Seeking the N in LLN

Numeracy skills are a key driver of economic growth and yet, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2008) nearly eight million Australian adults lack the numeracy skills to cope with everyday life and work. The vocational education and training (VET) sector is one part of the solution; however the VET workforce may be limited by its own skills needs. There is no research available to indicate what the implications are for the delivery of adult numeracy skills training in the workplace and for building the skills capacity of workers to effectively and adequately meet business needs. This study begins to redress this gap by examining the capacity of the VET workforce to address workplace numeracy skills needs, particularly in the process manufacturing industries, industries that rely greatly on the numeracy skills of its semi-skilled workers. While this study is small, it does raise questions about the capacity of the current VET workforce to address the numeracy skills gaps of existing workers. The research questions examined were as follows. The term ‘VET practitioner’ is used to refer to language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) specialists and vocational specialists collectively. What numeracy teaching qualifications and experience do VET practitioners have? To what extent do VET practitioners understand the importance of the numeracy skills of working-aged Australians generally and, specifically, of existing workers in the process manufacturing industries? What are the perceived and actual numeracy skills levels of VET practitioners? What numeracy skills gaps are preventing VET practitioners from effectively addressing the numeracy skills needs of existing workers in the process manufacturing industries? What is the capacity of Australian VET practitioners to address the numeracy skills needs of working-aged Australians? Both qualitative (self-assessments, focus group discussions, interviews) and quantitative (numeracy assessments) approaches were used. The numeracy assessments comprised an assessment tool developed specifically for the research project. The assessment questions were contextualised to the process manufacturing industries and mapped to the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), with a focus on numeracy levels 3 and 41. All data-collection tools are included in the support document. The sample included 44 VET practitioners from Melbourne and Sydney who deliver workplace-based training. Of these, 20 self-identified as LLN specialists and 24 self-identified as vocational specialists. Participants were approached on the basis of their attendance at state-based Australian WELL2 Practitioner Network meetings or as vocational trainers working at registered training organisations active in the delivery of process manufacturing qualifications. Minor differences in skills, qualifications and experiences relevant to adult numeracy training were found between the two groups. The research found that participants tended to have a limited understanding of the importance of numeracy in general but demonstrated an interest and a willingness to reflect on it and adapt their thinking. It was further found that participants had a limited focus on workplace numeracy. This was confirmed by participant accounts of their experience in delivering workplace numeracy skills. The numeracy skills delivery that was identified was described by participants as at a ‘basic’ level. Most LLN specialists reported rare and only incidental delivery of workplace numeracy skills training, while most vocational specialists reported delivering workplace numeracy skills training more often, as specified in the unit requirements within qualifications. None of the participants had a specialist adult numeracy training qualification, not surprising given that only one qualification, the Graduate Certificate in Adult Numeracy Teaching, was found to be available. Six participants were identified as having an adult training specialisation that included a numeracy component, including one participant with the Vocational Graduate Certificate in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice, one with the Advanced Diploma of Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice in VET and four with an adult basic education qualification. Adult numeracy specialist qualifications are discussed in relation to the United Kingdom’s Skills for Life Program, where there is a separate diploma-level qualification for each specialty area, and VET practitioners seeking to qualify as an adult numeracy specialist in the United Kingdom must undertake a numeracy proficiency entry test. The research draws attention to the unreliability of numeracy self-assessment and consequently the importance of the numeracy testing of trainers, with participants generally overestimating their numeracy skills. Best practice numeracy assessment scoring methods used for this research is questioned with respect to its suitability for determining VET practitioner preparedness in the workplace context. The analysis of the numeracy assessment data showed that most participants had numeracy proficiency skills levels below the current benchmark in the Vocational Graduate Certificate in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice, the nationally recognised qualification applicable to those with responsibility for adult literacy and numeracy training. The benchmark is questioned by the researchers as being too low by comparison with the standard suggested by international research and adopted by the United Kingdom’s Skills for Life Program. The report also explores the differences between numeracy and mathematics, the characteristics of numeracy in the workplace context and the implications for pedagogy and numeracy assessment. Based on the findings, it appears there is a mismatch between what is required to address numeracy skills needs in the process manufacturing industries and the current capacity of VET practitioners, in terms of their understanding of numeracy requirements, and their qualifications, skills and experience. 1 The Australian Core Skills Framework describes performance in five core skills: learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy. Within each core skill there are five performance levels ranging from 1 (low level) through to 5 (high level performance). 2 Workplace English Language and Literacy Program

Updating the adult and literacy life skills survey: estimating change in skills distribution since 2006

This paper firstly estimates the effect of population changes since 2006 on the skills distribution of the population. Secondly, the paper estimates the reach of adult literacy and numeracy programmes by skills levels in the adult population. Summary New Zealand is currently participating in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). PIAAC includes an international survey of adult skills which will update information on the literacy and numeracy skills of the adult population – last surveyed in 2006 in the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey. The PIAAC survey results will be available in July 2016. This gives us an opportunity to trace the shift in skills in the eight years between the two surveys. Our modelling finds that the changes in the age structure, education and other characteristics of the population since 2006 will have little to no overall effect on the distribution of skills. While there have been considerable shifts in the age structure and characteristics of the adult population, these are likely to cancel each other out in terms of effect on average numeracy and literacy skills. Shifts are more likely to be noticeable for specific sub groups. From 2010 to 2013, around 275,000 adults were assessed for reading or numeracy or both on the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool. Most of these people would have participated in, or had access to, literacy and numeracy provision, and in doing so, had the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Analysis suggests that impact of this provision on the literacy and numeracy skills across the total adult population is likely to be noticeable but relatively small. The scores of the adults who have been assessed can be translated into ALL proficiency levels and compared with the projected distribution of skills in the total population. From this it is estimated that around 10% of the adult population with ALL level 1 document literacy skills were assessed in reading and 15% of the population with ALL level 2 scores. For numeracy, the figures are 11% for each level

ICT and adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL

Mellar, H., Kambouri, M., Sanderson, M., and Pavlou, V. (2004) ICT and adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL. London: NRDC. Available at: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_258.pdfResearch report for NRDCThis project set out to obtain a picture of present teaching practice in the use of ICT in adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL within formal provision. (http://www.nrdc.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_258.pdf

Adult numeracy: a review of research

This report provides an overview of existing research on adult numeracy, with a strong focus on the United Kingdom but also including other countries. The emphasis is on poor numeracy: its antecedents and effects, teaching and learning to overcome it, and the potential use of ICT and mobile technologies in that pursuit

Measures of adult literacy and numeracy

Introduction: This paper explores the relationship between two different measures of adult literacy and numeracy. The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey was an international survey of literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills undertaken in New Zealand in 2006. It provided information on the skills of the population, as well as wide range of background information on employment, qualifications and demographic characteristics. The Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool was developed to measure the literacy and numeracy of learners in New Zealand adult education settings. It was implemented from 2010. It provides results that are aligned with the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Progressions. Exploring the relationship between these two measures can give us a clearer understanding of the Assessment Tool results by comparing the results with internationally referenced information

Adult numeracy teacher training programmes in England: A suggested typology

Nationally approved adult numeracy teacher training programmes were started in September 2002 following the introduction of subject specifications by the Department for Education and Skills and the Further Education National Training Organisation in England. These programmes delivered by higher education institutions and further education colleges were found to consist of a wide variation of course structure and delivery style. This article offers a conceptual typological framework to classify the diversity of these programmes. It uses examples of adult numeracy courses drawn from a research project, which investigates the diverse curriculum approaches to teaching the subject specifications, the issues around implementation, and the way that subject knowledge was translated into classroom skills. The typology uses Bernstein’s theories on curriculum knowledge, transmission and recontextualization pedagogic processes as a framework to classify and enhance our understanding of the raison d’etre of this subject area of teacher training courses i.e. teach trainees how to be teachers of adult numeracy. The article also offers an ‘ideal’ teacher training course where some of its elements are drawn from best practices identified in the project. Finally, this article might act as platform for practitioners to critically assess how adult numeracy teacher training courses might be structured and classifie

Time for National Renewal: Australian adult literacy and numeracy as `foundation skills'

In this paper we highlight four dimensions of the adult literacy and numeracy field which we consider should be incorporated in a new strategy. We draw on recent work on social capital which has direct implications for social inclusion, but also for complementing the human capital rationale for adult literacy and numeracy. We link this work to calls for more cross-sectoral partnerships, and we then highlight an area of VET that should receive greater prominence in a national strategy, the integration of literacy and numeracy in the delivery of VET courses. Finally, we consider professional learning and partnerships with universities in adult literacy and numeracy, and how the field can be revitalised

The benefits of adults learning numeracy

We examine the benefits of adult numeracy learning in the current Australian context by drawing on Schullers framework for analysing the benefits of learning in terms of three capitals: human capital, social capital and identity capital. We argue that although the current adult education policy framework in Australia is biased towards the achievement of only one of the three capitals human capital, the practices of experienced adult educators help to extend the benefits of learning to encompass identity and social capital benefits. We take a case study of a numeracy workshop in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) program in Australia to show how one teacher exemplifies teaching practice that despite the policy gap, helps her learners reap a range of benefits from their numeracy learning