-
Verfasser
-
Mallows, David; Litster, Jennifer
-
Titel
-
Literacy as supply and demand
-
Jahr
-
2016
-
In
-
Zeitschrift für Weiterbildungsforschung 2016(2): Politiken der Grundbildung im internationalen Vergleich
-
Seite
-
171 - 182
- Zitierlink
-
http://www.die-bonn.de/id/34380
Um diese Ausgabe zu zitieren, verwenden Sie bitte diese Internetadresse.
- 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.
