special report: numeracy - nrdcnrdc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/reflect-2.pdf · continuum,...

Using the Reflect approach in ESOLKate Newman examines thelinks between ‘Reflect’ and the ESOL core curriculum

Literacy and the life-courseStephen Reder considers thevalue of investing in adult basic skills education

Embedded teaching and learningTom Jupp and Celia Robertshighlight the key messages ofrecent NRDC research

Learning to write in 21st century EnglandUrsula Howard discusses themotivations of 21st centurylearners

SPECIAL REPORT:

Practitioners and researchers consider the latest issues

THE MAGAZINE OF NRDC | ISSUE 2 | FEBRUARY 2005

Numeracy

Editor

David Mallows

Deputy Editor

Patrick McNeill

Design

Chapman Design

Marketing and Communications Officer

Sophy Toohey

Editorial Advisory Board (interim)

Ursula Howard, NRDC, Institute of Education, University of London

Helen Casey, NRDC, Institute of Education, University of London

Olivia Sagan, NRDC, Institute of Education, University of London

John Vorhaus, NRDC, Institute of Education, University of London

Nora Hughes, NRDC, Institute of Education/Hackney Community College

David Barton, NRDC, University of Lancaster

Alison Tomlin, NRDC, King’s College London

Diana Coben, NRDC, King’s College London

Richard White, DfES

Noyona Chanda, LLU+, London South Bank University

John Callaghan, Park Lane College/University of Leeds

Jayne Bullock, Hackney Community College

The board meets a few weeks after publication of each issue of the magazine, tocomment on the latest issue and to advise on the next issue and on futureeditorial policy. We are very keen to recruit new members of the editorial advisoryboard, especially practitioners. If you think you could commit to three meetingsper year and would like to contribute to the development of reflect pleasecontact the editor, David Mallows, email: [email protected]

About NRDCThe NRDC was established in 2002 as part of the Skills for Life strategy. We are aconsortium of 12 partner organisations, led by the Institute of Education,University of London. The Basic Skills Agency is a key partner. The NRDC isdedicated to improving literacy, numeracy, language and related skills andknowledge. One of our key goals is to refresh and help take forward thegovernment’s Skills for Life strategy. NRDC brings together research,development and action for positive change to improve the quality of learning andthe achievements and progression of learners to further learning andemployment.

NRDC consortium partners

NRDC is a consortium of partners led by the Institute of Education, University of

London with:Lancaster UniversityThe University of NottinghamThe University of SheffieldEast London PathfinderLiverpool Lifelong Learning PartnershipBasic Skills Agency Learning and Skills Development Agency LLU+, London South Bank University National Institute of Adult Continuing EducationKing’s College LondonUniversity of Leeds

Funded by the Department for Education and Skills as part of Skills for Life: the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills.

NRDCInstitute of EducationUniversity of London20 Bedford WayLondon WC1H 0ALTelephone: +44 (0)20 7612 6476Fax: +44 (0)20 7612 6671email: [email protected]

www.nrdc.org.uk

3Reflect • Issue 2 • February 2005

The big theme of Issue 2 of reflectis numeracy and maths, both in thespecial feature and also in theMaths4Life update. The update willserve as a regular home for articleson issues faced by numeracy andmaths teachers and learners – aswell as evidence and ideas aboutteaching and learning.

There is a lot happening in maths toread, write and talk about: NRDC

will be publishing two major reports in the spring. Theywill add hugely to our knowledge about adults’ mathsand numeracy learning. John Bynner and SamanthaParsons have just produced a new report from their‘cohort’ study entitled: ‘Does Numeracy Matter More? Ithas some sadly predictable evidence about the impact ofnumeracy, especially on women. There is huge interestin the Maths4Life project. The conference on 22 Februarysold out in days - another is planned. The website is liveand more practitioners are engaging with the projectdaily. It feels like maths and numeracy are coming infrom the cold.

A topic of much debate is terminology. In an emailexchange within these pages we explore what numeracy‘looks like’. Do we also need to agree what it should becalled? Different meanings are in play; and differentterms are often used by government, the general publicand teachers. Some reflect the social, educational andprofessional contexts. To caricature, numeracy issometimes seen as a subset of maths.

Within Maths4Life we will use the inclusive phrase"numeracy and maths", and review the situation as thesubject takes its proper place in post-16 learning. Wehave set up a discussion forum ("the numeracy / mathsdebate") on the NRDC website http://www.nrdc.org.uk.

The whole purpose of reflect is to provide a forum inwhich practitioners, policy-makers and researchers canshare, think about, and learn from their own and others’experience so that practice, policy and research can bemore mutually supportive. The reaction we have had toIssue 1 - as reflected in the continuing discussion of ILPs- has confirmed the thirst there is for engagement withthe serious ideas that shape the environment in whichwe work. We believe that in this issue there are evenmore opportunities for you to hear from others and addyour voice to the debate. Please contribute.

Ursula HowardDirector, NRDC

Editorial

ISSUE TWO • FEBRUARY 2005

Contents

Cover illustration: Jason Bennion

Issues in adult numeracy 4Noyona Chanda

Images of numeracy 6Maths4Life

Resources, pedagogy and jobs 8Alison Wedgbury

What is good practice in adult numeracy teaching? 10Jon Swain

Introducing Reflect 13Desiree Lopez

Using the Reflect approach in ESOL 14Kate Newman

Reflect in a global society 15Phyllis Thompson

Literacy and the life-course 16Stephen Reder

Embedded teaching and learning18Tom Jupp and Celia Roberts

Voices from the classroom 22

Learners’ first language in the ESOL classroom 23Olivia Sagan and Helen Casey

Learning to write in 21st century England 24Ursula Howard

The ILP debateILPs: option or requirement? 27

ILPs: a trivialisation of teaching and learning? 29Mary Weir

ILPs: related to real life? 31Neena Julka

Teacher researchers 33David Barton

Andrew

full stop at the end of tbhis para has now been deleted

Andrew

this now reads 'ISSUE 2' for consistency

2004 was a good year to grasp the opportunities, takeup the challenges and tackle some of the issues in thefield of adult numeracy.

Let’s start with the issues. Many have been around fora long time but were given greater prominence in 2004.● Newspaper reports highlighted the poor showing

of the UK in the OECD international comparativestudy of maths, science and reading standards of15-year-olds in 41 countries (1).

● Some celebrities were accused of doing a disserviceto society with their throwaway negative remarksabout maths. Jeremy Clarkson publicly affirmedhis don’t-care-if-I’m-no-good-at-maths attitude.

● In the 2004 Richard Dimbleby lecture, the indus-trialist and inventor James Dyson made the casefor more investment in maths and scienceif the UK is to be competitive in globalmarkets.

● The DfES Needs and Impact Survey (2)found that levels of numeracy amongstadults in England are lower than expected.

● The Adrian Smith enquiry (3) highlighted theimportance of nurturing mathematics because ofits central importance to the individual, technolo-gy, economy, citizenship and society.

● The Ofsted/ALI report (4) in 2003 had found thatthe quality of teaching in literacy, numeracy andESOL is poorer than in other subject areas, withadult numeracy teaching practices singled out forparticular criticism.

Everyone seems to be aware of the need to do some-thing radical and far-reaching about numeracy, so whyare so many old issues still unresolved?

Lack of vision and strategyWho’s really pushing for growth and development inadult numeracy? There is often no easily identifiablenumeracy spokesperson in the national, regional orlocal agencies. The Government has recently appoint-ed Celia Hoyles as Maths Tsar but her role is very dis-

tant from adult numeracy provision and practiceissues on the ground. Many national development ini-tiatives which encompass literacy, numeracy and ESOLhave not had a strong numeracy component becauseof a lack of representation of numeracy interests.

Leadership and managementLeaders and managers often gloss over (or merely paylip-service to) numeracy development needs, perhapsbecause of their own maths fears and anxiety or theirlack of understanding of this area.

Organisational structures Lumping literacy and numeracy together under the‘basic skills’ or Skills for Life umbrella has often

meant that development on the literacy frontobscures a lack of development in numeracy, thusmarginalising numeracy. It has also resulted in

literacy teachers ‘doing a bit of numeracy’,which may have contributed to the lack of

numeracy specialists. Curriculum man-agers have traditionally come from a liter-

acy/ESOL background and it is acceptable forthem not to have numeracy expertise. But how likely isit that someone with a numeracy background wouldbe considered as Skills for Life curriculum managerif they did not also have literacy experience?

The structural separation of maths from numeracyfurther marginalises numeracy, depriving both mathsand numeracy of valuable opportunities to shareexpertise, resources and development opportunities.This separation is reinforced all the way up from localprovision to national development initiatives. Ifnumeracy and maths are indeed points on the samecontinuum, then numeracy is surely the bedrock onwhich strong maths foundations should be built.

Inadequate provision and resourcesThere is less provision for numeracy than for literacy,even though surveys over the years have consistentlyshown numeracy needs to be equal to, or greater than,literacy needs.

4 Reflect • Issue 2 • February 2005

NUMERACY

Issues in adultnumeracyNoyona Chanda identifies the key issues for numeracy in 2004 and spells out the challenges for 2005.

“Numeracy is surely the bedrock on which strong maths foundations should be built.

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The argument that numeracy provision is smallerbecause the demand is less may be a false argument.Can we be sure we are catering for those who wouldcome forward if the provision were there?

It’s been a vicious cycle: no push for growth resultsin low levels of take up; low take-up means less invest-ment in provision and specialist resources; there-fore providers cannot respond quickly to increaseddemand; so there is no push for growth.

Teacher capability and capacityExisting teachers of numeracy will need to upgrade theirskills and subject knowledge in order to address learnerneeds more effectively and to meet new teacher andinspection standards. The adult numeracy standards donot address the need for specialist pedagogical trainingand the incongruous mix and level of maths topics andskills may actually make some potential numeracyteachers choose not to specialise in numeracy.

Learner awareness and demand Perhaps the most worrying issue is the fact that, giventhe scale of reported need, adults are not queuing up tojoin adult numeracy or maths classes. Is it because thepopulation at large is unaware of the impact of limit-ed numeracy attainment on theirs and their families’lives? This surely cannot be – one meets numbers atevery turn in a technologically advanced society. Or

does the national fondness for self-deprecatingremarks about maths show that people feel it is OK tohave poor numeracy skills? Or have the surveys got itwrong? Do we have all the maths we need? i.e. we seethe maths that we can do as common sense rather thanmaths.

The misguided use of the core curriculumSadly, what should have been a useful tool for planningand assessment is now widely used as a prescriptivescheme of work, completely at odds with that otherdiktat – the need for an individualised, learner-centredapproach in all teaching. Priority goes to achievingtopic coverage, with learner calculation errors, lack ofconceptual understanding and appropriate ways ofexpressing reasoning often shelved to be unravelledlater, if ever. This does nothing to enhance learner con-fidence, subject enjoyment or independent use ofnumber skills.

The need to grow mathematicsLack of attention to improving the take-up and provi-sion of adult numeracy today will only add to the crit-ical problems in maths in the future. Maths is not justfor engineers and scientists; it’s a tool for all of us tomake sense of the real world. There are adults out therewho could become so enthused by numbers that theywant to share their enthusiasm, foster an interest inmaths in their families, and help their children withmaths and science. There are adults out there whocould get promoted to better jobs if they were able topass numeracy tests. There are young adults whoseexpectations of their own maths capability should beraised for their benefit and for a prosperous future foreconomy and society. Mathematical language is the lit-eracy and communication tool of the knowledge-based world we live in and of the decisions that driveour own and our community’s destiny.

So the challenge, for each one of us, whatever ourcapacity or scope of influence, is this: address the issuesin small steps and stages, but always strategically andwith a vision.● If you’re a numeracy teacher, think about how you

can make each lesson engaging and enabling of allthose number skills that you and I use with confi-dence. Class activities and exercises are important,but how do you and the learner know if what hasbeen taught in class is going to make a differencein the learner’s life, leisure and work situations?How best can you replicate real life applicationsand contexts? Most important of all – how canyou help learners to learn through their mistakesand blocks, rather than avoid them? Seek outinteresting resources and demand them as a basic‘kit’ for your numeracy teaching.

● If you’re a vocational teacher, have you >

“Maths is a tool for all of us to make sense of the real world.

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considered the work-related numeracy thatwould better prepare your learners for the worldof work? You are best placed to integrate thisdevelopment need into the training programme.

● If you’re a curriculum leader or manager, thinkabout whether and how every single learner inyour organisation could improve their essentialnumeracy skills, and how provision for thisshould be organised. It is not good enough tohide behind the excuse that funding or teachersare not available. You need to make the case forfunding of provision and resources and, at thesame time, to grow your pool of numeracy spe-cialists by giving them status, good terms andconditions and appropriate staff training anddevelopment.

● If you’re a project leader or worker, considerwhere there is the scope in what you are doing to

develop numeracy, for all the reasons statedabove. Are you in danger of not addressingnumeracy because ‘you’re not a numeracy expert’,even though you know you should?

Seize the timeThere has never been a better time to seize the oppor-tunity to take action – numeracy is high on the agen-da at national, regional and local levels, and hencethere is likely to be a more favourable funding envi-ronment for relevant development initiatives. Currentnational initiatives/resources include:● The LSC Skills for Life Quality Initiative offers

regional support for building capacity in numera-cy, alongside ESOL and literacy. Numeracy is notyet using its full entitlement. www.sflqi.org.uk

● The Maths4Life project offers practitioners theopportunity to engage in research and develop-


NUMERACY

I think it would be great toincorporate some pictures of the lots ofus who try to decipher pay slips,financial advice info on pensions, APRrates, etc. Financial capability is a bigissue for many – empowering adults tounderstand and organise their financesis powerful as well as a big issue –especially pensions, supporting kidsthrough HE, etc.Maybe also images of people indifferent settings measuring medicines,chemicals and materials, etc, orworkers measuring different batchrequirements, etc.Judith Swift, TUC

Bottles of water, speedrestriction signs, weights in a gym,traffic passing (speed?), road widthrestrictions, bottle of medicine with ateaspoon. The maths that we really need thesedays includes issues of risk andprobability e.g. life insurance, pensions,who to vote for, whether there's anypoint voting, whether it's worth votingfor a strike in your union, cost of creditand risk of debt.I think avoid 'coping' images (e.g.shopping). The message from the Skillsfor Life survey is that while the

The Maths4life teamexchange ideas forvisualising adultnumeracy.

The NRDC is runningMaths4Life, a major researchand development project onadult numeracy. The projectaims to improve the quality ofteaching and learning innumeracy and non-specialistmaths for learners in a widerange of post-16 provision.

We want to commission a seriesof photos representing adultnumeracy to use in Maths4Lifepublications and on theMaths4Life websitewww.maths4life.org, so weneed to brief a photographer.The project team was asked, viaemail, to suggest some imagesfor adult numeracy.

Dear all,What do you considerto be images of adultnumeracy? Forexample, I imagine wewould want picturesof money beingcounted (as in loosechange not 100 dollarbills!), ofsupermarket specialoffers etc – whatelse? The variouscontexts in whichnumeracy learningtakes place will alsoneed to berepresented – whatare they? David Mallows, NRDC

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ment to add to what we know about effectiveteaching and learning. www.maths4life.org.uk

● The Adult Numeracy Professional DevelopmentCentre at LLU+, London South Bank University,is a unique resource to support the adult numeracy curriculum and develop teachers andprovision. www.lsbu.ac.uk/lluplus

● The DfES Standards Unit work on activity-basedlearning in mathematics is developing more effec-tive approaches to the teaching of mathematics atLevel 3. www.successforall.gov.uk

Numeracy solutions need to be implemented simulta-neously on a number of fronts – provision, practice,resources, learner demand, curriculum for learnersand teachers, improving the maths capability of allteachers. This may sound like an impossible challenge,but the time for merely expressing concern and diffi-

culty is over; it’s action time. Time is of the essence andthe opportune time is now!

For anyone fired up with enthusiasm or concern,contact me through the Maths4Life websitewww.maths4life.org and we can find a way together totake up the numeracy challenge.

(1) Learning for Tomorrow's World: First results from

PISA 2003 OECD (2004).

(2) The Skills for Life Survey: A National Needs and Impact

Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT Skills DfES (2004).

(3) Smith, A. (2004) Making Mathematics Count: The

Report of Professor Adrian Smith’s Inquiry into

Post-14 Mathematics Education. The Stationery Office.

(4) Literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other

languages: a survey of current practice in post-16 and

adult provision (Ofsted/ALI 2003).

government may think we're not coping,everyone else thinks we are. On the other hand, if the images are toillustrate numeracy as defined in thecore curriculum, much of the above isirrelevant.Alison Tomlin, King’s College

London

I think it's important that theimages reflect maths learning as wellas the day-to-day aspects associatedwith the adult numeracy curriculum. The images should not all be totallyobvious. They could get people thinkingby including images which people mightnot at first glance think aremaths/numeracy, but they are. Ursula Howard, NRDC

I would suggest that we try toget away from men measuring andbuilding and women shopping andcooking! Also why should numeracy beassociated with loose change and notmillion-dollar images?Noyona Chanda, LLU+

In view of our responses to ourearlier project "Making MathsMeaningful...' I would include a pictureof a parent helping a primary age pupilwith homework.Margaret Brown, King’s

College London

This is a real challenge as we toooften resort to obvious images – therewas a great Ch4 prog on at 5.30am (!)today looking at the importance of mathsin the production of films/stunts/specialeffects. Great images of film stars andaction shots and great linkages withmaths in relation to building stuff,making special effects, weight-bearingand safety but the images wouldn't'speak' of maths.Jan Eldred, NIACE

A number of roles for thisphotograph set is emerging. These rolestend to divide nicely into three groups.Some of the photos will be obvious,naturally occurring examples ofnumeracy in action (but hopefully notstereotypical) eg the use of financialpractices. Others are less obviousimages, but there to make people thinkabout numeracy's breadth – I'dparticularly like to see maths in use inthe workplace in unusual settings (egmusic recording studios). Thirdly, there'sthe use of images to show numeracylearning in both formal and informalsettings (eg family homework). My maincomment therefore is to try and obtain abalance between these three groups, andthat using the original suggestions wouldbe an excellent starting point.Paul Worrall, Head of

Financial Literacy

The Basic Skills Agency

I would like to echo Paul'sexample of a music studio. I workedwith music for a number of years andthe use of sequencing software hasmeant quite a change to the way musicis dealt with. I've tried to get somesoftware and a keyboard for our centre– but I think people think I am having alaugh!Graham Griffiths, LLU+

We had a concept in one of theUfI products we made a while ago, of a"Maths finder". It took the form of amagnifying glass – you put it oversomething and lo and behold theunderlying maths appeared in someform. The idea has more potential thanwas possible in that particularrealisation. Maybe a maths X-raymachine?Martin Good, CTAD

So what do you think adultnumeracy ‘looks like’? And what aboutESOL and literacy? Let us know! [email protected]

“The invisibility of maths is pervasive - and somethingwe have to struggle with atall levels.”Celia Hoyles - Chief Adviser for Maths at the DfES

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What numeracy-specific CPD do youthink would be most useful and forwhom?

Respondents called for practical, hands-on workshops on:● teaching specific topics in maths at all

levels, to adults rather than children● workshops on how to support learners

who have learning difficulties,disabilities or low-level language skills

● effective diagnostic assessment● using the Core Curriculum creatively● how to ‘explain the maths behind

things, rather than doing it by magic’● how to develop problem solving skills.

What resources do you findparticularly useful for teachingnumeracy? What materials/resources would you find useful intraining adult numeracy teachers?

Teachers were enthusiastic about a rangeof resources, both their own andpublished ones. Using real materials andobjects was also popular. There wasgeneral support for ICT and the internet(and universal praise for BBC Skillswise)though access to hardware varies:‘There’s only one data projector in thecollege that I know about but I would liketo use software to demonstrate ‘playingaround’ with maths.’

Where people had videos of effectiveteaching, they found these very useful intraining. Others did not know of anyvideos but would like to have them. Therewere also some strong advocates oftraining teachers in how to use realia (e.g.tins of paint, dice, dominoes, posters,maps) in their teaching.

Resources, pedagogyand jobsAlison Wedgbury summarises ten practitioners’ views on the burning issues for numeracy.

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What is the best way for newteachers to get support from theexisting community ofpractitioners?

There was strong agreement that the besttype of support for new teachers includes:● learning on the job● team teaching alongside experienced

practitioners who can demonstrate arange of approaches

● regular team meetings to shareresources, teaching ideas andexperience of different learner groups

● structured mentoring.

Numeracy teachers are often in the jobbecause they ‘…just love maths’ and theywant to share that enthusiasm. Adedicated online chat room was alsosuggested.

‘I have experienced this team supportwith ESOL teacher training but not withnumeracy.’‘Shadowing an experienced teacher

shouldn’t be used as a free way to getextra help in the class.’

‘Personally I am limited bytransport so I mainly domy own thing and have to

build up my ownresources.’

Towards the end of 2004, NRDCasked ten practitioner-membersof our discussion groups for theirviews on the state of numeracyteaching. Our respondents workin FE colleges, communitylearning, family or hospitalprogrammes, probation or 16-19training in England, Scotland andCyprus. Their length ofexperience in teaching post-16numeracy ranges from two whowere new teachers to over 20years. They teach discretenumeracy or GCSE maths classes,numeracy for ESOL learners, ornumeracy for vocational areas.Some also train numeracyteachers or manage provision.

We don’t claim that the ideasexpressed on these pages isrepresentative of general opinionamong the adult numeracyworkforce. However, we dobelieve that many of the thingsthey say will resonate withteachers of adultnumeracy and we do hopethat you will join thedebate


NUMERACY

‘People tend to get comfortable withusing only worksheets and aren’t awareof the other resources available, such asthe internet.’‘I’d like to see more distance learningmaterials available. In this area, coursesinvolve a lot of travelling.’

What is your view on the level ofmathematics required inqualifications for numeracypractitioners? What is the casefor/against numeracy-specificpedagogy in teacher training?

Teachers in England with less experience(and a few with some experience) were infavour both of the high level of maths inthe new subject-specialist qualificationand of numeracy-specific pedagogy:

‘All teachers should regard themselvesas numerate whether they are involvedin numeracy teaching or not, because itwill help to dispel the idea that it is OKnot to be numerate.’‘The teacher should know how to adapttheir teaching for what learners need toknow.’

Most of the more experienced teacherswere more likely to agree with thesestatements:

‘You don’t need degree level maths to beable to teach at Entry Level.’‘Often the worst teachers are those whoare most highly qualified in maths.’

How useful is the Adult NumeracyCore Curriculum in supportingnumeracy provision?

All respondents in England thought theCore Curriculum was a good frameworkand starting-point but many wereconcerned that teachers need help indeveloping how they use it so that it doesnot become simply a course.

What are the strengths andweaknesses of using ILPs for adults learning numeracy?

The principle of ILPs was generallyaccepted but everyone in England foundtheir implementation too time-consumingand at worst ‘… a pain. I just want to beteaching, not filling in forms.’ Someinteresting comments relating tonumeracy (rather than to learning ingeneral) were:

‘The ILP works well in reviews becauseof the short-term numeracy goals youcan set.’but‘I find that short-term goals in numeracy

have to keep changing because I findgaps in students’ knowledge that weren’tapparent in initial assessment.’‘I question whether all numeracylearners can read and understand theirILP; some also have poor literacy skills.’

What do you feel is the mostpressing issue in adult numeracyteaching at the moment?

Responses divided between a concern forlearners and issues of teacheremployment and continuing professionaldevelopment.

Respondents are concerned that there aregaps in the recruitment and retention oflearners, a lack of effective (and funded)recognition of learner achievement otherthan by qualification targets, and a lack ofclarity about the parity between theNational Test and GCSE Maths.

Capacity in the teaching workforce wasflagged as a burning issue:

‘Not enough money has been put into theemployment of tutors. Part-time tutorsare still only paid for the hours theyteach. This excludes them from havingtime to develop their own maths skills orresources.’

‘There should be full-time contracts andfinancial incentives similar to thoseoffered to new secondary schoolteachers. If you need to work full-time,you often have to teach in differentplaces, involving lots of travel, or acrossdifferent subjects to make up the hours.’

Conclusions

All respondents were clearly interested inthe wider issues around numeracyteaching – otherwise they would not havebeen involved in the NRDC or NIACEdiscussion groups in the first place.Despite this, the influence of their owncontext was very apparent.

Newer teachers seem to accept theFENTO standards for numeracy withoutgreat concern, while more experiencedteachers’ views on Level 4 may beinfluenced by their own route intonumeracy teaching, sometimes as aliteracy teacher who has learned to ‘drip-feed some numeracy into their classes’.

If people work in an organisation that hasa high inspection rating fornumeracy/literacy/ ESOL, or a goodcontinuing professional developmentinfrastructure, they have a generallyconstructive view of initiatives andresources, even if not of the demands ofthe subject-specialist qualifications. Ifthey work in isolation, or for anorganisation where Skills for Life andCPD are less well developed, or wherethere is a shortage of numeracy teachers,it can be a different matter.

This small sample of numeracy teachershave had their say – what about you?Log on to the NRDC website, click on‘online discussion forums’ and tell uswhat you think.

With thanks to:

Marjorie Drew, Edinburgh and MidlothianCouncils Gill Hampson, Brockenhurst CollegePierre Gerrard, City of Bristol CollegeElaine Bristow, Oaklands CollegeAnne Seaman, RETRO course (NIACE)Christina Ross, RETRO course (NIACE)Ann McDonnell, London Borough ofBarking and DagenhamDeborah Bouch, Reading CollegeJo Yeandle, City of Bristol CollegeChris Roberts, Sheffield College

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She also points out that the picture is not a great dealclearer with respect to pedagogy in mathematics edu-cation generally, which is dominated by studies of chil-dren’s learning and teaching. Askew, in his review ofstudies of mathematics education pedagogy datingfrom 1968 to 2000, concludes that ‘detailed compara-tive studies suggest that differences in pedagogic prac-tices are as much to do with macro influences as vari-ation amongst individual teachers. In terms of implica-tions for practice there is little specific to recommend’ (myitalics) (Askew, 2001).

Teaching adults and teaching childrenSome educators think there are major differencesbetween teaching mathematics to adults and to chil-dren. My own view (and that is all it is) is that there islittle difference between adult learning and the learn-ing of children in terms of general methods andapproaches. Rogers (2003) (3) maintains that teachingconsists of a series of relationships between variousidentities including those of ‘adult-or-child + student’and teacher. He suggests that, rather than the differentways in which they learn, it is how an adult constructsthe experience of being a student and how a child con-structs it that is the most important difference betweenteaching adults and teaching children.

An adult’s construct of being a student is likely to bewider than and different from that of a child becausean adult is able to draw on the experience of havingonce been a child and of now no longer being a child.Adults have had more time to reflect on and developtheir own perceptions of what they feel they are goodat and not so good at in learning terms (e.g. ‘I’m hope-less at maths’; ‘maths is a difficult subject’). Childrenare still in the process of developing these perceptionsof their own abilities and have less experience to drawon.

Adult learners therefore come with a different setof motivations, interests and agendas. Some willwant to use and find out things based on their ownexperiences; others will have a specific learning goal,such as wanting a specific qualification and expect amore formalised approach. It should be the expecta-

What is good practice in adultnumeracy teaching?Jon Swain is a researcher on various NRDC numeracy projects. Here, he outlines some early issues from the research.

Is this a sensible question?It’s a question to which policy-makers demand ananswer but can anyone come up with a meaningfulresponse? ‘Good practice’ means different things todifferent people, but we have to start somewhere. Inpurely practical terms, a teacher entering a classroomfor the first time to teach numeracy to a class of adultsneeds to be able to base their practice on somethingtangible, a set of guidelines if nothing else. There is awide range of empirical experience to draw on, frompeople who have been teaching adult numeracy formany years (including the teacher-researchers work-ing on NRDC numeracy projects), and there is proba-bly more agreement about what makes ‘good practice’than many people might think.

Defining bad practiceHowever, it is probably easier to agree on what is meantby ‘bad practice’ than ‘good practice’. For most people,bad practice would involve the teacher teaching math-ematics using a series of procedures, with the studentslearning by rote without understanding. There wouldbe no connections made to other areas of maths (e.g.the relationship between decimals, fractions and per-centages); the students would not be expected to knowthe reason or the purpose of why they were learningthe maths; there would be little talk or discussionbetween the students; they would be listening ratherthan ‘doing’, and so on.

Defining good practiceIn her review of research into the teaching and learn-ing of adult numeracy, Coben (2003) (1) reminds usthat there is considerable confusion around the con-cept of numeracy. As a result, it is all too easy for prac-titioners, researchers, policy-makers and the adultlearners themselves to be at cross-purposes in any dis-cussion of what should be taught and learned, how, towhom and by whom, for what purposes and with whatoutcomes. She cautions that the knowledge-base forthe teaching of adult numeracy is still insecure anddoes not support definitive statements on what consti-tutes good practice in any given situation.

NRDC projects‘Teaching andlearning commonmeasures,especially atEntry Level’ and‘A study ofeffective practicein inclusive adultnumeracyteaching’ (bothdue forpublicationspring 2005) areexploring thequestion thatprovides the titlefor this article.

SPECIAL REPORT


NUMERACY

tions of the student rather than the preferences ofthe teacher and/or educational institution thatdetermine the learning programme, although theremay be a problem where students have limitedexpectations.

Teaching adult numeracy An additional problem in adult numeracy teaching isthat provision is so wide and varied. This makes itextremely difficult, if not impossible, to come up witha definition of good practice that covers every context.It is important to remember that the term ‘good prac-tice’ is value-laden and socially and culturally specific,meaning different things to different people. It is alsosynonymous with ‘best’ or ‘effective’ practice.Questions need to be asked about ‘Who should

decide?’, ‘What criteria should be used?’ and ‘Can it, orshould it, be measured?’ Another important questionto ask is, ‘What is its purpose?’ for there will be differ-ent and competing purposes, expectations and pres-sures from governments, providers, managers, teach-ers and students. For instance, for managers, the bestpractice is likely to be that which results in the maxi-mum number of examination passes and while thismay also be the case for some teachers and students,there will be others who regard the best practice asbeing that which results in the most learning, or themost enjoyment or engagement in the process oflearning.

It is vital to understand the epistemological basisthat underlies the teaching of numeracy in the adultclassroom. Avis (2000) (4) writes that the approach >

Can we learn fromgood practice inprimary schools?

A major study of effective numeracy

teachers in the primary school was carried

out by a team at King’s College London

between 1995 and 1996 for the Teacher

Training Agency (TTA) (Askew, Brown et

al., 1997) (2).

The connectionist orientationThe team found that what distinguishedhighly effective teachers from the restwas a consistent and coherent set ofbeliefs about how best to teachmathematics whilst taking children’slearning into account. The theme of‘connections’ particularly struck theteam. Several of the highly effectiveteachers seemed to pay attention to:(i) connections between differentaspects of mathematics, for example,addition and subtraction, or fractions,decimals and percentages;(ii) connections between differentrepresentations of mathematics,including moving between symbols,words, diagrams and objects;(iii) connections with children’smethods, including valuing thesemethods, being interested in children’sthinking and sharing the children’smethods.

The team came to refer to suchteachers as having a ‘connectionist’

orientation to teaching and learningnumeracy. Such an orientation includedthe belief that being numerate involvedbeing both efficient and effective. Forthese teachers, being numeraterequired an awareness of differentmethods of calculation and the ability tochoose an appropriate strategy.

Associated with the connectionistorientation was the belief that, givenappropriate teaching, most children canlearn mathematics.

The team identified two otherorientations – the ‘transmissionorientation’ and the ‘discoveryorientation’.

The transmission orientationIn this orientation, the teacher placedmore emphasis on teaching than onlearning. This orientation involved abelief in the importance of a collectionof procedures or routines, particularlyregarding paper-and-pencil methods. It

involved one method for doing eachparticular type of calculation, regardlessof whether a different method would bemore efficient in a particular case. Thisemphasis on a set of routines andmethods that need to be learned leadsto the presentation of mathematics indiscrete packages. An example of thiswould be fractions taught separatelyfrom division.

The discovery orientationIn this orientation, learning takesprecedence over teaching and the paceof learning is largely determined by thechildren. Children’s own strategies aremost important and their understandingis based on working things out forthemselves. Children are seen asneeding to be ‘ready’ before they canlearn certain mathematical ideas. Thisresults in a view that children vary intheir ability to become numerate.

Askew argues that the orientations‘connectionist’, ‘transmission’ and‘discovery’ are ideal types; no singleteacher in the project held a set ofbeliefs that precisely matched a singleorientation. Nevertheless, teachers whowere identified as having a transmissionor a discovery orientation were shown tobe less effective in their teaching thanthose identified as connectionist. Itwould be interesting to investigatewhether these findings also held truefor adult numeracy teachers.

Adapted from Sheila Macrae in Coben (2003) (1).

SPECIAL REPORT

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used in Skills for Life is to address the individual stu-dent and deal with their specific needs. If their particu-lar problems or inhibitions that obstruct learning canbe addressed, the student should be enabled to learn.All the teacher has to do is to draw upon the correctpedagogic technique and all will be well. However, theepistemology behind this is a narrow conceptualisationthat views pedagogy as involving the transmission ofknowledge, skills and understanding in a straightfor-ward one-way process whereby students are empty ves-sels needing to be filled up.

Many educators wish to promote a more progressivemodel that is rooted in discussions between teacher andstudent and between student and student. It involvesthe process of meaning-making whereby studentssimultaneously construct and make sense of theirworld, and is also more democratic in the sense thatroles of teacher and student can be reversed. However,this type of practice is directed towards meeting theneeds of the students rather than the needs of the econ-omy.

What makes a good numeracy teacher?The research team for ‘Making numeracy teachingmeaningful to adult learners’ (5) found that the teacherhas the most important role in making mathematics asmeaningful and stimulating as possible for adult learn-ers, and that the quality of teaching is at least as impor-tant as the mathematical content.

Teachers need to show that mathematics can be use-ful in enabling students/learners to function moreeffectively, and that it can help people have a deeperunderstanding of the world they live in. However,teachers also need to emphasise the aesthetic qualitiesof mathematics and to engender a sense of excitementand wonder about the subject. Good practice involvesteachers showing that mathematics is exciting.

The research shows that the key feature of a goodnumeracy teacher is that he or she gets to know the stu-dents, their backgrounds, their capabilities and theirneeds. This was confirmed when the students wereasked about what they thought made a good teacher.Many were aware that there is more to teaching thanjust teaching, and that it’s really about understanding,and taking account of, the student’s individual needs.

Gurpreet: I think a teacher in maths shouldunderstand the background of the student, this isthe main thing, if the teacher knows the back-ground he [or she] can go more slowly or under-stand because some students, they never hadmaths, and you can’t just quickly explain things, sothen you have to step back and try to be patient tounderstand the way how they understand, I thinkit’s quite important if the teacher understands this,every teacher can teach good but some teachers,they are just teaching you know.

Like the research team, students felt that the role ofthe teacher in the numeracy classroom was critical.Teaching consists of a series of relationships, and goodrelations between the student and teacher are absolute-ly crucial if effective learning is going to take place.

Joe: If you don’t like the teacher, you ain’t gonnalearn nothing.

The teacher-researchers also thought that a goodnumeracy teacher should respect students as adults, beable to listen carefully, to explain clearly without talk-ing down or being patronising, and make students feelcomfortable and able to ask questions without feelingembarrassed or stupid. A good teacher is intuitive,endlessly patient, gives encouragement and praise,believes in the student and can recognise their poten-tial. Finally, a good teacher has high expectations oftheir students and knows how to motivate them.

(1) Coben D, Colwell, D, et al. (2003) Adult Numeracy:

Review of research and related literature. London,

NRDC: 173.

(2) Askew M, Brown M, Rhodes V, Wiliam D, &

Johnson D (1997). Effective Teachers of Numeracy.

London: King’s College London.

(3) Rogers, A. (2003) What is the difference: a new

critique of adult learning and teaching, Leicester,

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE).

(4) Avis, J. (2000) Policing the subject: learning

outcomes, managerialism and research in PCET, British

Journal of Educational Studies, 48, pp.38-57.

(5) Swain J. et al. (2005 forthcoming) Making numeracy

teaching meaningful to adult learners, NRDC.


NUMERACY

“Teachers need to emphasise the aesthetic qualities of mathematics.

SPECIAL REPORT

Photograph: P

hillip Meech


REFLECT

Introducing Reflect

Reflect started life as three action research projects (inUganda, Bangladesh and El Salvador) in 1993, man-aged by ActionAid and funded by the ODA. Since then,it has grown into a worldwide initiative with over 350projects in more than 60 countries. The Reflectapproach is based on the theories of Paulo Freire, ofwhich the central premise is that no education is neu-tral – it can be used for domination or for liberation.Freire argued that ‘illiteracy is just one of the concreteexpressions of an unjust social reality’ and developedan approach to literacy which linked ‘learning to readthe word with learning to read the world’.

The ODA evaluation of the pilot projects, publishedin 1995, noted that literacy was not in itself empower-ing, and that the pilot groups showed few signs of ben-efits in respect of health, productivity or communityorganisation. However, Reflect interweaves literacywith empowerment, and the real effects of the Reflectactivities included increased community-level actionand participation in community organisations. Thepilots also had a positive impact on other areas, includ-ing gender roles and relations, health-awareness andchildren's education.

ActionAid produced the Reflect Mother Manual in1996, which documented the purpose and outcome ofthe pilots and included ideas for the development ofliteracy skills. It also documented tools which tutors,community groups and volunteers could adapt in thedevelopment of their learner-centred practice, focus-ing on issues as diverse as ESOL, neighbourhoodregeneration and health management. However, in

1998 the decision was taken effectively to abolish theMother Manual and to focus on networking and theexchange of experience between practitioners, build-ing from practical experience and direct exchange tokeep Reflect alive rather than to produce a new fixedtext. This has in turn led to the development of thepublication ‘Communication and Power’ which pro-vides practical examples, contributed by practitionersaround the world, of ways of introducing differentconcepts and facilitating processes and discussions.

Reflect todayToday, the Reflect website at www.reflect-action.orgincludes teaching and learning materials on literacy,>

Desiree Lopez gives a brief account of the history and rationale of Reflect, a unique approach to adult learning.

Paulo Freire and the work of Reflect

Paulo Freire was awarded the UNESCO 1986 prize for Education forPeace but is perhaps best known for his book ‘Pedagogy of theOppressed’ (1968, 1970). In 2003, the International Reflect Circle(CIRAC), a non-governmental organisation, was awarded a UNESCOprize for its work which built on that of Freire. The acronym REFLECTstands for ‘Regenerated Freirean Literacy through EmpoweringCommunity Techniques’.

For an introduction to the work of Paulo Freire see

www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm


REFLECT

numeracy and ICT and descriptions of projects andactivities all over the world. The numeracy section, inparticular, has an interesting debate on the role ofnumeracy in economic literacy and a highly self-criti-cal account of how Reflect has approached numeracyin the past, which ‘has tended to be reduced to abstractmechanical exercises containing numbers that have lit-tle bearing on the learners' reality’. Does that soundfamiliar?

As an ESOL practitioner, I first came across Reflect in1999 when I was trying to adapt a community- basedESOL programme so that it would meet the needs ofmarginalised refugee and immigrant women inCanada. The experience was extremely significant notonly in increasing ESOL literacy and numeracy skillsin ‘hard-to-reach’ communities, but also in helpingpractitioners to develop ongoing reflection about theirwork, helping the programme to develop and priori-tise ways of assessing alternative outcomes such asincreased civic participation, and enabling learners toparticipate in decision-making both within their com-munities and beyond.

Reflect has direct relevance to both the Skills forLife and the citizenship agendas here in the UK. Reflectenables practitioners and learners alike to develop arights-based approach to community and literacydevelopment. If we are truly interested in an inclusiveapproach to adult education, exploring Reflect willbring us ideas, experience and accountability.

Literacy and language skills areimportant but, on their own, they willnot change people’s lives. Refugeesand asylum-seekers arriving in theUK face many barriers andprejudices in accessing services andmeeting their daily needs in anunfamiliar environment. They needto know how to obtain and useinformation, not just how to read it.They need to develop more than justlinguistic confidence if they are todeal with the complex powerdynamics inherent in their situation.They should feel as entitled asanyone else to speak out when theirrights are abused, as entitled asanyone else to address problems forthemselves and to propose their ownsolutions.

The ESOL core curriculumThe introduction of the national corecurriculum for ESOL creates newopportunities to address theseneeds. The curriculum aims toaddress learners’ short-term goals,their education and employmentaspirations, their trauma and theirpersonal learning difficulties. Itemphasises a learner-centredapproach to ESOL. Teachers andproviders are expected to be awareof the range of needs, skills andaspirations that each learner hasand the implications of these for thelearning process.

Reflect offers a practical and provenway of achieving these aims andexpectations. It can play a key rolein linking the learning of ESOL towider processes of socialintegration and communitycohesion. A Reflect ESOL approachwill enable learners to gain English

“Literacy and language skills are important but, on their own, they will not change people’s lives.

Using the Reflectapproach in ESOLKate Newman examines the links between Reflect and the ESOL core curriculum and invites teachers to get involved.

Adult literacy learners all over theglobe bring their world into theclassroom. Refugee women can talkabout their trauma in a literacy class;the powerless peasant is able toquestion the unequal distribution ofpower in his society; fashion-consciousyouth are encouraged to think aboutthe labour behind the labels theyflaunt; the housewife contemplates theun/fairness of the trade that broughtthe coffee/tea she will drink during thebreak from the class.

In recognising literacy learners asboth local and global citizens, weshould not lose sight of the socio-emotional dimension of the learningand teaching process and the place ofexperience in literacy. But how can weacknowledge learners’ experience,clarify their curriculum expectationsand, at the same time, maintain aneducational focus? What do we do tostudents in a literacy class? What areauthentic learning outcomes? Whatare the key literacy skills for a globalsociety? How do we balance contentand methodology? How do we assessand reward success in adult literacy?What is best practice?

If these questions challenge thepedagogy then they must alsochallenge our expectations of theliteracy teacher. Are we facilitators?tutors? Community developmentworkers? Social workers? Politicalactivists? Educators? Paulo Freire andothers have helped us to understandthat we bring our particular world-view and values to the learningprocess. So, what background,training and competencies should weexpect of the good/effective literacytutor?

Communicating between worldsLiteracy is a means to social inclusion;it embodies learning as well as asocial, political, economic andenvironmental agenda. The desire tocommunicate is at the heart of thelearning and teaching of literacy.

If literacy is about communication,including communication betweendifferent worlds, we should ask ‘Howfar do the literacy professionalscommunicate with each other, orenable learners to do so?’ Literacypractitioners in both North and Southtestify to the added value gained whenfunders, partners, facilitators andlearners discuss and agree a sharedset of criteria for assessing the qualityof learning outcomes in adult literacy.

So, how best can practitioners indifferent parts of the world, whereverthey are on the learner-teachercontinuum, learn from each other? TheReflect approach is designed to connectthe local experience of the learner towider themes and global issues. It is apowerful holistic approach to teachingliteracy but, as yet, it is only aninteresting possibility for practitionersin the UK. Opportunities to learn aboutit and test it in UK contexts are availableto only a few, yet government funding,via DfID, promotes it as an effectivemethod for learning and teachingliteracy in the South. DfID and the DfEScould surely help to establish dialoguebetween stakeholders in the South andthe North, in the interest of Skills forLife and of sustainable development inour global society.

This is an edited version of a paper in

‘Linking literacy programmes in developing

countries’ (NRDC Spring 2005).

language skills alongside otherskills. By linking language learningto the analysis of broader issues inlearners’ lives, Reflect can helpbreak down the walls of theclassroom, helping learners todevelop and strengthen theirlanguage skills through practicaluse.

Learners as participantsThe Reflect approach challengesteacher- or text-driven work,placing learners as participants atthe centre of the process.Discussion and language learningare based on rich visual materialsdeveloped by the learner/participants themselves and relatedto their own immediateexperiences. Thus the systematiclearning of communication skills islinked to an individual and groupprocess of empowerment andaction. By addressing the existingpower dynamics between teacherand learner/participants, Reflectcan enable learner/participants touse their knowledge, skills andcreativity to their full extent.

The adaptation of Reflect to ESOLin the UK is at an early stage butwe are in the process of developinga pack of resource materials, whichcan be mapped to the ESOLcurriculum, for use by ESOLteachers across the range of ESOLproviders (FE colleges, refugeecommunity organisations, etc.)

We are looking for ESOL teachers/providers who are interested inbeing involved in this Reflect ESOLinitiative, whether helping with thematerials development process,receiving training, experimentingwith the approach, or joining thenetwork.

If you are interested please contact us:

Eamon Scanlon ([email protected])

and Kate Newman [email protected]

Tel: 020 7561 7561. For more details on

the Reflect approach see:

www.reflect-action.org

REFLECT

Reflect in a global societyPhyllis Thompson highlights how the Reflect approach can help students and tutors across the globe to learn from each other.

Reflect • Issue 2 • February 2005 15


LITERACY

The Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning (LSAL) is the first research project totest the ‘human capital’ model of adult basic skills education using data collectedover a period of time. LSAL is following a representative sample of about 1,000from a population of low-education adults aged 18 to 44 in a large American citywho dropped out of school and have not achieved a secondary credential. Data arestill being collected and analyses are still in progress, but a number of interimfindings have emerged from the LSAL study.

Development of literacy In response to the first question,adults’ literacy abilities clearly dochange over the life-course after theyleave school. The LSAL measuresliteracy proficiency and everydayliteracy practices. Proficiency ismeasured by Document Literacyassessment instruments developedby the Educational Testing Serviceand used in numerous other large-scale surveys of adult literacy.Engagement in literacy practices ismeasured by responses to questionsabout the frequency with whichadults perform a range of readingactivities (e.g. how frequently theyread the main news section of thenewspaper). A similar scale is usedfor engagement in everyday mathsactivities.

These measures revealconsiderable variability amongindividuals in the amount and rate ofobserved change but neithermeasure is sufficient, on its own, tocharacterise the literacy changesthat occur across the adult life-course.

In general, younger adults tend toexhibit increases in literacyproficiency and practices over time,whereas adults aged about 40 andabove show the opposite pattern, i.e.decreasing levels of proficiency andless engagement in literacypractices. Further analyses will helpclarify the extent to which these age-related changes reflect maturationalchanges or life experiences such aschanges in employment, family anddaily activities.

The decline in literacy that manyolder adults appear to experiencemay have important implications forpolicy and programs. Traditionallythere have been two sources of newadults with basic skills needs: ● young people leaving school with

basic skills needs; and ● immigrant adults entering with

basic skills needs. The LSAL results so far suggest a

third and as yet unconsidered source: ● older adults experiencing new

basic skills needs.

Literacy and the life-courseInvesting in adult basic skills education is often justified in terms of the social and economic returns it brings. Stephen Reder describes the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning (LSAL) in the US, which is testing this view.

The LSAL is addressing four major research questions:

1

To what extent doadults’ literacyabilities continueto develop afterthey leaveschool?

2

What are adults’patterns ofparticipation informal basicskills programsand otherlearningactivities?

3

How doesparticipation inbasic skillsprograms andother learningactivities affectobserved literacydevelopment?

4

How do changesin literacyabilities affectsocial andeconomicoutcomes inadult life?

Photograph: P

hillip Meech


LITERACY

Given our increasingly grayingsocieties and workforces, new typesof policies and programs may beneeded to help adults maintain theirliteracy and numeracy abilities.

Patterns of participationThe second research questionconsiders adults’ patterns ofparticipation in formally organisedbasic skills programs and otherlearning activities. These patternsare complex. Many adults in the LSALpopulation do not participate in suchprograms, but most participate atleast once. Among those who do,patterns of participation are oftenbroken into multiple episodes, withlearners participating in a course fora while, then stopping for a while,then participating again. Thesefragmented patterns often reflect thedifficulties of fitting programparticipation into already busy livesfilled with the competing demands offamily and work. Adults oftenendeavour on their own specifically toimprove their reading, writing ormaths skills, a process here termedself-study. Some adults engage insuch self-study while taking courses,others engage in self-study duringperiods between courses, while manyothers engage in self-study but nevertake basic skills courses.

In general, a picture emerges of anactive learner deploying resourcessuch as programs, tutors and self-study in sustained efforts to improvebasic skills, rather than of a passiveconsumer of program services. Froma program’s perspective, studentsmay come and go frequently, withexits construed as negative events,raising questions about programretention and effectiveness. Incontrast, the patterns of participationin programs and self-study observedby LSAL appear quite different whenviewed more holistically within thecontext of adult life. Overallparticipation rates appear muchhigher and learning trajectoriesmuch longer, reflecting a better fitwith observed literacy developmentacross the life-course.

Participation and changeThe third research question examinesthe influence of these patterns ofparticipation on changes in literacyobserved across the life-course.Statistical modelling indicates thatboth program participation and self-study have a positive effect onengagement in literacy practices, andthat increased engagement in literacypractices in turn leads to increases inproficiency. The most direct andimmediate impacts of participationare thus evident for literacy practicesrather than for literacy proficiency,though literacy proficiency in thelonger term is positively affected byparticipation. These results indicatethat evaluations of programeffectiveness that attempt to linkprogram participation to short-termproficiency changes may fail tocapture the ongoing impact ofprograms on life-course literacydevelopment. Impact would be betterevaluated in terms of shorter-termchanges in literacy and numeracypractices or possibly by longer-termchanges in proficiency.

Social and economic outcomesThe fourth research questionexamines the impact of life-courseliteracy development on social andeconomic outcomes. Analyses ofthese relationships, now under way,will examine the impact of adultliteracy development on a range ofoutcomes, including post-secondaryeducation, employment and earnings.Future publications about the LSALproject will also consider a broadarray of information collected aboutindividuals’ educational and familybackgrounds and adult life contexts,and consider how these factorstogether influence literacydevelopment across the life-course.

Prof. Stephen Reder works at Portland

State University, Oregon, USA, and the

National Center for the Study of Adult

Learning and Literacy (NCSALL). Stephen

was a visiting NRDC fellow at the Institute

of Education from Oct-Dec 2004.

Dipping inand outThe Adult Learners’ Lives projectbased at Lancaster University hasbeen working with adults incollege and community settingsover the past two years, looking atthe relationship between learningand people’s lives. Using aqualitative, multi-methodapproach, we have identified manyadults who have engaged withformal learning in ways similar tothose described by Steve Reder.Their stories showed us how theyhad ‘dipped in and out’ of differentprograms and resources inresponse both to changing anddeveloping life circumstances andgoals, and to the relevance andeffectiveness of the provisionavailable to them at the time.

This was particularly true of thepeople we worked with incommunity settings, whose liveswere often characterised bydisadvantage and difficult andunpredictable events andsituations. From the perspectiveof educational provision this canbe seen as failure or ‘drop-out’,but within the broader picture ofthese individuals’ lives it wasoften a positive and necessarystep. Often, they were exploringnew possibilities for their livesand learning, developingconfidence in accessing formallearning, or accumulating socialcapital, as well as developing theirliteracy, numeracy and languagepractices. The effects of thisengagement were not alwaysapparent at the time but could beseen unfolding over longerperiods.

Rachel Hodge


Embedded teaching and learningThe NRDC has recently completed a series of case studies of embedded teaching and learning of literacy, language and numeracy. Tom Jupp and Celia Roberts highlight the key messages that emerge from these studies.

“Many people with LLN needs do not want to attend LLN classes.

The national Skills Strategy aims to increase substan-tially the number of people who have a Level 2 voca-tional qualification. One obstacle to this is that manypeople who might want to aim for such qualificationshave poor literacy, language and numeracy (LLN)skills, which will stand in the way of their success. TheSkills for Life strategy recognises that many such peo-ple with LLN needs do not want to attend LLN classes.But it is also widely accepted that such people’s willing-ness to work on their LLN skills is enhanced when theycan improve them in the context of the vocational pro-gramme which is their primary motivation.

There are two models for providing LLN within theframework of a wider vocational programme:● discrete literacy, language and/or numeracy

support classes; or ● embedded literacy, language and/or numeracy.

The distinction between discrete LLN learning sup-port and embedded LLN learning support is not clear-cut. As the NRDC research shows, there can be areasof overlap, but the organisation of the teaching andthe learning experience are distinctly different. Adefining characteristic of embedded provision is that

EMBEDDEDP

hotograph: Brand X P

ictures


“Embedded LLN can work successfully as an integral part of vocational courses.

the processes and organisation of LLN learning havebeen redesigned so as to fit the vocational objectivesand learning styles of the students on a particularprogramme. The approach is learner-centred.

Key findings The case studies illuminate how embedded LLN canwork successfully as an integral part of vocationalcourses and they identify some of the characteristicscritical to this success. Many of the teachers – bothvocational and LLN – appear to be both expert andstrongly committed to this approach and we can learnmore from their practice as a result. But we must stillbe cautious about the generalisations which followfrom this small and diverse range of courses.

Motivation and vocational coursesThe case studies describe how well-resourced andwell-taught vocational courses offer learners theopportunity to acquire both practical skills and a newprofessional identity or, as some of the case studiesdescribe, offer learners membership of a new ‘com-munity of practice’ (Lave and Wenger 1991) (1). Thisis what motivates such learners, often in contrast totheir former experience as ‘school pupils’. Tutors areboth teachers and mentors. Learners are both ‘doingthings’ and understanding the culture of their chosenjobs – the behaviour, values and ways of communi-cating – for example, as joiners, as child care workers,or as Indian head massage practitioners. This newidentity, in turn, changes their attitude towards work-ing on ‘theory’ and on literacy, language and numer-acy if they see it as an integral part of the learning forthe job they are aspiring to. Once learners value LLNin this way, they will accept focusing on improvingtheir LLN skills.

The organisation of LLN learningThe case studies describe how LLN learning oftentakes place when the speaking, listening, reading,writing or calculating are directly linked to a practi-

cal task. This is very obvious in the observation ofnumeracy learning. There are many practical tasks inthe construction and engineering courses observedwhich cannot be undertaken without calculation,measurement and estimation as integral parts of theprocess. It is easy to understand that extra help withthese processes feels a lot more useful to a mathemat-ical learner when he or she is ‘on task’ vocationallyrather than in a separate classroom and at a differenttime. In any case, the gap between carrying out theparticular task and the learner’s existing knowledgemay only become apparent to the learner and theteacher as the task is carried out.

These activities involve learners working on theirown or together, with the LLN tutor supporting themas part of the practical task. As well as providinglearning through doing, this approach allows youngpeople, in particular, to escape from the peer pressureof appearing weak in LLN. At the same time, to besuccessful, the relationships between learners andteachers have to be based on empathy and respect,particularly for LLN learning. The LLN tutor’s rolewas less effective if most of the vocational teacher’stime was spent in whole class ‘up front’ teaching.

The vocational subject and the LLN curriculaThe case studies describe how ‘embedding’ is not justabout interlinking different curricula; it is deeper andmore complex than that. Mapping literacy, languageand numeracy skills onto the vocational curriculumcan only provide a starting point and give a generalidea of what has to be learned. The LLN tutor has tolearn, by participating in the vocational classroom,how literacy, language and numeracy are used bothfor the particular job and in this type of vocationalclassroom. The case studies describe how learnersneed and learn the ‘situated’ LLN skills of their cho-sen job (Chaiklin and Lave 1996) (2). But they alsoneed the more general or ‘transportable’ LLN skills ofclassroom learning and reflection: for example, >

EMBEDDED

The organisation and scopeof the research

The NRDC research examined a widevariety of embedded LLN provision, toreflect the diversity of vocationalcourses. The case studies wereselected from the following curriculumareas: Construction; Entry toEmployment (E2E) – engineering;Childcare; Land-based industries;Complementary Therapy; Nursing. Thecourses studied were standard

vocational programmes or speciallydesigned preparatory vocationalprogrammes. The fieldwork waspredominantly classroom-focused andlearner-centred, concentrating on thebehaviour and responses of individuallearners and teachers. The researchersemphasise that they endeavoured totake a holistic view of the learner – i.e.all aspects of his or her experience inthe classroom, including the affectiveaspects (i.e. feelings) as well as thecognitive. The analysis of classroomobservation focussed on ‘what is going

on here’ – the talking, the classroomorganisation, the behaviour andinteraction and the relationshipbetween the vocational activity and theuses of and development of literacy,language and numeracy.


they need a range of adjectives to write aromathera-py instructions or to describe and compare plants inhorticulture. These transportable skills provide ananalytic language for talking about LLN that allowsskills to be reconstructed in a new context.

The teaching teamTeaching skills and relationships between vocationaland LLN tutors which led to shared purpose andplanning were more important than general modelsof embedded provision. Shared purpose and plan-ning were not just matters of agreed common pur-pose but involved finding shared values and a sharedlanguage to talk about this purpose. On all thecourses described, the teachers planned and workedclosely together. They shared, in their respectiveroles, the same vocational objective for their learn-ers. They were strongly learner-centred.

Vocational teachers have a natural legitimacy ontheir programmes. They represent the role to whichthe learner aspires. The LLN teachers lack thisimmediate legitimacy because their role is one ofsupport and enabling. Learners have to come torecognise the contribution of the LLN teachers totheir vocational aspirations. The case studies suggestthat this is more immediately recognised by learnerswho need help to develop their English languagethan by learners with literacy or numeracy needs.

This distinctive role for the LLN teacher in embed-ded teaching may not appeal to all LLN teachers;they have less control of the curriculum and of howit is taught than they experience as a subject teacherin their own right.

The characteristic of the successful teachingteams was that they were motivated to providesome embedded provision. They had the time towork and plan together, and both sorts of teacherswere willing to learn. The vocational teachers werewilling to try to understand the importance of LLNfor their learners and to modify their classroomorganisation and practice to reflect this. The LLNteachers had to learn a lot about the vocational areaand how to provide effective LLN support for theselearners in terms of both teaching approaches andcontent.

The teaching team has to share fully including, attimes, sharing the same classroom, but the casestudies show that the actual literacy, language andnumeracy can be provided, and learners can be sup-ported, in a variety of ways. Initial LLN diagnosticassessment is necessary, but much can also belearned by observing and supporting learners intheir vocational settings. There is also a place fordiscrete LLN classroom work on such programmes,providing it is integral to the delivery of the voca-tional curriculum.

Maths AnxietyThe term ‘maths anxiety’refers to the negativeperception that somepeople have about ‘doingmaths’. In these twoexamples, the trainers onan E2E course at a privatetraining provider explainhow they tackle thisproblem.

Researcher: ‘Do you think that anythingto do with maths or numbers sometimesscares them?’

Trainer 1: ‘Basically you just have toremember not to make them look stupid,really. So I tend to do things in an easierway, in a day-to-day way. Instead of talking in very technical terms, I usesomething simpler.’

Trainer 2:’ I try and think about something, I don’t know, like buyingsweets or something, you know, packetsof crisps or burgers from MacDonalds,rather, so that when it comes to numeracyfor example, you ask them if you buy somany, what would be? A lot of the timeyou don’t have any idea any way, so youhave to go through it with them, and offerthem the calculator if they want to usethat, so when they do basic numeracy andthey can’t do it, you have to rememberonce again, not to make them look stupid.Is it something, say, like 100 divided and

they might not know, so I say well here’s acalculator, do it on that, like it’s quite normal.’

Note: The calculator plays an interestingrole for Trainer 2; it enables the traineesto perform adequately in front of theirpeers. It becomes more than a tool forlearning; it enables learning to take placebecause it removes an important obstacle.

“The LLN teachers had to learn a lot about the vocational area.

Example 1

EMBEDDEDP

hotography: Andrew

Chapm

an

Participation and successAlthough all the learners accepted the fact that therewas an LLN input on their course, the great majori-ty of learners in the case studies would not be pre-pared to attend stand-alone literacy, language ornumeracy classes.

For young people, there is a range of vocationalprogrammes which include key skills and additionallearning support. The question is whether theseyoung people are more likely to succeed with anembedded approach to LLN or with discrete key skillsand learning support arrangements. Does embeddedLLN raise vocational achievement for young people?

For the four adult part-time programmesdescribed in the case studies, the position is different.These courses were specially designed to provide lit-eracy and language integrated with preparation in thechosen vocational area. Such programmes, if success-ful, can be a powerful strategy to widen participationand start learners on a route which can lead to a Level2 vocational qualification or to accredited LLN pro-grammes. But the case studies show that there can bea tension between the vocational preparation and thestand-alone literacy or English language qualificationlearners are being prepared for. An example of thiswas in the childcare and nursing courses, wherelearners were also studying for separate ESOL quali-fications. On the other hand, success in these qualifi-

cations may significantly boost the learners’ confi-dence in pursuing their vocational aspirations.

ConclusionThese case studies show that, while embedding LLNand ESOL in vocational courses helps to improvelearners’ motivation and successful completion ofprogrammes, it does much more than this. It helpslearners to develop new identities and practices, tolearn how to be and act in new ways, to become some-one in the building trade, or a nurse in the NHS, or achildcare worker, or to have expertise that is valued byfamily and friends and could lead to employment,such as massage skills. These new roles and identitieswould not be developed in discrete basic skills ses-sions, nor would learners appreciate the value of LLNin achieving vocational and recreational goals if theircourse paid little or no attention to LLN.

(1) Lave, J.and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning:

Legitimate Peripheral Participation Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

(2) Chaiklin, S. and Lave, J. (1996) Understanding

Practice: Perspectives on Activity and Context

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


“Does embedded LLN raise vocational achievement for young people?

Trainer 3: ‘Well first of all most of thetrainees aren’t happy to do maths. They’vebeen put off maths in the classroom. Sowhat we tend to do, for me on the trainerside of things, I deal with fitting, I dealwith measuring and marking up, but Idon’t deal with marking it up initially,because it would be too intense, with thenumbers and marking up.

I would explain to them what they aregoing to try and make, even by use of ademonstration, an example of somethingsomeone else has done previously, I’veexplained different parts on the drawing;now what that then does, it opens them upto drawing measurements on there, ornumbers on there, er, I’ll show them howto do the measurements necessary for it.

Also what I like to do, is anyone who’sdone it before them – say to them, askhim, because that way it removes the bar-rier of the teacher aspects, it also helpswith interaction between one person to

another about work, the person who’salready done it before, gives them a senseof achievement that they can actually passon a little bit of the knowledge that they’velearned, and gives them a bit of confirma-tion that they’ve actually moved on, asthey didn’t know it to start with, so therewere so many aspects from that.

…so the basic, core units of numeracywe’re dealing with, so it’s doing it in a wayso they’re not shying away from it orfrightened of doing it, because it becomespart of the job. Initially they’re reluctant todo it, because they’re nervous about theirown maths, but as you start pushing thema little bit, you’ll find that they know morethan they’re letting on, because it’s justlack of confidence most of the time.’

Note: This trainer identifies a critical rolefor peer support and interaction. Both thetrainee who asks a question and thetrainee who responds are activelyengaged in negotiating learning.

These trainers aim to capture the essenceof the process whereby mathematicalthinking becomes vocational doing andvice versa, and to demonstrate this to thetrainees. The trainees are motivated to domathematics because of the situatednessof the task, while the trainers supporttheir learning not only through explainingthe mathematics, but also through anunderstanding of how they (the traineesand the trainers) socially construct theirlearning.

Example 2

EMBEDDED


VOICES

We all know classroomsand we all have opinionsabout what goes on inthem. One way in whichresearchers try to getinside the classroom andunderstand what happensthere is by recording andtranscribing what is saidand then analysing theseexchanges. This extract ispart of a transcript takenby an NRDC researcherfrom a lesson for a group ofbeginning readers. Howwould you analyse thisexchange? What does it sayto you?

The original analysis by theresearch team is on theNRDC website at www.nrdc.org.uk/voices

Why not have a look and thenshare your own analysis withothers, or comment on theNRDC analysis in the reflectforum on the website?

Voicesfrom the classroom

The context ESOL Level Two class – FE College - Leeds

The learners have been told that the text is about International Women’s Dayand have been talking in groups about what they think will be in the text,which they have not yet seen. The teacher is getting feedback on what theydiscussed.

Tutor: So what…what things did you think…Liliana, your table, what did you think was going to be in the article? What do you reckon?

Learner: It’s about peace…Tutor: Peace? Yes?Learner: and freedom.Tutor: Freedom, yes.Learner: Freedom…not going to war…Tutor: Yes.Learner: Listen mothers, you know…Tutor: Yes.Learner: because if there is war there are many innocent children…

and they die.Tutor: Or suffer or become orphans, yes…yes that’s a good one, that’s

one thing that I think it does talk about. Did you have any other ideas?

Learner: Equality?Tutor: Equality, yes, good.Learner: Yes.Learner: about the history…of the woman…they…you know [indistinct].Tutor: So something about the history of equality for women, yes,

probably…Learner: And what is theTutor: Yes…Henri?Henri: Sometime just the…the temper of the women…because every

time…she …they are angry…they think that…they are under the domination of the men.

Tutor: OK…Yes …talking about women’s problem, women’s problems.


ESOL

When we were teaching ESOL in themultilingual classroom, we often usedlearners’ first or other languages aspart of our teaching strategy. ESOLlearners in the UK have no shortage ofspoken English around them and canbe hugely supported by being able todiscuss their learning using their own,more familiar, language. Furthermore,in working with groups of particularlyvulnerable ESOL learners, where thedevelopment of trust and confidence isof paramount importance, it canempower learners’ sense of safety andidentity to use languages in which theyfeel more confident.

However, our research is picking up onsome mixed messages and responsesabout the rights and wrongs of this;usually a sign of a good debate in theoffing! For example, teachers movinginto ESOL from EFL have found it achallenging idea. EFL learners oftenhave little access to spoken English, soit is common practice to maximise itsuse in the EFL classroom.

What does the research say?Some research findings confirm theimportance of using learners’ firstlanguages in the classroom.

For example, Larry Condelli’s study ofESL learners in the United States (1)found that one of the factors with themost impact on learning was the useof learners’ first languages. Similarly,Heide Wrigley’s research (3) discussesboth the uses and the problems ofusing native languages in class, butmakes a firm point about the boostgiven to participation when learnersfeel their identity is validated.

In the ESOL classroom in the UK, on

the other hand, it seems that thelearners’ first language is rarely usedin a conscious and constructive way. Itsuse is seldom discussed, with someteachers being more aware of itspotential than others.

Melanie Cooke from the NRDCresearch into effective practice (4)observes that: ‘Some (teachers) do encouragestudents to use their own language tohelp each other and to work thingsout, especially in ESOL literacyclasses…’

However, when a video clip showingESOL teachers using languagecomparison methods with theirlearners was included in the nationalESOL Core Curriculum training ‘Wewere amazed at the amount ofcontroversy these clips raised, withteachers all over the country protestingthey would never use these kinds ofmethods.’ (Helen Sunderland at LLU+).

In contrast, NRDC’s research into Level4 ESOL Teacher Training is finding that

Learners’ first languagein the ESOL classroomShould learners’ first or other languages be used in the ESOL classroom? Olivia Sagan and Helen Casey consider the issues.

some trainees from the EFL traditionwelcome the use and discussion offirst or other languages in the ESOLclassroom. One trainee spoke abouthow she had ‘intuitively known’ shecould allow students to use their ownlanguages but that this had ‘alwaysbeen frowned on in the past…’(5).

Clarifying the issuesWe both have very positive experiencesof teaching ESOL while encouraging theuse of learners’ first or other languagesin the classroom. In most cases, we didnot speak the learners’ nativelanguages but, in one case, the teacherspoke the learners’ own language andcould use this constructively whenteaching them English.

This discussion therefore needs torecognise at least two differentcontexts, calling for different skills andconsiderations: 1. the use of learners’ own languages

in a multi-lingual, multi-culturalESOL group where the teacher usesonly English.

2. the use of learners’ own languagein a mono-lingual class where theteacher speaks this language aswell as English.

What are your experiences? Youropinions? Your examples? Did youlearn English through the use oravoidance of your own language?Share your views with [email protected]

(1) Condelli, L. (2002) Effective Instruction

for Adult ESL Literacy Students : Findings

from the ‘what works’ study. American

Institute for Research, Washington DC.

(2) Wrigley, H.S. What Works for Adult ESL

Students. Focus on Basics Volume 6, Issue

C September 2003 http://gseweb.harvard.

edu/~ncsall/fob/2003/wrigley.html

(3) Wrigley, H.S. and Guth, G (1992)

Bringing Literacy to Life. Aguirre

International, Burlingame, California.

(4) NRDC ESOL Effective Practice Project

(due to complete Summer 2006).

(5) NRDC (2005 forthcoming) ITE

Programmes for Teachers of Adult

Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL .

In terms of the native language, we do need to rethink that ‘English only’ idea. Heide Wrigley (2)“


LITERACY

PART TWO

Learning to write in 21st century EnglandHow much has changed in 100 years?

In reflect Issue 1 (October 2004), Ursula Howard discussed the place of writing in the growth of literacy in the 19th century, and learners’ powerful motivation to acquire and use this crucial skill. Here, she compares this with the situation today.

In the first article in this series, I explored how themotivational drive of learners in the 19th century ledmany people to engage in informal and community-based learning, and how church and state graduallybuilt a formal education system built over the fertileground for such initiatives. (1)

Does today’s provision motivate enough learners tostay and succeed in what they want to learn? Howmuch has really changed in 100 years?

One major difference is evidenced by in-depthinterviews I conducted with a number of individualwriters and community-based groups in the 1980s and1990s about their experiences of learning to write.Many people learning literacy as adults in a societywith a fully developed educational system do notremember their initial learning experiences in as pos-itive a way as those who wrote down their experiencesof learning in the 19th century. Failure and frustrationstalk many modern memories. One learner comparedthe education system in the 1980s to a horse race inwhich ‘the leaders were getting further and furtheraway, and I finished the race as a complete failure – orwas it the school that failed me?’ One woman learnerremembered that ‘I always used to make up little stories for my children when they were small, andwrite snippets of poetry – very limited because myspelling wasn’t too good. But I probably always want-ed to write deep down and not really knowing how orhaving the time to’.

There are also striking similarities to the 19th centuryexperience. Another woman I interviewed remarked :

‘I used to scribble with chalk and things likethat on the pavements, and rememberthings. And if people used to tell me theirname … I used to ask them how they speltthat, write it … I always used to like things

written down. And I used to love notes. Ifanybody used to write a note … if it was onlyone sentence ‘see you later’ or ‘I’ll meet youtomorrow’, I used to hang on to it and keeplooking at it. I think this is how I learnt toread because I used to collect little things,snippets of anything. I … had a big oldhandbag tucked under my arm – there wasalways lots of paper in it – snippets of bitsand pieces that I’d collected’.

Margaret Bearfield. Brighton (2)

Writing in the 21st century curriculumWriting is assessed in the four key stages of the nation-al curriculum for schools in England. However, whilethe Adult Literacy core curriculum (3) does coverspeaking, listening, reading and writing, in that order,writing is arguably the skill to which the least attentionhas been given, despite research evidence that it isincreasingly essential to jobs of all grades, that it isessential to achieve vocational qualifications, and thatmany people’s sense of failure hangs on their bad feel-ings about their lack of writing skills. The openingstatement in the core curriculum section on writingstarts on a cautious note:

‘Although the need to write extensively maybe limited for many adults, writingnevertheless remains an important form ofcommunication. In everyday life it is difficultto avoid filling in forms …’

(page 102)

The introduction goes on to say that ‘for many adultspersonal writing is a key to understanding and sharingtheir experiences’.

Reflect • Issue 2 • February 2005

LITERACY

However, a strong message of the core curriculum isthe importance given to structure and form in relationto content, and the emphasis on technical competence(spelling, punctuation, grammar) over creativity orcritical intelligence. Two extracts from the core cur-riculum section on writing illustrate the approach:

Writing CompositionAdults should be taught to:● use written words and phrases to record or present

information● understand that writing is a way of representing

language in a more permanent form than speech● understand that writing can be structured in dif-

ferent ways for different contexts and audiences egin sentences, in a list

● understand that writers have to plan and organisetheir thoughts before writing them down.Adult Literacy Core Curriculum (Writing at Entrylevel 1) England 2001(page 104).

Adults should be taught to:● plan and draft writing● judge how much to write and the level of detail to

include● present information in a logical sequence using

paragraphs where appropriate● use language suitable for purpose and audience’

Adult Literacy Core Curriculum (Writing at Level 1)England 2001 (page 120).

Current curriculum documents seem to be in a directline of descent from the school 'standards' documentsof 100 years ago, when there was also a strong empha-sis on correct grammar, spelling and handwriting.

Back to basics ?We can contrast these approaches with the views of theone-time teacher and fierce critic of the national cur-riculum in schools, Philip Pullman, author of the ‘HisDark Materials’ trilogy (4):

‘So what I say is: back to basics … . They’reoften held to be things like spelling andgrammar … . But as a matter of commonobservation, we all know that we can put thespelling right and fiddle with the grammar –how can something it’s possible to leave tillthe last minute possibly be basic? But the joyof discovery, the thrill we feel when an ideastrikes that might become a story – we can’tadd that on at the last minute. If that joy isn’tnourishing the roots of the work, it’s nevergoing to show in the flower. That truly isbasic. I’m all for the basics.’

There is little sense in the current core curriculum ofthe role of writing in developing creativity, self-expres-sion or critical thinking. Nor is there any sense of thepossibility of ambition in a learner-writer to be a >

25

The importance of writingWriting should be taught in a way that catches theimagination and sustains the motivation of learners.There is significant research, including by NRDC,which suggests that writing is increasingly needed inthe workplace in jobs at every grade – and more andmore through the medium of ICT. Writing is alsoneeded for the portfolios required as part of the assess-ment regime for vocational qualifications (NVQs).Since literacy learning is increasingly taught in thecontext of other learning goals (hairdressing, horticul-ture, football coaching, engineering), writing willbecome a more and more important set of skills andpractices in work and life. Writing can be linked, in theworkplace and elsewhere, to ability, 'thinking skills',problem-solving, creativity and resourcefulness.

The quality of teaching and learningIn 2003 the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) pub-lished a thematic review of provision in adult literacyteaching and learning (5). In their view, there is wide-spread poor practice, leading to high levels of ‘dropout’. Inspectors have observed lessons which are oftenboring and flat, dominated by worksheets and skillstaught in isolation. New teachers have little support ormentoring in their workplaces to help them developmore exciting, risky strategies and approaches to learn-ing.

NRDC’s research supports the ‘snapshot’ picturewhich inspectors see on their visits. In addition, theIndividual Learning Plans against which individuallearners’ progress and achievements are measuredreinforce a learning system in which individualisedlearning has become isolated and learning experiencesare fragmented. There is little group work – often thestimulus for expressive writing – and not much talk inthe classroom.

With this apparent lack of fit between learners’ moti-vation to learn to write and the teaching and learningof writing in the Adult Literacy core curriculum and incurrent provision, what does NRDC's research show ?How could informal and community-focused teach-ing contribute? I will address these questions in thethird and final article in this series.

(1) Earlier editions of this magazine are on the NRDC

website at www.nrdc.org.uk

(2) Quotes from oral interviews in Howard, U. 'Writing

in 19th century England: uses and meanings'.

Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Sussex, 1994.

(3) Adult Literacy core curriculum. BSA/DfES 2001.

(4) Pullman, P. 'Give them a taste of honey' in Times

Educational Supplement, London 8.2.2002 (writing

about the National Curriculum for schools).

(5) ‘The Skills for Life Survey: a national needs and

impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills’.

Summary version. DfES, London 2003`.

LITERACY

writer with a capital ‘W’ in the way earlier generationsaspired to. Margaret Bearfield’s comment still res-onates (2):

‘what a wealth if women writers knuckleddown to writing, what a store. When I was agirl only intellectuals wrote anyway. Therewere very few working-class writers – well Inever saw any’.

The influence of the core curriculumDoes the strong functional/technical emphasis in thecore curriculum matter? Teachers are free to interpretthe curriculum, and the curriculum gives ample roomfor teaching writing in a variety of ways. For example,the introduction to the section on writing includesquotes from a poem by Blake (‘O Rose thou art sick’),and from the autobiography of Tony Adams (Arsenaland England footballer), which serve as illustrations ofthe breadth of materials and strategies that teacherscan use.

However, three factors make the core curriculum apowerful driver of how writing is taught, rather thanoffering a ‘rough guide’ to teachers:• First, the growth in literacy provision which Skills

for Life funding has enabled means that there aremany underqualified, new, part-time teachers inthe field. Their inexperience leads them to anover-literal implementation of the curriculum.

• Secondly, the emphasis on planning, grammarand spelling in teaching writing feeds people’sfears of exposure and repeated failure. Writing isthe most visible evidence of skills and mistakes.

• Thirdly, the curriculum is part of a wider ‘learn-ing infrastructure’ developed as part of Skills forLife. The curriculum is the means to learners’achievement. Achievement is measured primarily(for literacy, numeracy and ESOL learners) by thenew National Test. That test does not measurewriting. It does measure spelling, but only byrequiring candidates to identify (ie read) correctlyspelled words in a multiple-choice assessment.

“Three factors make the core curriculum a powerful driver of how writing is taught.

ILPs


THE ILP DEBATE

EMAILFORUM

In the next edition of reflect,can we try to dispel some of the mythssurrounding the use of ILPs? I'mthinking particularly of the belief thatthey are an LSC requirement for fundingand/or audit purposes. Our auditguidance makes it clear that this isn'tthe case. This might reassure those whobelieve that the 'added burden' ofrecording for audit purposescompromises the use of ILPs anddistracts from their original purpose. Thanks.

Anita Hallam

National Learning and Skills

Council

I’m puzzled by this message.The DfES draft document 'Planninglearning and recording achievement: aguide for practitioners' (April 2003) saidon page 92: 'What audit evidence isneeded for achievement funding in non-accredited learning?'.

The answer given was as follows: 'The LSC expects evidence to support suchclaims to be as robust as that presented insupport of claims for achievement fundingfor nationally recognised, approvedqualifications on the NQF. There are noadditional requirements specifically for non-accredited learning aims.

Auditors may ask to see:● enrolment forms and records of

attendance ● the learners' learning agreement stating

the learning aim, based on the nationalstandards

● a statement of the learner's goals,which may be on the ILP or a separaterecord

● records of progress, assessment andinternal verification

● samples of learner's work ● a statement of achievement relating to

the learning aim and goals. This may beon the ILP or on a separate record.

Where providers use ILPs to recordlearners' learning aims, goals andprogress towards achievement, it isachievement of the stated aim and not ofthe ILPs that count as evidence forachievement funding. This is because ILPsoften include goals that are personal tothe learner and that are not strictly aboutthe learning aim...Organisations musthave procedures for moderating andverifying judgements about progressagainst the standards.’ Sincerely

Karen Heath

I am also puzzled as much ofnon-accredited basic skills fundingrelies on ILP evidence in order to claimthat funding. In addition, during ourinspection, we were asked how wemoderate our ILPs. I would be reallykeen to find out through reflectwhether other learning providers havecome up with a system for moderatingILPs because we have found this a trickyissue. Cathy McDonnell

Sussex Downs Adult College

I think the point here is that, whilethe LSC expects all providers to haveevidence that learners have achieved theirlearning aims in order to claimachievement funding, there is norequirement that this evidence is providedin the form of an ILP. If providers chooseto record the information required forauditing purposes on an ILP then so be it –many organisations don't. It's having theevidence that matters, not having it on anILP. Anita Hallam

National Learning and Skills

Council

In reflect Issue 1, we invited readers to engage in discussion, perhaps through NRDC’s online discussion forums, about key issues in Skills for Life. In this Issue, readers contribute to the debate about the role and value of Individual Learning Plans.

I am finding this debate quiteintriguing as, despite the very common(and often extremely time-consuming)practice of devising detailed ILPs, thediscussion so far seems to suggest thatthese are not necessary for funding andI can’t find any specific reference tothem in the Common InspectionFramework. Have I missed something?If not, how have we arrived at this point?Who is expecting to see detailed ILPs?Not auditors, not funders and,apparently, not inspectors. Is this amodern-day myth brought about byinspection paranoia? Something musthave given us (the practitioners) theidea that this was compulsory. Cananybody pinpoint where it all started? Di Moseley

Rotherham College

I'm not sure I could pinpointwhere this debate started but I thoughtthat, whilst planning learning with alearner, it is the ILP that would be usedto record the programme of learningand non-accredited achievement wouldbe on completion of the ILP, which ishow we can measure progress. I realiseI'm not stating anything new here butwhy should it be attached to fundingwhen this is best practice? To draw up aplan of learning for learners, they needto know where they are going, how farthey have travelled, and how muchfurther they need to go. I thinkinspectors would look at ILPs whenobserving lessons to ensure the lessonis relevant to the learners’ needs. Helen Thompson

ILPs have been around for a longwhile. They were brought to prominenceby the Basic Skills Agency Quality Markback in the early 1990s. We introducedthem formally in the service I managedat that time, prompted by a desire toobtain the Quality Mark.

The introduction of achievement funding

for non-accredited basic skills by the FEFCin 1999/2000 raised issues about theevidence that might be needed whenclaims were audited and, in the absence ofclear guidance, it was assumed that thisshould be the ILP. This led to concernabout ILPs, which had previously beenseen as the property of the learner, fillingup increasing numbers of shelves andcupboards and waiting for the auditors.

On behalf of LSDA, I managed the PlanningLearning and Recording Achievementproject for ABSSU that eventually producedthe guide for practitioners published in2004. Through this we raised the need forclearer guidance on the issue of auditevidence for achievement funding. As aresult, LSC clarified their position. This isset out on page 93 of the Skills for Lifepublication ‘Planning learning andrecording progress and achievement: aguide for practitioners’ (2004) (1). This listsa number of things that the auditor maywish to see including ‘a statement ofachievement relating to the learner’slearning aims and goals. This may be onthe ILP or on a separate record.’

On page 94 the guide quotes from the ILRAudit Guidance for Further Education in2002/3 which states that evidence forachievement could be a results slip froman awarding body or ‘a record ofachievement, institution certificationand/or progress reports indicatingachievement of the learning programme.’This means that organisations can chooseto keep a record of achievement separatefrom the ILP therefore allowing learners,quite rightly, to retain their ILP for theirown purposes and removing the need to fillvaluable cupboard space with oldpaperwork.

The other driver for ILPs is the CommonInspection Framework. It mentions ILPs onpage 8 and there is no doubt that alearning plan that has been developed andregularly reviewed with the learner is anexcellent way to ensure that therequirements of the CIF are met. Notehowever that it is the ‘spirit’ of the ILP and

the process that lies behind it, not simplyits existence or its exact format, that isimportant.

My own position is that the use of ILPswhere these are ‘owned’ and used bylearners and teachers represents goodpractice. Where a whole group of learnersshares common goals, as can be the casein ESOL and on short courses for literacyand numeracy, the role of the ILP isslightly different from the role it has inmixed ability groups where individualprogrammes are negotiated. However, theILP can still provide learners with anunderstanding of their programme, theirprogress in relation to this, and anopportunity to record and review progresstowards their personal learning goals.Sue Grief

Learning and Skills

Development Agency

(1) This publication is available from the

DfES Publications Team on 0845 60 222 60.

The reference is PLRA1.


ILPs

THE ILP DEBATE

EMAILFORUM


ILPs

Mary Weir, ESOL tutor trainer and researcher, and language learner, expresses four major concerns about the role of ILPs in ESOL.

There have been staff-room mutterings about ILPs inESOL ever since they were introduced. These havebecome increasingly vehement in the last year, duringwhich my roles as researcher and as trainer have putme in touch with numerous ESOL tutors around thecountry. This article is based on conversations I havehad with them.

No-one I have spoken to has expressed unqualifiedsupport for ILPs, though many tutors welcome the

opportunity to get to know their students better, espe-cially when tutorial time is specifically set aside for this.Several tutors have pointed out that they have alwaysput their learners at the centre of their planning. Theintroduction of a new form to fill in does not meanthat the practice is new to all tutors, but it underlinesthat attention to the needs of the individual learner isgood practice.

Four major concernsFour major concerns about ILPs emerge from my con-versations with ESOL practitioners. The underlyingtheme is that ILPs trivialise much of the good practicethat they were intended to promote.

1 While the groundwork which leads to ILPs is usefuland positive, its value is diminished by having to writelearning goals and evidence achievement. The wealthof knowledge that a tutor can gain from tutorial timeand the relationships we can build with individual stu-dents are almost impossible to convert into SMARTtargets or to express meaningfully and usefully in anILP. For example, while I am no expert in the field oflearning styles, I do understand that it is a complexsubject. My own experience is that I need silence whenI am studying but cannot cook or drive well withoutlistening to music, so where does this place me on thespectrum of auditory sensitivity? Much research hasgone into identifying the typical profile of a ‘good lan-guage learner’, but Bonny Norton (1) has shifted thefocus of enquiry by asking in what circumstancessomeone is a good language learner. This is a fertile andinteresting area to explore with learners but to con-dense an emerging and varied profile into a few wordsin an ILP seems to trivialise the issue.

2 Some ILPs allow for the inclusion of so-called ‘soft’targets. These may be things like ‘gain confidence inusing English outside the classroom’,‘try to attend class more frequently’, or ‘find more opportunities to >

ILPs: a trivialisation ofteaching and learning?

use English outside the classroom’ But in what senseare these ‘soft’? They may not be easily measurableand they may not be specifically itemised in the CoreCurriculum but, in terms of increasing autonomy inlanguage learning and developing language skills,competence and wider independence, they are vital.It is on issues like these that learners often report intutorials with pride and a real sense of achievement.A student was delighted to tell me that, although inthe past she had always nodded to her neighbour,they now regularly have a chat when they meet. Sheattributes this not to specific language items learnedin class but to the greater confidence she has devel-oped from classroom interaction and practice. Weshould allow learners the dignity of reporting andrecording these achievements and invest them withat least the same status as SMART targets.

3 My main concern is the message that ILPs send tolearners and inexperienced teachers about how lan-guages are learned. That this occurs in an essentiallysocial and holistic rather than an atomistic way hasbeen highlighted in previous articles in reflect aswell as in the literature of language learning. Theproblem is not simply that ILPs require tutors to dosomething which flies in the face of current under-standing of the learning process; experienced andconfident practitioners may grumble, shrug and playthe ILP game when an inspection looms. What isworse is that inexperienced tutors and learners maybe led to believe that learning really does occur inthis way and that discrete learning items can be iden-tified, learned and ticked off a checklist. Both groupsend up spending large amounts of time strugglingwith an inappropriate system which leaves them withinadequate amounts of time, energy and commit-ment for planning and leading effective teaching andlearning.

4 Giving your best as an effective ESOL tutor is chal-lenging. What does good teaching involve? To selectjust a couple of key points from the literature,Michael Breen comments that;

‘The classroom is the meeting point of varioussubjective views of language, diverse learning pur-poses, and different preferences concerning howlearning should be done. Such differentiationbrings with it potential for disagreement, frustrat-ed expectations and conflict.’ (2)


ILPs

“My main concern is the message that ILPs send to learners and inexperienced teachers about how languages are learned.

THE ILP DEBATE

Richard Cullen identifies the teacher’s role as mak-ing ‘on-the-spot judgments’ about how to balance theneed to give students feedback on form and on contentand sees this as one of many ‘skills language teachersneed to deploy constantly in almost every lesson.’ (3)

Re-assessing the role of ILPsIf we are to develop the skills of practitioners andlearners, a re-assessment of the purpose and content ofILPs in ESOL is urgently needed. If we have to have adocument of some kind for each learner, here are somesuggestions:

1 Change ILPs to ILRs – Individual Learning Records.These would be drawn up retrospectively by tutors andlearners as a comment on and record of the progressthey have seen and experienced. This would acknowl-edge a practice which occurs anyway; it is an opensecret that the retrospective ILP is a common phe-nomenon in many institutions. It does not necessarilymean that the teaching and learning are less effective.ILRs would allow learners and tutors more freedom tofollow up some of the unpredictable learning leads andneeds that arise in the classroom.2 Make room for and acknowledge the value of ‘soft’goals. These may be included in the document forfuture attention as well as recorded as developingachievements.3 Set more realistic timescales for compiling andreviewing student records and leave tutors time to planand teach effectively.4 Break the link between funding of ESOL classes andevidencing achievement of SMART targets in ILPs.

Whatever document emerges from a review, it musttruly support learning and not perpetuate the tyrannyof ILPs in their current form.

(1) Norton, B. & Toohey, K. (2001) ‘Changing perspectives

on good language learners’ TESOL Quarterly 35 (2)

307-322.

(2) Breen, M. (1997) ‘The Social Context for

Language Learning: A Neglected

Situation?’ in Candlin, C. & Mercer, N.

‘English Language Teaching in its Social

Context’ London: Routledge 122-144.

(3) Cullen, R. (2002) ‘Supportive Teacher

Talk: The Importance of the F-move’ ELT

Journal, 56(2): 117-127.


“ESOL learners have rich and diverse backgrounds.

Neena Julka shows how ILPs can help learners by shifting the balance from group teaching to individual learning.

Individual learning plans (ILPs) are a hot topic inESOL. Thousands of words have been written or spo-ken in defence of and in attacks on both the conceptand the document. But how can an ILP actually helpthe learner? Who ‘owns’ the document? Who uses itand how? These questions are often left unanswered,or even unasked, in the haste to fill in the paperworksimply for the sake of management compliance orquality assurance.

ESOL learnersWe know that ESOL learners have rich and diversebackgrounds and come with different levels of skills in

reading, writing, listening and speaking. Some havehigher education qualifications from their own coun-try; some have many years of work experience and use-ful practical skills; some may not be literate in theirown language. Yet, in many cases, all this valuableinformation is either not recorded at all, or is recordedelsewhere but seldom found on the ILP, which merelyrecords the learner’s language level at entry. But this isonly part of the picture. The first task should be torecord the learner’s prior employment experience andeducational attainment; only then should the ILP bedrawn up, in the light of what is already known.

The motives of ESOL learnersMost ESOL learners learn English in order to progressto vocational courses or to find a job. Others want tolearn English for everyday use. Some want to help theirschool age children and talk to the teachers. A recentpathfinder project entitled ‘Vocational aspirations ofESOL learners in Kirklees’ concluded,

‘Most ESOL learners had vocational or employmentaspirations in a diverse range of occupational sectors,from production work, banking, building trades,beauty therapy to nursery nursing. The progressionroute to these vocational courses is not clear to learn-ers, nor did they know the level of English required toaccess these vocational options.’(1)

All ESOL learners are asked to write their long-termgoals or reasons for learning English in their ILP. Thiscreates a real opportunity for tutors to use this real-lifeinformation to develop a learning plan which helps thelearner to realise these goals. In a recent batch of obser-vations, I noted the following long-term goals:

● to access an Arts course● to find a job● to work in a nursery● to go on a nursing course

All these goals call for a demanding level of language –vocabulary, structure, listening and speaking skills inall these different contexts. Yet all the learners weredoing the same topic from an Entry 2 Scheme of Work;there was no attempt to individualise the learning. A truly individual learning plan, drawn up with the >

ILPs: related to real life?

ILPs

help of the tutor, should help the learner to learn andpractise the language, vocabulary and structures thatare relevant to their real lives, their individual situationsand their ambitions.

Finding the level and the contextDoes teaching the core curriculum at Entry Level helpESOL learners to realise their ultimate goals as quicklyas possible? The answer is no. Most ESOL courses arepart-time, ranging from two to eight hours per week.Only a limited amount of language can be learned inthat time. If you are a 42 year old man with three chil-dren, you haven’t got the time to work through ESOLEntry Levels 1, 2 and 3 before you become employable.You need to learn the language as quickly as possible sothat you can move on to your long-term goals.You needan individual learning plan that will help you learn thelanguage and practise what you have learned in real lifecontexts.

It is impossible to meet individual needs, at differentlevels, in a ‘one size fits all’ group teaching session.Effective ESOL teachers employ a range of techniquesand give learners an opportunity to practise all fourlanguage skills in real-life contexts; they challengelearners and help them to become independent. Sadly,too often, the teaching I have seen is tutor- and cur-riculum-led and pitched at too low a level.

In any case, language learning is not a linear process.Learners do not need to be ‘taught’ the Entry 1, 2, 3vocabulary and language before they progress to Level1. The curriculum framework helps us to establish astarting point; it does not mean we have to follow thecurriculum as though it were a programme of study.Learners need tools to learn in contexts that are rele-vant and interesting to them and strategies which willenable them to realise their long-term goals as soon aspossible. Learners aspire to progress into their chosenvocational, academic or employment area; individuallearning plans can help shift the balance from generalESOL teaching to vocationally-specific language learn-ing.

ILPs, targets and goals To be a worthwhile document, an individual learningplan should be of use to both the learner and the tutor.It should be useful, user-friendly and used. This meansthat ESOL learners must own the ILP. They need torecord not only what they do but also what languagethey have learned, and how and when they have used it.

Learners need to see the links between their long-term goals and the language skills needed to realisethose goals. It is true that learners do not know whatlanguage they need to learn. However, this is where askilled language tutor can identify the language needsin different contexts and courses and set challengingtasks for the learner to learn and practise language incontexts that are relevant and meaningful to each indi-vidual. This also shifts the balance from ‘teaching’ to‘learning’. The core curriculum and the new curricu-lum materials are not linear topics to be taught butshould be used selectively as and when they are needed.

An individual learning plan can be a powerful tool. Itcan plot the steps needed to achieve short-term targetsand keep track of learners’ progress. Setting challengingtargets and meeting learners’ needs are not mutuallyexclusive aims. Indeed, the best ESOL sessions engageand stretch learners to handle complex language inemotionally and intellectually engaging contexts.Meaningless core curriculum references on ILPs are tothe detriment of real language learning.

All good teaching aspires to empower learners tobecome independent learners; an individual learningplan is the start of that journey. The role of the languagetutor is critical in making it work and making it ‘real’

1. Details of ESOL Pathfinder Projects can be found

at www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/pathfinder_projects


ILPs

“Effective ESOL challenge learners and help them to become independent.

THE ILP DEBATE


RESEARCH METHODS

Every day, teachers in theirclassrooms try things out and observethe effects; they reflect on what seemsto be working well and what seems towork less well; they evaluate theirstudents both formally and informally.This is all part of the normal routine ofclassroom activities. On the basis ofthis day-to-day monitoring, teachersmay subtly change and improve whatthey do.

The activities of observing, evaluatingand checking are also the basis ofresearch and teachers’ routine workcan be seen as research-like in manyways. Researchers do these everydayactivities in a more systematic way,addressing or puzzling through aparticular question and, crucially,making the work public and gettingbeyond the particular local situationby sharing the results with others.

This insight about the parallelsbetween teaching and research isdrawn upon when designingprofessional development courses forclassroom teachers where they carryout research projects. Individualprojects carried out by teachers canbe of great value in that it is theteachers, the experts in theclassroom, who, at the beginning,identify the questions to be researchedand who, at the end, takeresponsibility for implementingchange in their practice. Professionaldevelopment courses can helpteachers turn an initial problem orissue into a ‘researchable question’and then support them through theresearch process. A wide range ofmethods, including observation,interview, and the analysis oflanguage, can be drawn together inone study using quantitative andqualitative approaches. Exploring theliterature helps students link in with

related studies done by others;theories help provide broader framingfor understanding an issue. A researchperspective can then feed back intoteaching so that both the processesand the products of research supportthe inquiring practitioner in makingprofessional judgements in thecomplex world of a particularclassroom. Such teacher-researchprojects have been used as a centralpart of individual teachers’professional development.

Teacher research is a crucial form ofresearch in many areas of educationand it is central to the idea of researchhaving an impact on practice. Thisapproach has developed over the pasttwenty years, for example in the workof the Research and Practice in AdultLiteracy (RaPAL) group in Britain andwith the work of Susan Lytle andcolleagues in the United States.

Teacher research forms the basis ofmany NRDC projects. Whilst thisapproach has its origins inclassrooms, it has been expanded toother learning situations and toinclude other practitioners, such asmanagers. It has broadened out toworking with groups of practitionersand has had an impact on wholeorganisations, such as with thePractitioner-Led Research Initiative.In other NRDC projects,practitioners are involved in allstages of research in many differentways. Teacher research can go wellbeyond individual professionaldevelopment: it contributes to thefield in that the knowledge,perspective and experience whichteachers bring to research is crucialto the quality and validity of theresearch.

RaPAL is an independent network oflearners, teachers, managers andresearchers in adult basic education.RaPAL publishes three bulletins peryear and other occasionalpublications, and organises at leastone event each year.www.literacy.lancs.ac.uk/rapal

The Practitioner-Led ResearchInitiative at NRDC is a nationally co-ordinated series of small-scalepractitioner-led research projects.The aims of the programme are to:● build research capacity in the field● embed the activities of the NRDC inpractice● undertake important small-scaleresearch projects which contribute toNRDC’s overall programmes● strengthen research networkslinking practitioners, researchers andpolicy agencies.

The programme is aimed at groups ofbetween three and six people who aredirectly involved in the delivery anddevelopment of adult literacy,numeracy and ESOL in anyinstitutional setting anywhere acrossEngland. The first round of projectswill report in spring 2005; round twoprojects began work in January 2005.www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=426&ArticleID=337

Teacher researchersDavid Barton explains how the role of the teacher and the role of the researcher are complementary and how they can enhance each other’s practice.

Teachers’ routine work can be seen as research-like.“

Putting good practice into practice.Exploring approaches to literacy,numeracy and key skills withinmodern apprenticeships. Anevaluation of the LSDA developmentproject. February 2005.

Assessing adult literacy andnumeracy: a review of assessmentinstruments. February 2005.

Understanding the relationshipsbetween learning and teaching: ananalysis of the contribution of appliedlinguistics. February 2005.

Improving the literacy and numeracyof young offenders and disaffectedyoung people: the first 18 months ofthe study. February 2005.

Study of the impact of the Skills forLife learning infrastructure onlearners. February 2005.

Empowering mentors – buildingopportunities for bilingual adults towork in the wider community. March 2005.

Provision of, and learner engagementwith, adult literacy, numeracy andESOL support in rural England; acomparative case study. March 2005.

The report of the NRDC teacherresearch project into teaching andlearning of common measures,especially at Entry Level. March 2005.

‘Beyond the daily application’: makingnumeracy teaching meaningful toadult learners. March 2005.

NRDC publications

All publications are available for download from the "Publications" page on the website www.nrdc.org.uk and by post. To be sent copies and/or added to our mailing list, email us at [email protected]

PUBLICATIONS

Recent

Forthcoming

Success factors in informal learning –Young adults’ experiences of literacy,language and numeracy. Interimfindings from the YALP researchproject. Six page summary.

Success factors in informal learning:Young adults’ experiences of literacy,language and numeracy. Full interimreport. Web version only.

NRDC newsletter. January 2005.

Reflect • Issue 2 • February 200534

Glossary

C&G 9281 An introductory certificate in teachingcommunication skills to adults that predates the currentqualification framework; roughly equivalent to currentlevel 2

CTAD Cambridge Training and Development

DfID Department for International Development. See http://www.dfid.gov.uk/

E1 Entry Level 1 on the Adult literacy, numeracy andESOL core curricula

E2 Entry Level 2 on the Adult literacy, numeracy andESOL core curricula

ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages

GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education

IATEFL International Association of Teachers of Englishas a Foreign Language

ILP Individual Learning Plan; document used to plan andrecord a student’s learning

LEA Local Education Authority

LLU+ a national consultancy and professionaldevelopment centre for staff working in the areas ofliteracy, numeracy, dyslexia, family learning and Englishfor Speakers of Other Languages. Seehttp://www.lsbu.ac.uk/lluplus/

LSC Learning and Skills Council; responsible for fundingand planning education and training for learners over 16years old in England

MoD Ministry of Defence (UK)

NATECLA National Association for Teaching English andother Community Languages to Adults; the national (UK)forum and professional organisation for ESOLpractitioners

NIACE The National Institute of Adult ContinuingEducation – England and Wales; a non-governmentalorganisation working for more and different adultlearners. See http://www.niace.org.uk/

OFSTED a non-ministerial government department withresponsibility for the inspection of all schools and all 16-19 education

PGCE / Cert Ed Non-subject-specific qualifications thatgive qualified teacher status

PLRA Planning Learning and Recording Achievement inAdult Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL; DfES project led byLSDA. Seehttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/LearningInfrastructurePlanningLearning

Skills for Life The national strategy for improving adultliteracy and numeracy skills in England

Get in touchWe would like to include a letterspage in future editions of reflectso please write to us with yourviews on the articles in issue 2 oranything else you would like us toexplore. We also plan to have areviews section – would you like towrite a review for us? What wouldyou like to read a review about?Please [email protected]

2005 NRDC International Conference Putting new knowledge into practiceThursday, 10 March to Saturday, 12 March, 2005Staverton Park, Northamptonshire, NN11 6JT.

In 2005, NRDC completes its first three years ofwork and the 2005 NRDC International Conferencewill be both a celebration of the work completed inthat time, with the dissemination of the findings ofmajor studies which are completing in March, aswell as an opportunity to focus on the impact ofNRDC research on practice and policy.

The conference will feature a number of influentialacademics and policy makers from the UK andoverseas and we hope that you will also join us tohelp refresh and renew the Skills for Life strategy.

The conference will be of interest to researchers,practitioners and policy makers with an interest incontributing to the development of the Skills for Lifestrategy.

For the most up to date information on the conference visit www.nrdc.org.uk/intconf

In order to book your place for this conference write to:Richard BullNRDC Institute of Education University of London20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0ALTel: 020 7612 6804

Or email:[email protected]

www.nrdc.org.uk/intconf

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