature of adult learning, (b) the structure of ABE programs, (c) who the…

This review of literature on South Asian nomads is part of a series of monographs on educational access published by the Consortium for Research on Educational Access Transitions and Equity (CREATE). In the context of India, most recent work has focused on access to the education system for the poor. CREATE research in India has focused on …

Florida's Adult Literacy Leadership Training Project, based on a survey of administrators, instructors, and literacy advisors, identified the training needs of literacy providers and created a professional development infrastructure. It was concluded that, if certain training needs were met, the issue of professionalization may take care of…

A stratified random sample of 1,500 state legislators from 12 states was surveyed regarding their perceptions and knowledge of issues in reading instruction. The states were selected to provide a balanced mix of state sizes, state budget sizes, and geographic regions. Within states, legislators were selected to balance districts. Both mail surveys…

One hundred sixty adult basic education students functioning at or below the sixth-grade level rated the extent to which they needed to learn 20 functional tasks. Factor analysis suggested three broad categories: everyday reading and writing, math and measurement, and special literacy tasks. Cluster analysis identified distinct subgroups based on…

A study investigated the educational levels of 196 inmates (85 percent male, most Caucasian, 5 ethnic groups represented) of the Cumberland County Jail (CCJ) in Portland, Maine, using a self-perception instrument and the results of the Tests of Applied Literacy Skills. Information was obtained regarding gender, age, recidivism, highest level of…

Describes a study of long-term unemployed adults in central Scotland who were informally interviewed to allow for more complete exploration of circumstances which prevented them from obtaining educational assistance. The difficulties of ascertaining their educational needs and the implications for adult education delivery systems are discussed.…

Attention has been focused on whether U.S. competitiveness in a global market can be sustained if the work force has deficient reading skills. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 90 million adults (50 percent of the adult population) do not have the literacy skills they need to function in society. These persons have limited reading…

State and national surveys of programs, literacy performance levels, and participants suggest that demand for literacy instruction should be estimated from current participation and not from assumptions about needs. Supply should be defined in terms of layers of service providers. (SK)

The current state of adult numeracy research and practice was examined. Data were collected from available literature and test data about adult numeracy instruction, as well as from telephone interviews with directors and teachers in 30 randomly selected adult education programs in three states. Among the key findings of the study were the…