Terra Incognita: How Research Can Help to Chart Unexplored Terrain in Adult Literacy

Abstract

The aim of this article is to make initial suggestions as to how certain aspects of adult literacy and numeracy education would benefit from research resources. The author identifies several issues affecting literacy research, such as limited research capacity and lack of a shared international forum. He then discusses four aspects in more detail: models of literacy, the benefits of literacy education, instructional practices, and the effects of diverse settings for practice. In all of these areas, he argues, it is important that attention is paid to the distinction between research about and research in literacy and numeracy education, as these two types of research serve different purposes using different strategies. The article closes with a call for more reliable research-based information in order to inform and enrich the professional judgement of educators.