Literacy Decade Research Articles

REACHING CHILDREN ACROSS THE GLOBE: THE EFFECT OF ENGLISH CHILDREN’S BOOKS ON TANZANIAN ORPHAN LITERACY

We found that there are disproportionately intractable challenges such as poverty and inequality in an area of Tanzania, Eastern Africa. There was a need to identify and develop the factors critical for their success. Data were collected in rural Iringa, Tanzania on a case study basis, using a semi-structured interview and communication with leaders in this area of Africa, and we analyzed data with a coded transcript. We identified ten factors that are critical for the success of the orphanage literacy. These findings advance understanding of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and have important practical applications for such enterprises. When the United Nations literacy decade (UNLD, 2003–2012) reached a mid-point, we decided to add to the global awareness of literacy. With initiatives and policy shifts providing a stronger basis for action on literacy, we reached out to Africa. Our concern is that the rise in the global adult literacy rate (15+) from 76 to 83.6 percent over the last two previous decades shows steady progress, with the rates in developing countries showing an even sharper rise from 68 to 79 percent (Richmond, Robinson, & Sachs-Israel, 2008). Thus, we focused on students from grades four to twelve to foster their literary progress as well. This study included 58 students who were also orphans in Kihesa-Iringa, Tanzania. By creating a Coalition of Children’s Book Authors, we established a common ground for global literacy in the form of an NGO. However, the complication in literacy levels exists due to the digital-divide challenges coupled with the expense and delay of material delivered to Africa from the United States. Thankfully, our concern has succeeded to have influence even through the digital divide posed several objectives. Our course of action included a comprehensive plan to reach the 58 orphans, train their leaders, and create interactive learning modules. Thus, our contribution to the literature has reacted to the needs of an African community that could use help in not only literacy but also literacy-leadership communication and knowledge-management.

Sustainable Biocultural Heritage Management and Communication: The Case of Digital Narrative for UNESCO Marine World Heritage of Outstanding Universal Value

The paper addresses sustainability, heritage, management, and communication from UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage (MWH) perspective, analyzing its digital narrative footprint through social media. It aims to understand how MWH is conceptualized, managed, and communicated and whether it is framed with sustainability and biocultural values facilitating interactivity, engagement, and multimodal knowledge. Hence, a content analysis of the Instagram accounts of the MWH of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) sites and protected areas has been conducted. The study included evidence from their Instagram profile, posts, features, and reactions. The findings indicated the dearth of a management and communication strategy being shared among and across UNESCO’s MWH of OUV sites and protected areas, capturing the “lifeworld” and the “voice” of the marine heritage as unified. They also revealed that nature and human, and biological and socio-ecological ecosystems of MWH of OUV sites and protected areas are not interlinked in marine heritage management and communication featuring the whole and the entirety of the marine heritage site ecosystem. The lack of this expansion of meaning and engagement does not facilitate the shift of the route in the marine-scape, from discovery and being listed as World Heritage to human-nature interaction, diversity, dynamicity, and ocean literacy. The study contributes to setting the ground rules for strengthening marine heritage management and communication in light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Ocean Literacy Decade (2021–2030).

Avaliação da alfabetização: Provinha Brasil

Este texto é parte dos resultados de uma pesquisa documental mais ampla, cuja finalidade foi analisar os programas voltados para a alfabetização infantil implementados pelo Ministério da Educação a partir do ano de 2003. Busca compreender as origens do Programa de Avaliação da Alfabetização e as mudanças que ocorreram durante seu desenvolvimento; além disso, fundamentado no exame da Matriz de Referência para Avaliação da Alfabetização e do Letramento Inicial e dos documentos que compõem o kit da Provinha Brasil, visa a entender as concepções de alfabetização, de letramento inicial, de língua/linguagem e de leitura que sustentam o modelo de avaliação adotado pelo Ministério da Educação. Conclui que o programa tem origem nas definições de organismos mundiais para a década da alfabetização (2003-2012). O modelo autônomo de alfabetização ancora o Programa de Avaliação e, por isso, a ênfase é depositada no aprendizado das unidades abstratas da língua. A leitura, dimensão ligada ao letramento inicial, é compreendida como processo de decodificação e de identificação de ideias expressas de forma explícita em pequenos textos. Considerando os aspectos analisados, o artigo avalia que a concepção de língua/linguagem como estrutura sustenta a elaboração da Matriz de Referência e a construção dos itens da prova. Questiona, finalmente, de que modo a Provinha Brasil, pensada como instrumento pedagógico, poderá contribuir para a formação de leitores e escritores.

Building a Global Bookshelf: In Recognition of the United Nations Literacy Decade 2003–2012

This guest editorial promotes the United Nations Literacy Decade of 2003–2012 as it is implemented in preschools and primary schools to develop global literacy competencies in young children through a project entitled, Building a Global Bookshelf.

Adult Literacy: Monitoring and Evaluation for Practice and Policy

With the advent of the UN Literacy Decade launched in 2003, there is increased emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of adult literacy around the globe. The present paper presents an overview of the main approaches that have been taken to measure adult literacy within and across countries. A particular focus of the present review is to compare and contrast three models of literacy assessment: (1) the “traditional” model based largely on census enumeration, which has been used over recent decades to collect national and regional rates of illiteracy; (2) the large-scale survey techniques employed with the International Adult Literacy Survey and similar models; and (3) an intermediate type of assessment that borrows from the previous two models, and attempts to “tailor” the size and complexity of the survey methodology to the policy questions needing answers (called the SQC model). The present paper suggests that there is no single model or set of methods that are universally appropriate to monitoring and measuring in adult literacy around the world, but that blending both programmatic and comparative models through the SQC approach may bring greater involvement in, and insight into, adult literacy evaluations.

The Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) 2006–2015

When it became apparent that existing literacy efforts in a number of countries would not be enough to reach Dakar Goal 4 – achieving a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults – UNESCO created a ten-year framework of collaborative action for enhancing and improving national literacy efforts in support of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003–2012). This Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) was launched by UNESCO in the context of the 33rd General Conference in October 2005 as one of the three core EFA initiatives – LIFE, the Teacher Training Initiative for Sub-Saharan Africa (TTISSA) and EDUCAIDS – prioritized by the Education Sector. It is conceived not only as a key operational mechanism for achieving the goals of the UNLD but also as a contribution to the achievement of EFA as a whole, in particular Goal 3 (meeting the learning needs of all young people and adults), Goal 4 (a 50% improvement in adult literacy rates) and Goal 5 (achieving gender equality in education) and to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, HIV and AIDS and sustainable development (Figure 1).

Literacy development in Canada.

Literacy development has been found to have a considerable influence on individuals' lives, modern society, and its economy. As a consequence, a great deal of attention has been devoted to facets of literacy, conditions that facilitate its development, and its impact. This special issue of Canadian Psychology provides a sample of current research programmes carried out on development by Canadian researchers in psychology and education. The topics addressed include emergent literacy, longitudinal prediction of reading development, development of oral reading and reading comprehension, development amongst French immersion students, importance of culturally and developmentally appropriate practices in instruction, and prevention of reading difficulties. The concluding article provides an overview of current definitions of learning/reading disabilities in Canadian provinces and territories. Keywords: development, emergent literacy, prediction and prevention of reading difficulties, development of oral reading and reading comprehension, reading instruction The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 set forth principle of education for all and universal literacy. Still today, it is estimated that over 770 million adults around world are illiterate, including 130 million young people (ages 15 to 24), and these estimates are expected to remain unchanged in 2015 (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2004, 2005). The factors responsible for illiteracy or insufficient are numerous and complex. They include limited access to schooling (e.g., in developing countries) and inadequate preparation for reading instruction (e.g., in disadvantaged areas; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004). Recent surveys rank amongst top five industrialized countries around world for its high rate. Yet 2003 survey results indicate that skills of 40% of Canadian adults (ages 16 to 65) fall below level that is considered necessary for an entry-level job in modern and economy (Statistics Canada, 2004, 2005). The consequences of illiteracy or low skills are broad ranging: They include lower school achievement (e.g., persistence, competence), poorer physical and mental health (e.g., life expectancy), and lower employability and work productivity. Several national and international organisations have urged decision makers to take action to foster development for all. The Canadian Council on Learning (2007) emphasized that Canada cannot afford to be complacent about literacy (p. 121) as there are still significant challenges to be addressed. Because nearly all countries around world face similar challenges, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (2002) has called period of 2003 to 2012 Literacy Decade. The practise of equating with alphabetization is now viewed as inadequate to address illiteracy as a sociopolitical problem that affects lifelong learning, personal and cultural identity, citizenship, equality of opportunities, governance, and civil society. A broader perspective has led to increasingly encompassing definitions of term literacy. For instance, UNESCO experts now define as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society (UNESCO, 2004, p. 13). In an attempt to reconcile different perspectives, UNESCO experts broke down concept of into four facets. First, can be viewed as set of cognitive skills that are necessary to read and write. …

PENDIDIKAN KEAKSARAAN DI INDONESIA KE DEPAN

Quoting EFA Global Monitoring Report 2006 on literacy for life, this article discusses its implementation in Indonesia. It is believed that the success of the literacy program is closely related to the government policy. Based on the analysis of the condition and problems of illiteracy, the political leaders of the highest level are expected to be committed to take real actions, all nations including Indonesia formulate and implement written and explicit literacy policy in developing access to basic education, conduct continuous literacy program. In conclusion, the article suggests the Indonesian Government, as a member of United Nations, should tightly keep the commitment expressed in a number of UN’s declarations and conferences including to achieve the goals in The United Nations Literacy Decade 2003 – 2012.

Family literacy in Europe: separate agendas?

Family literacy programmes have become increasingly popular with policy‐makers as a means of addressing low levels of adult literacy. It is believed that such initiatives will help to address social exclusion and aid greater economic participation by those in deprived communities or from disadvantaged sectors of society. The growing interest in such initiatives comes at a time of international concern over general levels of literacy, as highlighted by the United Nations literacy decade 2003–2012 and in Europe by the Lisbon Agenda. In this article, which draws on the findings from a cross‐European study of family literacy programmes in England, Ireland and Malta, we argue that disparate agendas characterizse policy and practice. We conclude by considering the implications for the future of family literacy programmes in promoting social inclusion.

Language, Culture, and Literacy

Language, Culture, and Literacy

Promoting literacy: What is the record of Education for All?

The Education for All (EFA) goals aim to increase adult literacy levels by 50% by 2015, and yet the number without access to literacy remains obstinately high at over 800 million. This paper examines a number of initiatives, such as the Millennium Development goals, EFA and the UN Literacy Decade, and assesses what level of priority their discourse gives to adult literacy. In particular, the EFA discourse since the Dakar World Education Forum in 2000 is tracked through the meetings of the EFA Working Group and the EFA High Level Group, with the conclusion that adult literacy can be observed in the rhetoric, but was not a focus of action. The position of the World Bank, in particular with regard to the Fast Track Initiative is also examined. The paper concludes by suggesting three areas that will require consideration and which may also explain the neglect of adult literacy hitherto in the EFA agenda.

Smaller, quicker, cheaper: alternative strategies for literacy assessment in the UN Literacy Decade

In the context of the UN Literacy Decade (declared in February 2003), the present paper suggests three parameters that should be considered when new tools for assessment are considered in less developed countries (LDCs), each of which poses a special challenge to international comparative literacy assessment, such as in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS): • Smaller: Assessment methods do not need to be major entrepreneurial enterprises, but rather just robust enough to answer key policy questions at the national and local levels. International comparative studies often run counter to this perspective. • Quicker: Literacy assessments need to be completed in ‘real time’ so that results can affect policy and spending in the ‘lifetime’ of current ministerial appointments. Studies that take 3–5 years to generate results, even if robust, nonetheless fail to meet the test of timeliness. • Cheaper: LDCs cannot afford either the fiscal or human resources costs of deep involvement in highly technical assessment exercises. The higher the cost, the more difficult to get to an initial ‘yes’ to participate in such an exercise, and the more difficult to gather time-series data to follow policy decisions. In sum, this paper finds that there is a very important need for improving literacy assessment methodologies and the empirical database in developing countries, especially in light of the new UN Literacy Decade. While the IALS presents interesting and important options for methodological consideration, it also has a number of inherent limitations as discussed herein. Other options exist which should also be considered, especially for poor countries, such as the smaller/quicker/cheaper (SQC) approach.

Literacy Assessment in the Third World: An Overview and Proposed Schema for Survey Use

Previous articleNext article No AccessLiteracy Assessment in the Third World: An Overview and Proposed Schema for Survey UseDaniel A. WagnerDaniel A. Wagner Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Comparative Education Review Volume 34, Number 1Feb., 1990Special Issue on Adult Literacy Sponsored by the Comparative and International Education Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/446906 Views: 15Total views on this site Citations: 21Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1990 The Comparative and International Education SocietyPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Idowu Biao Financing adult learning and education (ALE) now and in future, International Review of Education 68, no.22 (May 2022): 213–231.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09950-0Jennifer Leeman Censuses and Large-Scale Surveys in Language Research, (May 2017): 83–97.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02249-9_8Jennifer Leeman Censuses and Large-Scale Surveys in Language Research, (Oct 2016): 1–15.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02329-8_8-1Aaron Benavot Literacy in the 21st century: Towards a dynamic nexus of social relations, International Review of Education 61, no.33 (Jan 2015): 273–294.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-015-9463-3Denis Cogneau, Alexander Moradi Borders That Divide: Education and Religion in Ghana and Togo Since Colonial Times, The Journal of Economic History 74, no.33 (Aug 2014): 694–729.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022050714000576Daniel Wagner Literacy and UNESCO: Conceptual and Historical Perspectives, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 2013, no.138138 (Jun 2013): 19–27.https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20050Aki Yonehara Needs Assessment for Literacy Development by Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling, Kodo Keiryogaku (The Japanese Journal of Behaviormetrics) 40, no.22 (Jan 2013): 123–134.https://doi.org/10.2333/jbhmk.40.123Neva M. 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Wagner Smaller, quicker, cheaper: alternative strategies for literacy assessment in the UN Literacy Decade, International Journal of Educational Research 39, no.33 (Jan 2003): 293–309.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2004.04.009Michelle Commeyras, Bagele Chilisa Assessing Botswana's first national survey on literacy with Wagner's proposed schema for surveying literacy in the ‘Third World’, International Journal of Educational Development 21, no.55 (Sep 2001): 433–446.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0738-0593(00)00074-2Zellynne Jennings Adult literacy in the Commonwealth Caribbean with special reference to a study of the functional literacy of young Guyanese adults, International Journal of Lifelong Education 19, no.55 (Sep 2000): 385–406.https://doi.org/10.1080/026013700445521Daniel A. 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MULHOLLAND Functional Literacy, Health, and Quality of Life, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 520, no.11 (Sep 2016): 103–120.https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716292520001012Daniel A. Wagner Who's a Literate? Assessmen t Issues in a Global Perspective, Psychology and Developing Societies 2, no.11 (Aug 2016): 5–16.https://doi.org/10.1177/097133369000200102Daniel A. Wagner, Jennifer E. Spratt, Gary D. Klein, Abdelkader Essaki The myth of literacy relapse: Literacy retention among Moroccan primary school leavers, International Journal of Educational Development 9, no.44 (Jan 1989): 307–315.https://doi.org/10.1016/0738-0593(89)90023-0