"What Am I Doing Here?" Perspectives of Zimbabwean Adult Learners on the Relevance of Adult Numeracy to Their Needs and Aspirations

Autor/inn/en	Maphosa, Norman; Oughton, Helen
Titel	"What Am I Doing Here?" Perspectives of Zimbabwean Adult Learners on the Relevance of Adult Numeracy to Their Needs and Aspirations
Quelle	In: Adults Learning Mathematics, 15 (2021) 1, S.19-44 (26 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1744-1803
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Adult Students; Student Attitudes; Numeracy; Adult Education; Student Needs; Immigrants; Aspiration; Prior Learning; Mathematics Education; Qualifications; Zimbabwe; United Kingdom (England) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Adult; Adults; Student; Students; Erwachsenenalter; Studentin; Schüler; Schülerin; Schülerverhalten; Rechenkompetenz; Education; Adult basic education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Streben; Vorkenntnisse; Mathematische Bildung; Qualifikation; Qualifikationsstufe; Simbabwe
Abstract	Many adult learning centres in England provide numeracy (or mathematics) education to adults in all sectors of society, including migrants from countries across the world. This study takes one group of migrants --- those from Zimbabwe --- and explores the relevance of adult numeracy education to the needs and aspirations of Zimbabwean adult learners in England. The accounts, beliefs and attitudes expressed by learners and their teachers were collected through questionnaires, focus groups and in-depth interviews. The study found that most of the learner participants did not feel that they needed to improve their numeracy skills for everyday life and work, and had undertaken their adult numeracy learning in order to enter higher education or professional career pathways. They felt that their prior learning of mathematics in Zimbabwe had been higher than their Level 2 adult numeracy programmes and therefore felt that their prior learning had not been recognised or valued. Tutor participants were in agreement with learner participants concerning high levels of prior learning experience. Furthermore, the study found that teaching and learning approaches commonly offered in England, such as the use of games, did not meet the expectations of adult Zimbabwean learners, who considered them childish. The study also found that the current emphasis on 'real-life' contexts for adult numeracy learning and assessment presented challenges to Zimbabwean learners. Many of these contexts were based on British culture and were unfamiliar to the learners. They expressed a preference for what they called 'academic' (or pure) mathematics, which they had studied in Zimbabwe, and some participating learners suggested that the focus on British contexts represented cultural imperialism in requiring them to conform to the norms of British culture. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Adults Learning Mathematics. 26 Tennyson Road, Kilburn, London NW6 7SA UK. e-mail: editor-i@alm-online.net; Web site: http://www.alm-online.net
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01