Search

The impacts and cost-effectiveness of adult basic education (ABE) in Sub-Saharan Africa were examined in a review of the new generation of ABE programs in the region. African experts and other international resource persons examined documentation from recent adult literacy, numeracy, and other educational programs targeted toward individuals over the age of 15 years. The study revealed evidence of the following impacts of new-generation ABE programs: (1) after developing literacy skills, women were better able to support their children; (2) participants were empowered to move from being passive subjects to active citizens; (3) participants developed more effective oral and written communication skills; (4) participants with new literacy skills were healthier and raised healthier children; and (5) many participants found more productive livelihoods. The study confirmed the validity of the proposition that many of the region's new-generation ABE programs have been able to successfully address the following criticisms of ABE: (1) weak internal efficiency; (2) poor retention of literacy skills; (3) costs that are too high in relation to outcomes; and (4) adults being too old to learn. The study yielded evidence validating the proposition that ABE programs in Sub-Saharan Africa deserve strong support from the international community. (68 references) (MN)

The Skills and Knowledge Profile (SKP) is a tool developed in Canada to document learning styles and strategies of adult learners. The instrument was developed as a systematic approach to capturing the learning styles of unemployed and employed adults across sectors. It is made up of these six sections: (1) Learning Access and Personal Information; (2) Personal Informal Learning; (3) Job-Related Informal Learning; (4) Non-Formal Courses and Workshops; (5) Future Learning Plans; and (6) Your Comments on the Profile. The SKP was created through action-based research using learners in a unionized factory, community-based women's employment program, and community-based literacy program. Volunteers at all three sites committed their time and efforts to filling out the SKP and then provided feedback on the clarity, usefulness, and ease of using the tool. Feedback has been incorporated into the SKP in a continuous process. The evaluation can be used by individuals to sort out their skills and to focus their efforts on a career path. The SKP is not only a tool, but also a reflection of a positive trend in adult education by which adult learners build on and share their own wealth of knowledge and skills. (This paper documents the evolution of the SKP from its inception in the spring of 1997 to the end of 1998.) (KC)

This discussion paper explores interactions among formal learning, informal learning, and life conditions and opportunities experienced by aboriginal people in Canada. The contradictory importance of education for aboriginal people is examined with respect to three related aspects of these relationships. First, the paper summarizes students' accounts of their experiences in conventional and alternative school settings in three Saskatchewan communities, exploring how these relate to the students' broader cultural and home environments. Second, it examines the formal and informal educational experiences of a small group of adults surveyed in an urban Indian and Metis Friendship Center. Finally, the paper explores issues that arise around the emergence of entrepreneurial training and entrepreneurship, areas posed by many commentators as a possible way of bridging formal and informal learning and overcoming the longstanding marginalization of aboriginal people from labor market and economic participation. The paper concludes that gaps remain in the attainment of educational success by aboriginal people, relative to the general population, when viewed in terms of conventional educational indicators. However, the aboriginal youth and adults involved in the study place a high value in formal schooling, mainstream economic activities, and entrepreneurial opportunities to provide routes for individual and community advancement. The study suggests that the aboriginal peoples could benefit more if the educational system better integrated their skills and culture and acknowledged the strengths that the aboriginal people bring to learning. (The paper lists 40 references.) (KC)

A comparative study of the impact of violence on immigrant women's learning was conducted among immigrant women of two communities in the Toronto area: the Spanish-speaking community and the Kurds. The two authors of the study each worked with one of the communities in which they had knowledge of the language. An in-depth, non-structured, conversational interview was used with 14 women of each group in order to document the life histories of these women as they experienced them. The Spanish-speaking women also participated in a workshop wherein they focused on learning about the law. All the women had been involved in violence, whether the mostly-domestic violence that the Spanish-speaking women had experienced or the political violence in which the Kurdish women or their husbands, sons, and brothers had participated. The study, reported separately for each group, found that the experience of violence places stress on the women that impedes their learning. The study also found that learning should be viewed as larger than just the learning of content--it includes learning to trust and act on their own behalf and take charge of their own learning. Some of the recommendations of the study included having peer-oriented learning groups to teach women about the legal system and the provision of legal materials in their native languages. (Contains 45 references.) (KC)

This report summarizes issues facing New Zealand's modern adult literacy movement and places it in the context of the rapidly changing skill demands of the 21st century. Part I introduces political, economic, and social issues facing New Zealand. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the issues and structures that create the current climate. Part II provides a history of adult literacy in New Zealand. Chapter 2 defines literacy for the 21st century; identifies how literate New Zealanders are, and considers literacy needs by industry. Chapter 3 provides a brief history of New Zealand's literacy movement, describes emergence of workplace literacy, and discusses theoretical underpinnings Freirean and competency-based models. Chapter 4 addresses national leadership and provision of services. Four case studies are presented in a two-page profile with this basic information: type of program; cost; goal; types of services; work-related outcomes; number of students; student selection; structure; curriculum; learner profile; funding source; reason for literacy program; institutional profile; other factors that contribute to success; and student suggestions. A more detailed exploration follows of a series of questions on three themes: motivation, barriers, and benefits. Part III includes recommendations for a long-term, comprehensive, coordinated adult literacy strategy in Chapter 5, with implications for the United States in Chapter 6. Appendixes include the National Literacy Act: Public Law 102-73, and case study interview questions. (Contains 93 references, 7 tables, and 6 figures.) (YLB)

A study examined the profiles of vocational education and training (VET) clients in disadvantaged areas of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, building on earlier analysis of VET participation in those cities. The study examined the characteristics of VET clients coming from postal codes identified as disadvantaged to determine, if possible, to what extent high levels of participation are accompanied by comparable achievement, judged by appropriate measures such as level of course and module outcomes. Information was gathered from earlier studies and by mapping VET client data for postal codes in Sydney and Melbourne. The study confirmed earlier findings that the most disadvantaged areas of both cities have the highest numbers of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) participants. The relationship between disadvantage and participation is apparent mainly at the extremes of the most disadvantaged and most advantaged postal codes. A different map could be created by mapping another criterion of disadvantage, such as economic resource, because some lower income people have higher education levels. The study supports the contention that VET policy should give greater attention to addressing equity issues in disadvantaged urban regions because this is where large numbers of people do participate in VET. (Contains 16 references, 6 tables, and 5 figures.) (KC)

Current practice in postliteracy (PL) instruction was reviewed. In all cases, PL programs were considered programs of further learning. Some PL programs were concentrating on further developing literacy skills, whereas others were concentrating on skill training, group formation, or further education based on nonformal curricula. Although adult literacy class graduates were the primary target of current PL programs, others (especially younger persons) were often admitted. The main provision for PL is in the form of development of PL materials--reading materials of an improving nature, intended to promote central visions of development. The aim of PL is to help adults of all kinds practice literacy in real situations by using found texts, instead of helping them learn further literacy skills using texts specially prepared for that learning. The staffing of PL is usually the same as for initial literacy training (ILT), and specific training for PL is virtually nonexistent. Although the traditional model of PL as the provision of further specially prepared learning programs for completers of ILT programs remains strong (most likely because of a lack of clarity about new approaches to PL), the evidence that the traditional model of PL is failing was clear. It was proposed that PL be redefined as the provision of assistance to all those who feel that they are having difficulties with the practice of literacy in real situations, and that such assistance be provided outside the classroom, as well as in it, at the time and point of need. (Contains 171 references. Appended is a list of 13 related reports.) (MN)

Of the nearly 14,500 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) now registered with Egypt's Ministry of Social Affairs, 25% are inactive, 3% are less than 3 years old, and 7% are private member associations. The Egyptian government's promotion of specific social programs and service models in the NGO sector began after the October War of 1973. Egyptian NGOs, which are primarily politically neutral, fall into five categories: community development associations; religious (Muslim and Christian) welfare associations; private member associations; nonreligious social welfare associations; and scientific and public cultural organizations. In 1992, Egypt's NGO sector had an estimated total annual revenue of $85-110 million (U.S.), with private donations and activity (user) fees accounting for two-thirds of those revenues. Key NGO services and activities include the following: day care programs, sewing classes, health services, aid to widow-headed households, skills training and productive activities, general education, and religious instruction. Most Egyptian NGO services aim to serve the middle and lower-middle classes rather than the poor. The leaders and members of Egyptian NGOs are overwhelmingly male. NGO services are concentrated in urban areas. The sector is characterized by rivalries between associations at both the community and national levels. (The document contains 26 references and 10 tables and figures.) (MN)

The following conference papers cover a wide spectrum of issues in continuing education: "Introduction" (Katherine Leni Oglesby); "Footprints in the Sand?--The Legacy of the University Funding Council's Support for Research in Continuing Education" (Chris Duke); "Thinking Fragments: Learning, Life Histories and the Self" (Linden West); "Group Research Projects in Adult Continuing Education" (Joan Unwin); "Adult Self-Directed Learning in the Community and Its Implications" (Keith Percy); "Creativity Training for Design Engineers in Heavy Plant Industries" (Graham Thompson, Martina Lordan); "The Leeds Adult Learners at Work Project: Knowledge and Control in Employee Development Schemes" (John Payne, Keith Forester); "'Personal Troubles and Public Issues': University Researchers, Adult Educators and Adult Learners in Rural Areas" (John Payne); "Voluntary Organisations. Citizenship, Learning and Change" (Konrad Elsdon); "Inside Perspectives: Ex-Prisoners' Views on Prison Education" (Sally Malin, Ina J. Kell); "Mainstreaming, Critical Histories and Cultural Identities" (Tom Steele); "Responding to Language Shift among Young People" (Heini Gruffudd); "Accessing the Imagination: Creative Writing in Community Education" (Rebecca O'Rourke); "Learning from Working Together: Experiencing Collaborative Research as Education" (Sue Shuttleworth et al.); "The Challenge of Linking Research and Practice: Ways of Learning in Adult Basic Education" (Mary Hamilton, Wendy Moss); "Disability Voice" (Mal Leicester); "Returners, Mathematics and Targeting" (Roseanne Benn); and "Access of Adult to the University: A Comparative UK/Belgian Study" (Barbara Merrill, Jean-Luc Guyot). Many papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

A study identified some implicit concepts, knowledge, and skills that a seemingly standard adult literacy and numeracy "lesson" contains. Conversation analysis was used to show instances of how adult numeracy is embedded in adult language and literacy. The "conversation" was a transcript from an adult literacy class for long-term unemployed adult men that began with a recall segment about question and answer patterns. Two types of questions were compared: those occurring "naturally" as part of the "common sense" made during the classroom conversations and those asked as part of the instructional content of the lesson appropriate to the subject matter of mathematics. Analysis showed how language and literate practices in the adult literacy classroom created the reality that adult learners come to recognize as the subjects mathematics or numeracy. Two implications were explored. First, considerable differences between school mathematics and real-life numeracy raised the dilemma of what should be taught. Second, embedding of language with particular sets of valued "content areas" caused teachers to reproduce school-based practices and discourses for adults who had already experienced school failure and implied that literacy and numeracy teachers be trained in language interaction patterns and ways for teachers and adult students to manage them to achieve an identified purpose. (Contains 28 references.) (YLB)

A project explored the complex relationships between "integrated" numeracy and literacy skills, self confidence, and the place of skills, knowledge, and values in the learning process. The focus was on beef producers undertaking training in quality assurance (QA). Analysis of observations of QA process on three case study farms and examination of Cattlecare (the QA program developed for the beef industry) manuals suggested skills required to access QA. Findings indicated the following: (1) numeracy skills required for the non-chemical handling parts of Cattlecare were mostly arithmetic; (2) chemical mixing and administration involved more complex tasks; (3) Cattlecare manuals had a higher readability index than farming and popular newspapers and magazines; and (4) many Cattlecare forms were at the more complex end of the structure spectrum. The knowledge required to access QA was identified. These two possible reasons were suggested for failure to proceed with QA: the relatively high level of literacy and numeracy skills required and the high cost of necessary changes and accreditation. Underpinning the whole question of access was that farmers had to first value learning as important. Numerical and literacy activities were not prerequisites for learning about QA. Development of self confidence was shown in the values stage of learning. (Contains 25 references.) (YLB)

Factors affecting female participation in education in seven developing countries were examined through field visits to the following countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Jamaica, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Vanuatu. In each country, researchers interviewed key personnel, consulted local documentation, and conducted two empirical surveys designed to ascertain the views of gender and education held by primary school pupils and women training to become primary teachers. Nine groups of factors potentially affecting female participation in education were considered: geographical, sociocultural, health, economic, religious, legal, political/administrative, educational, and initiatives. Several factors, including residence in a rural area and the health effects of poverty and malnutrition, proved to affect female participation in education much more than male participation. The near-universal fundamental cultural bias in favor of males and economic factors proved to be the biggest obstacles to female participation in education in developing countries. Religious and legal factors had only indirect effects. Significant initiatives aiming to address aspects of the problem of female participation in education were noted in all seven countries; however, the political will to implement those initiatives policies was largely lacking. (Thirty-three tables/figures and the questionnaires are included. The Seychelles case study is presented as an appendix.) (MN)

The report on areas needing further development in provision of quality literacy services for Ontario's (Canada) native populations, based on site visits to native literacy programs, identifies seven key areas for change: (1) strategic planning for program development and implementation and advocacy; (2) program growth and administration; (3) native languages; (4) teacher training; (5) curriculum development; (6) standards and accountability; and (7) partnerships in delivery of literacy services. Each of these areas is defined and described, and some options for change are outlined for further discussion. In addition, literacy funding at the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board (OTAB) and the National Literacy Secretariat is described briefly. Appended materials include a list of OTAB-supported literacy programs, and a descriptive list of aboriginal stakeholder groups. Contains 15 references. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)

This document examines the diversity of family form and function throughout the world and argues that education, social network, and intelligent government policies can enhance families' capacities for long-term commitment to children and to community renewal. Chapter 1 provides an overview of families throughout the world, survival and industrial models of functioning, and their need, in the face of difficulties, for education and support in rearing their children. Chapter 2 describes problems of education in the developing and developed worlds and the promise that a new vision of basic education would make education more relevant to people's concerns and provide lifelong opportunities to learn basic skills and competencies, including family education. Formal education is advocated to improve family well-being through education of girls and the promotion of universal ideas favorable toward children and women. Chapter 3 defines family education as it is applied in the developing and developed worlds and includes brief descriptions of three programs. Contextual factors influencing family well-being and the potential impact of family education are delineated. Arguments for government investment in family education are presented, including social demand, economic returns, legal and equity concerns, and educational efficiency and social development. Chapter 4 provides a rationale for planning family education, describes a nested family systems model to clarify levels of intervention, and discusses potential delivery mechanisms, personnel, and training. The document concludes with recommendations for developing family education programs. (Contains 45 references, 1 table, and 2 figures). (KDFB)

This paper examines early childhood development, family, health, and literacy. It places particular emphasis on the need to consider the interrelationships of these factors when attempting to use literacy to improve the quality of life of individuals in developing countries. The paper begins with a discussion of learning capacity and a conceptual model of the interrelationships between the factors. It then moves to an overview of the main issues involved in early childhood development and literacy, considering industrialized and developing country approaches to the issues of school readiness, school quality, and early childhood development programs. The next section comprises a discussion of women and literacy in general, including the state of the women's literacy movement and suggestions for future development. Next is a discussion of family issues and literacy that examines the U.S. family literacy movement, family approaches to literacy in developing countries, and how family approaches may affect women. The following section is a treatment of the issue of literacy and health. The paper concludes with a discussion of the need to combine literacy programs and social life. Appendixes contain a 41-item annotated bibliography and 59 references. (YLB)

This report offers numerous cross-sectoral explorations in the context of health and human resources analyses in Africa. Intended as a resource document for funding agencies, program managers, and policy makers in Africa, the study aims to spark interest in using basic education to foster behavior conducive to broad-based, sustainable economic development. The report presents findings and analysis of research carried out in missions to Botswana, The Gambia, and Senegal from December 1992 to October 1993. The paper evaluates and documents lessons learned from programs designed to integrate health, population/family planning, environmental issues, privatization, and democracy education into basic education curricula in African nations. The first section of the report discusses recent findings about the way students learn and how this research affects curriculum development, curriculum and instruction, and curriculum and evaluation. In the second section three case studies outline the curriculum development process in Botswana, The Gambia, and Senegal. The third section of the report presents recommendations and observations. An annotated bibliography of programs and materials is included in the appendix. (EH)

Despite the extensive work that has been done and continues to take place in the field of literacy in Nepal, it was not until very recently that literacy activity in Nepal was reflected in writing. Increasingly, however, literacy practitioners in Nepal are realizing the importance of documenting their experiences, and literature devoted to the following aspects of literacy in Nepal is now available: family literacy, learner-generated materials, the language experience approach, legal literacy, and participatory videotape. More than two-thirds of publications on these topics date from the 1990s. A large amount of those publications have been produced for or by specific projects, either as evaluation reports or proposals. Only a few articles examining issues or even the history of literacy developments in Nepal have been published. Most available literature on literacy in Nepal has been produced by international agencies for their own internal use and must therefore be read in the context of planning and evaluating a specific literacy project or program. The material on literacy in Nepal that does exist is widely scattered and therefore difficult to obtain in Nepal or the United Kingdom. Many publications must be requested from the individual agencies concerned. (Contains 70 references.) (MN)

A group of 100 randomly selected women living in the resettlement colony of Ambedkernager in South Delhi, India, who had participated in colony's Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) were interviewed regarding their participation in the TLC. Of the 100 women, 34 had attended school earlier. Four of the 34 women were still attending school. Most respondents were motivated to join the TLC by young literacy volunteers living in their neighborhoods. Although most women joined the TLC on their own initiative, most had husbands, parents, or children who supported their participation in the campaign. Most respondents had positive opinions about the literacy volunteers; however, not all of them liked attending literacy classes. Although all the respondents had completed the three TLC primers, only 16% were able to reach the National Literacy Mission norm when tested. By and large, the respondents did not use their newly acquired reading, writing, and numeracy skills in their everyday lives. When asked whether literacy had changed their personal and family lives, many respondents did not initially answer positively. When probed, however, they acknowledged some changes in their lives after acquiring literacy skills. (Contains 28 references.) (MN)

This publication contains nine articles about the process of doing research by literacy practitioners and volunteers in several areas of the Ontario (Canada) literacy field. "Implementing a Workplace Program: A Look Back" (Maria Ioannou-Makrakis) describes the process followed and the learning outcomes from planning, implementing, and developing a workplace literacy program in a rural community. "The Open Learning Network" (Frances Lever) focuses on researching and developing a cross-sectoral accreditation system with planned involvement of experts, students, providers, and information users. "Course Charting" (Deborah LeForestier) is a description of the participatory assessment process as practiced in an adult skills upgrading project. "How Are New Learners Socialized into an Existing Literacy Program?" (Michael G. Wodlinger, Regina Muetze) examines the process that would best facilitate a literacy learner's entry into a new program. "Group Process in Literacy: Program-Based Research" (Heather Lennie Segsworth) looks at the development of groups in literacy classes. "The ESL [English as a Second Language] and Literacy Bridging Project" (Judy Bernstein, Lori Rothschild) describes a curriculum development project that was allowed to evolve towards an initially undefined outcome. "Trial, Error, and Back to the Drawing Board" (Suzy Harris) tells how testing methods and instruments before starting on a full-scale evaluation saved time and made the information more interesting and useful. "Evaluation and Change in a Literacy Program" (Patrick Cummins) is a case study that explores some factors leading to evaluation use. "Dialogue: Questions of a Novice Researcher" (Suzy Harris, Michael Wodlinger) is an edited dialogue dealing with some issues around program evaluation. Also included is a review of a research report, "Literacy in South Muskoka." (YLB)

In light of the transition from a labor- to a knowledge-intensive economic system, member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) seem to have little choice but to increase the efficient allocation of both the quality and flow of knowledge and literacy skills. To reduce risks and counter the factors that otherwise might lead to underinvestment in human capital, a new human capital accounting system is needed that would aim at measuring and recording levels of competency. In particular, it would focus on the acquisition of knowledge and competency relevant to the workplace. A general survey of workers' knowledge and skills offers the possibility of directly testing how these are related to productivity. Such information would begin to create a more solid basis for policy on education and training. To test the relationship between competence and productivity, the samples should be designed to measure both competence and productivity for the same respondents. This implies collecting data in work settings. The primary sampling units should be firms or work establishments. Another desirable feature of the sampling design would be to sample clusters of entire work groups within enterprises. The following challenges must be overcome to accomplish the study design: establish a definition of skill and develop a skill taxonomy; develop reasonably accurate test measures; collect data; and include the time dimension and reference period for measurement. (Contains 43 references.) (YLB)

A study examined recent developments in adult basic education (ABE) in Great Britain in relation to students with learning difficulties and issues about the ways in which programs seemed to be moving. Information was collected from ABE staff and students in case study sites in northwest England from the following sources: semistructured interviews and group/pair discussions; "ways of learning" day events; a residential weekend with workshops; case study scenarios, role play, and drawing; and a questionnaire to original open learning centers funded by the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit and more established ABE providers across England and Wales. Findings indicated the referral practice appeared to be the way ABE was developing. Recent initiatives had created a spread of open learning approaches and "drop-in" facilities accompanied by the demise of small group sessions with a teacher/facilitator. "Preferred types" of students were emerging. The demise of group learning was accompanied by a rise in individualized learning. Policy statements, professional staff, and institutional arrangements operated in conjunction to label the "normal" ABE student and the "other" student with learning difficulties. A more negative perception of adult students with learning difficulties existed, leading to negative definitions and labelling. Another trend was the pressure to demonstrate achievement in particular, specified ways. This would have powerful effects on people with learning difficulties. (Contains 10 references.) (YLB)

Literacy and economic development are inextricably linked in the literature, often with little examination. There are five rationales for this relationship: economic objectives, social objectives, political objectives, endogenous pressures, and exogenous pressures. To achieve both understanding of literacy and improved literacy programming, better methods of assessment and program evaluation should be put into place. Prior experience in assessment has been characterized by use of literacy surveys. New efforts to measure literacy include standardized test surveys of literacy and the household survey approach. The ability to analyze the effectiveness of literacy programs and accountability are also needed. Four common myths help to sustain the political and social support for literacy work, but the lack of solid evidence undergirding the claims should lead to concern as well. The myths are as follows: (1) literacy changes the way humans think, their logical abilities, and their intelligence; (2) literacy leads to human "modernization" and to the changing of attitudes about "development"; (3) literacy fosters democratic ideals and increases national productivity; and (4) illiteracy will be eradicated by 2000. The following key ideas are promoting innovation in literacy work: technology, multisectoral materials, material design, mother tongue and second language issues, and sustained leadership. (Appendixes contain 40 endnotes, a 19-item annotated bibliography, 183 references, 3 data tables, and 1 figure.) (YLB)

In response to prison disturbances in England and Wales in the late 1980s, the education program for prisoners was improved and more prisoners were given access to educational services. Although education is a relatively new phenomenon in the English and Welsh penal system, by the 20th century, education had become an integral part of prison life. It served partly as a control mechanism and partly for more altruistic needs. Until 1993 the management and delivery of education and training in prisons was carried out by local education authority staff. Since that time, the education responsibility has been contracted out to organizations such as the Staff College, other universities, and private training organizations. Various policy implications were resolved in order to allow these organizations to provide prison education. Today, prison education programs are probably the most comprehensive of any found in the country. They may range from literacy education to postgraduate study, with students ranging in age from 15 to over 65. The curriculum focuses on social and life skills. Vocational education is prevalent, and many types of teaching methods are tried. The future for prison education in England and Wales seems secure; prison education is likely to play an increasingly central role in prison reform efforts. This report includes a list of prison service establishments with addresses. (Contains eight references.) (KC)

The papers written for this report deal with an analysis of volunteer and professional adult educators and with their training and continuing education. Papers include the following: "Adult Educators and Volunteers: A Partnership Strategy" (Russ Pacey, Susan Witter, and Barbara Bate); "The Professional Adult Educator: A Profile Developed from B.C.'s Adult Education Associations" (James E. Thornton and Richard O. Kavanagh); and "The Training of Adult Educators in British Columbia" (Denis J. Haughey). The second part of the report features self-portraits of the adult education associations active in British Columbia (B.C.). Information is provided about the genesis, rationale and goal development, organization, and current situation of the Pacific Association for Continuing Education (Knute Buttedahl); the Adult Basic Education Association of British Columbia (Norma Kidd); the Adult Special Education Association of British Columbia (Gladys Loewen); the Association for Community Education in British Columbia (Inge Williams); Association of British Columbia Teachers of English as an Additional Language (Pat Wakefield); the B.C. Association of Continuing Education Administrators (Ed Palleson and Don Jacobs); the Private Career Training Association of B.C. (Marie Tomko); the Society of Vocational Instructors of B.C. (Vernon A. Young); and the Training and Development Society of British Columbia (Roy Rajsic). (KC)

Perceptions of success in teaching and learning adult literacy in England were examined in a study that included interviews with 30 learners and 10 tutors. The teaching approaches most often cited by the tutors as leading to success were as follows: (1) base tutoring on individual interests; (2) personal and social support for each student; (3) use of a variety of teaching styles; (4) an ongoing cycle of assessment, planning, and review; (5) use of computer-assisted learning; (6) use of a range of spelling strategies; and (7) use of real print. The signs of student success most frequently mentioned by the tutors were as follows: (1) increased confidence, motivation, assertiveness; (2) demonstrating learning through a review of goals or targets; (3) using something that has been learned; (4) receiving feedback from friends or family; (5) doing something that could not be done before; (6) attending regularly; and (7) indicating through assessment or tests. When asked about whether they were being successful in their learning, most students were adamant that they were and could present evidence to support their claims. Students credited their learning with enabling them to perform new literacy tasks and giving them new knowledge or skills that they had since begun using in their lives and work. (Contains 56 references.) (MN)