Literacy as supply and demand.

Autor/inn/en	Mallows, David; Litster, Jennifer
Titel	Literacy as supply and demand.
Quelle	In: Zeitschrift für Weiterbildungsforschung - Report, (2016) 2, S. 171-182 PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2364-0022
DOI	10.1007/s40955-016-0061-1
Schlagwörter	Grundbildung; Bildungsforschung; Nachfrage; Weiterbildung; Internationaler Vergleich
Abstract	This paper draws on three data sources - a national survey from Germany of adult literacy and numeracy skills (leo. - Level-One Study), the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC), and case studies of workplaces in England - to argue for a greater focus by policymakers and researchers on the literacy demand experienced by adults. We consider the heterogeneity of the population of adults deemed functionally illiterate by large-scale national and international surveys and question how such a large group of adults are indeed able to function in society. We draw on concepts of literacy practices and the literate environment to try to understand the demands on adults' reading and writing and suggest that adults with poor literacy skills may be reluctant to engage in learning because they experience very low demand. Engagement in literate practices is an important mechanism through which literacy is improved and developed. If the demands on many adults' literacy are so low, their skills may decline/fail to develop, leaving a large sub-class excluded from the literate environment and relying on others for interpretation and access to information. This vicious circle of underuse and consequent loss of skills should be a major concern for policy makers.
Erfasst von	Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung - Leibniz-Zentrum für Lebenslanges Lernen, Bonn
Update	2017/1