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Developing media literacy has emerged as a key requirement in our rapidly evolving world. Particularly, the incorporation of media literacy into the secondary school curriculum in Kazakhstan is perceived to have a long-term impact on the employment prospects of graduates and aligns with the country's multi-vector policy. Consequently, teachers recognize the imperative to foster media literacy in their classrooms. The integration of media literacy into the existing school curriculum holds profound importance, challenging students' critical thinking skills, creativity, and functional literacy. This study aims to explore the development of media literacy within English as a Foreign Language (hereinafter, EFL) classrooms, concentrating on teachers' perceptions and challenges related to media literacy. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research entails conducting semi-structured interviews with EFL teachers in Kazakhstan. This study is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with fifteen EFL teachers in schools in Kazakhstan. The findings reveal that, despite certain barriers, EFL teachers acknowledge the necessity of incorporating media literacy components into their classrooms. The tension associated with teaching media literacy manifests in decisions related to selecting appropriate resources, adopting effective approaches, and navigating the attitudes of other education stakeholders. The research outcomes contribute to filling the current gap in studies within this domain, offering practical insights for teachers working in similar environments.

Background: Political and economic upheavals in the current millennium globally have displaced millions of people, making cross-border and forced migration a reality. Many refugees are forced out of their countries and flee to other countries to find new languages with which they are not familiar. South Africa as a signatory to the 1954 UN Convention on refugees and stateless persons accepts refugees (asylum seekers) from all over the world. The displaced persons are mostly illiterate in English and the indigenous languages of their new settlement countries. Objectives: The study was set up to investigate the socio-economic value of literacy in the lives of refugee adults in South Africa. Hence, in this article, literacy refers to the ability to read, write, calculate, communicate and function in any language with a basic understanding in one's environment. Method: This ethnographic qualitative study used interviews, observations and focus group meetings to explore how literacy matters in the sustainable development of entrepreneurial activities among the refugee adults and youths in South Africa. The study is grounded in Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy theory and has some implications for adult literacy throughout the developing world where millions of adult refugees find themselves vulnerable. Results: The study revealed that refugee adults learn functional literacy in English and other 11 local South African languages informally as communication skills for the survival of their small businesses and for social and economic use in their 'adopted home'. They find it difficult to get employment in the formal sector and often use their ingenuity to create their own jobs for survival and livelihoods in informal trade and entrepreneurship. Conclusion: The article concludes that within the public adult learning interventions by the Department of Basic Education, where literacy programmes are offered, refugees should be encouraged and supported in attending formal classes to deal with their livelihoods and small businesses for survival.

This study explored the relationship between 4th-grade students' functional literacy levels and their problem-solving skills and the effect level of students' functional literacy experiences on their problem-solving ability. Employing the quantitative research approach, relational survey design, one of the general survey designs, was used in the study. The study universe was 4th-grade students attending public elementary schools in the central districts of Gaziantep. The study was conducted on a sample of 744 4th-grade students who were selected by a simple random sampling method. In the study, data were collected with scales related to two different variables, functional literacy and problem-solving. Necessary approvals for the study were taken before the implementation. SPSS 15.0 package program was utilized to analyze the data. Frequency and percentage were performed to determine the demographic information of participating students; arithmetic mean, standard deviation and standard error were performed to determine the functional literacy levels and perception levels of problem-solving skills; Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between functional literacy and its sub-dimensions, and perceptions of problem-solving skills; and finally, multiple regression analysis calculations were made to determine the predictive power of functional literacy and its sub-dimensions on perceptions of problem-solving skills. According to the study results, students' functional literacy levels were at a medium level and their problem-solving skills were at a partially high level. Also, there was a positive significant relationship between the students' functional literacy levels and their problem-solving skills. Furthermore, it was determined that functional literacy and its subdimensions significantly predicted students' problem-solving skills. The study results were discussed within the framework of the related literature.

The rapid growth of inclusive higher education opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has contributed to improvements in students' academics, employment, social, and independent living outcomes. However, many college programs lack a focus on functional literacy, a critical skill for success in adulthood. This study evaluated whether a functional literacy intervention was associated with an increase in the percentage of reading comprehension strategies implemented accurately for college students with IDD. A multiple probe across functional literacy stimuli (e.g., academic assignments, employment emails, social text messages) was replicated across four students. Results indicated an association between the intervention and percentage of strategies implemented accurately. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are provided.

The global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is creating unsustainable burdens on health systems worldwide. NCDs are treatable but not curable. They are less amenable to top-down prevention and control than are the infectious diseases now in retreat. NCDs are mostly preventable, but only individuals themselves have the power to prevent and manage the diseases to which the enticements of modernity and rising prosperity have made them so susceptible (e.g., tobacco, fat-salt-carbohydrate laden food products). Rates of nonadherence to healthcare regimens for controlling NCDs are high, despite the predictable long-term ravages of not self-managing an NCD effectively. I use international data on adult functional literacy to show why the cognitive demands of today's NCD self-management (NCD-SM) regimens invite nonadherence, especially among individuals of below-average or declining cognitive capacity. I then describe ways to improve the cognitive accessibility of NCD-SM regimens, where required, so that more patients are better able and motivated to self-manage and less likely to err in life-threatening ways. For the healthcare professions, I list tools they can develop and deploy to increase patients' cognitive access to NCD-SM. Epidemiologists could identify more WHO "best buy" interventions to slow or reverse the world's "slow-motion disaster" of NCDs were they to add two neglected variables when modeling the rising burdens of disease. The neglected two are both cognitive: the distribution of cognitive capacity levels of people in a population and the cognitive complexity of their health environments.

The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between Turkish teaching and e-learning, m-learning and u-learning in the program dimension. The research was carried out according to the interpretative paradigm. In this study, which was designed according to the qualitative research method, document analysis was used as a data collection technique. As a document, the special objectives, themes and subjects, text types and achievements of the Turkish Language Curriculum (2019) were used. Descriptive analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data. When the Turkish Language Curriculum is evaluated in general in terms of special objectives, themes and subjects, text types and achievements, it can be concluded that digital skills and multimodal literacy that serve these three learning types are not among the priorities. The special objectives, themes and topics, text types, and achievements in the Turkish Language Curriculum serve functional literacy rather than technological-based learning. In this respect, studies based on the Turkish Language Curriculum can be associated with e-learning, m-learning and u-learning types to strengthen the relationship between the program and technology-based learning.

This study aims to determine the functional literacy acquisition of Alternative Learning System learners and make a sound basis for strategic planning and pedagogical intervention that will help promote and develop the said program. The descriptive-evaluative method of research was used in the study. The descriptive method was used to identify the respondents' profile based on (a) age, (b) gender, (c) civil status, and (d) employment status. The evaluative method was used to determine the respondents' functional literacy acquisition in (a) communication skills, (b) scientific and critical thinking skills, (c) mathematical and problem solving skills, (d) life and career skills, (e) understanding the self and society, and (f) digital citizenship (formerly digital literacy). Frequency Count and Percentage Technique was used to describe the functional literacy acquisition of the respondents. Meanwhile, a modified survey questionnaire based on the functional literacy, education and mass media survey ("National Profile of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills," 2004, p. 91) was used as the primary tool to gather the data. The respondents in this study were the students enrolled in ALS-Sipocot (North and South District), the school year 2019-2020. Due to COVID restrictions, other ALS learners from other municipalities were not covered as part of the study. Findings revealed that ALS learners do not yet manifest the complete acquisition of functional literacy needed to face the globalized world's challenges because their attainment of the required functional literacy skills is generally low. Moreover, the study disclosed that sex, age, civil status, and employment status affect the acquisition of functional literacy skills among ALS learners in Sipocot, Camarines Sur. Based on the results, the researcher developed an extension activity to help the ALS learners improve their functional literacy, particularly in the digital citizenship area, where they got the lowest score.

Notwithstanding their contribution to the development of any society, women are the underclass. Their participation in social, economic, and political spheres could be limited because of illiteracy. To improve their involvement, providing adult education is incontestable. This article examines Ethiopian women's empowerment through Integrated Functional Adult Education, using social, economic, and political dimensions. The paper confirms that providing adult education programs to illiterate women improved their day-to-day lives. The study concluded that Integrated Functional Adult Education improves women's lives in social and economic dimensions. However, the study also found that women's participation and empowerment in political issues remain unimproved.

Functional literacy is the learning of knowledge and skills for vital necessities as a higher level of basic literacy and then the operational use of this information in individual, socio-cultural, or economic fields. This research aims to examine the opinions of teachers in the context of functional literacy related to the II level primary education program for adults conducted in Public Education Centres. A phenomenological design was used in the study. A total of 12 teachers working in literacy courses in Public Education Centres were included in the study group. This study was conducted by taking the opinions of teachers and concluded that the second-level literacy courses are not sufficient at the social, individual, and educational levels in the context of functional literacy. In the context of these results, it is recommended that the content of the II level primary education program is reconstructed to provide functional skills in a framework that enriches daily life practices focused on the needs of adult individuals.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the challenges of the implementation of Integrated Functional Adult Education (IFAE) in the Oromiya National Regional State. This study employed a qualitative study and few quantitative data type. The qualitative data was collected from participants of regional education office, district education office heads, experts at different education offices, facilitators of the adult literacy program and adult literacy learners through the interview, literacy classroom observation and FGD methods. The study used a purposive sampling method to include participant. After collecting the data, qualitative data processing was made (editing, classification, and thematic formation). The interpretation is a narrative analysis of relevant incident of the respondents' responses. The results reveal that the program implementation is hampered by access to adults learning the program, lack of organized structure, coordination, and commitment to improving the IFAE program. The literacy classroom observation results reveal that some of the contents like counting and adding numbers are more liked by participants. On the other hand, writing names, constructing words and sentences found to be a challenge for the learners. The curriculum is not implemented as it was stipulated in the textbook of the learners, only literacy facilitators in the form of intergenerational learning modality run the program, without the involvement of the agriculture and health extension facilitators. The study result shows that the current model, used to implement IFAE, could not bring a change as the right way to escape from illiteracy problem. In the region, despite the growth of formal education, adult education has been impeded and the program handling system becomes at the verge of dying. Hence, the government has to restructure the "fragmented system of the program that could minimize the gap between the policy implementers and the end users."

Literacy, in particular functional literacy in various fields and especially in the field of STEM, is becoming an increasing problem in modern-day society. The question arises, can the school system develop the kind of functional literacy in students, which allows them to fulfil, in real life, their personal and professional needs related to the competence of reading and creating written texts from the field of science, technology and engineering? The present research aimed to explore how students in today's schools are trained in functional literacy, especially in the fields of technology and engineering, and what kind of literacies in the field of STEM they are able to (or should be able to) master competently. The present research showed that students achieve relatively poor results in the area of functional literacy, both regarding their science literacy, and especially their technology and engineering literacy, which is a result of a lack of competence on behalf of mother-tongue teachers to develop this kind of functional literacy. Functional literacy should be developed by teachers of individual areas of STEM subjects.

One of the ironic facts that existed in our society is functional illiteracy. It does not mean that people cannot read or write. People know how to read and write but are unable to understand the meaning of a text they read. Thus, this research was held to answer the question of "How can students' awareness of functional literacy be improved?" This research applied a classroom action research. The results showed that functional literacy was not working due to several reasons such as the students' ignorance of the surroundings, misunderstanding of the instructions, and lacking reading comprehension and language mastery. Students' awareness of functional literacy was improved by implementing regular instructional announcements and reminders. The functional literacy which was also measured from the students' reading comprehension increased from the pre-test, which was 34.09, to 63.17 on the 1st cycle and 69.69 on the 2nd cycle. It can be concluded that functional literacy requires practice and habituation. Students reading comprehension and language mastery are the other matters to be considered in the success of functional literacy. The last, habituation that is directly related to daily life needs sustainable practices, not only in the classroom but also outside in order to become a habit and they can live well in the society.

Information and communication technologies aid marginalized groups in seeking social support, building proximate networks, and improving employment opportunities. However, one key factor that is understudied in the literature is the impact of open education resources (OER) on the employability of marginalized groups. This study focuses on open and distance learning in the context of low-income female migrant domestic workers as a marginalized community. Specifically, we assessed the differential effects of two types of communication: informal OER resources (e.g., social media, mobile calling, texting) and formal OER resources (e.g., classroom prescribed learning tools and lectures) on specific development outcomes of functional literacy and perceived employability. A survey was conducted amongst female migrant domestic workers (n = 100) enrolled in the Indonesian Open University in Singapore. Results indicate that access to OER resources via computers in the formal context of institutional learning, when combined with employability awareness, had a significant influence on livelihood outcomes, i.e., perceived employability. However, this did not lead to actual improvements in learning--functional literacy. Instead, actual learning improvement was influenced by digitals skills enabled by mobile phones and computers. The study concludes with a discussion on the policy implications for digital skills training via mobile devices for marginalized populations to bolster the positive effects of OER on livelihood outcomes.

This study explored how 14 foreign-language writers at a university in Japan changed their genre awareness of discussion genre texts (particularly argumentative essays) during a 15-week systemic functional linguistics course consisting of text-based writing lessons assigned as part of a teaching and learning cycle. To obtain in-depth quantitative and qualitative insights into changes in the students' awareness of genre and writing skills, pre- and post-surveys and self-reflection written texts were administered and analyzed. Twelve previously proposed criteria (covering generic structure, lexicogrammar, and multidimensional analyses of attitudes and performance) were used to analyze the self-reflection texts. The preliminary results showed that the students' understanding of generic structure and lexicogrammar improved, especially their comprehension of the second and third paragraphs of the target genre text. The preliminary results of the correlation analysis illustrated that the increased understanding of lexicogrammatical features, such as textual meaning, interpersonal meaning, and experiential meaning, was related to their self-efficacy and confidence in their writing skills. The preliminary analysis results indicated that that applying a teaching and learning cycle and a genre-based approach to writing instruction has the potential to enhance EFL students' awareness of generic structure and interpersonal meaning in writing argumentative essays.

This study examined the progress of English as a foreign language (EFL) writers using the instructional framework of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and the communities of practice (CoPs) model. The study participants comprised 11 first-year undergraduate students in Japan with intermediate-level English proficiency who were exposed to SFL in a single EFL classroom (CoP). The participants' genre understanding and meaning-making decisions when writing discussion essays were studied over two semester-long courses. To do so, their developmental changes were analyzed using pre- and post-instructional writing tasks. In particular, their ability to convey interpersonal meaning, such as through the use of modal verbs, was examined and compared between the pre- and post-tasks. To triangulate the findings, participants' genre awareness in relation to discussion essays was also examined using in-depth qualitative analysis of their self-reflective texts and peer assessments, based on a grounded theory approach. In the pre-writing task, it was apparent that the learners lacked understanding of the components of discussion essay writing. However, analysis of their post-instructional tasks revealed that most had begun to apply the language components required to convey interpersonal meaning in their discussion genre texts. These results suggest that the changes in learner's genre awareness and knowledge affected the lexicogrammatical features they used when writing discussion essays. Thus, this study concludes that applying the SFL framework to writing instruction enhanced EFL learners' awareness of textual meaning and their understanding of the function of discussion essay texts.

The paper examines critically the dimension of empowerment in the European discourse, starting from some operational definitions used in official documents. The author analyses the shift in the European documents from 2000 to recent years, from a lifelong learning vision to an adult education approach, basically labour market-oriented, thus leaving aside the social cohesion and self-emancipatory dossiers. Against this background, a theoretical approach derived from the categories of transaction and reflexivity is suggested, setting out from the works of John Dewey. This paper investigates whether the categories of experience, problem posing and emancipation are more suitable for a long-term project on adult learning than the categories of activation, problem solving, and empowerment.

Literacy scholarship has established the importance of teaching, supporting, and facilitating digital literacy education for 21st century students. Stuart Selber goes a step further, arguing that students must be functionally (using digital technology), critically (questioning digital technology), and rhetorically (producing effective digital texts) literate. In this article, we suggest that digital comics can be an effective text that supports Selber's digital literacy framework. First, we address the importance of digital literacy before providing an overview of Selber's framework. Then, we examine different kinds of digital comics available to instructors and teachers. Finally, we summarize how we have used digital comics to meet Selber's digital literacy requirements.

The present study aims at presenting the relationship between the fourth grade primary school students' level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness. The study group of the research is made up of 406 fourth grade students attending school during 2015-2016 academic year in Nigde. This study adopts survey model and its data collection tools include the Functional Literacy Experience Scale based upon Ecological Theory (FLESBUET) and the Metacognitive Awareness Scale for Children. In relation to these points, this study also attempts to explore the students' demographical characteristics, their level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness and whether the level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness differentiate according to their gender, preschool education and their mother's employment status. In the light of the findings, it has been concluded that there is a moderate level of positive and significant correlation between the level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness of the 4th grade primary school students (r = 0.480, p<0.001). It has also been found that, the students' level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness differentiate if they take preschool education and if their mother is employed. However, there seems to be no differentiation according to their gender.

This paper explores how Culturally Sustaining Systemic Functional Linguistics (CSSFL), a theoretical and pedagogical approach, facilitates emergent bilingual (EB) students' engagement in explicit, equitable literacy practices within the unique context of a middle school intensive reading classroom. This design-based research (DBR) study documents the literacy practices and routines of EBs in a culturally and linguistically diverse intensive reading classroom, what CSSFL-informed lessons comprise when created in response to students' cultural and linguistic affordances, and how students' genre-based language knowledge was supported in these lessons. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Systemic Functional Linguistics informed analysis of data collected from observations, student samples, researcher reflections, and video/audio-recordings. Findings indicate that while there were missed opportunities for culturally sustaining practices and explicit language instruction in the reading classroom, designing and implementing a CSSFL-informed and curriculum-aligned lessons facilitated students' enthusiasm and active participation, community building and shared experiences, and use of translanguaging and multimodal practices to heighten metalinguistic awareness.

Education has been identified as one of the most important ways to achieve national development. With 3 million non-literate adults in Lagos State, the commercial nerve center of the nation, radio becomes a veritable medium to teach such adults who, for several reasons including economic, do not have the opportunity of formal schooling. The study assessed the effectiveness of educational radio broadcasting for adult literacy in Lagos State, Nigeria. Five hundred and five (505) adult learners participating in Lagos is Learning Project were purposively selected. Findings showed that a majority (62.4%) of the study participants used the instructional radio program, "Mooko Mooka," to prepare for classroom instruction, while 53.5% of the study participants used the program for revision. Findings also revealed that 40.6% of them listened to the program three times per week and this implied that frequency of exposure could influence literacy skill. The study concluded that radio instructional techniques were effective in promoting adult literacy and therefore recommended that the radio listening sessions should be increased as part of efforts to reduce adult illiteracy in the country. Also, community media centers should be created in different communities to encourage group listening where learners can be supervised.

The recent exemplification of multiliteracies in the newly implemented English Language (EL) syllabus in Singapore clearly signals to EL teachers the great importance of integrating technology-mediated communication practices into their classrooms. An initiative of the New London Group, multiliteracies is a pedagogical approach that points to the urgency and challenges of preparing students for a fast-paced, dynamic and multimodal world that now shapes all aspects of modern text consumption and production. Yet, EL writing instruction remains particularly resistant to such reforms. What we have instead is a persistence of long-dominant functional literacy strategies which emphasize technical skills, language rules, and learning by rote. This paper utilizes data gathered from a two-year, grant funded multiple-case study that investigated writing pedagogy on the part of six teachers working in three typical secondary schools in Singapore. It seeks to explain how functional literary persists to constrain the pedagogical actions of teachers, either explicitly or implicitly. It also identifies teaching opportunities that emerged in classroom observations but remained unexplored as a result of this functional literacy focus. Most importantly, the paper articulates how this historical trend may be challenged and overcome with a more robust multiliteracies pedagogy.

Lesotho's educational system and development are largely influenced by missionaries and colonisers who taught the three 'Rs' (reading, writing and numeracy skills) to the Basotho. Most of those enlightened Basotho were to carry on the duties of either educating others or as missionary workers. Some became clerks, interpreters, police officers, nurses and Sunday school teachers. This article is an account of a functionally literate Mosotho male adult learner who was herding livestock and taught himself reading and writing skills. In his narrative, Hlalefang (not his real name) compares literacy to money and a watch or a clock. He further expresses how people like him have managed to muster some basic and restructure the cognitive and oral history and archival memories, through intuitiveness. The story is based on the work of Paulo Freire where culture influences the discourse of literacy. A qualitative narrative story-telling approach was used to relate Hlalefang's lived-experiences as he navigated his ways and challenges using orality acquired through various life encounters. This inspirational cultural narrative demonstrates that culture and social uses are imperatives in functional literacy. The article challenges those in adult education, literacy, development practitioners and policy-makers to consider some aspects of culture and to be innovative in their approaches to multi-literacies.

This paper examines the different views about the definition of "literacy" and how it is applied in the Zambian context. It argues that the absence of a contextual definition of literacy or illiteracy has raised some doubt on the magnitude of the problem and the extent to which success has been achieved through various literacy programmes. It highlights the growth of literacy education in Zambia, achievements and problems. The paper observes that whereas many efforts have been made to improve the country's literacy rates, the government has not been able to achieve significant results compared to neighbouring countries such as Botswana and Tanzania. It attributes the dismal performance of literacy educational programmes to factors such as inadequate resources, absence of a well-laid down programme and follow-ups. Finally, it outlines some options which may not only improve the literacy rate in the country but may sustain it also.

This article deals with problematic fields which influence the level of reading strategies of fifteen to nineteen years old pupils (e.g. selected productive learning activities, work with diverse types of texts and information sources etc.). Moreover, the paper provides information about efficiency testing of pupils in selected reading strategies during entrance examination to high school and high school graduation exams. What is the connection between the trends in the Czech and foreign curriculum based upon the PISA and PIAAC outcome application? The aim of this paper is the reflection and analysis of key issues of the functional reading literacy, the methods employed were: content analysis of a selected part of the Czech curriculum, outcome comparison of international reading literacy researches PISA and PIAAC, reflection and analysis of approaches to test tasks for entrance examination to high school. This paper points out the complexity of curricular system, i.e. interdependence of primary, secondary and lifelong reading education.

Easy-to-read (ETR) German is the subject of public debate. Even though it is heavily promoted by officials, its status is controversial. Moreover, the comprehensibility of ETR German texts awaits systematic testing. The aim of the present study was to test a controversial rule concerning word segmentation. Hypotheses derived from psycholinguistic studies with skilled readers predict an interaction of segmentation and semantic transparency. A sample of individuals, some with intellectual disability and others functionally illiterate, performed a timed lexical decision task on unsegmented and segmented noun compounds that were either semantically transparent or semantically opaque. The results show an advantage of segmentation that was not modulated by semantic transparency. At the same time, a main effect of semantic transparency indicates that the meaning of the compounds was accessed. Two potential loci of the segmentation advantage are discussed: a prelexical one referring to phonological recoding and a lexical one related to access to phonological word forms. The outcome of the experiment approves the practice of segmenting noun compounds in ETR German. The study further attests the feasibility and potential fruitfulness of experimental research with target groups of ETR.

The purpose of this quantitative, pretest-posttest causal-comparative with control condition study was to examine if there was a difference in misconduct, as measured by reduction in occurrences of disciplinary infractions while incarcerated. General strain theory of criminal behavior provided the theoretical context for this study. The Arizona Department of Corrections' Inmate Data Search Database provided data that represented male inmate prison education participation in the following programs: Functional Literacy, Work-Based Education, and General Education Development. Due to non-normal distribution, a Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare inmate disciplinary infractions (dependent variable) by participation versus nonparticipation in prison education (independent variable). There was a statistically significant difference in the change in disciplinary infractions between inmates who did and did not participate in prison education programs (U = 9,254, z = -2.62, p = 0.009). Based on a Kruskal-Wallis H test, there was not a statistically significant difference between the three program types in the reduction of occurrences of inmate disciplinary infractions (p = 0.062). However, when accounting for average differences in misconduct during the times of participation for each program, there was a statistically significant difference in adjusted misconduct difference scores (H(2) = 41.53, p < 0.001). Pairwise comparisons indicated that General Education Development had a greater reduction of misconduct than the Functional Literacy (p = 0.002) and Work-based Education (p < 0.001) programs. Results suggest prison education has an impact on the reduction in misconduct when compared to nonparticipation.

Educators in Malawi and Zambia have always been concerned with their student's abilities to become analytical, logical and proficient readers of texts. This has been due to the fear that there is an increased overemphasis on knowledge of the fundamental literacy skills and other basics at the expense of critical thinking. This scenario has resulted into increased criticism of the quality of the educational product in the above countries. Different studies hence have indicated that most students graduate from university in possession of varying amounts of knowledge but without understanding the purpose of that knowledge in the real world. The students' low proficiency in critical literacy skills presents various social, cultural and educational challenges. This is also shown through improper demonstration of these skills in work place and the social world. Hence, the goal of this study was to investigate the level of critical literacy among university students. The study used the Constructivism Theory, as in the Paulo Freire's typology and the qualitative design to collect data through in-depth interviews among students from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and from University of Zambia. Twenty students were randomly sampled from both universities constituting 40, but only 37 respondents were finally involved. The results revealed that most of the responses provided by the students fell in the descriptive or functional phase, the most basic level of critical literacy. These results suggest that universities should do more to promote the higher level of literacy (here after critical literacy) which would make students more rigorous, analytical and better change agents of their worlds and the worlds of others.

Literacy facilitators across the archipelago are currently faced with the challenge to integrate local values in functional literacy education programs, because its integration is a new aspect. This makes localized literacy content a hard thing to implement. Yet, if properly conducted, it can lead to improved learner's basic competencies. In an effort to improve the learner's competencies based on localized content, it is necessary to develop the facilitator's competencies in regard to use of localized materials, as a measure to improve the quality of the learners. In this paper, the researcher aims to bring forward a model of functional literacy education based on local culture (values) for quality performance of the community learning centers within a learning society. The research reveals that literacy education based on local culture or local content can improve the quality of learning. The conclusion is that a model combining localized content, can enrich learning in this globalized world. Such a model can help learners to act locally, but with a globalized mind.

We live in a time of transition from print reading (off-line) to screen reading (on-line), where the role of the book and other literature is being taken over by different types of electronic devices (computers, tablets, smart phones). In the lives of young people, there is less and less printed media, because it is being pushed out by electronic media. Most written media that is still used is thus bound to the classroom. However, in recent years schools have also become more like e-schools. It is almost impossible to find a school that does not use e-material in its educational process. Research indicates that there are differences in reading comprehension when reading off-line and on-line. In a study in which 78 students from the 8th grade of elementary school participated at the course Technology and science (n=77; 53.2% female), it was shown that in order to overcome this difference, individualised and adaptive Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) can be used. The evaluation of the results also indicates that, for such a form of ITS, there is still plenty of space for optimisation, which is a permanent method of improvement and upgrade in such systems.

Publication of research articles (RAs) in English seems a challenging task for native and non-native writers. The acquisition of rhetorical structure and function grammar can be very helpful for academicians to achieve the wanted goal which is, of course, the publication of their RAs. This study aims to investigate the current level of familiarity to academic rhetoric within a systematic functional grammar among the Iranian ESP [English for Specific Purposes] teachers and ESP course learners. The participants of the study consist of 10 ESP teachers and 85 learners at M.A. and PhD level at Ilam State University and Islamic Azad University of Ilam. Data collected through self-report questionnaires with 22 items. The findings of this study revealed that the familiarity of ESP teachers with structures is too high and learners are high.

This study aims to perform a validity-reliability test by developing the Functional Literacy Experience Scale based upon Ecological Theory (FLESBUET) for primary education students. The study group includes 209 fifth grade students at Sabri Taskin Primary School in the Kartal District of Istanbul, Turkey during the 2010-2011 academic year. Structure validity of scale is examined with exploratory factor analysis and first factor is named as school, second factor as family and third factor as environment in accordance with Ecological Theory. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient, item total and residual item correlation in relation to scale are figured out. Then, significance of difference between top 27% and bottom 27% group item average and relation between item discrimination and two practices have been examined. Total Cronbach alpha value of this scale accounts for 0.86 and total item value is between 0.26-0.56. t-test results are of no significance, with the difference between the top 27% and the bottom 27% of the group's item average being significant, correlation value between two practices is high and there is a significant relation at 0.001 level as a result. All these results put forth that Functional Literacy Experience Scale based upon Ecological Theory (FLESBUET) is valid and reliable scale for education sector.

This study investigated perspectives on literacy as a tool for sustainable relationship among people. The study was conducted due to the significant role of literacy as an instrument of empowerment to improve relationship with other people by sharing information, ideas and knowledge to meet variety of purposes. The study adopted descriptive research design of the survey type. A sample of 1675 respondents that comprised of 1032 literates and 643 illiterates was selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques from two local government areas of Ekiti state, Nigeria. An instrument tagged "Perception of Literacy for Social Relationship Questionnaire (PLHLSRQ)" was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument was validated by experts and tested for reliability at 0.71 coefficients through test-re-test method. Data collected were statistically analysed using mean, standard deviation and student t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed a significant difference between literates and illiterates' perspectives on literacy as a tool for sustainable social relationship. The study also revealed significant gender difference in perspectives on literacy for sustainable social relationship. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that government should organise more awareness and sensitization programmes and seminars to purposefully attract illiterate commercial drivers and riders to literacy programmes.

In the 1930s, the Soviet government undertook great efforts to promote literacy and awareness in the countryside. Workers at cultural and educational institutions were entrusted with carrying out this task. The article analyzes the condition and historical development of "izby-chital'ny" [known in English as village "reading huts"] in the regions of the South Urals as centers of education and propaganda in rural areas. Little attention has been paid to this topic in the regional historiography. It is shown that there was a more extensive network of reading huts in the Chelyabinsk Region than in the Orenburg Region. The article explores how these reading huts mainly functioned throughout the region and what activities were commonly practiced at this institution. These included, among others, reading aloud newspapers and fiction that were intended for illiterate and minimally literate audiences, hosting reader conferences, and providing "knigonoshestvo" [a service of book delivery]. The article uncovers the main problems that faced reading huts in the region: insufficient funding, the expropriation of club buildings in a number of towns for purposes of grain storage, lack of equipment and furnishings, etc. Finding staff was perhaps the biggest problem that these institutions faced. Nevertheless, the mass popularization of this political and ideological institution was decisive to the formation of the Soviet citizen. [Translated by Kenneth Cargill.]

This article describes a writing assignment called Conversations with Myself (CWM) in which students "talk back" to subtractive dominant narratives through a two-part process of text analysis and autobiographical, dialogic writing. The author presents a case study of Stephen (all names are pseudonyms) to illustrate how literacy supported one student's understanding of how identities are shaped and how autobiographical writing can contribute to a greater student recognition of their own inherent worth.

The promotion of adult functional literacy programs per se, neither creates the necessary motivation for learning, nor enhances the participation of adult learners in work-oriented or socio-cultural functional literacy programs. The task in learning-teaching transaction is to create the enabling environment for harnessing and enhancing learner-related factors that influence the learners' successful and significant participation. The research sets out to investigate, analyze, and establish the factors, which influences urbanite woman learners-participation in adult functional literacy programs of selected churches in Accra. Study used survey method to collect data from study area in Nima and Maamobi, East Ayawaso sub-district of Accra, and chi-square test for statistical analysis. Three classes of factors were identified: (1) Internal factor (or the bio-psychosocial characteristics of learner, such as adult's experience and perception) which most influenced the urbanite learner-participation; (2) External factor related to the cultural setting and organization; and (3) Integrated factor which constitutes the interplay of both internal and external factors. Integrated factor contributed the least level of influence. Findings established a crucial foundation that adult functional literacy programs designed, deployed, and developed with learner-friendly models utilizing internal factors, will most enhance learner-participation in both work-oriented and socio-cultural functional literacy programs in continuing education. (Contains 1 figure and 7 tables.)

The meaning of citizenship has usually been associated with the power of individuals in the process of social decision-making. Throughout the history, effective citizenship has required functional literacy skills as the fundamental factor for attending societal life. In the past, the 3Rs (writing, reading, and arithmetic) were considered to be enough for a normal citizen because people could communicate satisfactorily based on these skills in public spheres. They could also benefit through traditional literacy skills from the mainstream communication channels like newspaper, radio, and television. Depending on the linear characteristic of the mass media, participation of citizens was limited in the social arena. However, new communication technologies have changed the nature and scope of citizenship. New kinds of literacies have emerged regarding the new media such as Internet, Web, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Facebook, mobile technologies and so forth. Today's citizens are expected to attend social processes anytime and anywhere. Thus, they are required to have mastery in new literacies which allow them to use all kinds of emerging technologies to share their views and make their voices heard. In fact, this comes as a requisite for real democracy because digital citizenship is largely based on contemporary literacy skills in which the technology plays an important role. This paper elaborates various kinds of new literacies and discusses their relationships with the current practices of digital citizenship from a technological perspective. (Contains 1 figure.)