Abstract
Despite large-scale interventions, significant numbers of adults worldwide continue to have problems with basic literacy, in particular in the area of reading. To be effective, adult reading teachers need expert knowledge at practitioner level. However, practices in adult reading education vary widely, often reflecting the individual beliefs of each teacher about how an adult can learn to read. In this study, phenomenographic analysis was used to identify categories of approaches to teaching adult reading, used by a group of 60 teachers in Western Australia and New Zealand. Four approaches were identified: reassurance, task-based, theory-based and responsive. It is argued that for teachers to become effective and consistent in responding to learner needs, they must understand their own beliefs and the consequences of these. The identification of different approaches in adult reading education is an important step in this process.
Highlights
Full participation in 21st century society and the labour market requires the capacity to accumulate knowledge and to develop and maintain a broad range of skills (Australian Industry Group 2013, Satherley and Lawes 2007)
Teachers adopting the reassurance approach believed the adult reader learns if a suitable environment is provided, with many opportunities to read but with limited focus put on what specific reading skills are required and taught
This study examined the beliefs of a group of adult reading teachers on how less-skilled adult readers can be taught to read
Summary
Full participation in 21st century society and the labour market requires the capacity to accumulate knowledge and to develop and maintain a broad range of skills (Australian Industry Group 2013, Satherley and Lawes 2007). There are numerous social and economic benefits, both for individuals and communities, associated with possessing strong literacy skills (e.g. National Research Council 2012, Perkins 2009, Tertiary Education Commission 2010). Low adult literacy levels have been linked to unemployment, social isolation, poverty and broader health issues (Chesters, Ryan and Sinning 2013, Miller, McCardle and Hernandez 2010, Perkins 2009). Difficulties in reading persist through the lifespan, contributing to ongoing low literacy levels (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013, National Research Council 2012). The importance of reading has prompted various efforts to address low reading skills across many countries, and various large-scale, organised, and funded national projects have been established (e.g. Australian Industry Group 2013, McShane 2005, National Research Council 2012). Despite considerable investments in adult reading programs reports of insufficient impact and progress appear consistently within the literature (Australian Industry Group 2013, Palameta, Myers and Conte 2013)
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