ERIC Number: EJ1135315
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-May
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0741-7136
EISSN: N/A
When Investment in Basic Skills Gives Negative Returns
Billington, Mary Genevieve; Nissinen, Kari; Gabrielsen, Egil
Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal of Research and Theory, v67 n2 p136-154 May 2017
In recent years, the Norwegian government has invested heavily in improving basic skills in the adult population. Initiatives have included legislation, the introduction of work-based adult education programs, and reforms in schooling. In light of this investment, we explore trends in adult literacy and numeracy, by comparing data from two international surveys of adult skills, conducted in 2003 and 2012. Paradoxically, the proportion of low-performing adults appears to have increased, most significantly in the 16- to 24-year age group and in the foreign-born population. The profile of the lowest performing group has changed in the intervening years. These findings suggest that adult education programs and the education system more generally may not be in concord with the goal of including all in the communities of the literate. We discuss policy implications, in the context of the Scandinavian model, but argue that the discussion is applicable beyond national boundaries.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Adult Basic Education, Adult Education, Basic Skills, Outcomes of Education, Educational Trends, Adult Literacy, Numeracy, Surveys, International Assessment, Secondary School Students, Achievement Tests, Data Analysis, Age Differences, Gender Differences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Basic Education; Adult Education; Elementary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: International Adult Literacy Survey; Program for International Student Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A