The social construct of adult literacy learners’ needs: A case study

Abstract

Abstract This paper reports a theory‐driven, critical case study of the stated needs for literacy of 11 adult literacy learners. The literacy ‘needs’ of adult learners are argued to be social constructions. These stated literacy needs of adult learners are influenced by the external environment of the workplace and the particular workplace literacy requirements, and societal demands. However, these needs are also influenced by the adult learners’ reconstructions and memories of schooling, and the views of significant others whose discourses on literacy affect the adult learners’ perceptions of their ‘reading failure’. The hypothesis generated by this case study, then, is that notions about literacy acquired in the context of acquisition of that literacy will be represented in the subsequent requests of the adult learners for these literacy needs.