Lessons from past literacy campaigns: A critical assessment

Former Director of the Centre for International Programmes, University of Guelph, Ontario (1974–85); of the Division of Adult Education (1972–74) and of the Literacy Division (1968–72), Unesco. He has considerable experience with adult education and literacy programmes in less developed countries, notably in South and South-East Asia.     

Using research to improve literacy practice and practice to improve literacy research

The disconnection between research and practice is not a new phenomenon, but as researchers and educators look toward the future of deaf education, it seems crucial to look back at the reasons behind this disconnection with the goal of creating a professional milieu in which we use research to improve literacy practice and practice to improve literacy research with deaf students. This article examines the issues underlying the relatively insignificant impact of research on literacy practice from the perspectives of the fields of literacy, special education, and deaf education.     

Training and supporting the ‘volunteers’: Revisiting total literacy campaigns in India

Teacher effectiveness is one of the most important determinants of the success of adult literacy programmes. From the outset of the campaign movement, the National Literacy Mission (NLM) of the Government of India has emphasised the need for a training and support system for campaign personnel, who often have limited education and lack of experience to understand the problems of literacy and to effectively teach adults. This article is part of a larger case study illustrating how the campaign approach, approved at the national level, was de facto implemented at the grassroots level with local specific variations beyond the campaign model. The article examines the campaign strategies with respect to training and supervision, and presents qualitative data generated through in-depth interviews with the village level volunteer force, so as to illustrate local responses to the district plan. When the implementation process, as well as the outcome of the campaign is studied, the gap between policy and practice becomes more apparent. The mass movement approach of the campaign appears to have been replaced by a top-down effort to achieve the national goal of universal literacy, with little attempt to allow managerial flexibility at the ground level. The article argues that decentralisation of the campaign structure may be necessary to make it relevant to the local context.     

Distance students and online research: Promoting information literacy through media literacy

Today's college students, particularly distance students, are increasingly dependent on the Web for their research needs. At the same time they lack the critical thinking skills required to successfully evaluate the actual credibility of online information, a critical aspect of information literacy. Furthermore, rather than access the online library database, distance students are more likely to employ generic search engines in their research quests, making more critical the need for information literacy. The current study employed an online survey designed to explore the relationships between critical evaluation of online information, as a measure of information literacy, and components of media literacy. Results suggest a significant, positive relationship between these literacies. These findings suggest variety in the types of strategies instructors and instructional designers might employ towards the development of information literacy skills required for today's graduates to successfully negotiate the 21st century information society.     

借研究性学习之力,扬数学素养之帆

研究性学习,通过开展多种数学活动,让学生勤动手,勤思考,亲参与,在学习中培养学生数学素养,本人借此问题的提出来阐述研究性学习对于数学素养的意义,同时提出借研究性学习培养数学素养的策略。     

Social literacy and citizenship education in the school curriculum

This article explores citizenship education's need to focus on both ‘political’ and ‘social’ literacy within a communitarian framework. The Crick Report (1998; see also Lahey, Crick and Porter, 1974), while recognizing that the social dimension of citizenship education was a precondition for both the civic and political dimensions, concentrated largely on ‘political’ literacy. This article examines the social dimension of citizenship education. Concern with the social dimension of the curriculum in schools is not a recent interest, but changes within society have accelerated the social demands made upon schools. At the very least, society expects schools to correct the behaviour of children and to teach them values which usually means insisting on ‘good’ behaviour. The social development of pupils has thus assumed a much greater place in the aspirations of schools. Programmes of personal and social education, together with citizenship education, invariably emphasize a range of social skills and these skills are introduced early and built upon throughout the years of schooling. An individual's sense and ability to make socially productive decisions do not develop by themselves; rather, they require knowledge, values and skills. Above all opportunities are required for children to experience social relations in such a way that they are able to operate critically within value-laden discourses and thereby to become informed and ethically empowered, active citizens.     

Illiterates in south africa: who are they and what motivates them to participate in literacy campaigns?

This study seeks to identify the key factors influencing the participation of adult learners in literacy campaigns in South Africa. Preliminary research has indicated that adult educators often do not know and understand what inspires adult learners to participate in literacy education. The present study underscores that illiterates tend to be motivated by the same desire for self-actualization as any other member of society, and may well stop participating in classes unless educators are more responsive to their needs and aspirations. Vocational and economic expectations, children’s education, family relations, health, social motives, and gender issues as well as simply the hope for a better future all need to be taken account of. It is also shown that functional literacy in itself does not automatically empower women in the workplace.     

A plea for research on lay literacy

This paper distinguishes scribal literacy, the ability to read and write, from lay literacy, the pervasive set of assumptions taken for granted by readers and non-readers who participate in a literate society. The task for the study of literacy is to uncover and examine these assumptions. The route to the discovery of these literate assumptions is through a consideration of the relations between the vernacular and the literate forms of language.     

青少年视觉素养教育探究

人类进入图像时代,语言文化与视觉文化发生了地位上的变化。Web2.0时代网络由于其可写性,视觉文化的传播因此变得更加广泛、快捷。青少年作为各种视觉网站的最大用户群体,其视觉素养教育意义非凡。主要体现在四个方面:培养视觉审美、防止视觉污染、引导青少年进行视觉文化创造、传承民族文化与价值观念。本文也提出了一个具体的如何提高青少年视觉素养的模式。     

Social capital and home literacy engagement: case studies of low-SES single mothers' access to literacy resources

Drawing on the theory of social capital, this paper explores how difference in mothers' social networks might impact on low‐SES' children's literacy development at home. A cross‐case analysis of the influence of two low‐SES single‐mothers' social networks on their children's home literacy practices suggests that difference in mother's social capital has a disparate impact on their access to literacy resources, their home literacy engagement with their children, and their interaction/connection with school teachers and contributes to their children's differential school literacy achievement. The findings suggest that for low‐SES children to achieve school success, parents must be able to access resources that support their ability to engage in literacy activities that align with those valued in the school. Therefore, there is a need for schools and teachers to provide not only services that allow more networking opportunities but also support to understand school‐literacy practices and expectations for low‐SES families, especially single‐parents who might be more socially isolated.     

Examining the literacy component of science literacy: 25 years of language arts and science research

This review, written to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the International Journal of Science Education, revealed a period of changes in the theoretical views of the language arts, the perceived roles of language in science education, and the research approaches used to investigate oral and written language in science, science teaching, and learning. The early years were dominated by behavioralist and logico-mathematical interpretations of human learning and by reductionist research approaches, while the later years reflected an applied cognitive science and constructivist interpretations of learning and a wider array of research approaches that recognizes the holistic nature of teaching and learning. The early years focus on coding oral language into categories reflecting source of speech, functional purpose, level of question and response, reading research focused on the readability of textbooks using formulae and the reader's decoding skills, and writing research was not well documented since the advocates for writing in service of learning were grass roots practitioners and many science teachers were using writing as an evaluation technique. The advent of applied cognitive science and the constructivist perspectives ushered in interactive-constructive models of discourse, reading and writing that more clearly revealed the role of language in science and in science teaching and learning. A review of recent research revealed that the quantity and quality of oral interactions were low and unfocused in science classrooms; reading has expanded to consider comprehension strategies, metacognition, sources other than textbooks, and the design of inquiry environments for classrooms; and writing-to-learn science has focused on sequential writing tasks requiring transformation of ideas to enhance science learning. Several promising trends and future research directions flow from the synthesis of this 25-year period of examining the literacy component of science literacy - among them are critical listening and reading of various sources, multi-media presentations and representations, effective debate and argument, quality explanation and the role of information and communication technologies/environments.     

Understanding mathematical literacy: The contribution of research

Amid the current ‘math wars’ in the United States, research evidence is being both demanded and attacked by all sides. A recent study designed to synthesize the literature on mathematics learning and to provide research-based recommendations, advice, and guidance developed an elaborated view of mathematical literacy, termed mathematical proficiency in the study report. Mathematical proficiency can serve as a focus for both research and practice, avoiding the extreme positions with respect to the goals of mathematics learning that are so often found in disputes over school mathematics. The study also demonstrated how research could be synthesized so that evidence from research might be used more productively for changing school mathematics in ways that would yield greater mathematical literacy for all.     

高校新闻宣传工作者媒介素养教育研究

媒介种类形态多样、影响力巨大,这是高校新闻宣传工作的特点。随着自媒体为代表的信息时代到来,以传媒一元化、集中化为特点的高校新闻宣传工作格局已不适应新形势的需要。必须因应媒介发展进程、表现形态、内在属性等特点,从制度和执行等不同层面,有效开展科学性和针对性的媒介素养教育,提升高校新闻宣传工作者的媒介素养,从而增强高校新闻宣传工作的宣传力、传播力和引导力,切实实现"环境监测""社会协调"和共同发展。     

Discourse analysis in classrooms: approaches to language and literacy research

This study reports the results of an innovative assignment in which preservice teachers’ mental representations were examined through drawing floor plans of an “ideal middle-level mathematics classroom.” The 41 middle-level mathematics preservice teachers created two floor plans, one at the beginning of the semester and the other for the course final. An essay was also submitted describing how the final floor plan addressed the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics principle of Teaching. Participants designed and described floor plans that encouraged the use of inquiry and hands-on activities and technology as instructional strategies, focused on student learning styles and individual needs, established a comfortable, organized and safe learning environment, demonstrated flexibility in grouping strategies, and encouraged communication between peers and with the teacher. The essays also suggest that the preservice teachers’ emerging teacher identity was influenced by professional experiences such as field placements and peer lessons.