This Handbook provides a wide-ranging frame of reference for researching adult and lifelong education and learning. With contributions from scores of established and newer scholars from six continents, the volume covers a diverse range of geopolitical and social territories across the world. Drawing on the multiple heritages that underpin research…

This handbook presents a wide range of research on adults who have low literacy skills. It looks at the cognitive, affective, and motivational factors underlying adult literacy; adult literacy in different countries; and the educational approaches being taken to help improve adults' literacy skills. It includes not only adults enrolled in adult…

More than an estimated 90 million adults in the United States lack the literacy skills needed for fully productive and secure lives. The effects of this shortfall are many: Adults with low literacy have lower rates of participation in the labor force and lower earnings when they do have jobs, for example. They are less able to understand and use…

Understanding the origins of poor literacy and numeracy skills in adulthood and how to improve them is of major importance when society places a high premium on proficiency in these basic skills. This edited collection brings together the results of recent longitudinal studies that greatly extend our knowledge of what works in raising skill…

This monograph looks first at opportunities provided by research in the adult literacy field and then identifies challenges to scientific research and suggests ways to address these challenges so that better evidence can be generated in the future. It has two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy…

Based on material received by the International Institute for Adult Literacy Methods during the first half of 1984, this issue contains selected summaries of books, articles in periodicals, and conference and seminar reports published in the field of literacy and adult education. Some of the issues addressed include (1) the role of adult education…

This book is an analytic and critical treatment of Paulo Freire's philosophy. Its two central theses are that Freire's thought is best understood as that of an educational practitioner and theorist and that the most fruitful interpretation of Freire comes from understanding him as a Catholic thinker. Chapter 1 situates Freire's lifelong work in…

This book describes a study of the uses of reading and writing in Lancaster, England, in the 1990s. It offers a detailed, specific description of literacy practices in one local community at one point in time. The book is designed to contribute to the theoretical understanding of literacy by linking literacy to a more general understanding of…

Access to Learning for Adults (ALFA) links education providers and organizations in collaborative work to extend and improve access to education opportunities for adults underrepresented in the system. A survey followed the progress, performance, and experiences of 86 former ALFA students, aged 25 to 49, in London, England, in their seeking of…

The importance of eradicating adult illiteracy in developing countries as a part of promoting community participation in democracy and in accelerating the rate of national development is treated in the study of adult education in India. Attempts have been made to: link adult education to major developmental and productive activities through…

This book offers Paulo Freire's retrospection on his life and work. These reflections, conceived in the form of 18 letters to his niece, Cristina, provide a backdrop for a deeper understanding of the experiences--including his exile---that have informed his thinking and teaching. The first 10 letters look back on Freire's childhood and youth. The…

The book contains articles and excerpts from works of leading educators and scholars associated with problems of adult education in India. The readings are presented in five sections. The first section, Historical Perspective, deals with the progress of adult education (from the beginning of British rule to the present day) and extension services.…

This book provides a multifaceted view of learning disabilities in adulthood through the efforts of many contributors who offer a diversity of perceptions and expertise. The focus spans from young to late adulthood and reflects state-of-the-art knowledge and the best practices of the field. The topic areas are clustered into psychological,…

This book is designed to inform national policy on literacy education in Australia. A preamble describes the general literacy crisis in Australia, which includes systematic underperformance in English literacy among some groups and many individuals (who are often seriously disadvantaged in their occupational and educational opportunities). The…

Based on research with literacy learners, instructors, and practicing therapists, this book re-examines learning through a lens focused on the prevalence of and effects of violence in women's lives. Section 1, "Canaries in the Mine," highlights a shift away from seeing those who have experienced violence as damaged and towards…